Category: Warfare

Positioning Paper

The UK has always proclaimed its readiness to promote peaceful development of all nations in the world. However, sometimes countries tend to use force to help some nations to overcome certain issues. This is the case with Iraq and Syria as these countries were invaded by international troops that aimed at restoring peace in the countries and help the citizens to develop democratic societies.¹ The UK position has evoked a heated debate in the world as well as in the country. Some people argue that the use of force is inappropriate and harmful for the United Kingdom. However, a deeper analysis shows that participation in the campaigns in Iraq and Syria is consistent with the norms of the international law and it helps the country to pursue its national interests associated with national security.

It is necessary to note that the UK has been long seen as a strategic partner of the USA especially when it comes to issues of international security.² Tony Blair and now David Cameron advocate the use of force in countries where people may suffer from crimes of the corrupted ruling elites that also threaten the global security. For instance, it was suspected that Iraq was working on development of the nuclear weapon.

At present, there are fears that extremists in Syria may obtain access to chemical weapon. Clearly, these are vivid threats that are regarded by governmental agencies aimed at struggling against terrorism. Thus, David Cameron established National Security Council that addresses various issues associated with national security (ranging from environmental concerns to the struggle against terrorism).³

As has been mentioned above, there have been many opponents to the invasion into Syria and Iraq.⁴ These people argue that there are only assumptions as to the existence of the chemical weapons in Syria and there is only a hypothetical possibility that extremists can take control over this type of weapons. Opponents of the UK participation in any military campaigns in Syria note that just as in the case of Iraq, any country (as well as every nation) has the right to develop in its own way without any intrusion from the outside. Some critics of the use of force note that this violates the international law and various conventions.

Nonetheless, UK’s position is consistent with the international law. Thus, Chapter VII of the Charter prohibits the use of force but there are some exceptions. The right of countries to use force to defend themselves (in terms of individual or collective self-defence) or to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. In the case of Syria, both points are applicable. People of Syria have to live in inhumane conditions. At that, there is a threat of the use of the chemical weapon, which can lead to casualties in any part of the world. Finally, it has been acknowledged that Syria and Iraq have become a training base for extremists and terrorists who join terrorist groups in these countries and then go back to their home countries where they may organise terroristic groups or join criminal groups.

In conclusion, it is necessary to note that the use of force advocated by the UK is a way to secure this country’s national interests and prevent possible damage and casualties within the United Kingdom as well as in other countries of the world. Some people still talk about non-interference but this policy can make the UK vulnerable, as terroristic threat is real.

Speech

The United Kingdom has been advocating the use of force in Iraq and Syria, as the two nations need international support to overcome issues that are also associated with international security. The invasion in Iraq was quite controversial as the suspicion as to the nuclear weapon in the country turned out to be groundless. The outcome of the invasion was the overthrow of the rule of Saddam Hussein, which was another goal of the use of force as the regime of this ruler supported terrorism in the region and could threaten the global security. The debate on the use of force in Syria often involves references to the war in Iraq.

The UK Prime Minister David Cameron stresses that the country possesses chemical weapons and since there is political and social instability in Syria, extremist and terrorist groups can get hold of this type of weapons. This is a real threat that can undermine the global security. More so, there is another vivid reason to use the force in Syria. The country has become one of the centres of preparation of extremists and terrorists.

People from different countries join various terrorist organisations. Isis is one of the most dangerous terrorist organisations in the world and many Europeans as well as people living in the Middle East become members of this organisation. Europeans who took part in military conflicts on the side of Isis are likely to return home. It will be difficult or nearly impossible for them to adapt to the life in their home country due to traumas (both psychological and physical) they got in Syria. They will inevitably join terrorist or criminal organisations that will threaten citizens of the UK.

In conclusion, it is necessary to note that the UK’s participation in the invasion in Iraq and Syria are justified as the country wants to strengthen its national security.

Report

Introduction

Any issue concerning the national security leads to a lasting debate in the UK. Many British people are preoccupied with their security but they often oppose additional expenditures on the military and, especially, the use of force in other countries. The government of the country holds another position and tends to advocate active participation in some military campaigns in other countries.⁵ The invasion in Iraq and Syria can be regarded as an example of such policy. The UK government justifies its position by focusing on certain principles of the international law as well as the threat posed by existence of mass destruction weapons and activities of terrorist and extremist groups in these countries.

International Law

First, it is necessary to note that the Charter of the UN Security Council prohibits any use of force in any country. Nevertheless, it is possible to identify, at least, two exceptions to this prohibition. Thus, in Article 51 of the Charter, it is stated that “force may be used in the exercise of the right of individual and collective self-defence”.⁶ Besides, although the Charter is quite ambiguous in some parts, it is also possible to illicit another exception. Hence, it is possible to utilise force to prevent humanitarian catastrophe in a region. Reportedly, the regimes in Iraq and Syria implemented policies that led to social instability and impoverishment of the population of these countries. Therefore, the use of force (advocated by the UK) is quite justified by the norms of the international law and principles of the UN Security Council.

Weapons as a Threat

As far as particular threats posed by the regimes in Iraq and Syria are concerned, existence of weapons of mass destruction in the two countries can be regarded as a major one. When it comes to Iraq, the commission did not find proofs of the existence of the nuclear weapons in the country.⁷

Many critics of the invasion stress that the use of force was not justified or, at least, proportionate. It is necessary to add that there was another reason for the use of force associated with collective self-defence that will be discussed below. However, it has been found that there is chemical weapons in Syria.⁸ More so, due to social and political instability in the country and rapid empowerment of extremist and terrorist groups, there are high chances that the control over the weapon can be taken by these groups. Clearly, in this situation, countries can use the force to ensure their own security.

