The Causes of Domestic Terrorism in Iraq since 2003 - Research Paper Example

The Causes of Domestic Terrorism in Iraq since 2003” “Some wars begin badly. Some end badly. The Iraq war of 2003 was exceptional in both beginning well for the Anglo-American force that waged it and ending victoriously” (Keegan, 2005, p.1). The Iraq war begun badly and it is going to be ended in a bad shape. On 20 March 2003, America attacked Iraq; citing reasons with respect to the possession of weapons of mass destruction including chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Even after the execution of former Iraqi president and dictator, Saddam Hussein, peace is a distant reality in Iraq. The occupying American troops will be returned soon. Even then nobody expect the terrorism in Iraq may come to end. Domestic terrorism involves violence against the civilian population or infrastructure of a nation—often but not always by citizens of that nation and often with the intent to intimidate, coerce, or influence national policy. RAND addresses national security and critical infrastructure needs through objective research that helps government agencies prevent and mitigate terrorist activities and improves disaster preparedness, response, and recovery (Domestic terrorism, 2012). Even though international terrorism is causing big headaches to many countries, instead of international terrorism, domestic terrorism is causing huge problems to Iraq at present. It should be noted that Iraq’s ethnic makeup is different from that of other countries. “Islam is the national religion of Iraq, adhered to by some 97% of the population according to a 1997 census. About 60–65% of Muslims belong to the Shias and 32–37% to the Sunni. About 3% of the population is adherents to Christianity and other religions including Jews” (Iraq – Religions, n. d). ‘Arabs constitute about 75–80% of the total population in Iraq. The Kurds, an Islamic non-Arab people, are the largest and most important minority group, constituting about 15–20%. A seminomadic pastoral people, the Kurds live in the northeastern Zagros Mountains, mostly in isolated villages in the mountain valleys near Turkey and Iran” (Iraq - Ethnic groups, n. d). Even though Islam is the prominent religion, there is no end to ethnic violence in Iraq because of the existence of different communities in Islam. Islam in Iraq is divided into two major communities such as Shias and Sunnis. Even the majority Shias is the major community in Iraq, Sunnis have many influences and strongholds in Iraq. Former president Saddam Hussein was belong to Sunni community and he has been accused of killing thousands of innocent Shia Muslims and Kurds. In short, the major reason for domestic terrorism in Iraq seems to be the clashes and conflicts between prominent ethnic groups in Islam. This paper analyses the reasons for increasing domestic terrorism in Iraq. Domestic Terrorism in Iraq “Apart from the internationally active al Qaeda, non-fundamentalist groups are also keeping the country in fear, while radical Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds are all using violence in an attempt to expand their political influence” (Iraq struggles to contain domestic terrorism, 2012). Al Qaeda is often blamed for terrorism in all parts of the world. However, in the case of Iraq, Al Qaeda seems to be having fewer roles in spreading domestic terrorism. Instead of Al Qaeda, local ethnic groups are responsible for the increasing terrorist activities in Iraq. When it comes to domestic terrorism, both minority and majority ethnic groups in Iraq are equally responsible. All ethnic groups and its leaders are contributing to domestic violence in one way and another in Iraq. The invasion of Iraq set off a Sunni-led insurgency that attacked the coalition forces and their supporters. The disbandment of the Iraqi army, leaving many men jobless, and the installation of a Shiite dominated government is considered to have contributed to the growth of this insurgency, and its sectarian nature. Shiite and Sunni militias began carrying out revenge attacks and many Iraqis fled their homes as neighborhoods became increasingly segregated. The insurgency has resulted in a polarization of ethnic identities that is even more complex than the Sunni-Shiite-Kurd distinctions that are normally recognized (Iraq: Conflict Profile, n.d). Shiite dominated government is unacceptable to Sunnis or Kurds in Iraq. As in the case of many other Islamic countries, the influence of religion upon the government is huge. Shiite dominated government will function based on the principles and customs of Shiite community. They will never try to protect the interests of other ethnic groups. In other words, governments in Iraq are interested in protecting the interests of one community while neglecting the interests of other communities. Communities which failed to get justice from the government often take weapons to conduct terrorist activities. This is what exactly happening in Iraq. “The bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samara, one of the holiest Shiite sites, in mid-2006 is linked to an escalation in violence that particularly hit