Terrorism as a Form of Propaganda - Report Example

Assessing the Effectiveness of 9/11 Terrorism as a Form of Propaganda Name Institutional Affiliation Introduction According to Mullen and Klaehn (2010), the propaganda model plays an essential role in explaining the behavior of American mass media. The popularity of all forms of campaigns depend on the effectiveness of the type of media used. Some of the modern forms of the campaign include political, social and advertisement campaigns. Propaganda entailed the practice of marketing religious concepts initially. Today, propaganda transformed into the technique of selling political ideas in a given country by different politicians aiming to win over their opponents. Propaganda and campaigns such as advertisement of product and politics are similar because they seek to influence the perception of the targeted public (Pardue, 2012). The two approaches attempt to establish a bias in the mind of the targeted audience to popularize their products at the expense of the opponents. Pardue (2012) chronicles that the difference between the two is rooted in the fact that the government exercises great control and regulation over advertisement campaigns as opposed to propaganda. Propaganda has adverse impacts with a negative connotation. Any form of information used in the shape of propaganda has a high degree of biases and in most cases, it is entirely dishonest. Product advertisement campaigns are restricted from giving misleading information about the service or product. The aim of this paper is to assess and discuss the effectiveness of 9/11 terrorism as a form of propaganda. Literature Review: The Effectiveness of 9/11 Terrorism Propaganda According to Bilgen (2012), the media plays a critical role in the occurrence and proliferation of criminal activities and political violence. Different forms of media including social and print media are placed into influential positions that enable them to either enhance or minimize political violence. Media can provide a coverage platform that helps increase or reduce the effects of terror attacks as witnessed during the September 11, attacks (Levy, 2012). Different scholars engaged in detailed research to understand the effectiveness of propaganda that predisposed the occurrence of 9/11 horrific event. Bergen (2001) using Britannica one of the United States valid news sources described what occurred on September 11. This day saw a sequence of airline hijackings after which 19 militants committed suicide in the United States. These militants shared a significant association with Al-Qaeda believed to be an Islamic radical group. Bergen (2001) cites this attacks to be the deadliest and greatest in the United States. The United States had to invest numerous efforts in combating terrorism as the attacks in Washington DC and New York City claimed countless lives and property destruction. Police officers and eyewitnesses who grazed the occasion had to succumb death. Bergen (2001) ascertains that the success of the attacks came as a propaganda championed by Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda that the United States was weak military and could not counter their attack. Osama proved his belief by citing the United States cowardice departure from Lebanon. The Islamic terror group had launched their attack in Lebanon in 1983 leading the evacuation of United States. Other claims based on the withdrawal of American soldiers from Somalia after eighteen American Servicemen were killed in Mogadishu in 1993. Additionally, United States had left Vietnam in 1970’s (Bergen, 2001). This biased information transformed into incidences of propaganda that led to the occurrence September, 11 attacks. According to Quilty-Harper (2011), a famous writer of the Telegraph propaganda had effectively played a critical role in the event of the September 11 attacks. Planned initially by the Al-Qaeda group, many media platforms mainly magazines emphasized the information by advertising and addressing the attacks all over ranging from the first to the tenth page. Some of these newspapers included The Mirror, The Guardian, The New York Post, The Daily Telegraph, USA Today, and The Daily Express. The Newspapers Act was unanimous and unethical for all these newspapers to cite the attack as a war declaration (Quilty-Harper, 2011). The Newspapers’ decision met criticism as it could spark more propaganda and proliferate more deadly future attacks. Seacoastonline.com (2015) criticized the United States government immediate conclusion that the September, 11 attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon was Osama’s plan. This assertion also indicated the effectiveness of propaganda as it was believed that the assault came from the work of the 19 hijackers who died after the event. This propaganda proliferated further as the September 11 occurrences were employed to justify the Iraq and the Afghanistan wars. The United States later attacked Iraq leading to massive destruction of property, torture, and perpetual wars, especially in the middle east. Tristan (2014) echoed President Bush’s speech to the Congress following the deadly attacks. The president criticized the Al Qaida’s impunity. Outlining some of the human atrocities committed by these terror group, Bush called for integrated collaboration among policy makers and regional support to eliminate the existence of terror groups. Study Findings Propaganda is indeed a political tool that can result in adverse effects. This study used a qualitative approach to source information and elucidated findings. Primarily the study utilized secondary sources of data to collect data on the effectiveness of propaganda in aggravating the terror events that pervaded the United States September, 11 attacks. Information was sourced using valid online sources such as online magazines including The Telegraph and the Seacoastonline.com. These sources offered detailed information on what occurred on this particular date and the outcomes of the attacks despite the fact that the 19 hijackers suspected to have caused the attack lost their lives in the event. This campaign was in the form of both social and political coercion. Targeting United States, Laden, the group leader believed that their opponents were weak due some wars she had fled from including her evacuation from Lebanon and Somalia. The incumbent, Osama Bin Laden in collaboration with his group members