Terrorism and Extremism

As has been mentioned above, the military campaigns were aimed at neutralising extremist and terrorist organisations that have been gaining power in Iraq and Syria. The two countries have become a favourable platform (or “finishing schools”) for training of terrorists and extremists who are ready to use military skills to pursue certain goals.⁹ These groups create tension in the Middle East. However, this is also a global threat as these combatants can easily access any country. It has been estimated that Isis (one of the most dangerous terroristic organisations in the world) includes over 25 thousand people from over 100 states.¹⁰

All these people (who have participated in military conflicts and are likely to be traumatised psychologically and physically) are returning to their home countries. They can start acting against the governments as well as against the citizens of their countries. They can join terrorist or criminal groups and undermine national security of European countries including the UK.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is possible to note that the UK holds a strong position as to the use of force in Iraq and Syria. These two countries pose numerous threats to the global security, as there is no social/political stability. Extremist and terrorist groups can take control over chemical weapons that can be used against any country in the world. The growing power of Isis is also a significant threat as the organisation is especially active in Iraq and Syria, which are used as training platforms. Clearly, the UK wants to ensure its national security and, hence, it advocates the use of force in the two countries. It is also necessary to add that this position is favourable for the region as it can bring peace and stability to the two countries where humanitarian catastrophe affects the lives of millions of people.

Finally, the use of force is justified by the international law and the UN Security Council. Hence, it is possible to conclude that the United Kingdom advocates invasion in Iraq and Syria as it is one of the most effective ways to ensure global security and help people in the region to struggle against extremist and terrorist groups.

Reference List

Associated Press, ‘Iraq and Syria Are ‘Finishing Schools’ for Foreign Extremists, Says UN Report‘, The Guardian, 2015. Web.

Bevanger, L., ‘UK’s Syria Stance Reminiscent of Iraq Invasion‘, Deutsche Welle, 2013. Web.

Blokker, N., ‘Outsourcing the Use of Force: Towards More Security Council Control of Authorized Operations’, in Weller, M. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Use of Force in International Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015, pp. 202-227. Web.

‘National Security Strategy ‘Will Be Rushed‘, BBC, 2015. Web.

Saul, H., ‘Iraq Vote: Ed Milliband Calls for UN Resolution on Military Action Against ISIS in Syria‘, The Independent, 2015. Web.

Wood, M., ‘Self-Defence and Collective Security: Key Distinctions’, in Weller, M. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Use of Force in International Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015, pp. 649-661. Web.

Footnotes

1. N. Blokker, ‘Outsourcing the Use of Force: Towards More Security Council Control of Authorized Operations’, in M. Weller (ed.),The Oxford Handbook of the Use of Force in International Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015, p. 210. Web.
2. L. Bevanger, ‘UK’s Syria Stance Reminiscent of Iraq Invasion’, Deutsche Welle, 2013. Web.
3. ‘National Security Strategy ‘Will Be Rushed’, BBC, 2015. Web.
4. H. Saul, ‘Iraq Vote: Ed Milliband Calls for UN Resolution on Military Action Against ISIS in Syria’, The Independent, 2015. Web.
5. L. Bevanger, ‘UK’s Syria Stance Reminiscent of Iraq Invasion’. Web.
6. M. Wood, ‘Self-Defence and Collective Security: Key Distinctions’, in M. Weller (ed.),The Oxford Handbook of the Use of Force in International Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015, p. 653. Web.
7. L. Bevanger, ‘UK’s Syria Stance Reminiscent of Iraq Invasion’. Web.
8. M. Wood, ‘Self-Defence and Collective Security: Key Distinctions’, p. 653. Web.
9. Associated Press, ‘Iraq and Syria Are ‘Finishing Schools’ for Foreign Extremists, Says UN Report’, The Guardian, 2015. Web.
10. Associated Press, ‘Iraq and Syria Are ‘Finishing Schools’ for Foreign Extremists, Says UN Report’. Web.

Introduction

Terrorism has emerged as the greatest threat undermining the safety of nations in the 21st century. The attack by Al Qaeda on September 11, 2001, demonstrated the colossal damages that terrorism activities can have on society. These new realities have increased the need to better understand terrorist organizations and their strategies. One strategy that is extensively employed by terrorist organizations is the use of mass media. Media plays an integral part in the strategy of any terrorist organization since it enables these groups to instill a state of alarm and increased tensions as the population prepares for imminent attacks.

The importance of media to terrorist organizations is best articulated by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who calls media publicity the “oxygen” that sustains terrorism (Muller, et al., 2003). With these undertones, this paper will set out to analyze a prominent terrorist organization, Hezbollah, with particular focus on how this group interacts with the mass media. The paper will argue that Hezbollah has been successful in utilizing mass media to achieve its objectives of spreading fear as well as attracting support both locally and internationally.

Hezbollah as a Terrorist Organization

There exist multiple definitions of the word “terrorism” with various nations preferring some definitions over others. The US Department of Defense defines terrorism as “unlawful use of or threatened use of force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives” (Hoffman, 2006, p.38). From this definition, Hezbollah can be rightfully regarded as a terrorist organization since it makes use of violence to gain political influence.

Brief History of Hezbollah

The establishment of Hezbollah can be traced back to the Lebanese Civil War which occurred from 1975 to 1990. Hezbollah emerged as a prominent Shi’a militia group whose aim was to champion the rights of the Shiite population who felt discriminated against by the minority Christian population who controlled key aspects of the government. The status of Hezbollah as a potent militia came about following the invasion of Lebanon by Israeli troops.

This invasion legitimized Hezbollah’s role as a military movement whose agenda was to stop the foreign invasion of Lebanon (Hamzeh, 2004). The prominence of Hezbollah was aided by financial and military support received from the Iranian regime which had just been formed following the 1979 Iranian Revolution. This together with the group’s inclination to attack Western targets in Lebanon resulted in the group being regarded as a terrorist organization.

As the Civil War which had resulted in the birth of Hezbollah came to an end in 1989, Hezbollah did not disband but rather made the transition from being solely a militia to joining the political sphere. This transitioning was greatly successful and in the first postwar elections held in 1992, Hezbollah was able to capture 12 parliamentary seats. Since then, Hezbollah has distinguished itself from other terrorist organizations in that it has been able to effectively incorporate itself into the political system of Lebanon. Even so, Hezbollah has adopted a policy of global terrorism with the two primary targets being Israeli and American interests.

Interaction of Hezbollah with Mass Media

Modern-day terrorist organizations are audience-oriented and they rely on on carefully planned out shocking events that capture media’s attention. Weimann (2006) articulates that terrorist activities are styled to serve as messages which are communicated to a wide audience. Hamzeh (2004) documents that as far back as 1984; Hezbollah had a public affair unit whose primary responsibility was to wage information warfare against Israel by recording and disseminating news on the exploits carried out by Hezbollah militants. Hezbollah’s success at attracting media attention both locally and internationally remains unrivaled among terrorist organizations.

