9/11 Attack: Causes and Effects - Essay Example

Guide's WORLD CONLICT- 9/11 Attack: Causes and Effects Introduction American policies and decisionson the international level have always come under the scanner more times for controversies than appreciation, the reason being the relentless use of devastating technology and force that has caused "approximate" damage to their intended targets. Approximate in terms of the leveling down of cities at a stretch and killings of innocent victims of the wars. Therefore, in this work, we will focus ourselves to especially what has been the biggest (on the scale of aftereffects) assertion of terrorist activity of the 21st century- Attack on World Trade Centre, U.S.A. on September 9, 2001 (now on the lips as 9/11 attack). These attacks (others on the pentagon building) are the effects of causes that can de dug out from as before as the peak of cold war between the soviets and the Americans. As a part of the cold war going on, the soviets feared that Afghanistan was being eyed by the U.S. as a stand point from where it can threaten Soviet Union's mainland. Hence, reacting to this fear, the soviet army in 1979 moved with all the arms and ammunition into afghan land. The soviets were trying to force communism on the people of Afghanistan (in their bid to clear the region from any chance of it becoming U.S. military base that can pose threat to them. But the Afghans with America's support of heavy artillery and millions of dollar funding fought back. The financial help from America was to ensure that without its direct intervention, the afghan mujahideen (who have a historic track record of fighting continuously and fiercely till death for their homeland are well equipped against the technologically advanced soviet tanks and fighter planes. American troops were not involved in this war (Meher, page 122) The American support came in disguise through other Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan (Meher, page 199) etc because the direct intervention of America could trigger the next world war. The afghan jihads resisted the soviets well above the expectation of U.S. which was matching their performance with ever increasing million dollars each year. Now with the initial strong opening to the war from the Afghans, the next step was to make the war sustainable from Afghanistan side. For that to happen, more and more Muslim volunteer jihadis were required to pick up arms and fight. The funding helped to create madrassas (Muslim schools of Islam thought) which noticed Muslims turning up in large numbers and soon they were prepared with enough expertise to wage war. It was in these madrassas that Osama Bin Laden came to work as a volunteer in the war. Osama was Saudi national and with him brought big money as well and started helping the cause by working in construction purposes and in medical aid. The madrassas were established in the border regions between Pakistan and Afghanistan which in the future will give birth to "Taliban". Taliban and Al Qaeda were unitedly involved during post soviet war. And both became anti America after America withdrew funding and humanitarian aid. The soviets after suffering devastation and persistent resistance from the afghan fighters went into huge military losses of men and arms. At the end of war (May88), the soviets were defeated and they started their return (Wright, page 129) which was complete in 89. Afghanistan won with a major help from U.S. and the cold war ended with the fall of communism. Afghanistan victory brought happiness to common people who were the innocent victims in the war. However, immediately after the war the United States lost its interest in the region and avoided even any humanitarian policy toward the victims of soviet-afghan war and those of the civil war that followed because of lack of any established government rule. In result, lawlessness prevailed and whole of the Afghanistan went into another fight, this time intra-nation. Seeing such an acrimonious act of denial, the people of Afghanistan and the Taliban (which was flourishing initially with the help of U.S.) were annoyed with America's change of attitude and selfishness for own motives. In the mean time, the volunteers returned to their countries and so did Osama now as a war hero there. Osama bin laden also saw the U.S. act of disappointment. Osama formed the Al Qaeda terrorist groups backed with strong military training and heavy artillery and arms. Osama took cue of the feeling of hatred against U.S. among people of Muslim community and appealed to them to declare jihad against American people and government and he staged his rally at a still higher level, calling upon all the Muslims around the world to join the fight against U.S., this led to the formation of a school of thought that believed that it is the religious duty of every Muslim to oppose the American way. Al Qaeda was also formed in between these days and slowly developed into future of the suicide bombings, terrorist attacks in every region. Osama's reach was also felt in disputed Balkans regions (Kosovo etc) where the Islamic fundamentalists feasted upon the lack of proper governance and unaccountable resources. The terrorist framework working in the Balkan area was trained for deployment all over the world. However, the defeat of Soviet Union and its disintegration also triggered local border area disputes which gave the Islamic fundamentalists to seep through the borders and spread the virus of terrorism. However, it was after the soviet wars with Afghanistan that the major upheaval of powers there took place in a very short period of time that it was tough for one ethnic group to sustain its influence beyond few months. The once harmless bin laden (seen as a war volunteer engaged in medical camps during war with the soviets) who has returned to his home country was now slowly progressing toward an establishment of terrorist acts that would