such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Mohammed Atef, the military commander and Mohammed Atta, the leading hijacker were involved in the planning and launching of the attack. They engaged in long-term planning using modern technologies to equip their forces before proceeding to the United States. The plan involved attacking and hijacking planes landing in New York City and Washington, DC. Indeed, Osama’s perceptions that made him organize the attacks were skeptical and deceptive. The United States was not weak as he alleged. Additionally, America did not pull out of the alleged countries due to weakness. The United States faced that it was essential to move out from Lebanon and Somalia with a belief that they had accomplished their mission. This assertion came right when the country led by President Bush retaliated on Iraq. Discussion According to McWhinney (2004), the campaign towards demolishing the world trade center on September, 11 began by a propaganda spread and perceived by Osama who headed the Al Qaeda militia group. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed planned the attacks. He initially promised to hijack several American airlines in Asia in the mid-1990s a plan known as Bojinka, which failed. Khali met Laden in 1996 and scheduled to train pilots who would blow up planes in the air. The Al-Qaeda funded the whole idea by providing money and logistical aid to the hijackers. In 1999, these criminals organized and met in Germany on a train (Langely, 2006). Led by Ramzi Binalshibh, the terrorists shifted to Hamburg on realizing that Germany was not the best place. According to Tarshis and Dawson (2012), he attackers under the leadership of Mohammed Ate arrived in Afghanistan in 1999 as the attacks began shaping up. They advanced themselves in the United States at strategic positions in preparation for the event. Atta used riddles, sign languages and hid his identity to communicate effectively with Binalshibh, who left Germany to Pakistan on 5th September. Sending a messenger to inform Laden of the day date, and time of the attack, the group was ready to hit the United States. Groups of the ranged attackers later boarded four domestic on 11th of September 2001 (Langely, 2006). The hijackers disabled the crews as soon as they took off. Suspiciously some were stabbed and cut with box cutters and took control of the planes. McWhinney (2004) add that the Airlines flight 11, originating from Boston was the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center as the United Airlines flight 175 struck the Southern tower after 17 minutes damaging the two structures profusely. The third plane from Dulles, American Airlines Flight 77 hit the Pentagon South West at 9:37 am as the United Airlines flight 93, the fourth aircraft crashed beside near Shanksville (Hufschmid, 2002). Despite the additional outcomes of the September, 11 attacks that involved the death of people and destruction of billions of wealth, the Al-Qaeda’s campaign was successful to this end. The attack was received with deep anger and regret of the Americans led by President Bush, who criticized the coward attacks against humanity promising to take actions against the militia group. Conclusion Despite the fact that campaigns and propaganda target to affect preferences, advertisement primarily aims at informing while propaganda targets to influence. The propaganda model described by Mullen and Klaehn in their attempt to echo Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky assertions describe the undoubtedly relationship between various forms of propaganda and campaigns with a detailed explanation of United States mass media behavior. This paper has adequately discussed how propaganda can result in tremendous effects impacting people’s lives. The outcome witnessed during the September, 11 attacks demonstrate how propaganda can be destructive in nature. Governments have a responsibility to play in ensuring that there is the efficient eradication of this rot in the contemporary society. References Bergen, P.L. (2001). September 11 attacks: United States (2001). Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved on May 12th 2016 from: http://www.britannica.com/event/September-11-attacks. Bilgen, A. ( 2012),Terrorism and the Media: A Dangerous Symbiosis. International Relations Study. The George Washington University. Retrieved on May 12th 2016 from: http://www.e-ir.info/2012/07/22/terrorism-and-the-media-a-dangerous-symbiosis/ Hufschmid, E. (2002). Painful questions: An analysis of the September 11th attack. Goleta, CA: Tree of Life. Levy, L. (2012). Social Media And The Press. HeinOnline. McWhinney, E. (2004). The September 11 terrorist attacks and the invasion of Iraq in contemporary law: Opinions on the emerging new world order system. Leiden [The Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. Langley, A. (2006). September 11: Attack on America. Minneapolis, Minn: Compass Point Books. Mullen, A. & Klaehn, J. (2010). Herman–Chomsky Propaganda Model: A Critical Approach to Analysing Mass Media Behaviour. Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne and University of Strathclyde. The Sociology Compass 4/4 (2010): 215–229, 10.1111/j.1751-9020.2010.00275.x. Pardue, B. C. (2012). Printing, power, and piety: Appeals to the public during the early years of the English Reformation. Leiden: Brill. Quilty-Harper, C. (2011). War On America. The Telegraph. Retrieved on May 12th 2016 from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/september-11-attacks/8745304/911-Newspaper-front-pages-the-day-after-September-11.html. Seacoastonline.com (2015). Thinking critically about war propaganda on 9/11. Retrieved on May 12th 2016 from: http://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20150910/NEWS/150919899. Tarshis, L., & Dawson, S. (2012). I survived the attacks of September 11, 2001. New York: Scholastic Press. Tristan, P. (2014). Full Text: President Bush Declares "War on Terror": Speech to a Joint Session of Congress, Sept. 20, 2001. About News. Retrieved on May 12th 2016 from: http://middleeast.about.com/od/usmideastpolicy/a/bush-war-on-terror-speech.htm Appendixes Appendix 1:The Photo of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the chief planner of the attack Appendix 2. Photo of Mohammed Atta: the Chief Hijacker Appendix 3: A photo of the Onset of the Attack Appendix 4. The Explosion of the World Trade Center Appendix 5. Rescue Operations Begin Read More