The organization holds press conferences through which it reveals its grievances as well as issues threats. The organization is also in constant communication with the journalistic community and it grants direct access to its leaders to renowned journalists to increase its visibility globally. Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah who is Hezbollah’s Secretary-General and the group’s leader is a major part of Hezbollah’s public image. Nasrallah is a frequent spokesperson for the organization and he has even been offered opportunities to address the American public in popular shows such as Nightline (Lamloum, 2009).

Hezbollah makes use of film to further gain attention from the media community. The organization provides exclusive footage of its combat operations to media houses that are eager to air these graphic images. Lamloum (2009) highlights that visual media has been one of the most effective weapons used by Hezbollah in its war against Israel. In the War with Israel in 2006, Hezbollah provided many scenes of carnage that was allegedly inflicted by Israeli forces.

By use of gruesome images and reports that highlight the casualties of Israeli forces, Hezbollah was able to get people to be sympathetic to its causes. Since the footage provided by Hezbollah mostly consisted of bombed schools and homes, locals and foreigners alike were enraged at the perceived carnage that Israel was inflicting on women and children. The authenticity of the material provided by Hezbollah results in it being well received by not only the Arab media but also the international media.

The Second Lebanon War in 2006 demonstrated the power that mass media provided Hezbollah. The Hezbollah Secretary General participated in a series of televised interviews during the 2006 war with Israel. He made statements and threats against Israel’s warning of retaliatory action that would follow if attacks on Beirut continued. These messages were aired on many networks internationally, therefore, giving Hezbollah a platform.

The organization was able to manage coverage of its side of the war and it influences the views that foreign journalists held in the entire course of the conflict. While Israel was the greater military power, Hezbollah was able to manipulate the media in such a way that the organization achieved symbolic victory both locally and internationally. Lamloum (2009) states that despite the uncertainty over the military consequences of the war, Hezbollah managed to emerge as the true victor in the conflict due to its command of the mass media. Hezbollah continues to engage the media and as recently as 2009, Hezbollah issued a manifesto that outlined the group’s objectives and worldview.

The internet has become important information dispensing platform due to its wide reach. Hezbollah has endeavored to make use of this medium to complement its traditional media channels. While the internet has been employed by various terrorist organizations to spread propaganda as well as communicate, Hezbollah has exploited this medium better than most organizations. The organization has created multiple websites and made use of interactive platforms to appeal to a wide scope of audiences. Nacos (2006) suggests that “the internet is fast becoming Hezbollah’s most important mass communication tool”

Impact of Media on Hezbollah

Mass media has and continues to play a crucial role in Hezbollah’s existence and since its establishment during the Lebanese Civil War; the organization has continued to capture headlines around the world. Hezbollah has used the media to help project itself as “defender of the Lebanese against foreign invaders” (Wilkinson, 1997). The organization has therefore been able to create again a huge following in Lebanon since it is perceived as a positive force by the local populace.

The media has been instrumental in the recruiting efforts of Hezbollah. This is because the audience of terrorist attacks doe not only consist of potential victims but also potential supporters whom the terrorists claim to act on behalf. This audience group needs to be impressed by the “exploits” of the terrorist organization. Mass media assists in this by showing the potential supporters that the terrorist organization can deliver on its promises.

Hezbollah has used the media to show people in and outside the Arab world that it can resiliently resist Israeli forces and even defeat them in battle (Hoffman, 2006). Footage supplied by Hezbollah has proved that Israeli forces are not invincible and increased the support of Hezbollah even in Europe. By demonstrating the kind of impact that the group can have in the Middle East, the media has conditioned a large number of young Muslim men for recruitment to the cause of Hezbollah.

Admittedly, the media has increased the need for Hezbollah to engage in even more violent acts and maintain footage of the same. Narcos (2000, p.175) reveals that “since the most gruesome and deadly incidents receive the greatest volume of reporting, media critics have charged that terrorists resort to progressively bloodier violence to satisfy the media’s appetite”. As it is, Hezbollah extensively records its military efforts and offers the same to the media. While Hezbollah reaps benefits from the media, it can be shown that the relationship isn’t one-sided and the media also benefits from the group. Narcos (2006, p.82) states that “the media are rewarded [for broadcasting terrorism] in that they energize their competition for audience size and circulation – and thus for all-important advertising.”

Discussion and Conclusion

Hezbollah has been very successful in using mass media to elicit support both locally and internationally and also wage psychological warfare. Lamium (2009, p.358) extols Hezbollah as being the most “organized and wide-ranging media structure of any Islamist grouping, Shiite or Sunni, in the Arab world”. Without media coverage, many of the terrorist acts perpetrated by Hezbollah would be wasted since their impact would be restricted to the confines of the immediate victims.

This paper has demonstrated that Hezbollah has been able to exploit the power of conventional media outlets and keep up with technological advances to establish global reach. Hezbollah is undoubtedly a media-savvy organization that has been able to harness the power of mass media to champion its causes. By using the mass media, Hezbollah has been able to fulfill its goals of spreading fear. The interaction between Hezbollah and the media has given the organization attention, increased its recognition and provided legitimacy for its agenda.

References

Hamzeh, A. N. (2004). In the Path of Hizbullah. NY: Syracuse University Press.

Hoffman, B. (2006). Inside Terrorism. New York: Columbia University Press.

Lamloum, O. (2009). Hezbollah’s Media: Political History in Outline. Global Media and Communication, 5(3), 34-43.

Muller, E.R., et al. (2003). Trends in Terrorism. Alphen and de Rijn: Kluwer

Nacos, B.L. (2000). Accomplice or Witness? The Media’s Role in Terrorism. Current History, 99(636), 174-178.

Nacos, B.L. (2006). Terrorism and International Relations, Washington, DC: Center for Transatlantic Relations.

Weimann, G. (2006). Terror on the Internet: The New Arena, the New Challenges. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace Press.

Wilkinson, P. (1997). The Media and Terrorism: A Reassessment. Terrorism and Political Violence, 9(2): 51-64.

