2: The International Terrorist Organization- The Bastard Child of Globalization
The most active terrorist groups operating in the world today are Islamic, jihadist, extremist groups. Counting non muslim and muslim groups which consider themselves political revolutionaries, those that claim they are acting in self defense, the death toll in all parts of the world, from 1990-2010, by all known terrorist groups comes to roughly 25,000 casualties
. The attacks of September, 11, 2001 on American soil appear to be one of, if not the deadliest in world history, claiming just under 3,000 lives.
Attacks of this nature are heinous and represent the absolute worst that humankind is capable of. However, it is worth noting: more than 63,000 people die from the Flu each year- more than double the amount of people who have died as a result of twenty years of terrorist attacks combined. (wrongdiagnosis.com) In fact, as stated earlier, some 25,000 people die from illnesses related to lack of access to water in this world every single day.Fear-mongering on the part of western media does little to explain the aims of Jihadist terrorists and even less to shine an accurate light on the threat these groups pose to society.
In the book, Beyond Fundamentalism, social scientist Reza Aslan goes a long way to explain the motivations and impact of islamic terrorist organizations: Although Jihadist terrorist organizations such as Al’Qaeda are critical of what they see as imperialist alliances to Israel, and imperial presences throughout the middle east on the part of America and western allies, AL’Qaeda Strategically attacked America with the hope of drawing its military to Afghanistan and Iraq, so as to engage US forces in guerrilla conflict and bolster their own propaganda machine. Al’Qaeda is unconcerned with nations and nation-states, although it is distinctly anti-globalist. AL’Qaeda, and like minded groups asserts no loyalty to a state, only to its far right, radicalized form of sociopolitical islam. Despite its anti-globalist stance, Al’Qaeda uses the internet, weakening borders, and other trappings of globalization to its benefit. (Aslan, paraphrased)
Al’Qaeda and like minded jihadist terrorists make a stark black and white distinction: You are on the side of Islam (their version of Islam, mind you) or you are an infidel- marked for death. Because of this, Al’Qaeda and other jihadist groups see fellow muslims who disagree with their doctrines as apostates, expendable, even as enemies in and of themselves. This is why many jihadists target other muslims. This is also one of many reasons that these groups enjoy very little popular support in the middle east or the muslim world at large. (Aslan)
When a terrorist organization strikes, it has caused an immediate wound to the victim state- not just in human life, but in displaying the weaknesses of security in the state. If the aim of the terrorist is to force a change in policy, say the departure of US forces from Saudi Arabia, he is unlikely to achieve his goal. The reaction of nation states to terrorist activities is so often to clamp down. Tighten security, restrict movements of citizen and non citizen alike, and it many case some degree of limitation is placed of civil liberties. In a sense, the terrorist attack serves to give the Nation-State a dose of steroids. Some states, such as Israel, stay in a state of heightened security forever, others eventually rescind to less martial statuses.
If the goal of a terrorist is to cast attention to his cause and disrupt international unity, or demilitarize a so-called imperial power, that too can be said to be an epic failure. Take the example of the 9/11 attacks. In effect the opposite of the listed intentions occurred. The world community, including nations with poor relations with the United States (Such as Cuba and Libya) flocked to support the US immediately following the horrible attack. Pro-American sentiment spanned much of the globe. The plight of the Palestinians, American military presence in Saudi Arabia and a host of other muslim nations, the Iraqi sanctions, none of these events were deemed suitable for discussion by the mainstream media in the wake of 9/11. These situations, even though related to the terrorist attacks (in word if not in actuality as Aslan would note,) were simply too sensitive, too complicated- they could not be addressed. Finally, the inevitible reaction to the terrorist assault was in fact more militarism. The Americans and their allies are now entering their tenth year of combat and occupation in another muslim land, Afghanistan, and their eighth in the ongoing Iraq war. Expanded military operations throughout the world targeting Al’Qaeda and other militant groups have taken place in Pakistan, and likely other territories, and to some success- The Al’Qaeda organization, once estimated to have 1,000 or more operatives is now suspected to have approximately 100 or less left alive. (Ackerman)
Because, as Reza Aslan points out, jihadists are more concerned with their “cosmic war”- an epic, apocalyptic endgame between ultimate good and ultimate evil, they are unconcerned with the outcomes of these wars, they are unconcerned that their anti-globalist movement will do little to ease their alleged grievances against the imperialist and hedonistic west. That their actions spur not isolationism and a rescinded empire, but global adventurism on a grand scale, and recoil from the indigenous muslim community is not their concern. Let it not be misunderstood, no matter how unlikely the ability for terrorists to attack America in the way they did on 9/11 again, they would do it if they could. The west should not underestimate the resolve of zealots who believe that with god on their side they can slaughter innocents across borders and indiscriminately. But, the jihadist terrorist organization, like the anarchists who terrorized the world before World War I, will fall from favor- they will become a barbarous relic- a reminder of mankind’s cruelty in years to come. The global jihadist movement is becoming increasingly irrelevant.
5 This figure is my own. It is based on a liberal estimation taken from a listing of all or most known terrorist attacks in the world from 1990-2010. The list’s academic credibility, and thus my estimate, is somewhat suspect, however, as it was retrieved from Wikipedia. however, in looking at information from reliable news sources regarding some key attacks, the information seems fairly accurate. As no better, comprehensive list or figure appeared to be in circulation at the time of this writing, I chose to include this information, with the caveat that it may not hold up to strenuous research. URL for the listing in question: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battles_and_other_violent_events_by_death_toll#Terrorist_attacks
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