Research Korner: Terrorism Term Papers

Economic Aspects of China

INTRODUCTION   The expansion of the economic aspect of the country of China has been under the observation of a lot of analysts. On its way to becoming among the superpowers of the modern world, the economic development that has been taking place in the said country may appear to be a threat in the neighbouring regions with regards to foreign direct investments. However, upon probing deeper in the situation, one could surmise that this is not the case. The following discussions will present that the existence of the Chinese development does not affect the countries in the Southeast Asian region. Discussion with regards to its historical dealings, foreign policies, and regional plans will be among the bases of establishing of the position of this paper regarding the issue of China and FDI of Southeast Asia.         HISTORIC INTERACTIONS OF CHINA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA   China’s affairs with Southeast Asia have grown to be ever closer. China’s return to Southeast Asia is not merely history replicating itself. In the end, the tenure of the 'Son of Heaven' has departed long ago, and China no longer perceives itself as the centre of humankind. (Stuart-Fox, 2003) The Middle Kingdom is dwelling in a new world with novel strategic objectives. Its global perspective and method to Southeast Asia have to transform. China's affairs with Southeast Asia have been well documented. What is prominent as an important strong point of the work of Stuart-Fox (2003) is its effort to recognize what it labelled as the 'international relations culture' that takes into account the principles, standards, and prospects concerning the appropriate accomplishment of international relations. Conventional Chinese international affairs traditions were anchored on the Chinese perspective that is looked into at the beginning of Stuart-Fox’s (2003) study. Traditionally, the Chinese perspective of the world highlighted the harmony of Heaven, Earth and people, the authority of the emperor and the conviction that barbarians would be represented by the means of the emperor to distinguish the dominance of Chinese society and the cosmic standing of the emperor. The acknowledgment was represented by the tributary system. This is characterized as a system where barbarians respectfully tender their tribute at Chinese court and appreciatively acquiring presents in return.   This tributary system prevailed over China's affairs with Southeast Asia up until the later part of the nineteenth century, when China was considerably frail to defend against Western incursion and Southeast Asia developed into colonies of European powers. (Stuart-Fox, 2003) Moreover, the tributary system was not actually onerous for Southeast Asian polities. It similarly indicated that China as an empire stretched out but was not predominantly in an expansionist level.   Moreover, China's global relations traditions in the years of the Cold War developed from its past. Being 'a civilisation whose pretensions to superiority are deeply embedded in the national psyche', (Stuart-Fox, 2003) China was intending to develop into an international great power and to resume international ranking and deference. It required to be acknowledged as such within its individual direct field of influence. The People's Republic, similar to empire China historically, similarly had faith in the authority and dominance of Chinese paradigm. Traditionally, it was the good worth of the emperor that granted the ultimate model. During the Cold War, it was China's radical revolutionary, communist agenda that prevailed. Moral dominance was another historical component that continued to have an effect on China's foreign policy. Its Bandung directive of co-existence and non-intrusion in the dealings of other nations and later procedures of anti-hegemonism were declared as moral standards. This historical perception of China's global affairs traditions does give some explanation on China's participation in the two Indo-China wars and its sustenance for revolutionary actions in Southeast Asia.   That account still functions a huge part in today's affairs involving China and Southeast Asia is apparent in discussion of 'bilateral relations regimes'. Even supposing that early regimes were determined by China, they were acknowledged by Southeast Asian governing leaders. (Stuart-Fox, 2003) The development of bilateral affairs regimes anchored on not only a happenstance of interests but similarly a level of concurrence of worldviews and mutual historical knowledge. Alongside this setting, Southeast Asian nations will not adhere to a balance-of-power alliance to control China and will together favour accommodation with China. (Stuart-Fox, 2003)   POLICIES OF CHINA WITH REGARDS TO SOUTHEAST ASIA   Based on the previous discussion, there has been historical basis on the affairs of China and the Southeast Asian region. This entails the creation of such policies on the part of China. It appears that the Chinese leadership is satisfied with the balance of power scheme on the part of the Southeast Asian countries. The subsequent efforts to preserve and uphold a balanced relationship with the United States, Japan, and China; together, it evades abandoning other countries such as Russia and India. (Cheng, 1999) This ASEAN plan assists to put off any key power, counting the United States, from controlling the Asia-Pacific region in terms of trade. This is in proportion to China's strategic concerns given that China does not have the wherewithal and consequently the purpose to develop into the major authority in regional affairs. Therefore, China receives the ASEAN's balance of power scheme and espouses the regional organization in participating in a dynamic position in the Asia-Pacific region.   