International Terrorism - Essay Example

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM Submitted to Mr. A.K. Gupta By Terry d: June 4, 2007 Question Terrorism) Terrorism has inflicted upon many lives in the world today. At present people are afraid to fly or even to travel short distances due to this global threat. Terrorist Campaigns have been launched at a global level. The main groups involved are 'Hamas', Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda. These groups though are not considered as pure terrorists as they are fighting for freedom which is human right but the actions they undertake are massively destructive in nature. Question 2 (Hamas, Hezbollah and Jihad) What is known about Hamas is that it is a militant anti-peace process organization bent on Israel's total destruction and the establishment of a Palestinian State - an Islamic theocracy - in Israel's place. Hamas has been actively involved in breaching peace for the Palestinians how ever its initiative are against Israel and they show themselves as the global enemy of Israel thus threatening to remove the state of Israel from the map. Hamas, an acronym for 'Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya' (Islamic Resistance Movement), corresponds to an Arabic word which meaning enthusiasm, fire, ardor, fanaticism. What Hamas says is that "There is no solution to the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. The initiative, proposals and International Conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility. Now coming to the second group, 'Hezbollah', we are concerned with a purely religious ambition trying to eliminate its opponents or people of other religions. Hezbollah is a Lebanese umbrella organization of radical 'Islamic Shiite' groups and organizations. It opposes the West, seeks to create a Muslim fundamentalist state modeled on Iran, and is a bitter foe of Israel. Hezbollah, whose name means "party of God," is a terrorist group believed responsible for nearly 200 attacks since 1982 that have killed more than 800 people, according to the Terrorism Knowledge Base. Hezbollah has been a significant force in Lebanon's politics and a major provider of social services, operating schools, hospitals, and agricultural services, for thousands of Lebanese Shiites. About the whereabouts of Hezbollah it is known that the base is in Lebanon's Shiite-dominated areas, including parts of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. In addition, U.S. intelligence reports say that Hezbollah cells operate in Europe, Africa, South America, and North America. Despite Israel's 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon, Hezbollah continues to periodically shell Israeli forces in the disputed Shebaa Farms border zone. Jihad is a spiritual war fought for the cause of preserving religion. It has a great significance in the lives of Muslims. Like any language, Arabic has unique words which have a particular meaning which cannot be translated precisely. The best translation known for such a word is the following: a sincere and noticeable effort (for good); an all true and unselfish striving for spiritual good. Jihad as presented in theQuranand any ofthe other scriptures implies the striving of spiritual good. Thereby Jihad can not be called as a terrorist activity it is simply a tool for safeguarding the religious rights. This Jihad particularly involves change in one's self and mentality. It may concern the sacrifice of material property, social class and even emotional comfort solely for the salvation and worship of 'God alone'. As a result, one who practices Jihad will gain tremendously in the Hereafter. Question 3 (Osama bin Laden and rise of Al-Qaeda) Osama bin Laden is key role player in this world. He is the leader of a small organization working at a massive scale. He is considered to be the most dangerous terrorist in the world. Bin Laden joined the Afghan resistance in 1979 and became a commander in the guerilla wars against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. After that war ended, bin Laden founded a loose organization of pro-Islamic terrorists known as al-Qaeda. Bin laden has been the main source of terror in the US. After the Soviet withdrawal, the 'Arab Afghans', as bin Laden's faction came to be called, turned their attention against the United States of America and its allies in the Middle East. Since the Persian Gulf War in 1991, bin Laden has utilized his public statements to deliberately create an image as the leader of a religious struggle on behalf of what he perceives to be the dispossessed of the Islamist community. Al-Qaeda has been involved in many terrorist activities including the great 9/11 turmoil which shocked the entire world. The disgrace for Americans in bin Laden's eyes can be witnessed by small observations. In the early 1990s, Bin Laden emphasized his desire to secure the withdrawal of U.S. and other foreign troops from Saudi Arabia at all costs. Bin Laden criticized the Saudi royal family publicly and alleged that their invitation of foreign troops to the Arabian Peninsula constituted an affront to the sanctity of the birthplace of Islam and a betrayal of the global Islamic community. Other suspicions include the murder of Jordan's crown prince Abdullah in 1993. A major hazard occurred on August 7, 1998, where two bomb blasts devastated the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The blast in Nairobi, Kenya killed 213 persons, including 12 US nationals, and the blast in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, killed 11 persons and injured 85 others. In other cases Bin Laden is also a suspect in the bombing of the United States ship USS Cole, in Yemen, in October 2000, in which 17 persons were killed. However he had strong urges against the American Forces in Saudi Arabia and has issued three fatwa's declaring war on the American forces in Saudi Arabia. Question 4 (Kurdish Conflicts) From the mainland of Iraq rises another nation the Kurds. The Kurds encompass the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East. They were relegated to the status of minorities in their respective countries with smaller enclaves elsewhere in the region. At current, Kurds are approximately between 20 and 25 million, with a probable 4 to 4.5 million in Iraq. Kurds are mostly Muslims of the Sunni faction and speak a language similar to Persian. It is difficult to negotiate with such people as they have internal conflicts as well. This faction has always struggled for independence for long and during early 1974 there was a split in the internal Democratic Party. This signifies that it will be ever hard to negotiate with such tribes and moreover tribal people are better known as extremists as they tend to act in just one direction without justification. Question 5 (Conclusion and what can be done) It is hard to negotiate with such organizations as they are strongly religious and no one can make an extremist understand easily as the extremist will do anything in order to prove his right and worth. As far as bin Laden is concerned he is from a tribal family which again makes him a rigid man, a man of principles, which he will never forego. Bibliography 1. Andrew G Bostom (Author) (2005) The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims Prometheus Books. 2. Cynthia C. Combs (Author) (2005) Terrorism in the 21st Century Prentice Hall. 3. Mark A., Ph.D. Gabriel (Author) (2002) Islam and Terrorism: What the Quran Really Teaches About Christianity, Violence and the Goals of the Islamic Jihad, Charisma House. 4. Rohan Gunaratna (2003) Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror Berkley Trade 5. Shaul Mishal (Author), Avraham Sela (Author) (2006) The Palestinian Hamas: Vision, Violence, And Coexistence Columbia University Press. Dear Customer You can now easily recognize where each answer belongs and you can easily arrange the text as well. I have not written the entire question but given a fair idea about the question you can just write like ANS 1 .. or leave it the same way. It is up to you. Do let me know if you require any other assistance Regards, Writer Read More