civilians” (Iraq: Conflict Profile, n.d). Attack on religious places may contribute heavily to the domestic violence in countries where religion has prominent place in social life. For example, the destruction of Babri Masjid Mosque in India is still causing domestic violence in India. Same way, the bombing of Golden Mosque in Samara gave momentum to the domestic terrorist activities in Iraq. Shias believe that the Sunnis are trying to destroy Shia community. Same way Sunnis also believe that Shias are trying to cause problems to their religious interests. Thus, the mutual trust between these two prominent communities are getting damaged as time goes on and the result in increasing domestic terrorism. Researchers interested in the relationship between poverty and terrorism often measure economic performance with an economic output measure, such as GDP per capita, because it generally reflects a country’s standard of living. It seems apparent, however, that some would resort to terrorist tactics because of relative rather than absolute poverty (Boylan, n.d., p.31). The relationship between poverty and terrorism is well established by the researches of many scholars. It is a fact that Pakistan and Iraq like countries are struggling because of the poverty related domestic terrorism. However, poverty alone may not cause terrorism. For example, African countries are the poorest countries in the world. Yet poverty related domestic terrorism does not exist there. Even though different ethnic clashes are common in African countries, it may not raise to the standards of terrorism. From the above observations, it is evident that poverty may not be a major reason for domestic terrorism in Iraq. Iraq is a country blessed with immense oil and other natural resources. Iraq can still become a wealthy nation in the world, if the people of Iraq stop violence and take part in the nation building process. Unemployment and poverty are increasing day by day in Iraq. Moreover, economic activities are taking place very little in number in Iraq. The administration is not getting enough time concentrate on the nation building process. Dissatisfaction among the people is growing day by day because of poor living standards and poverty. It should be noted that many of the neighboring countries of Iraq such as Iran, UAE, Kuwait etc are currently developing rapidly. At the same time, Iraqi people forced to suffer foreign occupation. All these factors motivate them for taking part in terrorist activities. Even though poverty is a reason for terrorism in Iraq, many people believe that poverty is only the supplementing factor for the increasing terrorism in Iraq. In other words, there are many other prominent reasons for domestic terrorism in Iraq. If poverty not a major reason, one would look for the religious dimensions to explore the reasons of domestic terrorism in Iraq. As mentioned earlier, Iraq is a country with lot of majority and minority ethnic groups, Even though Islam is the prominent religion, Christianity also exists in Iraq. Clashes between Christians and Muslims are common in Iraq. However, the most frequently occurring clashes between different ethnic groups in Iraq are not between Christians and Muslims, but between different communities in Islam itself. Even though Shias, Sunnis and Kurds are part of Islam religion, their beliefs and customs are extremely different. Anti-American feeling is developing rapidly in Iraq because of various reasons. America’s foreign policies towards Israel and Palestine are discussed heavily in Iraq also. Moreover, war on terror is unacceptable to many of the Iraqis just like Muslims in other parts of the world. Iraqi people also believe that America is trying to destroy Islam from this world. War on terror and anti-Muslim policies of America have developed immense anti-American feeling in the minds of Iraqi people. Moreover, many Iraqis believe that America has some hidden agenda in Iraq even though they are saying other reasons for the Iraqi occupation. Even after many years from the execution of Saddam, American troops are still patrolling in Iraq. Iraqis believe that America is looting the natural resources of Iraq with the help of the toy government. Anti-American feeling often reflected in Iraq in the form of violence against the Christian communities in Iraq. Muslims in Iraq believe that Iraqi Christians are supporting America’s activities in Iraq and they are not patriotic. In other words, Iraqi Muslims believe that Iraqi Christians are doing spy work for the American forces. Thus, terrorist activities against Iraqi Christians are increasing in Iraq. Religious terrorist organizations might be more prevalent and deadlier than groups that identify with other ideologies, such as socialist or right-wing organizations, but research on the relationship between a country’s level of religious diversity and its overall experience with terrorism finds that the two conditions are generally unrelated. This suggests that religiously homogeneous and heterogeneous countries are equally at risk for suffering terrorism. A country’s level of religious diversity does not help to elucidate why a transnational