In addition, Chinese leaders recognize China and the ASEAN countries as developing nations in Asia; they have a substantial sense of shared identity; and they possess comparable perspectives on values, human rights, democracy, and several concerns in global relations. Therefore, they should be capable of lending a hand, present each other aid, and equally be in opposition to hegemonism and power politics. Chinese leaders do not deem that ASEAN will turn out to be a component of a coalition intended to controlling China. In its place, ASEAN's dynamic diplomatic profile is perceived as easing the progress on the direction of multipolarity in the Asia-Pacific region, and causative to regional permanence. (Cheng, 1999) Furthermore, ASEAN is alleged as functioning as a balance in the middle of the United States, Japan, and China and as a force evening out in this triangular association. Similarly, the ASEAN will also assist to discourage the hegemonism of Western powers in the area, in so doing lessening the latter's stress on China and convalescing the diplomatic setting for it.   CHINA’S AIMS IN THE ASIAN REGION   China’s regional aims in Southeast Asia seem to be connected to China’s general strategic stance. Even as some analysts acquire a “zero sum” technique to mounting Chinese authority and American power in the region, others involve the highlighting in China on the strategy of a “peaceful rise” or “peaceful development” and acquire a more benevolent outlook of China’s objects, both internationally and inside a regional background in Southeast Asia. China’s quiet increase possibly stands for a major departure from previous policy which intended to wear away America’s control in the region. (Sutter, 2004) Confirmation of Chinese restlessness with America’s attendance in Asia carries on. To some Chinese observers America’s long-drawn-out global posture ever since the September 11 terror attacks has brought about an American squeeze of China. Others acquire a perspective that China’s foreign policy on the direction Southeast Asia is an offshoot of its conventional imperial tribute system.   Ever since the middle part of the 90s, China has been aggressively looking to expand its connection with Southeast Asia by means of more accommodating approaches. This is chiefly obvious in the episode from the financial crisis of 97. (Stuart-Fox, 2003) Similarly, China’s 2002 agreement to the ASEAN code of conduct on disagreements in the South China Sea, the change in importance to ASEAN in addition to China, Japan and South Korea, as against the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) structure which takes account of the US, and progress on the direction of an ASEAN-China Free Trade region all signify a basic change in the affairs involving China and ASEAN. (Stuart-Fox, 2003) This highlighting on economic and diplomatic relationships is a major variation from earlier military confrontation as confirmed by past border and territorial disagreements. China’s deeds point to some that it is concerned in more than merely extended economic and trade connections with the region.   FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS OF CHINA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA   Regardless of substantial concerns in policy spheres that a boost in foreign direct investment flow to China is to the detriment of other regional economies, it has been established that those economies can essentially take advantage from it. (Chantasasawat, Fung, Iizaka, Siu, 2004) This may possibly be connected to the production networking actions among Asian nations in addition to the augmented resource demand by a rising China. The proof of production-networking among China and other Asian economies can be established in the extensive two-way trade of intermediate and final goods in the similar industries among those nations. The Table below summarizes the FDI of China from the early seventies to the recent years.   A lot of the nations observed in the study of Chantasasawat, Fung, Iizaka, Siu (2004) are greatly concerned in vertical specialization which can be perceived in the allocation of two-way trade in the similar industry in the whole quantity of trade among the states. The economic connections of mutual reliance among them have been getting deeper swiftly since the 90s. The importance of the effect of the development of China in the context of FDI inflows to this group of Asian states may reveal such interdependence. (Chantasasawat, Fung, Iizaka, Siu, 2004)  Thus a boost in China’s FDI is certainly and considerably connected to FDI inflows in other Asian countries. It is thus observed that until now the investment-developing consequences prevail over the investment-diversion impact so that on the whole, China is a positive power for FDI inflows into other Asian nations with regards to their economy.   The minor consequence of trade liberalization of the Asian states on the inflow of FDI can be in excess of double of that of the effect of the economic development in China. Trade obstacles can acquire a variety of shapes like local content conditions, technology transfer conditions, domestic sales and export prerequisites. This connotes that decreases in the different kinds of trade obstructions can take part in a crucial function in developing FDI to those states. (Chantasasawat, Fung, Iizaka, Siu, 2004) In general, issues that have an effect on the FDI inflows into Southeast Asia are the positive impact of the economic development China, policy variables like the level of openness to trade and the excellence of infrastructure and the world provision of the FDI. Moreover, the overriding indicators of the Asian economies' components of FDI into all developing nations are the unconstructive effects the economic development in China, policy variables like openness to trade, corporate tax charges and infrastructure in addition to the institutional issue of government firmness.   CONCLUSION   China requires a peaceful global setting to focus on economic progress. Therefore, the Chinese leadership favours a multipolar world in which the superpowers can build up responsive relations with each other and in which non-zero-sum competitions are the standard. Both China and ASEAN mean to function a more noteworthy role in the Asia-Pacific region and in the international community, particularly in the UN. Their quests are a non-zero-sum competition and can be equally helpful. The Asia-Pacific region requires efficient agents in intercessions with the Western nations and in a variety of global organizations. China and ASEAN, on the strength of close bilateral and regional discussions, can carry out that task jointly. In spite of everything, they have no purpose of separating each other in regional matters, and they do not have the objective and aspiration of acquiring a major leadership position in the region.