Abstract

The activities of Somali pirates and Al Shabab are causing concern among the international community as it affects business activities in the high seas of the Indian Ocean and insecurity in the East African countries. The United States needs to collect intelligence on how the terror group can be eliminated. As the United States National Security Advisor, Susan Rice should aim at determining the socio-economic and political forces behind the creation and existence of this group.

Introduction

The recent activities of Somali pirates’ shows that they have come back to the waters of the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Yemen despite the efforts put by the African Union forces to paralyze their activities by fighting Al Shabab. According to Bahadur (2012), these pirates are an economic arm of the Al Shabab, and their operations largely depend on the ability of this terror group to gain control over the strategic territories along the Somali coastline.

Since 2011 when the AMISOM launched an offensive against the terror outfit within the borders of Somalia, major progress has been made in reducing piracy in the high seas and paralyzing the operations of Al Shabab is a strategic Somali coastline. However, the recent turn of events strongly indicates that after staying in this country and fighting Al Shabab for over five years, the AMISOM has failed to find a permanent solution that can conclusively eliminate this terror group and all its activities in the high seas and other strategic locations within Somalia (Mukinda, 2016).

Recently, the Al Shabab fighters infiltrated a Kenyan military camp in Somalia, killing over 180 soldiers and capturing the few who survived the attack. This gave them the power to take over control of strategic locations within Somalia. Their activities have also intensified in the high seas. They recently sunk the Greek fighter- Corinth Queen- when payment they demanded as ransom did not reach them in time.

Iskadia, a Liberian tanker, was also set ablaze with its cargo and crew members when ransom demanded by these pirates delayed. As Conor (2016) says, the Somali pirates are back with vengeance, and they are swift and ruthless in their actions. Unless measures are taken by the international community to tame this group, the Indian Ocean waters may soon become too dangerous to sustain economic activities. As a country charged with the responsibility of providing intelligence to the international community fighting these terrorists, the United States’ National Security Advisor should find the most effective way of gathering intelligence that will help the forces at the battlefield to achieve success as they try to eliminate the terror outfit.

Review of Sources

Susan Elizabeth Rice is currently the United States National Security Advisor, a position she has held since July 1, 2013 (Smith, Bracks, & Wynn, 2015). Before being appointed into this position, she served as the 27^th United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013 under the presidency of Barack Obama. She was also the 12^th Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from October 14^th, 1997 to January 20, 2001, under the presidency of Bill Clinton (Bracks, 2012).

An accomplished academician and a champion of world peace based on her publications, Rice has been keen on promoting cohesion and integration in many regions across the world, including Africa and the Middle East. Her experience in international relations and dedication when it comes to finding solutions to issues related to world peace clearly shows that she is concerned about the events going on in Somalia. This official will look for a solution to the threat posed by Somali pirates and the Al Shabab to the vessels in the Indian Ocean (Daniels, 2014). She understands that this problem not only affects regional countries but also the international community, including the United States.

Gray areas

In this semester, the researcher will be interested in finding a long-lasting political, military, social, and economic solution to the problem posed by the Somali pirates and Al Shabab group in the coastal of East Africa. The researcher believes that military solutions cannot bring a permanent solution to this problem because there might be economic, social, and political forces that may make these criminals go back to the high seas even after being eliminated through military force. Susan Rice should be determined to understand how to find a lasting solution based on all of these pillars.

Conclusion

The activities of Somali pirates and Al Shabab within Somalia and high seas of the Indian Ocean are posing a serious threat to the business community using this route. The efforts put by the International community to combat these terrorists and pirates using military force have helped in reducing the capacity to operate in the Indian Ocean. However, a long-lasting solution can only be achieved by addressing socio-economic and political factors that led to the rise of these groups. As it seeks to provide intelligence to the forces on the group, the United States will need to focus on these three factors that can help in addressing this problem.

References

Bahadur, J. (2012). The pirates of Somalia: Inside their hidden world. Toronto: Harper Perennial. Web.

Bracks, L. (2012). African American almanac: 400 years of triumph, courage and excellence. Canton, Mich: Visible Ink Press. Web.

Conor, G. (2016). Al-Shabab Killed 180 Kenyan Troops in El Adde: Somali President. Web.

Daniels, C. L. (2014). Somali piracy and terrorism in the Horn of Africa. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press. Web.

Mukinda, F. (2016). Security on high alert after terrorists sneak in from Somalia. Daily Nation. Web.

Smith, C., Bracks, L., & Wynn, L. (2015). The Complete Encyclopedia of African American History. New York, NY: Cengage. Web.

Introduction

The Vietnam War is a resistance against the US that happened in 1955 and it involved three countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The war emerged from the antagonism between the South and North Vietnam. The southern divide gained its support from the communist allies like China and the Soviet Union while North Vietnam got back up from the United States and the Philippines along with other non-communist friends. After the war, several documentations have been made to account for the experiences of the American soldiers during the Vietnam War. This paper is a book review of Kyle Longley’s Grunts: The American Combat Soldier in Vietnam.

Bibliographic information of the author

Kyle Longley is a distinguished professor at the Arizona State University and heads the school of Philosophical, Historical and Religious Studies as well as the School of Politics and Global Studies. The author did his bachelor’s degree at Angelo State University, the master’s at Texas Tech University and the Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Kentucky. Kyle Longley has served multiple administrative positions including heading the Faculty of History, directing graduate studies and becoming the Dean’s faculty fellow at Arizona State University. Longley focuses on research activities especially in areas of modern American politics and United States foreign relations thus making remarkable contributions in reviewing and publishing journals and articles.

Longley has published six books that include the United States and Latin America, Ronald Reagan and conservative mythology and Costa Rica and the United States during the rise of Jose Figueres, among others. The professor undertakes a variety of leadership roles that comprise of hosting and organizing the inter-American conferences at the national level and communication information about the U.S foreign relations in ABC News, Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, and others. Currently, Kyle Longley is co-authoring a book with David Coffey and Gene Smith regarding the military history of the United States.

Chronological scope and topics of the book

“Grunts: The American Combat Soldier in Vietnam” presents the story of the encounters of soldiers beginning from the initial decisions to join the military to the final homecoming of the warriors who survived after the termination of the Vietnam War. The topics in the book provide systematic accounts of the different phases in the war including the American Infantryman that spanned in Vietnam between 1961 and 1968. Besides, the encounters during the fall and withdrawal of the Saigon and the eventual commemoration of the soldiers are well depicted in the book. The scope of the topics touches on all the locations used in the event of war by presenting a vivid account that paints a picture of the Vietnam War.

