...January 27, 2010 War on Afghanistan We are all humans, and as other creatures we are imperfect and full of sin. We might have wrong thoughts, unique beliefs, or even dour doctrines. However, all these features shouldn’t drag us to be authoritarians under any circumstance. These words precisely illustrate the situation that was ongoing in Afghanistan under the rule of Taliban government. I tended to think that killing cannot be justified in defense of the innocent against unjust attack, whether the victim deserves it or not. But that right is not absolute; someone can forfeit that right if they willfully threaten or taken the lives of innocent people. Therefore, the American involvement in Afghanistan was fair and justified in order to bring the Afghan’s sorrow, tyranny, and violation of rights to an end. Historically, the country of Afghanistan was devastated by the successive wars. The people were exhausted from the consecutive occupations and tyranny. As a result, it summed in an enormous human and economic toll. After the Soviet withdrawal, the government steadily lost ground to the extremist forces. In early 1992, Kabul was captured, and Al-Qaeda militia men set up a new government consisting of a 50-member ruling council. The new brutal government started imposing their extremist, strict beliefs on people. They used radio broadcasts to coerce residents into adhering to their strict edicts. The extremists spread fear and despair among the Afghans by their brutal...
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...Approving Afghanistan The War in Afghanistan, also called the Afghan war, or Enduring Freedom started for the United States on October 7, 2001. The United States went to war because of the attacks on the twin towers on 9/11 and the fact that the leader that orchestrated these attacks, Osama Bin laden, according to Intel, was hiding out there. The goal of this war was to up root the Taliban from power and create a stable democracy, and to hunt Osama Bin Laden down for his crimes against the United States. In this paper I will be elaborating why this war was justified by these reasons; the fact that Al-Qaeda killed and expressly aims to kill U.S. citizens and, the Taliban in Afghanistan have partnered with al-Qaeda, harboring a known United States enemy named Osama Bin Laden, threating other democratic countries of their freedom including their own. The different historical interpretations of the event, and the positive and negative outcomes of this event will be elaborated on also. On Tuesday morning on September 11 2001, 19 terrorists from the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger planes. These terrorists intentionally crashed two of these planes in to the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. Another plane was purposely crashed into the pentagon and one crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Roughly 3000 people lost their lives that day. These attacks were a direct attack on the United States. Believed to be behind these attacks was a terrorist...
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...The Iraq War was Unjustified The Iraq War was Unjustified There are many reasons why the war Iraq was unjustified. Until today, Iraq has not been found to have weapons of mass destruction. There are beliefs that former President George W. Bush simply waged war on Iraq because of their oil. Iraq as a country and the former President Saddam Hussein had no link to al-Qaeda terrorist group. The United States congress, based on wrong intelligence from the Bush’s administration agreed unanimously to go to war with Iraq, despite the fact that the Unites Nations disagreed with the decision. Because of the decision to wage war on Iraq, The United States lost most of its allies. “A war on Iraq for the purpose of “regime change” would not be a legal war under international law. Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter states: “All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purpose of the United Nations.” (Miller, 2003). On September 11, 2001, two planes crashed into the World Trade Center. Many Americans died because of the deadly attack. It was one of the deadliest attacks on U.S soil. One plane crashed into part of the pentagon, and the another plane crashed into an open field. Based on these attacks by the al-Qaeda terrorist group, President Bush declared war on the Taliban in Afghanistan in an attempt...
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...On Munich and Vietnam: The Lacking Prevalence of Historical Analogies In recent wars, the Vietnam analogy has been forgotten and the Munich analogy has justified large scale interventions. Appeasement was the key regret of World War II and the Munich analogy was formed to prevent it from ever occurring again. The National Review explains that “’Munich’ and ‘appeasement’ have been among the dirtiest words in American politics, synonymous with naïveté and weakness.” This analogy was used to justify the Vietnam War prescribing the destruction of appeasement and suggesting a military intervention to prevent Ho Chi Minh and communism from further expansion, the “domino effect” as most called it. However, the Vietnam War went off the rails and was...
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...the means.” Where the Taliban justified in destroying the Bamiyan Buddhas? I do not think that this destruction of art was justified. It is unjustified for the following grounds; I trust the Taliban had ulterior motives, it diminishes an important region of Afghanistan and Buddhist civilization in the region, and the destruction represents religious intolerance and hate by the Taliban. The Taliban’s Supreme leader Muhammed Mullah Omar issued a decree to destroy the Buddhas in March 2001. Subsequently, after doing so, Mr. Rahmatullah, an advisor to him said he practiced this because the mullahs were outraged about money being applied to repair the statues for the thousands of hungry citizens’ of Afghanistan (partially the consequence of sanctions by the UN for bombing of two American Embassies in Africa). He said, “If we had wanted to destroy those statues, we could have performed it three years ago," Mr. Rahmatullah said. "Then why didn't we? In our faith, if anything is harmless, we simply give it. If money is going to statues while children are dying of malnutrition next door, then that makes it harmful, and we destroy it.”(Crossette, NYTimes.com) Mullah Omar had issued a decree in July of 1999 for a protection of the Buddhas “Because Afghanistan's Buddhist population no longer exists, so the stats are no longer worshipped, he added: "The government considers the Bamiyan statues as an example of a potential major source of income for Afghanistan from international visitors....
