Transcript War on Terror

Evaluating the United States’ War
on Terror
I37002 Park In-Hong
1. The United States deep concerns in Middle East
(Why do they hate the United States, according to Dr. Michael Schur, former CIA officer)
1. The U.S has supported Israel
2. The U.S has supported Saudi Arabia
3. The U.S has been stationed in the Arabian Peninsular
After the withdrawal from Iraq,
The U.S. increased host nations – Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia.
4. The U.S.’s continued intervention to set democratic government in Middle East
- The United State’s excessive military intervention, democratic intervention
created civil casualties, and shook domestic government stabilization
- Why should the U.S. have made a relationship with Middle East?
① To contain Soviet power under the Cold War
② To obtain oil from Saudi Arabia and to sell loan bond
③ Being influenced by Israel elites in the U.S.
2. Why should they attack the United States?
What is Al Qaeda?
- It was founded in 1988
- The leader was Osama bin Laden (In 2011, Saif al-Adel)
- From 1990s, they desperately opposed deployment of the U.S. military in Islam’s
holy land.
- Before the 9/11 attack, they terrorized U.S. army base in Saudi Arabia,
and the U.S. embassy in Kenya and Tanzania.
- It participated in overthrowing Syria’s government.
- It has branches in 40 Middle East countries, related organizations in 65 other foreign
countries.
※ there is a rumor that under the Cold War,
the United States has relationship with Al Qaeda consists of Mujahiddin
(Religious trainees) to contain Soviet Union power in Afghanistan.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLjEby4N4wI : 2:25 ~ 2:47)
September 11 Attack
Bush Administration’s War on Terror
After the September 11 attacks,
George W. Bush started to use the term, War on Terror on 20 September 2001
to confront terrorism The U.S. increased military action against insurgencies in
Afghanistan and Iraq.
Under the provisions of Public Law 107-40, the President is authorized to use force
against those nations, organizations, or persons who planned and carried out the
terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, and those who harbored
them, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the
United States.(Donald J. Reed, 2006: 12)
Public Law 107-243 authorizes the President to use the armed forces of the United
States to defend itself against the threat posed by Iraq, and to enforce United
States Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.(Donald J. Reed, 2006: 12)
Did the United States set the proper strategy and policy
for national security?
From the Clausewitz perspective
War on Terror is not War !
1. The enemy is not clear
- The United States failed to set clear enemy.
- Terror is not the enemy. Terror is a tactic.
- In 2006, National Strategy for Combating Terrorism
use identical wording in defining the enemy
as a transnational movement of extremist organizations, networks, and individuals.
So the enemy became a kind of religious group.
- The enemy is unofficial armed non state actor – Al Qaeda
2. The common goal of War is to force an enemy to do one’s will.
War is a method of politics.
What was the U.S. pursuing its goal of War on Terror?
☞ Democratization of the areas?
Then, What is the enough degree of democracy that the U.S. can admit it
as a sign of victory in War on Terror.
“The long-term solution for winning the war on terror is
the advancement of freedom and human dignity through effective democracy”
☞ Was it the goal of War on Terror to destroy Al Qaeda?
3. The activities of war maybe split into two main point
: Preparation for War and War proper
Was the U.S. preparing a war? Or, conducting a war?
Was the War on Terror effective??
1. The U.S. was successful to remove Taliban in Afghanistan after 9/11 attack in 2001.
※ American forces in Afghanistan had a good chance to destroy the Al Qaeda
top command at the battle of Tara Bora in the late 2001
but bungled the battle, allowing their escape (Stephen Van Evera, 2006:12)
※ New Afghan government failed to stabilize the country,
and Al Qaeda and Taliban have reestablished a strong presence
in southern and eastern Afghanistan. (Stephen Van Evera, 2006:12)
Bush administration failed to stabilize both Afghanistan and Pakistan,
leaving al Qaeda room to operate in both (Stephen Van Evera, 2006:12)
2. Attacking Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in 2003 made the U.S. more weak
monitor and prevent Afghanistan from increasing force of Al Qaeda.
This stimulates anti Americanism and boom of Al Qaeda
3. Did Department of Homeland Security succeed in, at least, preventing Terror?
Reforms of the broader U.S. intelligence community,
which is the key to victory in counterterrorism, have not been adequately
implemented. (Stephen Van Evera, 2006:13)
It was like a palliative to public fear than a real security program.
(Stephen Van Evera, 2006:14)
※ Ultimately, in its call for the implementation of homeland security measures
costing hundreds of billions of dollars,
it may serve al Qaeda’s strategic objective of bleeding
the United States economy a s a means of defeating American resolve.
(Donald J. Reed, 2006: 14)
4. Syria Civil War and worse problems - ISIS
- Since 1970s, Syria’s administration was dictated by Alawi Muslim
(1971 ~ 2000 Hafez al-Assad, 2000 ~ Now Bashar al-Assad)
- Administration’s dictatorship, suppression, and inefficient policies
toward its people created rebel army.
- In 2012, International society admit the Syria’s civil war formerly.
- In 2014, In Iraq and Syria, IS declared its caliph administration.
- IS do not accept both Syria government and Al-Qaeda.
※ From 1973 to 2016, there were 71 small and big terror attacks in the United States.
Among them, over 30 casualties including killed and injured.
Date
City
Killed
Injured
1993.02.26
New York, NY
6
1040
2001.09.11
New York, NY
2752
251
2001.09.11
Washington, DC
184
53
2001.09.11
Shanksville, PA
40
0
Description
Islamic terrorists detonate a massive truck bomb under the World
Trade Center, killing six people and injuring over 1,000 in an effort
to collapse the towers.
Islamic hijackers steer two planes packed with fuel and passengers
into the World Trade Center, killing hundreds on impact and
eventually killing thousands when the towers collapsed. At least
200 are seriously injured.
Nearly 200 people are killed when Islamic hijackers steer a plane
full of people into the Pentagon
Forty passengers are killed after Islamic radicals hijack the plane in
an attempt to steer it into the U.S. Capitol building
Foreign-born Muslims describing themselves as ‘very religious’
detonate two bombs packed with ball bearings at the Boston
Marathon, killing three people and causing several more to lose
limbs
2013.04.15
Boston, MA
3
264
2015.12.02
SanBernardino,CA
14
17
A ‘very religious’ Muslim shoots up a Christmas party with his wife,
leaving fourteen dead
2016.06.03
Orlando, FL
49
53
An Islamic extremist massacres forty-nine people at a gay
nightclub.
Is there a more efficient strategy to prevent terrorism?