Bush policies create more terrorism?

[Shamrock]

Bush policies make terrorism a growth industry

 

 

 

 

Since September 11, 2001, President George W Bush's administration policies in the "war on terrorism" have mutated the global threat, mobilizing anti-US sentiment. The crisis in Iraq, coupled with radical shifts in US policy in the Middle East and elsewhere, have given extremists a new focus, allowing radical groups to widen their appeal among Muslims and others. A terrorism alarm sounds every day somewhere in the world, canceling flights, closing embassies, signaling the potential for death.

 

Much of this has resulted from the Bush administration's steadfast refusal to define terrorism. In the Bush lexicon, terrorism is a catch-all term for interpreting diverse conflicts, from separatist movements to paramilitary activity to arms and narcotics trafficking. The failure to define terrorism has enabled the White House to label almost anybody opposed to its policies as a terrorist organization. Groups as diverse in structure and objectives as Peru's Shining Path, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Basque Fatherland and Liberty, the Communist Party of the Philippines and Hamas are on the State Department's list of designated foreign terrorist organizations.

 

 

 

 

Related to the first factor is the Bush administration's eager application of the al-Qaeda label to virtually any Islamic group threatening terrorist acts. Regional terrorist groups are invariably portrayed as having been co-opted by al-Qaeda and subject to its command and control. As a result, geographical and country specialists have been forced on the defensive. With the media focused on the global "war on terrorism", the White House is not interested in the historical, political, economic and cultural factors that shape regional dissident groups. Take Southeast Asia as an example. All of the US-designated terrorist groups in the region were founded long before al-Qaeda made its appearance. Some originated in the 1940s. Al-Qaeda wanna-be's are out there, often motivated by Bush administration policies, but al-Qaeda isn't everywhere.

The Bush administration has yet to recognize that the outcome of the "war on terrorism" will depend on the quality of the peace. By ruling out the peaceful settlement of disputes in Iraq, Palestine and elsewhere, the White House has not eliminated terrorism. It has provoked it. And it has also legitimized terrorism in many parts of the world. A cursory survey of global terrorist activity reveals a huge array of distinct and interconnected motives. With a growing number of groups declaring the US their number one enemy, the "war on terror" could last for generations, if we don't take a different tack. Until we do, the world in the coming weeks, months and years will likely remain a very dangerous place.

 

Ronald Bruce St John, an analyst for Foreign Policy in Focus, has published widely on Middle Eastern issues. His latest book on the region is Libya and the United States: Two Centuries of Strife

[Shamrock]

According to the article the war of terror is further complicated because

 

1. the White House is not interested in the historical, political, economic and cultural factors that shape regional dissident groups.

 

2. Failure to examinine the roots of terror

 

3. Tendency of the Bush Admin to apply military solutions to political problems

 

4 Adaption of Israeli techniques

 

5. The use of force by the US encourages outher countries to use terrorism as an excuse to brutalize their own citizens

 

The article also looks at situations all over the globe.

[legacyofCangelosi]

Terrorism has been brought to the forefront b/c of 9/11, but it has always existed and (not all groups) but al-qaeda and its satellite groups despise capitalism and westernism not just the US. Plus if a terrorist bombs a building or takes hostages if you give in to their demands it will not make them stop, because the terrorists in most of these cases want to destroy to cause instability and weaken the enemy not just to geta ransom, the only way to stop this is to take better security measures to capture terrorist suspects and by trying to dismantle the communications networks among different cells and members. One of my former professors who taught Counterterrorism and other realted topics in the university used to say half jokingly and half serious, "You cannot negotiate with terrorists, you have to kill them" Doesnt apply everywhere of course (palestine probably an example, the basque territory of spain not at example).

[Mikesgirl1]

Much of this has resulted from the Bush administration's steadfast refusal to define terrorism. In the Bush lexicon, terrorism is a catch-all term for interpreting diverse conflicts, from separatist movements to paramilitary activity to arms and narcotics trafficking. The failure to define terrorism has enabled the White House to label almost anybody opposed to its policies as a terrorist organization. Groups as diverse in structure and objectives as Peru's Shining Path, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Basque Fatherland and Liberty, the Communist Party of the Philippines and Hamas are on the State Department's list of designated foreign terrorist organizations.

I am a little ticked about this excerpt. First and foremost, if you haven't yet realized this by my previous posts, I am totally opposed to Bush's policies and ideology. However, I do not like to generalize the terrorist threat and downplay it. These groups mentioned, are not legitimate groups fighting for freedom. Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Basque Fatherland and Liberty, the Communist Party of the Philippines and Hamas ARE terrorist organizations. While they do not threaten Americans in any direct way, just as Al-Qaeda, these groups do threaten American interests overseas and the peace in these regions. Some people may think that is not in the interest of America to help other countries fight against their own terrorist threats, but how then do we expect them to help us in our own pursuit against terrorists who want to destroy us?

 

Nevertheless, I must clarify that the way we are fighting this "war" on terror has been the biggest failure in the history of humanity. We've created a million more terrorists by the careless and thoughtless actions of this administration.

[SorianoFanHFW]

who said bush doesn't make jobs, look at al qaeda!

[FutureGM]

who said bush doesn't make jobs, look at al qaeda!

LOL, very true. Yes, I do believe that Bush's policies have actually resulted in increased terrorism, although not on American soil obviously.