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...Is the War on Terror Justified? The War on Terror, also known as the Global War on Terrorism, refers to the international military campaign that started after the September 11 attacks on the United States. The United States led a coalition of other countries in a long but unsuccessful campaign to destroy al-Qaeda and other militant Islamist organizations. President George W. Bush first used the term "War on Terror" on September 20th, 2001.The phrase "War on Terror" has been used to specifically refer to the ongoing military campaign led by the U.S., UK and their allies against organizations and regimes identified by them as terrorist, and excludes other independent counter-terrorist operations and campaigns such as those by Russia and India....
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...Since 1996, the Taliban has created an environment of terror and disorder within the country of Afghanistan. Although terrorists within Afghanistan and of the Islam religion believe that they are justified in their actions, it is made clearly apparent that Terrorism must be stopped altogether. Terrorism is translated to mean ‘army in the shadows’ and is defined as the threat or use of violence to win certain rewards or goals (Dictionary.com, 2010). The earliest known Terrorist organization similar to those of today was the Zealots of Judea, formed when fanatics of the Jewish faith revolted against the of the Roman oppression. They carried on an underground campaign wherein they assassinated Roman occupation forces and Jews that they believed had collaborated with the Romans. However, the first time that the word ‘terrorism’ was used was during the French Revolution which is referred to as the ‘Reign of terror’. During this time the Jacobins who ruled with violence at that time, would sometimes refer to themselves as ‘terrorists’ (terrorism-research.com). Since then, there have been other leaders and people seeking power using terrorism as a weapon. These include the Russian dictator, Joseph Stalin, and Adolf Hitler, a man responsible for the murder of over 6 million people. The Taliban itself took control of Afghanistan in 1996 and were in power until 2001. During this time however, they were not accepted by the world’s community because their policies were considered...
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...Introduction The United States first began the invasion of Afghanistan in October of 2001. Since then, the ensuing war has taken many turns, the most significant of which came when Al Qaeda's figurehead and 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden was captured from Afghanistan. The two statements that just followed provide a significant number of anomalies to foreign policy experts. Firstly, the country of Afghanistan never declared war on the United States or ever officially threatened its sovereignty. Secondly, the main aim for the U.S invasion of Afghanistan, at least in theory was to capture and kill Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, but has since not only shifted to become a war against the Taliban but also another exercise in nation building. Thirdly, though America (at least publicly) had been chasing Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan, he was ultimately captured from about an hour's drive from Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad. Fourthly, Osama Bin Laden's assassination came after a blatant violation of Pakistan's national sovereignty by American special forces and without the knowledge of its infamously strong military. Fifthly, Osama Bin Laden's body was disposed in secrecy, and though the opportunity was there to bring the most wanted man in the world to trial, it was deemed unsuitable for the American cause to do so. However, all these concerns though important, are dwarfed when compared to the American policy of conducting drone attacks within Pakistani borders. Interestingly...
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...In what ways is foreign policy a problem of identity and alterity? Foreign policy is in every way a problem of identity and alterity because identification of the “foreign” exists at the very core of every decision making process in foreign policy. Foreign policy is defined as the strategy or approach chosen by the national government to achieve its goals in its relations with external entities (Hudson, 2008). It should not be understood as a bridge between preexisting states with secure identities. Rather, foreign policy is concerned about the establishment of the boundaries that constitute the state and the international system. There is a dichotomy here between the Self (the state) and the Other (the international system) (Campbell, 1998). In this context, the concepts of identity and alterity are inextricably tied together because defining oneself necessarily entails an “othering” process where one’s identity is built on what it is not, rather than what it is. In essence, identity is built on alterity. Furthermore, it is pertinent to note that the identity of a state is more than just something that is derived from a process of contradistinction. It is not a stable, single unitary “I”. It is a condition that has depth, is multilayered, possesses texture and comprises many dimensions. (Campbell, 1998) The identity of the state is also constantly in flux, being shaped constantly by both external and internal forces. With the process of globalization, the divide between...
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...the War on Terror is that the U.S. portrayed Islam as backwards and an uncivilized culture because of women’s oppression. Evelyn Alsultany’s analysis of news broadcast stations like CNN, NBC, and CBS after the 9/11 attacks examined that these news stations portrayed women’s veiled oppression, female genital mutilation, and honour killings as the nature of Islam’s backwardness and oppressiveness. Many media stations like CNN have viewed the invasion of Afghanistan as bringing light to the darkness of oppressed women and when they rid the towns of Taliban, women were depicted as in high heels and free women. The depiction of Muslim women as...