The central thesis of the book

The book explores the American soldiers’ experiences during the Vietnam War. It also addresses the stereotypes being perpetuated in popular culture regarding the Vietnam War. Additionally, the book pinpoints the role of women who participated near the battle front line and those who served on the home front.

An overview of the book

The grunts refer to the infantrymen in Vietnam War. The author depicts the consequences affiliated with the Vietnam service that comprises of boredom, homesickness, and the heroism of the American soldiers and their families. Besides, the book postulates the organization of principles like race, masculinity, and class. The book entails the experiences of the soldiers originating from various geographic locations and ethnic backgrounds. Issues on race relations defined the experiences of the black soldiers in Vietnam during the training process. The combat exercise was characterized by mutual sacrifice, collaboration, and a spirit of brotherhood.

The unity emanated from dependency with each other, which explains how camaraderie was formed amongst the soldiers. However, the goodwill did not end after the war due to the good reception that the soldiers received upon returning to the US.

The book highlights the common culture of stereotyping the Vietnam War veterans. The individual who engaged in the battle is alleged to be poorly educated and holding no professional qualifications. Another belief is that veterans who participated in the war are reluctant draftees precisely the poor whites and the minorities. The book outlines the presumption that youngsters comprise the highest population in the American military during the Vietnam War thus resulting in more casualties.

Another common stereotype that ruins the image of the Vietnam battle veteran is injecting heroin and smoking pot with the aim to dull the horrific moments of the war. Furthermore, the author demonstrates the role of women and the commemoration of the veterans through memorials services to recognize their efforts. Some of the women are directly involved in the front line while others provide the support functions by serving as nurses, military information officers, and clerks.

Critique of the book

The author highlights the theme of stereotyping of the Vietnam combat veterans. Most veterans suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the psychological torture associated with the war. Unfortunately, the entrainment media in the United States view the veterans as sick, homeless, addicts, and a menace to society. The author does commendable work in breaking these stereotypes to show that these veterans are men and women of honor. Additionally, during the Vietnam War, approximately eighty percent of the troop members possessed a high school diploma, which quashes the stereotype that views them as poorly educated. The book’s strengths lie in the way the author articulates issues. He uses numerous reference materials including interviews with the war veterans to support his claims, which is commendable. The author also proves the book’s thesis by giving detailed accounts of the soldiers’ experiences in recruitment, training, and on the battlefield.

As the author postulates, social forces were the primary determinants that pushed young men into the American military. During the recruitment training, the competent instructors worked vigorously to develop discipline, conformity, and cooperation among the soldiers. Most soldiers doubted the nobility of the mission, which created controversies as the war intensified. Race problems and drug culture affected the cohesiveness and disciple of the soldiers thus supplanting idealism with a desire to survive.

One for the book’s weaknesses is that the author fails to highlight the racial prejudices amongst the US soldiers who participated in the war. During the war, violence erupted in the US camp due to the unequal assignment of menial duties, poor promotion, unfair drafting, and allocation of combat units to the black soldiers. Additionally, the book does not explore the perceptions and opinions that most African American soldiers established towards the Vietnamese. The black soldiers sympathized and empathized with the Vietnamese by viewing them as victims of both poverty and mistreatment from the whites.

Works Cited

Longley, Kyle. Grunts: the American combat soldier in Vietnam, Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2008. Print.

Historical Background of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was a Northern Sri Lanka terrorist group that carried out militant operations not only in its own country but also in other states worldwide. The group was established in1976 by Tamil students. Velupillai Prabhakaran was the first commander of LTTE. The establishment of the militant group began as a student movement that fought for the rights of Tamil students to join Sri Lankan Universities.

Gradually, the students’ movement became violent. The group organized militant operations that led to fatalities and damage to property. Later, the students’ movement was divided into two terrorist groups, the Tamil New Tigers (TNT) and the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO). In 1976, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was formed to succeed the Tamil New Tigers. However, in 1983, LTTE began to conduct militant operations. The terrorist group headed violent campaigns against the government of Sri Lanka. This situation led to nationwide clashes between the Tamils and the Sinhalese.

The Sinhalese comprise the majority of the Sri Lankan population. The militant wanted to gain control over Sri Lanka to manage various political decisions that were made by the majority group. This essay provides an insight into the historical background of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, its ideologies, and sources of funding to its terrorist operations in Sri Lanka and various parts of the globe.

Ideology and Philosophy of LTTE

Pattanaik advances that LTTE ideologies and philosophies were based on Tamil’s nationalism (634). The Tamils formed the minority group, whereas the Sinhalese formed the majority group. The development of interethnic clashes due to varying political pressures amongst the two groups led to the formation of the militant group. The nature of politics of the majority group and the superiority of the Tamils raised the need for independence.

The Tamils felt persecuted by the Sinhalese population. This situation necessitated the need to possess their homeland. Primarily, the Tamils are Buddhists. As a result, their religion does not have much impact on state affairs as far as their philosophies and ideologies are concerned (Guribye 234). According to Chalk, the LTTE group was structure consisted of two major divisions that included the military wing and the subordinate political wing (14). Other smaller units that operated under this body included groups that were responsible for sea attacks, air attacks, suicide bombings, and intelligence gathering.

In addition, the organization of LTTE also composed of an external secretariat to manage the group’s external and worldwide networks. Willford and Nagarajan reveal that the LTTE was organized into several cadres that were highly disciplined, loyal to their leaders, and much dedicated to their work (77). Nonetheless, the authors posit that there was forcible recruitment of members to cadres with children taking part in the recruitment. The cadres consisted of men, women, and children (both boys and girls).

Moreover, LTTE has a well-structured program for training its fighters. All recruits, regardless of their gender and age, are supposed to undergo rigorous training. The training programs for children were different from the ones for adults. At times, children are trained in stages. The fighters are equipped with skills such as handling weapons, indoctrination, field, and battle craft, among others. Furthermore, the group has outstanding acquaintance with matters that pertain to intelligence gathering (Chalk 14).