Economic Aspects of China

INTRODUCTION The expansion of the economic aspect of the country of China has been under the observation of a lot o...

The impact of terrorism in today's business

The impact of terrorism in today’s business               History proves that terrorism has affected different levels of society in the world. Terrorism as means to compel people to follow through the use of force or threat has become the center of attraction of the globe in the most recent modern history. The September 11, 2001 attacks in New York have played a significant role in molding the views of the people towards terrorism. Either make or break a nation, or create a leader or be the leader, in all cases, one thing is certain: terrorism has touched every part and every level of the world community, form the countries to its governments, down to its people, with positive and negative aftermath in between.             Looking at the status quo, the business sector is one of the levels of the society that is being greatly affected by terrorism. Disruption and destruction of ongoing businesses as the primary goal of terrorism has undoubtedly challenged and threatened business activities of different countries. Basically, there are different sectors of business that should be examined but there are three primary sectors of business that needs closer scrutiny to detect the effects of terrorism on the business world as a whole. The stock market is the first sector that needs analysis. Like the other sectors of the business environment, stock markets are being directly affected by terrorism. Even before the attacks, investors often flee the market to ensure safety in financial instruments as soon as they received news about terrorist attacks. Consequently, panic selling occurs and creates deficiency on the part of the stock owners. Similarly are the effects after these terrorist attacks. Decline in stock markets becomes evident as response to the attacks. However, it seems that terrorism does not create long term effects on these markets. Stock markets start to become resilient and manage to recover in a relatively short period of time. In fact, after every terrorist attack in the recent years, stock markets even become more stable and efficient, providing greater confidence for increased participation. Another sector that is being hurt by terrorism is the tourism industry. The number of tourist arrivals reduces as the threats of terrorist attacks in the world increases. Over time continued terrorist attacks also cause indirect costs and damages (Larobina, n.d; Pate, n.d). These expenses include expenses in improving advertisements and security enforcements to attract new or more tourists (Larobina, n.d; Pate, n.d). In connection with tourism industry, another sector of business is being affected by terrorism. As mentioned earlier, terrorist threats decreases the number of tourist arrivals. For this reason, domestic flights of the target country decline while international flights increase, reducing the income of the tourism industry as well as the aviation industry. These two industries play a vital role in maintaining the economic stability of most countries in the world, especially the ones which belongs to the developing countries bracket. Aside from the losses of the tourism industry, the cost of oil also affects the aviation sector. Because of civil unrests in the Middle East today, major disruption in oil supplies occurs, driving oil price higher. Increase in the cost of fuel poses indirect effects upon airline companies, adding to the expenses aviation industry have incurred in the recent years. To recover these expenses, the aviation sector will put the burden to their passengers, making it more problematic for it will reduce more the number of tourist arrivals. Increase in terrorism activity boils down to a definite loss to the tourism industry; likewise, damage to the tourism industry is tantamount to threat to the airline companies. Generally, just like the stock market, the tourism sector as well as the aviation sector both face challenges of terrorism; yet they manage to recover in the long run (Larobina, n.d; Pate, n.d).             Although terrorism has created a lot of threat and problems to the business environment, it is undeniable that the world is capable of recovering. Terrorism has affected different sectors of the society across the world community at different levels. Some sectors may have experienced greater damage but these sectors proved how resilient they are (Larobina, n.d; Pate, n.d). Needless to say, one of these sectors that have withstood the shock of terrorism without permanent damage is the business sector. Of course, this will not be possible without the help of the government. With proper and necessary support and assistance from the state, these sectors succeed to recover. Overall, the business sector was able and will be able to outlive despite the disruption and destruction of terrorism.   List of References             Larobina, M and R. Pate n.d., The Impact of Terrorism on Business, accessed May 29, 2011, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6054/is_200904/ ai_n32319736/

