Middle Eastern Origins of International Terrorism since 1945 - Essay Example

Middle Eastern Origins of International Terrorism since 1945 For as long as we have had war, terrorism has been with us as a tactic to bring about change in atmospheres of political discontent and also to maintain control. From the Irish War to Osama Bin Laden, the world has experienced political activism to the extent of vandal, murder and suicide. According to Delaware: “The history of terrorism dates back at least 1500 years when Jewish resistance groups (66 - 72 A.D.) known as Zealots killed Roman soldiers and destroyed Roman property” (Delaware, 2012). By the middle of the century, the Middle East has perfected and monopolized terror as a strategy to maintain control and promote their regimes. According to Middle East Info: “The Middle East includes 7 out of 19 of the most repressive regimes in the world. Arab and Iranian dictators oppress their subjects, sponsor half of the world’s major terror groups and imperil Israel, the Middle East’s sole democracy” (Middle East Info, 2012). Today, tearful vigils in remembrance of the September 11 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York is the most historical bookmark of Middle Eastern terror. Concept of Terrorism Emotion is the culprit behind many of life’s extremities. Even a terroristic movement starts with some degree of emotional conflict. The concept of terrorism initially brings to mind political manipulation, kidnappings, bombings, and surprise attacks. The saddest aspect of the term is it is often aimed toward innocent bystanders, including women, senior citizens, and children who have no connection to any perceived offense. “Terrorism has been described variously as both a tactic and strategy; a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable abomination” (Terrorism Research, 2012). Others apply the concept of terrorism to the specific oppression of certain groups of people based upon race or gender as opposed to any political agenda. “The lack of application of the term “terrorist” to Americans or Christians is certainly not due to a lack of evidence. It would not be hard to recognize the destructive nature of slavery in America as institutionalized terrorism” (Banner, 2010). The United States government’s attempts to define terrorism in terms of law are listed in the table below: Definition of Terrorism, United States Code, (United States Code, 2012) Title 22 Chapter 38 of the United States Code (regarding the Department of State)definition of terrorism: : "The term terrorism means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents” Title 18 United States Code defines international terrorism as: "Activities that . . . involve violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States…[and] appear to be intended . . . to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; . . . to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or . . . to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping” The essence of any terrorist movement is its threat to society. It is the basis for the existence of Homeland Security agencies. Regardless of how it is defined, terrorist tactics add up to one thing: violence. The violent approach arose from several circumstances in the 20th century. Nationalism developed in many countries, which undergirded many political movements and the formation of nationalist interest groups. The World Wars and the Cold War made fighting, death, and casualties a commonality. The tactic of taking hostages was added to the list of methods of political objection. The wars delegitimized any theories of peace and non-violent protest (Terrorism Research, 2012). The wars desensitized people to the death and breaking laws (Terrorist Research, 2012). The death toll of the wars overshadowed religious and philosophical campaigns for non-violent negotiation and respect for the fellow man. Small groups that would otherwise go unheard or ignored learned to gain attention by blatant, unexpected methods. The impact of terrorist activity is far reaching, affecting its victims for years, robbing society of its right to expect well-being. International Terrorism Terrorism on an international level is dated back to the early 1920’s. It was inevitable that people would seek out greater methods to force political adjudication. The ‘fighting’ Irish paved the way to a new level of strategy. The Irish War is said to have paved the way to not only terrorist strategy but to war itself. By 1945, the Irish War had developed three concepts of terrorism: selective, sustained, and cell operations (Delaware, 2012). Selective terrorism occurs when a particular group is targeted to attack in order to bring some type of reform. The bombing of abortion clinics is an example of how a group is ‘selected’ as the target of criminal attacks. Sustained terrorism is based upon the strategy of prolonged harassment to wear down the opponent. Osama Bin Laden, founder of the jihadist al-Qaeda, is believed to have initiated several attacks, including the September 11 bombings, in his ‘war on America’. The cell approach to terrorism seeks disintegration through parts of a regime as opposed to an entire operation. “The concept of cell operation decentralizes the implementation of terrorist acts and prevents the discovery and destruction of the terrorist organization” (Delaware, 2012). Osama Bin Laden, ( , 2012) The downfall of this approach is its effectiveness is very limited because any accomplishments are restricted to units. Osama Bin Laden used the cell method for the attack on September 11th. Bin Laden remained in hiding as he orchestrated attacks against the United Sates. It was not until the administration of President Barrack Obama in 2011 that Bin Laden was found and executed for his crimes. Age of Modern Terrorism Many associate the age of modern terrorism with Palestine and its horrific efforts in the 1960’s to be heard impose their political issues on the world. Categorized by Guerilla warfare, the Palestinian radicals surprised the world with the intensity of its attacks. “The age of modern terrorism might be said to have begun in 1968 when