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...international citizens and ultimately leading to changes in anti-terror approaches and operations in the U.S and around the globe. (www.fbi.gov). Before 9/11 occurred, the U.S was encountering a period of peace and economic boom. This fostered the illusion that International Relations were of no great significance in the wider arena. The American public and political classes were unconcerned with previous attacks on the World Trade Centre in 94, the attack on the USS Cole, and the attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Attacks of 9/11 and the fall of the World Trade Centre’s marked the beginning of the real 21st century. (Brown 04). 9/11 was not simply an act of terror but the most destructive single act of terror since World War 2. Many in the Islamic community saw the attack, as an attack on “the symbolic heart of global capitalism” (Brown 04). 9/11 galvanised the American people, and less then 12 hours after the attacks, president Bush formally declared a “war on terror”. Overnight America’s relationships with Russia, China and India improved. Britain and Australia were also seen as close allies. President Bush and his supporters stressed the need to go on the offensive against terrorists, to deploy the U.S. military, and to promote democracy in the Middle East. (Gordon 07). The U.S is fighting a war on terror and must remain on the offensive. The Bush administration feel, that U.S. power is the foundation of global order, and the spread of democracy and freedom is the...
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...Arguably there are two phases of how President George W. Bush struggled with terrorism after 9/11. The first phase was during the invasion of Afghanistan where the strategy and view was to defeated terrorism. The second phase was during the invasion of Iraq, where the strategy changed to a more global prospective to eliminate not only terrorism but weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Furthermore, this second phase had the most criticism and created the overall failure of the Middle East policy for the Bush administration. The first phase of Bush’ view on terrorism was attributed to the attacks on 9/11, where there was full support for the war. Al Qaeda was the specific goal to eliminate, thus an invasion in Afghanistan was needed according to Bush. The leader of Al Qaeda proposed the killings in the US were justified because there have been killing in the Middle East by the Israelis, which were supported by the US. Since the...
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...Capstone final project Student’s name Course Title Instructor Date submitted Is United States justified to adopt a first-strike policy against independent nations in war on terrorism? The attack on United States on September 2001 brought the truth and reality of terrorism to the land of America in a way that most people had not imagined. Over three thousand people lost their lives. With that several innocent lives lost, America and other friendly nations joined to condemn terrorism. United States accused Taliban government of Afghanistan of harboring perpetrators. The accusation led the United States to begin military operations in Afghanistan. Many nations accepted the military operations as a justifiable response. The Taliban became an easy target because they were sympathizers of terrorist. After a short successful military operations in Afghanistan, United States turned attention to Iraq. They began to build a case against the regime government of Saddam Hussein. The United States suggested that Iraq had also been supporting terrorist and developing nuclear weapons. It was after those inflammatory suggestions about Iraq that a different debate surrounding military operations in that country started to emerge. In September, 2002, American government published a document titled The National Security Strategy. The President, George Bush, pointed the enemy of twenty century as a shadowy network of individuals who were out to harm the society with inexpensive weapon...
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...INTRODUCTION. The September 11 terrorist attacks on the world trade had far reaching effects on American foreign policy. Several changes occurred and a new general priority was created in national security. The entire American populace awoke to the fear of an amorphous enemy Al Qaeda, a terrorist group led by Osama Bin Laden which had declared war on the US by taking the battle to the very shores of America. Over 3000 people were killed when on the 11th of September 2001 two hijacked planes were flown into the he World Trade Centre destroying the twin towers, a third struck the pentagon building while the fourth heading for the White House was brought Down by its hostage passengers who courageously laid down their lives for the nation. The attacks were unprecedented considering the fact that The United States had been attacked before by terrorist. In 1993 the World Trade Centre was bombed, in 1988 US embassy bombing took place in Kenya and Tanzania and in and October 2000 the USS Cole Bombing took place in Yemen 1 just to mention a few. The attacks were considered an act of war and as such required decisive action which was clearly spelt out by President George W. Bush in his September 20th joint address to congress that same year. "Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated…And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven...
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...securitization theory – using the case study of War on terror in Afghanistan (2001-2012) Introduction Security study was in the past regarded as a sub-discipline of international relations underpinned in Anglo-American thinking. Until early 1990s, security studies were considered as a strategic studies focusing on a strong military focus. This traditional view of security involved the protection of the state and a scientific agenda to secure the state from definable threats and maintain the status quo. This is a positivist approach which was based on rationalism and realism. The Copenhagen School presented an alternative view of security studies by responding to the traditional approach of forming a clear sense of ‘what is security’. This approach is defined in three mechanisms: development of sectors approach to security, developing a regional focus on security and critically engendering a social constructivist theory of security through securitization studies. This theory will be the main focus of this discussion. To achieve a critical discussion of what securitization really entails, this paper will use the case study of USA’s war on terrorism in Afghanistan. The approach used by the US government to fight against terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq can be considered as a securitization approach which has led to a resulted in security problems in the two countries rather than solving the issue. Securitization of USA’s war on Afghanistan can be viewed in three perspectives: securitization...
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