The impact of terrorism in today's business

The impact of terrorism in today’s business History proves that terrorism has affected different levels of society in t...

Terrorism in Pakistan

Introduction It all started with religious extremism and sectarian terrorism, but now Pakistani militant groups join the network of international terrorist groups such as the Al-Qaeda. A rising number of suicide attacks targeted major cities of Pakistan. New terrorists groups rise into Pakistan, more violent to inflict harm to many civilians in the country. These terrorists groups helped one another in doing unlawful crimes. This problem concerns the country’s security, affecting tourism and investments.  Pakistan joined the United States against the fight on terrorism after the New York 9/11 attack that claimed many lives of innocent Americans. Elements of al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban seek refuge to Pakistan’s soil and work closely to Pakistani militant groups. The Pakistani government cannot control the number of terrorist attacks in the country because they lack capabilities in doing so.   Roots of Pakistani Terror The rise of religious extremists began with the decision to launch a jihad (holy war) in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union. Several groups were armed to fight against the Soviets and pro Soviet Afghan forces. Seven of these factions were supported by Pakistan. After that, Pakistan used these forces to fight in Kashmir. After the war is over, these militant groups became independent and earned a number of supporters. These groups invited Al Qaeda to Afghanistan, engaged in cruelties and violence.  Madrasas were set up with foreign funding to prepare fighters for the jihad but the talibanisation of Pakistan began in when the Taliban seized control of Kabul. Sufi Mohammad launched his Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi in Swat, which was financed by criminals who had cases against them in courts of law. Terrorist Groups   It is hard to determine the number of terrorist groups operating in Pakistan, but according to Ashley J. Tellis, a senior associate Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, terrorist groups in Pakistan can be part of the five distinct categories of  terrorists in Pakistan namely:   §  Sectarian: Sunni Sipah-e-Sahaba and the Shia Tehrik-e-Jafria groups, which is responsible to the violence within Pakistan; §  Anti-Indian:  Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), and the Harakat ul-Mujahadeen (HuM). It is believed that the Pakistani military together with the intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) support these groups. These groups are active in Kashmir; §  Afghan Taliban: The original Taliban movement and especially its Kandahari leadership centered around Mullah Mohammad Omar, believed to be now living in Quetta; Al-Qaeda and its affiliates: The organization led by Osama bin Laden and other non-South Asian terrorists believed to be ensconced in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).       §  The Pakistani Taliban: Groups consisting of extremist outfits in the FATA, led by individuals such as Hakimullah Mehsud, of the Mehsud tribe in South Waziristan, Maulana Faqir Muhammad of Bajaur, and Maulana Qazi Fazlullah of the Tehrik-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM).   Others   There are some militant groups that do not fit into any of the above categories like the  secessionist groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army in the southwest province of Balochistan. BLA was declared a terrorist organization by Pakistan in 2006. Also, a new militant network, often labeled the Punjabi Taliban, has gained prominence after the major 2008 and 2009 attacks in the Punjabi cities of Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi.   The new picture of Terrorism Violence in Pakistan has been on the rise as more militant groups target the state. 2,155 civilians were killed in terrorist violence in 2008 and nearly 1800 civilians have been killed in the first ten months of 2009 as compared to around 1600 civilian deaths from 2003 to 2006. This new tactic of terrorist focus on suicide attacks. There are sixty sucide attacks in Pakistan in 2009 as compared to only two in 2002. It was believed that Osama bin Laden’s group is training most of the terrorist groups in FATA and introduced the practice of suicide bombings to both Pakistani and Afghan Taliban. The Al- Qaeda network is also promoting cooperation among militant groups making their forces stronger.  This cooperation makes it hard for counter terrorist organization in eliminating such violent groups.    International Counterterrorism Pakistan's security forces are struggling to confront these domestic militants.  Efforts are underway to reform the forces but challenges remain both in terms of willingness to fight some of these militant groups as well as capabilities. The army and the police have increasingly become the target for the militant groups. In October 2009, militants attacked the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and held around forty people hostage for over 20 hours. Most analysts believe that even though the Pakistani army and the ISI are now more willing to go after militant groups, they continue some form of alliance with groups they want to use as a strategic hedge against India and Afghanistan. But Pakistan's security establishment denies these charges.   References 1.    Council on Foreign Relation, Jayshree Bajoria (2009), Pakistan’s New Generation of Terrorist, [Online], Available at: http://www.cfr.org/publication/15422/  [Accessed 18 Feb 2010] 2.    Strengthening Participatory Oraganization, Terrorism in Pakistan, [Online] Available at: http://www.spopk.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=98:terrorism-in-pakistan&catid=49:news-and-media&Itemid=92 [Accessed 18 Feb 2010]