terrorist event originates from within a country (Boylan, n.d., p.32). The occupation of American troops in Iraq is another major reason for domestic terrorism in Iraq. Even though, America is claiming that they rescued Iraqi people from the brutal dictatorship of Saddam, majority of the Iraqis still believe that America’s intensions in Iraq is not so good. They believe that Americans are trying to loot the natural resources of Iraqis. Some people believe that the scarcity of oil and drinking water forced America to attack Iraq whereas others believe that Bush Jr attacked Iraq to take revenge for the humiliation suffered by Bush Sr. from the hands of Saddam earlier. In any case, only few people in Iraq consider America as a savoir. The current government in Iraq is believed to be a toy government of the Americans. In other words, present government in Iraq may not function against the will of Americans. These factors are indigestible to many of the Iraqis and the result is the increasing domestic terrorism. The biggest US failure in Iraq to date lay in American inability to understand the workings of Iraqi society. Many US administrators and military commanders appeared to believe that once the Baathist state of Saddam Hussein was overthrown, they would be dealing with an Iraqi society that was docile, grateful and virtually a blank slate on which US goals could be imprinted (Cole, 2004). Iraqi community has many local leaders. Some prominent local community leaders thought that Saddam’s death may help them to get more power. However, things have not turned out as they expect. Instead of getting more power, local community leaders got their powers reduced. It was unacceptable for such ethnic leaders to accept American dominance in their territories. Such people encouraged locals to start violence against the Americans. Americans on the other hand tried to implement the principle divide and rule in Iraq. They deliberately encouraged ethnic leaders to fight against opponents from other communities. Americans know very well that they cannot justify the prolonged occupation in Iraq. It is necessary for them to make the external world believe that problems still resist in Iraq. Then only external world will give consent for sustaining American occupation in Iraq. America has spent billions of dollars for Iraq war. They got nothing in return. If they withdraw their forces now, Iraq war could be marked as a Himalayan Blunder for the Americans in history. Therefore, Americans are encouraging many of the ethnic groups in Iraq to engage in violent activities. “All the American government has achieved in Iraq now has been a paralyzed country devastated by sectarian conflicts. We had never heard of Sunni and Shiite conflict in Iraq till the American soldiers took control of Baghdad” (Qasserras, 2007). Illicit markets and illegal commodities supply chain support and strengthen terrorist organizations. Weak states and transition countries apparently offer loopholes, ineffective law enforcement, lack of border control, and absence of follow up on shipment routes. Even under the pressure of western countries, weak or failed states choose illegal markets due to the lack of viable, long term, legal economic opportunities to trade their products and services with industrialized countries (Fenstermacher et al., 2010, p.213). Weaker governance always presents fertile soil for terrorism. In the case of Iraq, this fact is very much correct. As mentioned earlier, different ethnic leaders in Iraq has their own political and economic agenda. Many of the ethnic leaders in Iraq have interests in trade activities. They are using terrorism as a curtain to shield their illegal trade activities. The current Iraqi leadership does not have the courage, vision and will to deal with the terrorist activities in Iraq. It should be noted that the current government does not enjoy the support of majority of the Iraqis and hence it is struggling to take counter measures against terrorism. It is difficult to identify the category in which Iraqi government belongs. Even though the government claims to be of democratic in nature, nobody consider this government as a democratic government. In order to get more power and authority, Iraqi government should face a fresh and fair election and prove their majority. However, such things seem to be a distant reality and the dissatisfaction against the government is growing in Iraq at present. “Terrorism occurs so often in democracies because of a competitive logic that drives groups to compete with other political groups using violence. Although democracies are not permissive of terrorism, they do permit conventional mobilization of all sorts” (Chenoweth, n.d., p.1). Many people have the belief that terrorism may not grow in domestic democratic countries. However, history shows that this belief is totally wrong. In fact some of the major countries struggling with domestic terrorism are democratic countries. For example, Pakistan and India are democratic countries even though the nature of democracy in these countries is different. Both countries are currently struggling because of increasing domestic terrorism. In