Global Security and Sustainability - Case Study Example

Global Security and Sustainability Global Security and Sustainability 1 Defining Terrorism: 1 Difficulties faced: 2 Catastrophic terrorism: 4 Nuclear/Radiological WMDs: 4 Biological WMDs: 5 Chemical WMDs: 5 Threat Construction: 6 Guerrilla War: 7 State Terrorism: 8 Terrorism in the Present Age: 8 Response to threats: 9 Counter terrorism strategies: 9 9/11: 10 Conclusion: 11 Reference: 12 Security is one of the most important concerns of all the states in the world today, but the concept of security is not a phenomenon that has developed over night. The notion of security and the maintaince of security within a nation state have been present since time immemorial. The threats that exist to peace and security can be of different origins and for different reasons. The most important threat that exists in the modern world to international peace and security is that of terrorism. Defining Terrorism: The act of terrorism though quite active in different parts of the world in the modern day and age is difficult to define. Terrorism is often seen by many as mass killing, but this is not correct. The act of terrorism is aimed at creating terror and fear among the masses and killing and destruction is merely the effect it has. Some have defined terrorism as the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. Although the act of terrorism is rampant in almost all parts of the world, there is no one clear definition of the term terrorism. Many scholars believe that this is due to the fact that terrorism is politically and emotionally charged and thus, is difficult to define to satisfy all the criteria. Thus, there exist today many definitions of terrorism, each conforming to a certain criterion. In the year of 2003 there was a study conducted by the US army, which was recorded by Jeffrey Record, where there were 109 definitions of terrorism noted, and these were based on 22 different definitional elements. The only act that has been agreed upon by experts of terrorism such as Walter Laquer is that all acts of terrorism involve the coercive use of violence or force. In the year of 2004 the UN Security Council defined the act of terrorism as- “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.”(Laquer W, 1999) Difficulties faced: There are a number of difficulties that are faced while dealing with defining terrorism. The act of terrorism is usually used by groups to further their objectives which can include spreading their ideologies, gaining support, crushing rebellion, etc. The problem lies in the fact that the act of terrorism could be carried out by both state and non state actors. States might use coercive force to crush opposition or to legitimise the state’s own action of terror against the people. Some of the recognized factors that are pertinent to terrorism are: The use of violence or the threat of use of force. However this is difficult to follow, as this criterion is not effective alone as violence can be used for legitimate reasons or in other acts also such as war, riot, assault, etc. The most important criterion is creation of fear among the masses, and this is present in all cases of terrorism including state induced terrorism as well as non-state terrorist activities. There is some political purpose or goal that the act of terrorism aims at achieving. Carsten Bockstette developed a definition that involves all the chief criteria: "Terrorism is defined as political violence in an asymmetrical conflict that is designed to induce terror and psychic fear (sometimes indiscriminate) through the violent victimization and destruction of non-combatant targets (sometimes iconic symbols). Such acts are meant to send a message from an illicit clandestine organization. The purpose of terrorism is to exploit the media in order to achieve maximum attainable publicity as an amplifying force multiplier in order to influence the targeted audience(s) in order to reach short- and midterm political goals and/or desired long-term end states." Catastrophic terrorism: Terrorism was considered as manageable by almost all nations and states, but this was the case before the attack on the twin towers on 9/11 (Gizewski, Gedes 2002). Since then there has emerged the new concept of catastrophic terrorism, which basically means acts of terrorism carried out which aim at mass destruction of property and civilian lives so that societies can be weakened. . Nuclear/Radiological WMDs: One of the biggest threats that are posed by terrorists that can cause catastrophic terrorism is through nuclear and radiological weapons of mass destructions (WMDs). These pose a threat to society as these can wipe out huge areas and centres of habilitation. The threat has increased in the modern times as more and more states are declaring themselves as nuclear powers, and there is being produced more nuclear war heads (Homeland Security). Terrorist groups may access WMDs from two sources, they can either procure them from state regimes, which are supportive of their ideologies, and beliefs or they can also procure them from the international black markets. These WMDs can be either nuclear or they can be radiological in nature (Medalia, Jonothan 2005). Nuclear weapons are more difficult to procure and produce even with funding because it requires advanced technology and the movement of all nuclear weapons is usually closely observed by the international community. But in the case of radiological weapons there are no such technological constrains and also can easily be disposed. The material is easy to procure as well as hide and thus poses a bigger threat as it can cause problems to and destruction of public health, the environment, safety of the masses and national security. It can easily be hidden and can take days to detect. Thus, the problem posed by this is of greater significance as compared to that posed by nuclear WMDs. . Biological WMDs: The second important weapon in the hands of terrorists in the modern age is that of biological WMDs, where there is made use of technology to develop viruses and other micro organisms that can be introduced into an environment where they can cause harm to the physical health of humans and cause death in thousands (ABC Radio National 2005). Operation Dark Winters that was carried out in 2001 in the US shows the threat that is posed by this form of terrorism (Chauhan, Sharad S, 2004). Another threat that is posed is by designer diseases (diseases without cures), and how these could be spread in an area for the