Terrorism in Pakistan

Introduction It all started with religious extremism and sectarian terrorism, but now Pakistani militant groups join the network of in...

The global war on terror

This paper will discuss the topic regarding the global war on terror. It will attempt to examine if the global war on terror can be used to explain and to examine the ongoing civil wars that are occurring in the different parts of the globe. It will also try to identify and to investigate the different responses that a government or a nation can apply in order to defeat terrorism.             Before going further into the definition of these important questions, equally pertinent conditions must be first satisfied. Some questions must be first answered in order to truly comprehend the nature and the explanations that will be suggested in this paper. A significant portion therefore must be allocated on explaining the nature, origin and characteristics of a act that is labeled as terroristic or before we are to classify someone as a terrorist.             Due to its wide and broad scope the meaning and definition of terrorism can be classified differently by various organizations and societies and groups. The  Dictionary states that terrorism is a policy that aims to strike and to plant terror and fear to people or it is the employment of methods that would sow fear and terror to a group of people (2004). Meanwhile, the  Dictionary defines terrorism as an act of terrorizing or a system of sowing and creating terror or intimidation aimed at someone (1998). The United Nations also has its own formulated definition of the word terrorism. The definition states that “terrorism is an anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent actions, employed by semi clandestine individuals, group or state actors for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons” ( 2003). The immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly or selectively, from a target population, and serve as message ( 2003).             also proposes another definition. He stated that an act of terrorism is the "peacetime equivalent of a war crime." ( 2002) In November 2004, a UN panel described terrorism as any act: "intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act." ( 2002) The European Union meanwhile defines terrorism as specific criminal offences against persons and property which seriously damages a country or an international organization, seriously intimidating a population or compelling a Government or international organization to perform or abstain from performing any act, seriously destabilizing or destroying the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structures of a country or an international organization (2002).             It is therefore important to note that each organization has its own meanings and definition with regards to the word terrorism. This varied definition of the word stems from the fact that different actions and acts are considered by some organizations as terroristic while other movements and international bodies do not classify an act as terroristic. Although the there are different definitions with regards to the word terrorism, a basic tenet that is uniformly advanced by all the international bodies mentioned is that they unanimously determined that terrorism pertains to the disseminate terror, killings and destruction through the use of unconventional practices and methods. Unlike in a field of battle where a soldier or a combatant can see his enemy, terrorism and terrorist used ordinary objects and situations to gain advantage in order to maximize the death toll and injury. They remain hidden and silent waiting for the right opportunity to strike and to spread destruction. An important aspect of terrorism is that it uses fear and intimidation to destroy and to demolish the will and psyche of a people by striking at an unknown time and place. Terrorism does not only targets soldiers and combatants but it forwards the idea that battles and fight should be fought by targeting civilians and non-combatants.             Terrorism can be classified on the way terrorists are oriented. Every terrorist group have their own aims and goals in order to rationalize and explain to the society the justifications of their acts. They must have a goal and an aim that would enable them to recruit new members and to gain financial or material supports from influential people and organizations. Basically terrorist groups can be classified as religious terrorists, nationalist terrorists, left-wing/right-wing terrorists, racist terrorists and anti-Communist terrorists ( 2004). Each of these classifications of terrorist has an aim to main or to intimidate a specific group of people depending on their classification. Religious terrorists are aimed at people or societies that are perceived by their religion as dangerous while racial terrorists meanwhile, vents their anger and frustration at a specific ethnic groups ( 1999). Some examples of religious terrorist groups are the Al Qaeda of Bin Laden, Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines, Muslim Brotherhood International in Morocco, Hamas and Hezbollah in Israel. Aside from religious and racial terrorist, nationalist terrorists are groups that advocate the independence or autonomy of a specific province, geographical unit of a country. Nationalist terrorism is an act where terrorists attempt to form an independent state against