shake the foundations of America. In the 90s, bin laden returned to Afghanistan and befriended Omar (the Taliban head) and grew very close to him. During this friendship time, tensions grew up in America regarding bin laden as a threat to U.S. the attacks on U.S. embassies in Sudan were seen critically as a work of Al Qaeda (under bin laden supremacy) were met with reactions from America in the form of missile attack on Afghanistan and the demand of exterminating bin laden. But due to confidence in Osama, Mullah Omar denied the pressure from both America and Saudi Arab kings and Pakistani intelligentia combined to hand over Osama to the Americans. But Omar denied the act by referring it as bending down against U.S. pressure. From then on, the bin laden assembly were not reachable and the international media saw series of video releases of Osama Bin Laden staging his anger against America and the urge to destroy their homeland. But the cause that the Americans let to flourish turned into an effect that the west could not digest, the 9/11 attack. Which caused the bush administration to pose a full fledged attack termed "war on terrorism". As it was found out, this large scale movement of troops into the afghan lands was more for increasing control in the region which was already witnessing regional disputes and which had the potential oil reserves which could not be matched by reserves available anywhere else in the world. What world saw next was total destruction of Afghanistan and yet the main suspected terrorist number one "Osama" was no where to be found. But American troops and military were permanently deployed in the region Factors That Led To The Attack Oil politics In 1973, the Arab oil embargo dealt the U.S. economy a major blow (Painter, page 80). This, combined with OPEC's subsequent price hikes and a growing American dependence on foreign oil, triggered the recession in the early seventies. As of the first quarter of 2003, the U.S. economy was recovering but oil prices were rising. Overall, reliance on foreign oil has increased. In 1973, foreign oil accounted for 35 percent of total U.S. oil demand. By 2005, the figure had risen to 57 percent, and Arab OPEC countries accounted in 2004 for 26 percent of U.S. imports (with non-Arab countries Indonesia, Venezuela, and Nigeria, the figure is 50 percent). Saudi Arabia ranked number three and Iraq (#6), Algeria (#7) and Kuwait (#12) were among the top 20 suppliers of petroleum products to the United States in 2004. The Persian Gulf states alone supply 24 percent of U.S. petroleum imports. Oil as a weapon was used as a perfect fit for its impact could be appreciated in a direct result. The strategic domination over the oil supplies to U.S. gave gulf countries to mend the ways in which they would like the U.S. to react to their assertions. However the U.S. proved its success in rendering the weapon useless when it was first used against it in the 50s & 60s by its ability to revert its oil needs inward and even export some oil to France and Britain (Stork, 1975 page211). The Arabs didn't know economy working in depth but they very well understood the supply demand relations. Hence, they understood that if they halted the supply, demand (with prices) will rise. The growing reliance on imported oil has also made the U.S. economy even more vulnerable to price jumps, as occurred in 1979, 1981, 1982, 1990, 2000, and 2005. Oil price increases have also allowed Arab oil-producers to generate tremendous revenues at the expense of American consumers. These profits have subsidized large weapons purchases and non-conventional weapons programs such as Iran's That Oil Embargo was only one incident in a long string of oil wars; the Suez Crisis of the 1950s; the Six Day War in 1967; the aforementioned Arab Oil Embargo of 1973; the Iranian Revolution; the Iran/Iraq War; and the Gulf War all had oil in the equation. Because the oil can be used to buy arms and other sophisticated weapons, to fight biased wars, the fulcrum of the global harmony is into a deep plunge. When one considers these objectives and examines the evolution of U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East in the sixties and seventies, it is apparent that American policy makers were concerned with two major issue areas: the Arab-Israeli conflict and the complex of questions connected with oil. Since the principal states involved were clustered in different parts of the Middle East--none of the major oil producers, mainly located around the Persian Gulf, bordered on Israel--the U.S. pursued two independent and separate policies. In terms of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the objective was to obtain a settlement between Israel and its neighbors based on a balance of power. In the Persian Gulf region, the U.S. sought to maintain friendly relations with the oil-producing states, especially Saudi Arabia and Iran, and to avoid destabilizing change that might adversely affect U.S. interests there. The Islamic fundamentalists in Afghanistan were furious over the U.S. posing as an ally of Israel during Israel war. "The worst thing that could happen is to confuse ourselves and the public with too much spin about unlimited energy supplies at cheap prices, alternative fuels on a global scale, or energy independence in a matter of years. That kind of thinking simply dilutes our focus, defers the tough solutions that are needed today, and sets us all up for more future shocks and economic disruptions."