fact Pakistan is facing huge problems with respect to domestic terrorism. The case of Iraq is also similar to that of Pakistan. Being a democratic country at least on papers, Iraqi administration cannot use iron fist to suppress protests and agitations. Terrorists in Iraq know this fact well and they are exploiting it as much as possible. The existence of different interest groups is the major reason for the increasing domestic terrorism in democratic countries. It should be noted that democratic countries have different political parties and interest groups. These parties and interest groups will try to protect their interests. Since the interests of one political party or interest group contradict with the interests of other political parties and interests groups, clashes takes place quite often. “At the extremes of these political groups are individuals or groups who view progress as impossible without violence, given the intensity of the competition. The more mobilization that occurs, the more likely terrorist groups are to form” (Chenoweth, n.d., p.1) “Due to the Syrian regime's incremental collapse and the porous border to Iraq, terrorists now have easier access to Iraq” (Iraq struggles to contain domestic terrorism, 2012). Problems in neighboring countries are causing problems in Iraq also. Syria like countries is currently struggling because of public agitations. Therefore the governments in those countries have already strengthened fight against antisocial elements. It is difficult for the terrorists groups to operate from those countries now. Iraq provides a fertile land for such terrorist groups. It is easy for them to cross the border and takes shelter in Iraq. In short, problems in neighboring counties are contributing heavily to the domestic terrorism in Iraq. International terrorists are currently looking for a safe shelter. It is difficult for them to operate from Pakistan, or Afghanistan now. Iraq provides them a safe location even though the presence of American troops is there. Conclusions Poverty, unemployment and lack of education are contributing heavily to the increasing domestic terrorism in Iraq. Current Iraqi administration is extremely weak and they are not competent enough to prevent or reduce domestic terrorism. Anti- American feeling is developing rapidly in Iraq. Plenty of people in Iraq believe that America is looting the natural resources of Iraq such as oil and drinking water resources. Moreover, Iraqis do not accept America’s foreign policies in Middle East. They do believe that America is trying to destroy Islam from this world. All these anti-American feeling attain the form of domestic terrorism against the Christian minorities and American troops in Iraq. The differences between the Shia and Sunni community in Iraq are getting wider and wider. The mutual trust between these two communities has been lost because of various religious reasons. Lack of trust between these communities often ends up in the form of terrorist activities against each other. Many of the ethnic group leaders in Iraq have their own interests. Moreover, different political parties in Iraq have their own agendas and interests. All these diverse interests groups and political parties are supporting domestic terrorism as a mean to execute their hidden agenda. Divide and rule is the policy implemented by America in Iraq. This policy helps America to widen the gap between different ethnic groups in Iraq. America wants to prolong their presence in Iraq as much as possible. For that purpose they are deliberately trying to encourage domestic terrorism in Iraq. References 1. Boylan, B. (n.d.). Economic Development, Religion, and the Conditions for Domestic Terrorism. Josef Korbel Journal of Advanced International Studies Retrieved from http://www.du.edu/korbel/jais/journal/volume2/volume2_boylan.pdf 2. Cole, J. (2004). US Mistakes in Iraq. Testimony before Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Retrieved from http://www.antiwar.com/cole/?articleid=2357 3. Chenoweth E. (n.d.). “Why Democracy Encourages Terrorism”. Retrieved from https://wesfiles.wesleyan.edu/home/echenoweth/web/WDET_precis.pdf 4. Fenstermacher L. Kuznar L & Speckhard A. (2010). Protecting the Homeland from International and Domestic Terrorism Threats. White Paper: Counter Terrorism. Retrieved from http://www.start.umd.edu/start/publications/U_Counter_Terrorism_White_Paper_Final_January_2010.pdf 5. Iraq: Conflict Profile, (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.insightonconflict.org/conflicts/iraq/conflict-profile/ 6. Iraq struggles to contain domestic terrorism (2012). Retrieved from http://www.dw.de/iraq-struggles-to-contain-domestic-terrorism/a-16220954-1 7. Iraq – Religions, (n. d), Retrieved from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Iraq-RELIGIONS.html 8. Iraq - Ethnic groups, (n. d), Retrieved from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Iraq-ETHNIC-GROUPS.html 9. Keegan, J. (2005) The Iraq War. Publisher: Vintage (May 24, 2005) 10. Qasserras L. (2007). The Truth Of the American War against Iraq. Retrieved from http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/35629> Read More