governments and groups of people that they consider as occupiers and oppressors ( 1999). Nationalist terrorism has also been used to describe groups attempting to create a state that upholds the rights, tradition and customs that are inherent in a group of people (1999). Some example of this classification is the IRA (Irish Revolutionary Army) in Ireland, Kosovo Liberation Army in Kosovo and ETA (Basque Fatherland and Liberty) located in Spain and Southern France. It is important to note that this classification can encompass a single group. For example, the terrorist group named Fatah which is active in Palestine can be classified as a religious terrorist organization since it funnels its hatred to Israel but it is also a nationalist terrorist group since it is fighting for the rights of the Palestinians to govern their territories. The global war on terror was launched by the United States against terrorist organization called Al Qaeda headed by Osama Bin Laden who financed and planned the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. This global war on terror or simply war on terror was a response of the United States and President  against group of individuals and nation estates who advocates and supports terroristic activities. This war unlike any other war that America fought in the past is a war that is without boundaries. While past wars were fought by professional soldiers with equipments and weapons supplied by the government, the global war on terror primarily uses covert operatives, remote surveillance, diplomacy and use of massive propaganda to defeat an unseen enemy. The first step in this war was the invasion of Afghanistan by U.S. and the coalition forces in order to capture Osama Bin Laden and to punish the Taliban government for helping and aiding Al Qaeda. Before the commencement of hostilities between America and the Taliban, members of the Special Forces were sent to the northern part of Afghanistan to support and train the Northern Alliance in their hunt for Osama Bin Laden. Due to the technological superiority of the Coalition Forces Operation Enduring Freedom was a success. Although  and other high ranking individuals in the Taliban government were not captured, the Coalition forces reinvigorated the national economy and revived the democracy inside that country. The second phase of the global war on terror is the invasion of Iraq. Iraq was invaded by Coalition Forces headed by the United States and Great Britain because the intelligence networks of these two governments stated that Iraq is manufacturing biological, chemical and nuclear weapons that will be passed on to terrorist and terrorist groups (2004). The Coalition also noted that Iraq and former sponsors terrorism by providing training grounds and financial support for terrorist organizations ( 2004). In the war against Iraq, the Coalition was again successful in using superior technological advances and rapid mobilization to quickly defeat Iraqi forces and seize Baghdad forcing  into hiding. Although Iraqi insurgency is taking a toll on American personnel and logistical supply, Iraq now has its democratically elected president and parliament. The global war on terror that was started by America was received favorably and unfavorably by certain sectors of American society and some head of states that were not part of the Coalition. One of the main arguments levied by some sectors is that the war on terror is flaw because it uses the military to punish and to enforce the law while crimes such as bombing and other terrorist acts are similar in substance to crimes like murder (2002). Proponents of this argument also argued that since terrorist acts are considered crimes, the police not the military must have the sole authority to investigate and to solve the event. Other groups also stated that the war against terror can be classified as an act of terror itself since various abuses and oppressions are committed by military personnel on prisoners and civilians (2003). Examples of the abuses carried out by the U.S. military are the prisoner abuse at Bagram Collection Point in Afghanistan and the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq (2004). Critics also pointed out the human rights of an accused terrorist and other significant laws and treaties such as the Geneva Convention and the right to counsel by the accused are being violated and denied.  Critics further reiterated that prisoners were imprisoned in a location (Guantanamo Bay Detention Center) where American law are not applied and where constant mental, emotional and physical torture is applied to make the terrorist confess (2004). Critics also said that the global war is causing unnecessary civilian casualties and injury. Different agencies have different figures with regards to the total number of deaths among Iraqi and Afghan civilians. According to the Iraqi Ministry of Health, the number of killed civilians was pegged at 3, 853 during the invasion. These deaths do not only disrupts the society by creating orphans and widows but it also fosters hostility and enmity against the occupying force (2004). Other critics of the war also added that the global war on terror would turn into a perpetual war where American resources, materials and lives will be drained just to eradicate terrorism (2003). They argued that terrorism is a violent method in achieving an aim and those methods can never be erased. They claimed that the true solution to the problem