Major Activities of the Militant Group that made it Dangerous to Homeland Security

According to Pattanaik, the LTTE has been accused of a couple of assassinations and alleged attacks on government officials (645). Two major assassinations that are believed to have been carried out by the group are the killing of the Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 and president Ranasinghe Premadasa of Sri Lanka in 1993. Investigators and intelligence groups have also linked several other assassinations of prominent people to the terrorist group.

The LTTE group has also been condemned for allegedly engaging in suicide bombing activities that target prominent persons as well as civilians. This organization pioneered the use of concealed explosive belts and vests. According to Ubayasiri, the attacks were organized both inside and outside the boundaries of Sri Lanka (81). Primarily, the targeted groups in the attacks were opponent military officials in the north and east parts of the country. Some of the attacks that were carried by the group included the attacks on the Colombo international airport in the year 2001 and other invasions on several Buddhist shrines whose target were worshippers.

Furthermore, the LTTE group is heavily involved in activities that violate human rights. Indeed, the organization has been listed as a notorious terrorist group by many countries (Pattanaik 642). Some of the activities include forcible recruitment of child soldiers, forcible ethnic cleansing, attacks on innocent civilians, execution of prisoners of war, and engineering of war crimes. In addition to the above inhuman activities, other criminal activities that the group is held responsible are sea piracy, kidnapping, smuggling of drugs, money laundering, passport forgery, internet terrorism, credit card fraud, and cybercrimes among others.

Threats of the LTTE to the Homeland and International Security

Ubayasiri reveals that Ubayasiri has classified LTTE as an infamous terrorist group (81). This situation is an implication that the militant group poses serious security threats to the home country as well as neighboring countries, government officials, and innocent civilians. These countries are aware that the terrorist group possesses its own military and sophisticated fighting equipment. The organization’s well-organized military structure, administration, and external networks.

This situation makes it a dreaded militant organization to the security of its own country and the security of the abovementioned states where it has carried out militant interventions in the past. As a result, it poses a great challenge to international programs such as the war against terrorism (Guribye 241). Considering its past terrorist activities such as the assassination of prominent people and successive suicide attacks, have proven its lethality; hence, it poses a significant security threat to many people in both the homeland country as well as international countries.

Although LTTE has had a multitude of conflicts with the government of Sri Lanka, the militant group has also been carrying out terrorist attacks outside the country as well as establishing links with Tamil expatriates in other states (Guribye 241). LTTE operated in three theatres where it protested and campaigned against the Sri Lankan government. At the outset, the militant group operated in the northern theatre. This situation led to the development of intense warfare between its fighters and government forces.

Another state was the eastern theatre, where fighting was moderate and of a lower intensity than in the northern theatre. The militant group also operated in the southern and western theatres, where it targeted political and military leaders, financial centers, and the capital Colombo. Other active regions where the group had well-established links are India, France, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Switzerland. This group used some of the abovementioned terror activities to raise funds for its further terror interventions (Vittori 65).

Support and Funding of the LTTE militants

Vittori claims that the LTTE group carried out training and operations that were organized and funded by the Indian government up to the mid-1980s (57). However, the Indian government stopped its support for the group after it began engaging in terrorist activities. Vittori unveils that the group uses charity fronts to collect money (59). The author also reveals that Tamil expatriates who have lived in those countries acquire requirements such as weapons and weaponry equipment from America, Asia, and western countries.

The same Tamil expatriate communities also carried out money laundering to fund the military group. Another strategy used by the group to acquire funds was fundraising. The funds majorly came from Switzerland, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Scandinavian countries. The group has developed offices and cells that organize and facilitate the movement of weapons as well as fundraising. Lastly, LTTE raises money through the trafficking of drugs such as heroin and cocaine in Asia. Drug trafficking is facilitated by LTTE’s well-established global networks that ease smuggling and transportation of narcotics (Vittori 63).

Analysis and Conclusions

A detailed analysis of the Sri Lankan military interventions against the lethal militant group exposes how the government accomplished its mission to bring down the terrorist organization. Despite the lethalness of the militant group, the Sri Lankan government deployed a powerful state military that exercised offensive strategies against the members, especially the leaders of LTTE. Nonetheless, LTTE’s dreadful militant operations resulted in massive destruction of property and human life. The government of Sri Lanka has had poor military means to deal with the notorious terrorist group.

Although the government numerously engaged the militant group in peace talks, they became adamant to the government’s decisions by making unachievable demands. The failure of the peace initiative to negotiate with LTTE forced the government of Sri Lanka to deploy its reenergized military on the group’s various areas of operations. This situation significantly stabilized the country. The Sri Lankan government declared victory over the group in 2009. The Sri Lankan forces killed the leader of the lethal group in the same year. This state of affairs forced the group to concede defeat. The renewed strength of the state military led to the ultimate defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

The author reveals that the government had maintained ill-equipped military tools during LTTE’s military operations in 1983 that claimed many lives and damaged properties. Nevertheless, the government learned a great lesson that compelled its military forces to upgrade its Air Force equipment to match or perhaps surpass the technologies of the lethal group. The upgrade of the state security improved the government’s position to battle against the terrorist group in 2005 by conducting offensive air campaigns in every territorial border of the country. The peace of any country is highly dependent on the strength of its military personnel.

Works Cited

Chalk, Peter. “Tigers evolve: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s developing suicide attack methods.” Jane’s Intelligence Review 19.3(2007): 14. Print.

Guribye, Eugene. “Quislings: Barriers to Linking Social Capital amongst Members of Pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Non-Governmental Organizations in Norway in a Post-Conflict Situation.” Journal of Civil Society 9.3(2013): 233-47. Print.

Pattanaik, Smruti. “The Tamil Nadu Factor in Post-war Sri Lanka: Perspectives of Tamils and Muslims.” Strategic Analysis 38.5(2014): 634-51. Print.

Ubayasiri, Kasun. LTTE narratives in Tamilnet: Independent media or Tiger proxy, 2004. Web.

Vittori, Jodi. Terrorist Financing and Resourcing, New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. Print.

Willford, Andrew and Sathyanarayanan Nagarajan. Tamils and the Haunting of Justice: History and Recognition in Malaysia’s Plantations, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2014. Print.

