Terrorism, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the US role in the region

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Terrorism, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the US role
in the region

• Dr. Syed Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi
• syedshaheed_at_hotmail.co.uk

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• In the popular mind, extremism and terrorism are
  invariably linked to ethnic and religious
  factors.
• But the dominant history of Scotland is notable
  for tolerance and co-existence, despite highly
  plural societies.
• However, keeping in view global and local
  country-wise developments, it would seem vitally
  important to re-examine a phenomenon that shows
  little signs of receding, let alone being
  defeated.

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Current Threats Local Extremism

• THIS PRESENTATION OFFERS A FRESH PERSPECTIVE
• TO EXPLAIN THE CONTOURS OF
• EXTREMEISM BRINGING TOGETHER INSIGHTS FROM
• GLOBAL EXPRESSIONS TO LOCAL IMPRESSIONS.

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DEFINITION

• 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".
• The calculated use of violence (or the threat of
  violence) against civilians in order to attain
  goals that are political or religious or
  ideological in nature. The violence may be done
  through intimidation or coercion or instilling
  fear.
• According to Osama Bin Ladin, If killing those
  who kill our sons is terrorism, then let history
  be witness that we are terrorists.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF TERRORISM

• A terrorist act is politically inspired.
• It does involve violence or a threat of violence.
• Its purpose is to convey and communicate a
  political message by attracting attention of the
  people (media)
• (terrorists want lots of people watching lots of
  people dead. More deaths mean big news on BBC,
  CNN, FOX, and ITV etc).

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• The terrorist act and terrorists victim usually
  have symbolic significance.
• (OBL, for example, referred to the Twin Towers
  as icons of Americas military and economic
  power (Rubin and Rubin, 2002 261)
• Terrorism is the act of sub-state groups or
  states.
• Victim of violence and the Terrorists audience
  are two different people. Victims must be
  innocent so that a terrorist act may influence a
  governments policy or policies
• A deliberate targeting of civilians. This makes
  terrorism apart from other forms of political
  violence

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Role of Madressas- A case Study

• After 9/11 termed as terrorist factories,
  incubators of violent extremism, and hate
  factories
• 79 terrorists responsible for 5 of the worst
  anti-Western terrorist attacks in recent memory
• the WTC bombing-1993, the Africa embassy
  bombings-1998, the 9/11, the Bali nightclub
  bombings-2002, and the London bombings- July 7,
  2005
• reveals that only 11 percent of the terrorists
  had attended madrassas.

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• 48 attended schools in the West
• 58 attained scientific or technical degrees.
• Engineering and medicine the most popular
  subjects studied by the terrorists
• Strong correlation between technical education
  and terrorism which is not available in Madressas
• Hence Madrassas are less closely correlated with
  producing terrorists than are Western colleges,
  where students from abroad may feel alienated,
  oppressed, disagree with policies and may turn
  toward militant Islam.

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7/7 London Bombings

• The 7/7 bombings in London- the work of home
  grown British terrorists with suspected Al Qaeda
  ties.
• Hasib Hussain, Shehzad Tanweer and Muhammad
  Sidique Khan
• Studies business studies, child care and sports
  science from Leeds University and colleges. Their
  visits to Pakistan were for very brief tenures of
  time. Local influences appeared to play a far
  greater role in the radicalization of these young
  men than did their brief trips to Pakistani
  madrassas.

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GLOBAL Policies Local Extremism

• Post September 11- a political and diplomatic
  issue dealt by military means. (Slobodan
  Miloševic, Radovan Karadžic)
• An unnatural solution to the problem- making
  peace by war.
• Wars won in Afghanistan and Iraq but lost peace.
  A war without public support, condemned and
  denounced by the people.

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• Unnatural wars resulted in production of
  extremists and terrorists like militant
  Islamists, SDL, EDL and Islamophobia in the West.
  
• The war is being brought home, not just fought
  abroad.
• Pakistan, Britain, Afghanistan and Iraq all face
  a central reality unlike the US, these
  governments are dealing with their own
  populations.
• The US double standards- Comprehensive vs.
  selective definitions of terrorism in Palestine,
  Iraq and Afghanistan reflect Americas flawed
  policies.

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Conclusion

• After 9 long years, we are still in search of
  peace.
• Wrong policies made weak enemy stronger.
• Need for a dialogue amongst civilizations rather
  than a clash of civilizations
• Diplomacy, Democratic principles and
• our Development- principles of our growth.
• We should be equally confident that
• we can withstand the threat they pose.