of terrorism is the going to the root of the problem which is inequality and discrimination. Supporters of the war meanwhile contended that the war has a beneficial use to America and to the countries that would be freed from the yoke of terrorism. They argued that the continuing global war on terror would provide added security and stability inside and outside America while delivering democracy and freedom to the people of these countries (2004). In the case of Iraq, the Bush Administration emphasized the presence of biological, nuclear and chemicals weapons that can be used against American citizens before invading Iraq. The global war on terror can also be a deterrent and a silent stick to other nations and states that sponsors terrorism. It sends a clear message that a country can be invaded and its leaders deposed if it supports and harbors terrorists groups ( 2004).  At this point, the global war against terrorism can be used as an outline or a framework that can be applied to any situation and event. The label “war on terror” can be used in identifying various elements and groups in the society as advocates of terrorism and highlighting nonviolent actions that would neutralize these groups. This is possible since terrorism can be used to denote a group that uses violence and indiscriminate killing to achieve its goals and aims. An example of this aspect can be found in the Spanish setting. During the 1950’s, a group called ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasna or Basque Fatherland and Liberty) was established in the Basque province of the country (2002). This organization was aimed at achieving the independence of the Basque Provinces from both the central governments of Spain and France at any cost. It also advocated for the formation of an independent state that revolves around Basque culture and tradition ( 2002).    To achieve these aims, the ETA is notorious for planting bombs in populated places and conducting assassinations of prominent Spanish politicians and law enforcement agencies. it is also prominent in kidnapping and other crimes in order to disrupt the economy of the country. For the members of the ETA, their actions are justifiable since in their perspective, the Basque people are oppressed and are not given the same attention when compared to other Spaniards residing in other provinces ( 2002). The feeling therefore of being alone and different is nurtured in the mind of an ordinary Basque leading him to the conclusion that violence, fear and intimidation are the only way to achieve what is necessary for his people (2002). In the eyes of the Spanish government, these lawless actions made by the ETA are reason in order to hunt them down and to eliminate the group n order to restore peace and tranquility. They use the police to search for Basque terrorists and their supporters. Because of this action-reaction cycle with regards to terroristic activities, both the Spanish government and the Basque nationalists are missing a significant point. Terrorism clouds the judgement and proper perception of the two camps. While the other side is causing panic and fear while the other side is preventing and eliminating fear and terror, the root cause of the problem is not solve. In this “terror war” the proper question to be asked is: What are the needs of the Basque society that would end this conflict? Only when the identified and true needs and necessity of a people is satisfied can terrorism be stopped. In the case of Spain and Basque provinces, limited autonomy can be offered by the government to quell terrorism without using force and the military. Another aspect of the “global war on terror” aside from identifying terrorist groups is that terrorism can be used as a voice or a medium for repressed groups of individual inside the society that are speechless and inarticulate to voice out their demands. This aspect can be illustrated in the case of Palestine and Israel. Israel is one of the dominant nations in the Holy Land. Its territories encompass areas that are predominantly of Arab descent and most of the political and military power is held by Israel ( 2002). The Palestinians therefore see that they are oppressed and neglected by the Israeli government so various Islamic radicals banded together to form Hezbollah, Fatah and other anti Zionist terrorist groups that aims for the establishment of a separate Palestinian state in the Holy Land ( 2002). To articulate their goals and desires, they started to use suicide bombers and carbombs to make the Israeli government give in to their demands. These acts of violence are voices being pronounced by the Palestinian people regarding their social and political condition. Although it is morally and legally wrong to use violence and kill people just to forward an aspiration, these acts are signs that something is wrong about the way a government treats and deals with its people. There are other people that the global war on terror is a framework to understand the conflict that exist between the East and the West and between the modern and antiquated countries of the globe. The West represented by the United States is imposing its rule, culture and tradition to the East exemplified by the countries that have radical Islamic elements. The United States through its war on terror is advancing the ideas and concepts that are intrinsic to the American society to other societies at the detriment of the indigenous culture like Islam ( 2002). At this aspect, the global war on terror can be labeled as a war against two schools of thought that literally clings to each other’s belief.  