-- Sadad al Husseini, former head of exploration and production for Saudi Aramco, in a January, 2007 interview with the Journal of Petroleum Technology. Fall of Soviet Union and its link with terrorism We will consider the situation at two places during the fall of Soviet Union, one is inside the soviet union and the other outside it but under its sphere of influence. The victory of communism in 1945 assured the Soviet Union's domination of Eastern Europe during the Cold War and for more than 40 years, but the international Communist movement was anything but united. Tito's Yugoslavia refused to be part of the Communist bloc in 1948. Instead, it embarked on a more flexible Communist experiment, with firmer links with the west and less rigid economic controls. In 1958 Soviet Union relations with Communist China deteriorated sharply at the moment when Mao launched the Great Leap Forward to modernize the Chinese economy. By 1960 there was an open rupture between the two powers. Albania and a number of Communist movements in the developing world followed Mao's lead, and the Communist world divided between allegiance to either Moscow or Beijing. When in 1989 Gorbachev prompted the other Communist regimes to accept change, there was widespread upheaval. A non- Communist regime emerged in Poland in August 1989, and over the following four months every Soviet bloc regime collapsed. That fall the Berlin Wall was breached, and in 1990 the divided halves of Germany were united again in a single state. In 1990 the Soviet Union itself began to crumble as the separate republics demanded independence, and in 1991 the Union was scrapped. The Communist parties were at least nominally dissolved and parliamentary systems were adopted throughout the former Soviet bloc, bringing to an end a long era of European dictatorships. And as we all know when the milk vessel is left open, its very difficult to control the cats. Hence, the Islamic fundamentalists feasted upon the lack of proper governance and unaccountable resources. The terrorist framework working in the Balkan area was trained for deployment all over the world. However, the defeat of soviet union and its disintegration also triggered local border area disputes which gave the Islamic fundamentalists to seep through the borders and spread the virus of terrorism because in these kind of states there is lawlessness (wolff, page 189). And it is evident that Al Qaeda camps were also establishing there. It is indeed in such times that the importance of unity comes along for peaceful coexistence of us all. CIA Role The Central Intelligence Agency of the United States was involved in many covert missions in the Middle East. The notion that Bin Laden is a CIA creation, and that the attacks on the Trade Centre and Pentagon were "blowback," is a standard analysis among leftists around the world. Indian novelist Arundhati Roy has written that Bin Laden was "among the jihadis who moved to Afghanistan in 1979 when the CIA commenced its operations there. Bin Laden has the distinction of being created by the CIA." This theory is advanced as axiomatic but it has no supporting evidence. The real scandal here is not that the CIA helped to create Bin Laden during the 1980s, but that the agency had no idea of his significance until sometime in 1996, when it set up a special unit to track the Saudi exile. And it was acting as implementers of the raw politics played in disguise by the U.S. against the Soviet Union. The attacks of 9/11 were result of undermining the potential threat to the United States of the total happenings in the region (Middle East). Changes In The American Way Of Life After The 9/11 Attack First of all we will talk about the way this attack affected the health of American people Ever since the attack happened, there were two kinds of suffering people experienced. One was the experience close to ground zero i.e. people who witnessed this attack closely and survived and others who experienced it as the threat to their nations security i.e. who saw it on television and were not present there. Obviously, the first king of experience would have been shattering to the soul, and losing a colleague or a well known working with people survived the attack would have been traumatic on them. However, the other king of experience is long lasting one. And there has been extensive research on the medical condition of those affected either way. The studies have shown that the latter kind of experience caused 3-4 times higher blood pressure and heart diseases than of the former one. And also the Dreams that came to people posr 9/11 were short but of intense imagery representing the fact that it happens after experiencing some king of trauma (9/11 Attacks Changed Way Americans Dream, 2008). Moving on from the health impacts of the attack, the American government took some strong steps forward toward combating terrorists who might have infiltrated the country. Hence, increasing the security loop of the airports, important buildings, the immigration service was dealt with utmost scrutiny. With what followed the attacks, large population of immigrants from Asia experienced tough experiences with the officials in Intelligence agencies fishing out suspects of the attack. Sikhs and the Muslims having beard were seen with resemblance to terrorists. The earlier way of life (actually the term "American way of life" came into being in cold war days when it was used to distinguish the life and people of the two nations) of American people was free, happy, liberal and democratic. But they have always seen outer world and their neighbors as someone who has something wrong with it and needs to be corrected. And it has also reflected in its foreign policies from a long time. Suspension of habeas corpus Habeas corpus is a writ petition of a law through which a person can seek relief from unlawful detention of themselves or another person. The writ of habeas corpus has historically been an important instrument for the safeguarding of individual freedom against arbitrary state action. However, in most countries, the procedure of habeas corpus can be suspended in time of national emergency. And that is exactly what was implemented post 9/11 to take control of the situation. United States Constitution specifically included the English common law procedure in the Suspension Clause, located in Article One, Section 9. It