The Islamic terror group had launched their attack in Lebanon in 1983 leading the evacuation of United States. Other claims based on the withdrawal of American soldiers from Somalia after eighteen American Servicemen were killed in Mogadishu in 1993. Additionally, United States had left Vietnam in 1970’s (Bergen, 2001). This biased information transformed into incidences of propaganda that led to the occurrence September, 11 attacks. According to Quilty-Harper (2011), a famous writer of the Telegraph propaganda had effectively played a critical role in the event of the September 11 attacks.

Planned initially by the Al-Qaeda group, many media platforms mainly magazines emphasized the information by advertising and addressing the attacks all over ranging from the first to the tenth page. Some of these newspapers included The Mirror, The Guardian, The New York Post, The Daily Telegraph, USA Today, and The Daily Express. The Newspapers Act was unanimous and unethical for all these newspapers to cite the attack as a war declaration (Quilty-Harper, 2011). The Newspapers’ decision met criticism as it could spark more propaganda and proliferate more deadly future attacks.

Seacoastonline.com (2015) criticized the United States government immediate conclusion that the September, 11 attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon was Osama’s plan. This assertion also indicated the effectiveness of propaganda as it was believed that the assault came from the work of the 19 hijackers who died after the event. This propaganda proliferated further as the September 11 occurrences were employed to justify the Iraq and the Afghanistan wars. The United States later attacked Iraq leading to massive destruction of property, torture, and perpetual wars, especially in the middle east.

Tristan (2014) echoed President Bush’s speech to the Congress following the deadly attacks. The president criticized the Al Qaida’s impunity. Outlining some of the human atrocities committed by these terror group, Bush called for integrated collaboration among policy makers and regional support to eliminate the existence of terror groups. Study Findings Propaganda is indeed a political tool that can result in adverse effects. This study used a qualitative approach to source information and elucidated findings.

Primarily the study utilized secondary sources of data to collect data on the effectiveness of propaganda in aggravating the terror events that pervaded the United States September, 11 attacks. Information was sourced using valid online sources such as online magazines including The Telegraph and the Seacoastonline.com. These sources offered detailed information on what occurred on this particular date and the outcomes of the attacks despite the fact that the 19 hijackers suspected to have caused the attack lost their lives in the event.

This campaign was in the form of both social and political coercion. Targeting United States, Laden, the group leader believed that their opponents were weak due some wars she had fled from including her evacuation from Lebanon and Somalia. The incumbent, Osama Bin Laden in collaboration with his group members such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Mohammed Atef, the military commander and Mohammed Atta, the leading hijacker were involved in the planning and launching of the attack. They engaged in long-term planning using modern technologies to equip their forces before proceeding to the United States.

The plan involved attacking and hijacking planes landing in New York City and Washington, DC. Indeed, Osama’s perceptions that made him organize the attacks were skeptical and deceptive. The United States was not weak as he alleged. Additionally, America did not pull out of the alleged countries due to weakness. The United States faced that it was essential to move out from Lebanon and Somalia with a belief that they had accomplished their mission. This assertion came right when the country led by President Bush retaliated on Iraq.

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