More than 8 years has passed since 9/11. Al-Qaeda, a Muslim and anti-American group under the leadership of Osama Bin Laden claimed responsibility for 9/11. America under Bush retaliated, launched a global war against terrorism. He bombed Afghanistan where Osama is based and also went on to invade Iraq.
The terrorists are winning, not militarily, but psychologically. No longer can Americans enjoy peace and bliss in their own home. American has incurred more money to safeguard their security and waste so much time everywhere just to be safe. The cost of launching war in Afghanistan will further burden the already stretched budget.
Instead of lessening the risk of terrorism, American action has instead heightened the paranoia. Across the globe, security checks have become irritating, time consuming and costly routines. The queues at US airports are getting longer due to tougher scrutiny. Bush war on terrorism has been a complete failure. Today there are more terrorist cells that stretch from Asia, Europe, and now even Africa today. The war on terrorism has also breed individual self motivated terrorists. The terrorists have become more innovative as well as more emboldened. Obama has agreed to his general to send more troops to Afghanistan to fight terrorists.
The radical and anti American Muslims are also harnessing the internet technology to spread their propagandas and convert more sympathetic followers. Radical Muslim clerics in US and UK have free hand to actively preach anti-West sermons and ideologies openly in the mosques and parks because the western value of free speech condones it.
I honestly think the American has got this anti terroism strategy wrong from the very beginning. The means, modes and methods deployed in the war of terrorism are incompatible and not pragmatic when dealing with an invisible enemy that do not own a government or a country. Many soldiers from both America and NATO countries had lost their lives in vain. Historically, no power has beaten the Afghanis in their own country.
The American war against terrorism has alienated Muslim against non-Muslim. America intention is perceived as only protecting the interest of the Americans and this resulted in the loss of valuable support from friendly countries from the rest of the world. American unbinding support for the state of Israel and the war in Iraq had definitely dented its international creditability. Many Muslims in the Muslim world has become more anti-American. Because of mounting anti-American sentiment, it becomes easier to radicalise moderate Muslims and churned out more suicide bombers.
So America needs to rethink in military approach, relook at its foreign policies especially in its dealing with the Israeli Palestinian conflict as well as the way it handle its foreign policy with Asian countries that are growing economically.
But America biggest weakness and enemy is itself. Its self righteous moral on human rights, freedom speech and religion, democratic practices is its Achilles’ heel. Politicians in American constant lecturing the world on human rights and democracy may be good for their domestic popularity but may be viewed negatively as insincere and arrogant interference in countries abroad. The support it needs to combat terrorist from these governments it criticises is crucial but has been unwittingly compromised.
Commonsense will tell us terrorist attacking its targets do not abide and fight by international accepted rules. It respect no human rights, it do not differentiate between military or civilian. It even disregards its fellow Muslim. To fight terrorists, American politicians must not be naive to believe the sheer might and power of its military is capable of defeating any adversaries. It must not forget the history of the Vietnam War. A crocodile hunter will know the consequence if he walks into the river to hunt for crocodiles. The hunter will become the hunted! Sending a conventional army to take on the Taliban or terrorists in the mountains is no difference from the crocodile hunter hunting in the river.
Modern communications also bring war to our home. While instant news brought to our bedroom may be exciting and informing, any mistake committed by troops can be magnified and exploited by many anti-American quarters that can erode support for this war.
Will continue my second part another day.
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