states: "The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it." Exponentially increased surveillance by CCTV cameras and satellite imaging Save for a few battle-weary civil libertarians, not many people have been fretting about how cameras now monitor all downtown areas in Washington, or the unchecked spread of face-recognition cameras that spy on travelers in airports and sports fans in arenas. Every inch of major cities is being recorded for any suspicious activity. Optimistically, this act would be efficient in decreasing the local criminal activity too. USA Patriot Act of 2001. Full title: Uniting and Strengthening America by: Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. It was signed into law on October 26, 2001. The Act expanded the authority of U.S. law enforcement agencies for the stated purpose of fighting terrorism in the United States and abroad. Among its provisions, the Act increased the ability of law enforcement agencies to search telephone and e-mail communications and medical, financial and other records; eased restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering within the United States; expanded the Secretary of the Treasury's authority to regulate financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and entities; and enhanced the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts. The act also expanded the definition of terrorism to include "domestic terrorism," thus enlarging the number of activities to which the Patriot Act's expanded law enforcement powers can be applied. Due to its controversial nature, a number of bills were proposed with which to amend the Patriot Act. These included the Protecting the Rights of Individuals Act, the Benjamin Franklin True Patriot Act, and the Security and Freedom Ensured Act (SAFE), none of which passed. In late January 2003, the founder of the Center for Public Integrity, Charles Lewis, published a leaked draft copy of an Administration proposal titled the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003. This highly controversial document was quickly dubbed "PATRIOT II" or "Son of PATRIOT" by the media and organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Sudden Changes In Immigration Acts for immigrants There was now flexibility with the authorities to extend the detention period to 48 hours or more depending upon their need. (Bakalian & Bozorgmehr). Creation Of Department Of Homeland Security Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an executive department of the United States federal government, created by law in November 2002 and officially established in January 2003. The department's mission is to help prevent terrorist attacks in the United States, reduce the country's vulnerability to terrorism, and assist in recovery after an attack. The department was created in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (see September 11 Attacks) as a way to oversee and coordinate security functions previously performed by dozens of different government agencies. The department has four main divisions known as directorates, each administered by an undersecretary. The Directorate of Border and Transportation Security is responsible for preventing terrorists from entering the United States; for protecting air, land, and sea transportation systems; and for enforcing immigration laws. The Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response is responsible for coordinating the federal government's response to terrorist attacks and major disasters and for assisting in recovery. The Directorate of Science and Technology is charged with overseeing efforts to protect the United States from attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons. It also conducts and funds research related to homeland security. The Directorate of Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection is responsible for analyzing intelligence from a vast array of federal, state, and local agencies in order to detect terrorist threats and identify vulnerabilities in the country's infrastructure. Other amendments and acts passed in order to make the working of terrorist prevention acts more easy and efficient: Aviation and Transportation Security Act(November 19, 2001), which established the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The law empowered the new agency to use informationfrom government agencies to identify individuals on passenger lists who may be a threat to civil or national security, and to prevent them from flying. Updates on the list of probable suspects and terrorists Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act (May 14, 2002). Like most of the government initiatives, this law was most consequential to individuals of Middle Eastern and South Asian birth, even if they were naturalized Canadian citizens. Like above there were lots of new acts which were introduced for students, middle east countries and other immigrants from Asia which made the traveling experience for tourists quite difficult. Conclusion With the greatest attack on U.S., the fact which America was ignoring (or at least under evaluating) before 9/11, became a sore reality of the time. And it was indeed truly said that: Prevention is better than cure References Meher Jagmohan, America's Afghanistan War: The success that failed, Kalpaz publications, published in 2004 Painter S. David, The cold war: An International History (Making Of The Contemporary World), Rouledge Publishers, 1999 Wolff Stefan, Ethnic conflict: A global prospective, Oxford University Press, 2006 Wright Lawrence, The looming tower: Al Qaeda and the road to 9/11, Alfred A. Knopf: Publisher, New York, 2006 9/11 Attacks Changed Way Americans Dream February 1, 2008, cited on February 6, 2008, Bakalian Anny and Bozorgmehr Mehdi, Publications from NSF Study on Post-9/11 Backlash, Government Initiatives after the September 11th Attack on America, Encyclopedia of Racism in the United States, Read More