Terrorism – Shouldn’t we know what it is so we can engage it?
The word "terrorism" is often used to condition and
confuse events. After the declaration of a ceasefire in the Lebanon/Israel
war, CNN reported that: "Israeli troops shot three Hizbollah terrorists
who had advanced towards them".
Combining the words Hizbollah and terrorists is biased
reporting (NPR used Hizbollah soldiers) but accepting Israel’s version
without investigation is propaganda. CNN never asked:
1. Why do Israelis always kill those near them and not
vice versa?
2. Were these people carrying arms (never shown), were
they Hizbollah and were they threatening or was it just an accidental
meeting?
3. Were the Israelis advancing towards the three persons
or were the three persons advancing towards the Israelis?
4. Weren’t the Lebanese on their own territory and weren’t
the Israelis intruding on Lebanese soil?
5. Were the Israelis justified in shooting although they
were not fired upon?
CNN characterised the persons who did not fire and were
killed as terrorists and the persons who fired and killed as soldiers.
Something is wrong.
The United States has neglected to define the word
"terrorism" in its war on terrorism. An open-ended characterisation has
had a negative effect on a just and necessary battle by:
Ø allowing any antagonist, such as Iraq, to be
characterised as "terrorist" and then be included in the "just" war.
Ø serving as a conditioning agent to arouse hatred against
any foe, such as Hizbollah or Syria.
Ø diminishing the significance of true terrorists, such as
al-Qaeda, and deterring actions against them.
Ø diluting the efforts in the war against terrorism.
Maybe if international bodies agreed on the proper
definition of terrorism the war on terrorism would become more effective.
Wikipedia Encyclopaedia offers the following definitions:
Terrorism – The systematic use or threatened use of
violence to intimidate a population or government and thereby effect
political, religious or ideological change.
State Terrorism – Violence against civilians
perpetrated by a national government or proxy state.
Resistance – A group or collection of individual
groups dedicated to fighting an invader in an occupied country through
either the use of physical force or non-violence.
Insurgency – An armed uprising, revolt or insurrection
against an established civil or political authority.
By applying the definitions to the battles in which the US
is directly or indirectly involved we can gain an improved perspective on
terrorism.
Note: More than one definition applies to the
contestants in some of the battles.
Al-Qaeda attacks: Terrorism of the highest order.
US attack on Afghanistan: Acceptable US insurgency
against Afghanistan’s complicity in terrorism.
Anti-government attacks in Afghanistan today: A
combination of terrorism by a small group of Taliban irregulars, some
resistance to NATO presence and a more major insurgency due to discontent
with what is perceived as an ineffective and corrupt government.
US invasion of Iraq: An attack that had only the
overthrow of a government as an objective and has resulted in mass
killings of civilians fits the definitions of terrorism and state
terrorism.
Conflict in Iraq: A combination of mostly terrorism by
many groups against civilians, a lesser resistance to US presence and
confused insurgencies that won’t accept any government but their own.
Israel/Palestine: Israel’s constant attacks on
Palestinian civilians and infrastructure, including targeted
assassinations and attempts to overthrow an elected Palestinian Authority,
fit the definitions of terrorism and state terrorism.
Palestinian attacks on Israel combine the weapon of
terrorism with resistance and insurrection to combat oppression in the
West Bank and Gaza.
Israel/Lebanon: Israel’s attacks on Lebanese civilian
populations and infrastructure, including targeted assassinations and its
attempt to overthrow an elected Lebanese government, fit the definitions
of terrorism and state terrorism.
Hizbollah attacks on Israel fit the definition of
terrorism but can also be considered resistance to invasions of Lebanese
land, sea and airspace by Israeli military.
Syria: Lots of accusations by Israel and the United
States but no proof of well-established state terrorism.
Iran: Lots of accusations by Israel and the United
States but no proof of well-established state terrorism.
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