widespread destruction of lives in the area. Chemical WMDs: There has also been observed that there are groups that use of chemicals as weapons of mass destruction so as to annihilate groups and sections of people. This was seen to be used first in the First World War where the French used poisonous gas for the first time, but after that the Germans used it in large quantities against the Russians. Since then it has been observed that the use of chemical warfare has become common and has been used by terrorist groups such as Aum Shinrikyo in Japan to kill those who were against the group, where they employed the use of sarin in the underground trains and this effected the passengers of the subway, the workers, and killed 7 (Ogawa Y, Yamamura Y, Ando A, et al., 2000). Threat Construction: Terrorism and terrorist activity today are a very real threat that exist in the national as well the international security and peace of nation states in the world. The threat that they pose to the society and the international community cannot be denied. But in the past there has been observed that most of the literature that is related to the topic has painted a scenario where the threat that is posed by terrorist is inevitable. Thus, the question that arises is the extent of threat that exists and what constructs the threat. The first important factor that needs to be taken into account is that there are certain basic measures that are in place in all nation states against any threat to peace. Although these measures are in place there are insecurities that continue to exist. These insecurities include the subjective insecurity, that is, fear against attack and objective insecurity, that is, the insecurity that the area is not adequately protected and due to this there can be experienced attacks. There has been observed that after the attack of 9/11 there has been an increasing insecurity among the people of the nation as well as of the international community about the threat that is posed by terrorism. This is known as structural insecurities as these have been built up through propagation against terrorism based on the event as well the amount of media coverage that the attack got. There has to be a detailed study carried out about the real threat that exists in the society today as opposed to the threat that is perceived to exist. The threat that is posed by terrorists is real but it has to be realised that they do not have easy access to all the material and the facilities that are required to carry out the acts of terrorism. Thus, although the possibility of these acts cannot be ruled out, it also has to be taken into account that it is not an easy feat to achieve. The threat is socially constructed, for example post the Second World War the threat that the communist posed was constructed by the western powers, especially by the US. These socially constructed threats can become a reality but not all do. For example, the socially constructed threat of Iraq became a reality, but it only happened after many years. The threats can be socially constructed either for material gain, or because of cultural differences. The threat can be constructed due to fear of material insecurities and the dependency that emerges from these insecurities. Guerrilla War: Many scholars are of the belief that guerrilla fighters are terrorists but it cannot be ignored that there are certain groups that have adopted these methods to fight oppressive regimes. Thus, they cannot all be deemed as terrorists. The criteria many believe, lies in the fact whether they participate in indiscriminate killing. If they do then they can be described as terrorists, but if they do don’t then there can be moral justifications for their actions. State Terrorism: Another area of conflict that emerges while studying terrorism is that of state terrorism. It has been established that legitimate acts carried out by the military for upkeep of national interest is not terrorism, but subjugation of the people, by the state through the secret police is seen as an act of terrorism. Also acts of genocide such as the ones carried out in Kosovo and Sudan are terrorist acts carried out by the governing regime. There are also areas where the other states sponsor terrorist activities, such as USA in Angola and Afghanistan during the cold war years. Terrorism in the Present Age: It has been observed that in the modern age there are many state as well as non state actors that engage in terrorist activities. These activities include disruption of daily functioning, destruction or sabotage of infrastructural and communicational facilities, and other such acts. These acts may not directly end in death but cause insecurities and tensions to build up in societies (Crenshaw, M 1999). There have also emerged liberal groups in the world who adopt these to reflect their ideologies and fight state regimes such as the Maoists in Nepal, the Naxilites in India, the ERA in Spain, etc (O'Neil, Andrew, 2003). The terrorist groups are becoming more isolated and are being built up on extremist ideologies instead of under a leadership as was seen earlier. This has led to more violent manifestation of terrorist activities such as suicide bombings, mass causalities. This has led to more causality with out the use of WMDs such as Sudan, the 1998 act of terrorism in the US embassies of Kenya and Tanzania, etc. there has also been observed that there has been an increase in the religious terrorist groups, such as the political Jihads, the Buddhists in Vietnam during cold war, the Christians in Bosnia, etc. there has been seen that there are increasing incidences of conflicts and acts of terrorism due to cultural differences. This is as many scholars believe a manifestation of the theory proposed by Huntington in his Clash of Civilizations where he said that post cold war, conflicts will occur due to differences in culture and beliefs. Response to threats: There have been a number of responses that have been developed to these various threats that exist in society. Most importantly it has been established that there is a need for dialogue and understanding among the various groups that are engaged in conflict so that the problems can be sought and procedures be established. This, it is believed is the best method of ensuring that all conflicts are resolved and this has been promoted by the United Nations. It has to be realised that stereotyping of certain cultural and ethnic groups only adds to the problem instead o addressing the issue (Mueller, J, 2006). For