What Does It Stand For? (The War Against Terrorism)

Member Name: blackjane

Product:	The War Against Terrorism
Date:	02/11/01 (34 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nobody wants a war

Disadvantages: However, there comes a time when this type of action is the only realistic alternative

After several weeks of deliberation, careful planning and consideration, 'The War Against Terrorism' is now very much a reality. This appears to be a war that the West did not want to fight, but one, which on reflection, it has been forced into.

The Taleban regime in Afghanistan, known harbourers of the Al-Qaida terrorist movement, is bearing the brunt of this onslaught at present, and it has shown no sign of letting up in the forseeable future. More worrying is the stubborn response to the action that has already been taken. There is also every likelihood that as time progresses there may be new and different targets for military action, with Iraq perhaps being the most likely to be next in line. However, it seems likely that there could be a steady progression of different regimes standing in the way of these aims before the problem can be eradicated, if indeed this is ever going to be possible.

America, along with Great Britain and its NATO allies were stung into a meaningful response following the devastating terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington on September 11th. There was never any realistic possibility that some sort of military reaction would not take place. It was always going to be a matter of where, when and for how long. Strong evidence linking the perpetrators of the atrocious acts to Al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden, and their training camps in Afghanistan were too clear to be ignored. The fact that bin Laden, a Saudi dissident, was still hiding out in Afghanistan only added weight to the case.

And so a war in the true sense of the word has now begun and continues day after day in the hope that a breakthrough can be made. However, wars by their very nature are long drawn out affairs. Wars are not wrapped up in the matter of days, weeks and months - they take years. Does the NATO alliance have the patience to persevere with this type of approach, or will the current level of public opinion wane before the key obj
ectives have been achieved?

In many respects both sides are fighting a losing battle. The Taleban regime in Afghanistan is stubbornly putting up what little resistance it has left to hold out against a daily bombardment from the air. However, the terrain in Afghanistan means that attacks by ground troups will be extremely difficult and treacherous. This is a fact of life that was realised by the Russians during their involvement in the region in the 1980s. America has the capability to persevere with attacks for lengthy periods of time, however it requires the sustained will of its people to be able to continue.

On the other hand, the American public does not want another Vietnam. If body bags begin to return from Afghanistan in large numbers then the pictures of terror from the September 11th attacks will merely become a distant memory and the reality of a long drawn out war may be too much for many to take. To date there has been little real evidence of major progression in the attacks against Afghanistan, and despite the fact that the horrors of the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon are still fresh in the mind, this is likely to dim with the passage of time.

America must be seen to be doing all that it can to strike back at the organisations that carry out acts of mass terrorism. Its ability to do this in the short term is limited, although it should be hoped that there is a clear will to continue the aim of continuing 'The War Against Terrorism.' However, I cannot help but note the sheer helplessness of the situation. Although America is striking back now at one government that has sided with terrorists, how long will it be before we are faced with more countries that give their support to these organisations? Can terrorists survive with the help of these foreign governements? It is already known that many terrorist cells have been active in the US itself, with an almost total inabilty for detection and ultimat
ely prevention of this activity.

When the potential exists for our everyday lives to be adversely affected by terrorists in this way, then it is to be hoped that the continued action can be focussed on the ultimate aim of striking at the root of the problem. It is becoming apparent that the outcome of the current action will not be certain for some time yet. It can only be hoped that the relevant steps are taken to bring a halt to Afghnaistan's involvement with terrorist groups and that a similar tact can be taken with any other countries that display a blatant disregard for freedom and justice in this way.

{An original Dooyoo opinion
© Blackjane 2001}

[PS: The 'recommend to friend' and the '5 stars' relate to my support for the current action that is being taken in the war against terrorism, and is obviously not a reflection of any positive views towards terrorism itself.]

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