"War" or interaction with "Terrorism": Afghanistan in the spotlight
Terrorism generally involves the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in pursuit of political or religious goals. Terrorism is widely recognised as a threat aimed not only at undermining the stable system of peace and prosperity but also at destroying countries, c...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Book Chapter |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
CLJ Malaysia Sdn Bhd
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/115747/1/115747_War%20or%20interaction%20with%20Terrorism.pdf http://irep.iium.edu.my/115747/ |
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| Summary: | Terrorism generally involves the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in pursuit of political or religious goals. Terrorism is widely recognised as a threat aimed not only at undermining the stable system of peace and prosperity but also at destroying countries, cultures, and humanity as a whole. Sometimes, it goes beyond the threat level and manifests itself in action, as exemplified by the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, which killed nearly 3,000 people in New York City, Washington, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The incident prompted the United States to declare the so-called "Global War on Terrorism". After blaming the Taliban and al-Qaeda for the deadly incident, the US launched a military operation in Afghanistan on 7 October 2001 which led to the deposition of the Taliban's government, replaced by a corrupt and incompetent regime.
However, the Taliban fought back and, after 20 years, the war on terror failed to result in the return of the Taliban back to power on 15 August
2021. Now, the US, its allies, and even the UN, which once considered the Taliban as either as "terrorists" or "harbourers of terrorism", are engaging with them. What led to the defeat of the global war on terror? Who is responsible for its failure in Afghanistan - those who initiated the war, the corrupt republican regime of the country or all of them?
The initiators of the "war on terror" promised Afghans freedom from the yoke of terrorism, democracy, and a commitment not to abandon the country. What happened to those promises: Why are the people of Afghanistan still victims of terrorism after 20 years of war?
While terrorism is not a new phenomenon, it gained prominence following the events of 11 September 200l. Following this incident, which al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for, States all over the world adopted stringent laws to counter it, and the US went a step further to declare the so-called "Global War on Terror", which "began with al-Qaeda [and its 'harbourers, the Taliban] Curious minds need to understand the rationale of this war, its rate of success and its outcome. In light of the above, this paper attempts to examine what the global war on terror involved? When it started, against whom, what it achieved and why it, after 20 years struggle, spending trillions of dollars, and "sacrificing hundreds of thousands of human lives, ended in a humiliating way?
If the goal was to stop terrorists worldwide, has it been achieved? More specitically, has it defeated terrorism, or has terrorism defeated it? If it is the latter, then has the global war on terror not been a waste of time, destruction of infrastructures and lose of human lives in the affected countries, like Afghanistan and Iraq:
this chapter critically addresses the aforementioned questions and concludes that the global war on terror has not only failed to defeat terrorism in Afghanistan but, with its defeat, has emboldened terrorist groups globally. Neighbouring countries, in particular, live in constant tear of cross-border terrorism. The concern is that without effective actions against terrorism, not only will Afghans continue to suffer from the fires fuelled by terrorists, but also more attacks similar to 9/11 Or even worse may be imminent, affecting vulnerable countries worldwide |
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