example, Bush’s aggressive stand isolated the Muslim section of the American population. There has to be realised that steps have to be taken to establish peace and security measures have to adopted and implemented. Counter terrorism strategies: There has to be ensured by all nation states that there are in place the basic measures that are necessary for maintaining security. There has be developed a strong intelligence and warning system which is important in regulating all the various open channels in the country so that all information can be processed and there can develop no threat to national security (Hoffman, B 1998). Although this difficult to develop and maintain it is essential to effectively curb terrorism and counter terrorist activities. There can also be developed security measures such as checking while entering/leaving a country, etc. there also have to be developed policies and strategies that can be implemented in case of an attack or a threat so as to ensure that the minimal damage occurs. 9/11: The terrorist act of 9/11 had a huge impact on the topic of international terrorism. In the attack over 3000 people were killed and there was destruction of valuable property and the twin towers of the world trade centre were destroyed. There were a number of implications of the act. Firstly, it pointed out the lack of coordination between the various agencies and led to the senate inquiry on the coordination techniques that exist between the CIA and the FBI. Secondly it also pointed out to the lack of strategies in case of an emergency or attack. Post the attack the world witnessed the most aggressive stride taken against terrorism by the Bush administration. There was seen that the country got international support in financial, military as well as political matters. The bush administration put into place a more aggressive counter terrorism operation in place with the help of the Homeland Security. Also, the DNI (Director of National Intelligence) was established which was a more sophisticated intelligence operation. The Bush administration also waged a war against Afghanistan and Iraq. In the former, the country garnered international support and established a reconstruction program, where elections were held on October 9 2004, but the reconstruction was limited and the state structure was lacking the basic infrastructure. Little heed was paid by the US that the heroin is produced and sold in the region and no attempts were made to curd the activity. In Iraq the country diverged from its war against terrorism. There were no WMDs discovered in the area but the troops did not withdraw, and there was a lack democratic setting (Pape, Robert A., 2003). There was mass human rights exploitation and abuse, lives were lost and the relationship that the country has with the Muslim population was weakened. The 43 legacy of Bush further weakened the US economy. The steps taken weakened the democracy in the country and also led to a cost of 3 trillion US dollars. Obama’s administration has changed the US policy, where there has been seen a greater tolerance for all ethnic groups. There has also been observed that he has called for the deportation of almost all troops from Iraq by 2010. He has called for further consolidation policy for Afghanistan, and called for greater cooperation with Pakistan. In his speech in Iraq he declared that the US was not ‘an enemy of the Muslims.’ Conclusion: In conclusion it can be said that the steps taken by Bush weakened the international movement against terrorism, and led to greater cause of distrust and isolation of the Islamic countries and the Middle East. The fight against terrorism requires the development of strong policies of security and the maintaince of intelligence. There has been a stronger emphasis on prevention and control of attacks and minimization of military activity. Treaties on peace and cooperation need to be developed and signed among nations so that international peace and cooperation prevail. Most importantly there has to be discontinuation of the structural insecurities for political gain so that a stable and sustainable community can be established which is based on peace and development. Reference: ABC Radio National 2005: “Bio War.” Background Briefing, Produced by Tom Morton. 4 September 2005, Transcript, accessed on October 2009 at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/bbing/stories/s1450124.htm Chauhan, Sharad S, 2004: Biological Weapons, APH Publishing. Pp 175-178 Crenshaw, M 1999: Terrorism in Context, pub Sep 1999 pp. 77. Gizewski P and Geddes A C: Catastrophic Terrorism; Challenges and Responses, august 28, 2002, accessed on October 2009 at http://www.international.gc.ca/arms-armes/isrop-prisi/research-recherche/intl_security-securite_int/gizewski_geddes2002/index.aspx Hoffman, B 1998:"Inside Terrorism" Columbia University Press 1998, Page 32 Homeland Security: National Response Plan 2004 accessed on October 2009 at http://hps.org/documents/NRPNuclearAnnex.pdf Laqueur w 1999: The New Terrorism: Fanaticism and the Arms of Mass Destruction, New York: Oxford University Press, 1999, p. 6. Medalia, Jonothan 2005 : CRS Report for Congress, “Nuclear Terrorism: A Brief Review of Threats and Responses,” updated February 10, 2005, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, US Congress, Washington, DC, accessed on October 2009 at http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/RL32595.pdf Mueller, J, 2006: “Is There Still a Terrorist Threat? The Myth of the Omnipresent Enemy.” Foreign Affairs, accessed on October 2009 at http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20060901facomment85501/john-mueller/is-there-still-a-terrorist-threat.html O'Neil, Andrew, 2003: “Terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction: how serious is the threat?” Australian Journal of International Affairs, 57 (1) April 2003, pp 99-112. Also at Ebscohost URL; accessed on October 2009 at http://ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9428900&site=ehost-live Ogawa Y, Yamamura Y, Ando A, et al, 2000: "An attack with sarin nerve gas on the Tokyo subway system and its effects on victims". ACS Symposium Series 745: 333–355. Pape, Robert A., 2003: “The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism.” American Political Science Review, 97 (3) (Aug., 2003), pp. 343-361, accessed on October 2009 at http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00030554%28200308%2997%3A3%3C343%3ATSLOST%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T Read More