Introduction

Terrorism has become one of the most dangerous security threats facing modern society. In most cases, terrorists have made use of conventional weapons to carry out their terror attacks. However, there have been instances where terrorists made use of unconventional weapons. The most prominent incident involving Weapons of Mass Destruction was the Tokyo Subway Attack of 1995. Hoffman (2007) reveals that the Tokyo sarin attack is “the largest nerve agent exposure of a civilian population to date” (p.607). This attack is the most significant terror attack to be carried out in Japan in modern history. A religious terrorist group carried out the attack effectively demonstrating how terrorists could use biological weapons to devastate the population. This paper will provide a history of the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo Subway and highlight the security issues that the incident raised. It will then show how the issues were resolved to make Japan safer from terror.

Perpetrators of the Attack

The terrorist group responsible for the attack was the Aum Shinrikyo, which translates to “the Supreme Truth Religion”. This cult was founded by Shoko Asahara in 1987 and it was based on an apocalyptic view of the coming millennium (Haberfeld & Hassell, 2009). Asahara regarded himself as “today’s Messiah and Savior of the century”. As the charismatic leader for the cult, Asahara had absolute power and demanded unquestioning devotion from his followers. The cult believed that an Armageddon was coming and that the cult members would be the primary leaders and survivors of this apocalypse.

While initially a non-violent sect, the group became violent following the failure of its leader to win an election. After this failure, Asahara stated that a major goal for the cult would be to “punish the world and speed the Armageddon necessary before the world’s salvation” (Haberfeld & Hassell, 2009, p.223). Asahara declared that the cult needed to acquire the most powerful weapons needed to take part in the nearing Armageddon. The Aum set up laboratories where the cult members from various scientific fields engaged in research into biological weapons. This scientific research led to the production of sarin for use in a biological attack on the subway system

The attack was intended to cause the greatest amount of fear and destruction. Aum hoped to create the greatest number of casualties and begin the Armageddon that the sect believed in. The terrorists choose the rush hour to instigate their deadly attack against the passengers. Haberfeld & Hassell (2009) assert that the terrorists chose densely populated trains to poison as many people as possible once the chemical substance was released. To the sect members, making Armageddon a reality would ensure that the legitimacy of the Asahara, the cult leader, would be affirmed forever.

The Attack

The Tokyo attacks took place on March 20, 1995, when terrorists used WMD to attack the Tokyo subway system. The attack was carried out by members of the religious sect Aum Shinrikyo. The weapon of choice by the terrorists was sarin gas. Sarin gas is an extremely lethal substance and it has no recognized purpose other than wounding or killing people (Dilip & Kratcoski, 2003). Sarin gas (methyl phosphonofluoride isopropyl) was discovered by German Chemists before the Second World War. When exposed to people, this gas is absorbed through the skin and respiratory organs. It causes symptoms such as vomiting, headaches, pupils-contraction, respiratory difficulties, and internal organ complications that can lead to death.

How the Attack was carried out

The gas was released at several points in the Tokyo subway system to ensure that the effects were widespread. The members involved in the execution of the attack had been well prepared for their roles. Each terrorist entered into one of five subway trains with a packet containing the poisonous gas sarin (Dilip & Kratcoski, 2003). These packets were well hidden in unsuspicious items such as lunch boxes and soft drink containers. Once onboard the subway cars, the terrorists placed the packets containing sarin on the floor of the train and concealed the packets using newspapers. The terrorists then put on gauze surgical masks and punctured the sarin bags using umbrella tips. After this, they quickly exited the trains leaving behind the punctured sarin packets releasing toxic gas into the trains.

Once the poisonous gas had been released, the subway users did not realize that an attack had been carried out. Sadayoshi (1997) explains that sarin is a colorless, odorless and highly lethal organophosphate compound. It was therefore impossible for the passengers to detect the presence of this toxic substance in the air. Haberfeld and Hassell (2009) document that while the effects of the gas were immediate and some passengers started suffering as soon as the gas was released, it was not apparent that a terrorist attack was taking place. The trains continued on their routes even as more passengers continued to suffer from the effects of the poison. More than one hour after the gas had been released the trains were evacuated.

Impacts of the Attack

The attack led to the death of 11 people and the injury of over 5,500 people (Hoffman, 2007). A major problem in the Tokyo incident was that it took a while for the subway authority to recognize the problem (Dilip & Kratcoski, 2003). The trains continued to operate as usual even after the sarin gas had been released and passengers had started to suffer from its impact. The sarin agent was not identified until 9:27 am even though it had been released at about 8:00 am. The delay in problem recognition led to more destruction by the attack.

There was a poor response from the police and emergency agencies in Tokyo. To begin with, these agencies took time in identifying the problem. They did not respond appropriately to the tragedy since although calls to the police were made shortly after the attack, the decision to stop the trains was only reached about 1.5hours later. The law enforcement agencies also failed to share information about the nature of the attack with other emergency organizations (Dilip & Kratcoski, 2003). This lack of information sharing had detrimental effects since the emergency responders did not take the necessary measures to protect themselves from the toxic agent.

Critics of the government argued that the attack could have been averted if the state authorities were more effective. Members of the Aum had carried out a sarin gas attack in the small mountain town of Matsumoto in June 1994 (Dilip & Kratcoski, 2003). This attack had killed seven people but investigators failed to connect the incident with the religious sect. Instead of identifying the sarin gas incident as a terrorist attack, police officials designated it as an accident.

Solutions to the Security Issues

The Tokyo attacks demonstrated that subways were a realistic target of terrorists. Before this attack, governments had considered the implications of a terrorist attack against the subways. However, the danger of such attacks had never been properly quantified. Haberfeld and Hassell (2009) reveal that following the Tokyo attack, the danger and the possibility of subway attacks using a biological weapon was shown. This attack made the risk of subway attacks an urgent and practical issue for many governments. Policymakers had to identify and implement ways to protect or minimize the risk of subway terrorism in their respective countries.

The Tokyo attack highlighted the problem of the lack of information sharing among Japanese law enforcement agencies. This problem made the agencies highly ineffective when dealing with the terrorism issue. Following these attacks, the issue of inter-prefectural police rivalries was addressed. Measures were taken to ensure that good information sharing practices were adopted within the security apparatus. After the Aum attacks of 1995, the Japanese Police Law was amended to allow police to cross-prefectural boundaries when dealing with terrorist groups (Alperen, 2011).