the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacked an El Al airliner en route from Tel Aviv to Rom” (Terrorism Research, 2012). This was the first of many instances where hostages were used to make demands against Israel’s government. The wealthy families associated with the al-Qaeda, including Bin Laden’s family, provide financial support for the terrorist attacks. “It has been estimated that $500,000 was spent to implement the attacks of September 11th (by European and the Middle Eastern groups) providing organization, operation and financial assistance to the main cell that carried out the attack” (Delaware, 2012). With private sources of funding, the terrorism is difficult to combat. International Terrorism: The Middle East Terrorism on an international level, centered in the Middle East, is dated back to when Israel fought Jordan, Egypt and Syria in 1967 (Delaware, 2012). Israel is a democratic country which constantly remains defensive of its freedoms. Israel’s history is a long rapt sheet of defense of its territory, its people, and its beliefs. “The use of conventional war to destroy Israel ended and the use of terror to focus attention on Israel and the Palestinians (the occupied territories) began (Delaware, 2012). Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Israel are the heart of the Middle east and the source of constant terrorism which has devastated Middle Eastern cities as well as countries around the world. “In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, the Black September Organization killed 11 Israelis. The Israelis were the immediate victims, but the true target was the 1 billion people watching the televised event” (Terrorism Research, 2012). Arab countries persist in oppressing each other and harboring dangerous weapons which threaten the security of the world. Hatred of democracy, the United States, other religions, and the political beliefs of others are supposedly the basis for their platforms. Not one year has passed that a tragic event, born in a Middle eastern regime, has not devastated someone, somewhere. Guerilla soldiers resort to suicide in order to murder others for the sake of a cause. The attacks continue to obtain financing by wealthy supporters and even some government agencies. Although some efforts have been thwarted, many have not and the victims of guerilla warfare continue to mount. Iranian leaders have no remorse for their actions or their victims. Middle East Terrorism Territories, (Solar Navigation, 2012) Terrorism is a global crisis. Middle Eastern terrorism is the epitome of disregard for the human life. Agendas take precedence over the lives of innocent people. Organizations such as the United Nations and the International Organization for Peace struggle to detonate plans to attack civilians, overthrow governments and other efforts to disturb the peace. Conclusion The existence of conventional terrorism begins with feelings of discontentment with some group of people or governing agency. The historical development of terrorism shows that it is a tool of change (Delaware, 2012). It may be the last resort after other methods to be heard or for change have been unsuccessful. For others it is way of life, a strategy that would exist regardless of the availability of other strategies. The goal of terrorism is to maintain power and control an entire population (Delaware, 2012). Terrorist groups such as narco-terrorists do not have a political aim or philosophy. The goal is to be able to continue to commit a crime, such as drug-trafficking. Many consider the motive of political activists to be merely an avenue to continue an underlying crime or injustice. Middle eastern terrorist groups do not appear to desire an alternative method of resolve. There is no avenue of resolution because the demands are for take over. The "peace process" whose main watchword is "territories for peace", involves a paradox whereby a minuscule democracy is being forced to provide its totalitarian enemies the only thing it lacks: territory (Middle East Info, 2012). Enforcement of the laws seems to be the only remedy or at best a defense against the Middle Eastern revolts against the world. The resolution of conflict is a tall order for the world to fill. From Adolf Hitler to Osama Bin Laden, the security of every corner of the world has been threaten by senseless violence. We can only hope that legislation, prayer or a combination of them will take us back to the time when boundaries existed in the minds and hearts of people, regardless of the perceived urgency of their agendas. References Banner, D. (2010). Selective Terrorism: An Editorial by David Banner. Around the Web: People of Color Organize.com. Retrieved December 12, 2012 from http://www.peopleofcolororganize.com/analysis/opinion/sunday-church-service-special/ Delaware. (2012). The history of Terrorism: More than 200 Years of Development. State of Delaware official website. Retrieved December 11, 2012 from http://cjc.delaware.gov/terrorism/history.shtml Middle East Info. (2012). Support Democracy over Tyranny and Terrorism: Israel is the front line in the Islamo-fascist global war against freedom. Middle East Info.org. Retrieved December 11, 2012 from http://www.middle-east-info.org/gateway.html Middle East Map of Iraq: War on Terrorism. Retrieved December 12, 2012 from http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=middle+eastern+terrorism+pictures&view=detail&id=CF108CFA448306D3588CB7BB034346E37276D8F2&qpvt=middle+eastern+terrorism+pictures Osama Bin Laden. ParsaReport: Osama bin Laden: modern terrorist, not medieval jihadi Retrieved December 12, 2012 from http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=bin+laden+terroristic&view=detail&id=CCFC58A13977C43F15B1E6936D226C3AB7ADF1A9 Terrorism Research. (2012). Terrorism in the 20th and 21st centuries. Terrorism Research: International Terrorism and Security Research. Retrieved December 11, 2012 from http://www.terrorism-research.com/history/recent.php Terrorism Research. (2012). What is Terrorism? Terrorism Research: International Terrorism and Security Research. Retrieved December 11, 2012 from http://www.terrorism-research.com/history/recent.php United States Code Read More