For believers of Islam, the global war on terror is a step that reinforces the notion of regional domination lead by the United States The global war on terror can also be used as a framework to identify certain negative perceptions of a society in relation to another society. It can be said that U.S. invaded Iraq and Afghanistan in order to restore order and democracy to the country. There is a perception therefore that Islamic states have undemocratic and authoritarian rule that must be eliminated by the West through the use of actions that emanates from the phrase “global war on terror” (2004). It would be justifiable therefore to use terrorism as pretext for deposing and installing leaders that are “democratic’. Responses to terrorism are broad in scope. These can include realignments of the political system reorganization and reexamination certain fundamental values, outlooks and policies. Stricter immigration laws and policies can be implemented by various governments in order to deter or minimize their vulnerability against terrorist acts ( 2004). Since the September 11, 2001, attacks were carried out by foreigners who entered the United States due to lax airport security and slow response to intelligence reports, steps must be taken to avoid this costly mistakes. Restructuring of the bureaucracy to enable faster transfer and verification of data must be implemented. Airport security and other aspects of national and internal defense must be wholly integrated to one another to facilitate faster communication and data sharing and verification (2004). Harsh penalties for violations of immigration laws and denial of entry for persons who fosters hatred, advocated violence or is affiliated to a terrorist group. Another step that can be used against terrorism is to diffuse and eradicate ill feeling and discrimination against Islam. In many cities and countries in Europe today are populated by Muslims and Arabs and in order to erase stigma and cultural animosity between Muslims and the native population, proper information campaign and other related policies must be take place ( 2002). Government and non government organizations must initiate talks and discourse with various religious and ethnic groups to expose a society to a culture that is unfamiliar to them. Through frequent association and connection with an object or group of people, the level of hostility against the group will be lessened. Common targets of terrorists like places like mass transit vehicles, aircraft, office buildings, monments and parks must be well protected and securely maintained ( 2002). Constant inspection of individuals entering and exiting an establishment must be made mandatory to lessen the chance of terrorist activities. Another method is to place concrete barriers outside vital buildings and installations to prevent the damages that would occur if a terrorist uses a car bomb (2002). Aircraft cockpits must be kept locked during flights, while incorporating reinforced doors that would deter terrorist from hijacking a plane. The use of undercover air marshals on airplane flights can also help in deterring terrorism ( 2002). The United States and other countries should also use pre-emptive strategy to eliminate terrorist leaders and members. This strategy calls for the capture, killing or disabling terrorist suspects. Incorporated in this step would be the identification of terrorist funds and bank accounts that can be held and freeze by banks in order to deny the terrorist from their financial assets. Another method of pre-emptive neutralization is the interrogation of suspected terrorists to obtain information about specific plots, targets and identities of the terrorists ( 2002). Domestic intelligence and surveillance must also be strengthened. New technology on bugging and surveillance equipment and techniques can be used to obtain vital evidences. Extreme care must be taken so that no laws or legal rights are violated in obtaining evidences. Military actions can also be an effective response to the threat of terrorism. Military intervention can be implemented against countries where terrorists are based. That was the main justification for the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq and the continued presence of the Russian forces in Chechnya. Despite the fact that the United States and the Coalition members are powerful, influential and technologically advanced when compared to terrorist there are obstacles and hindrances that must be faced on the global war on terror.  The reason while America is not winning the war against terror is because terrorist groups have now continued to operate using less sophisticated means. Terrorist groups know that the U.S. possesses modern devices and other gadgets to pinpoint hideouts and meeting points so they use less modern modes of communication like video tapes, audio tapes, signs and messengers. Terrorist have also reorganized in response to the counter terrorism being implemented by different government. They have banded in “human cells” that consist of two or three sleeper agents that would initiate a terrorist attack with minimal planning (2004).

The global war on terror

This paper will discuss the topic regarding the global war on terror. It will attempt to examine if the global war on terror c...