A major effect of the Tokyo Subway attack was that it demonstrated that Japan was vulnerable to terrorist attacks. The local and national officials were unprepared for a biological attack in 1995. Alperen (2011) states that the local authorities were ill-prepared to properly respond to any type of terrorist attack on the country. The attack led to the development of an effective response mechanism to chemical terrorist attacks in Japan. The newly formulated system had a set of procedures and response mechanisms tailor-made for biological weapons attacks (Alperen, 2011). They included specially trained medical personnel who could deal with mass casualties and decontamination teams that could be deployed promptly. Plans were also made for evacuations and quarantining in the event of a chemical attack. In addition to this, the efficacy of the public emergency notification and warning system was greatly improved.

The Tokyo attacks led to the amendment of the Religious Corporation Law of 1951 to give police greater powers when dealing with groups suspected of terrorist activities. Before the Tokyo attacks, religious groups and individuals enjoyed many freedoms. According to Alperen (2011), religious groups could operate with little government interference since the Religious Corporation Law of 1951 placed huge restrictions on government intrusion into the affairs of officially recognized religious organizations. The Aum Shinrikyo was able to exploit this privilege to carry out unlawful activities such as experimentation with biological weapons. After the attacks, the law was amended to make it possible for law enforcement agencies to investigate suspected terrorist groups and avert future crises.

A major step undertaken by the government was to increase monitoring of the activities of groups that might have a terrorist motive. The government increased restrictions to ensure that religious groups could not engage in activities such as the development of weapons unnoticed. In the years following the Tokyo attacks, surveillance on suspected cults was increased to minimize the risk that any group might pose to the security of the population (Dilip & Kratcoski, 2003). With increase surveillance, organizations can no longer engage in the kind of research with military purpose that Aum Shinrikyo members were able to.

Conclusion

This paper set out to discuss the Sarin attack against Tokyo’s subway system in 1995. The paper has revealed that this attack was undertaken by the Aum religious sect under the guidance of its leader, Shoko Asahara. The attack was the first significant terrorist attack on Japan in modern times. The country was unprepared for this attack and this led to higher destruction. The paper has illustrated how, because of the Tokyo attacks of 1995, the Japanese government took steps to prevent such terror attacks in the future or prepare adequately for response against such nonconventional attacks.

References

Alperen, M. (2011). Foundations of Homeland Security: Law and Policy. NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Dilip, D., & Kratcoski, P. (2003). Meeting the Challenges of Global Terrorism: Prevention, Control, and Recovery. London: Lexington Books.

Haberfeld, M.R. & Hassell, A. (2009). A New Understanding of Terrorism: Case Studies, Trajectories and Lessons Learned. Boston: Springer.

Hoffman, A. (2007). A Decade after the Tokyo Sarin Attack: A Review of Neurological Follow-Up of the Victims. Military Medicine, 172 (6), 607-610.

Sadayoshi, O. (1997). Sarin Poisoning on Tokyo subway. Southern Medical Journal, 90 (6), 587-593.

The political role of the US in both works

The themes in the books, ‘The Quiet American’ and ‘Bloods,’ draw a similar picture of the political role of the US’s intervention of Vietnam. While both works are keen to point out the political role of the US’s interest in the Vietnam War, the later centers on the reasons that were a failed mission. Precisely stated, the reason that saw America draw itself into the Vietnam fiasco was because of the threat that emanated from communists’ ideology. Ideally, the war happened accurately at the height of a political milieu that stemmed from a Cold War pitting the US and the Soviet Union in the mid 18^th century.

Principally, the war of espionage and suspicion between the two nations had utter bread animosity that scaled beyond the borders. Basically, in the wake of 1946, Northern Indochina, a former French colony, was under the control of Ho Chi Minh- a communist. The United State’s efforts to persuade him to surrender the colony to the French fell on deaf ears. As such, the US’s intervention as a ‘Third Force’ in the war was, nonetheless, unsurprising. Towards the end of the 1960s, American intervention into the situation could be described as a full-scale military intervention given that they had deployed over half a million troops in Vietnam, all in a bid to fight the spread of communism.

Graham Greene, in his book, suggests the United States had from the early stages of the cold war- in 1952, undercover American spies and other operatives who were actively engaged in setting up a ‘Third Force.’ The other nations involved in the struggle were not wary of this. According to the book, the mandate of this ‘Third Force’ would be to liberate Vietnam from “communism and the taint of colonialism” (Greene115). Greene describes America’s role in the struggle throughout the entirety of the book as a culturally conceited and morally disdainful exercise. Despite the American’s initial prima facie impression of an individual who appears to foster integrity, he later appears indifferent about the outcome of his actions.

The American interaction with the Vietnamese people

In the book, the American is utterly bizarrely selective in her explanation of understanding of the consequences. The bombing of a town in Central Saigon is primarily a fight aimed at striking a blow on communism. According to the book, the resultant Vietnamese casualties are unimportant, as they are aptly described to have died for democracy (Greene171). The lessons derived from the scene resonate thought the entire period from the 1950s, with the world witnessing the US’s mischief in lending a hand on issues affecting other countries while cunningly protecting its interests.

Back home, there was much indignation about how the whole exercise was being conducted. In the field, their strategies were not yielding; in fact, they played to the advantage of the enemy. The US chose to employ a strategy to protect both the people in the south of Vietnam and the liberators of the villagers that were previously invaded by the Vietcong. There was a division from the white house on how the war is to be handled with the then situation of things spiraling out of control. Divided opinion about the war still raged, with the defense secretary openly criticizing the invasion, the civilians and the military also deeply divided.

On the face of all these, however, the American government still maintained its initial stance in protecting the Vietnamese. While drawing up its retaliation strategies, it had the interests of Vietnam at heart. When the proposition to engage the enemy on both breaths of air and ground offensive came about, the then president knew that the casualties would be the civilians.

It had become hard for the American army to distinguish between civilians and the fighters, a strategic disadvantage to the US, of which a ground offensive would be fatal to the civilians. The president could not buy such (Wallace 37). The act of balance between their actions in the field and the ever-widening differing opinion on the same was aimed to divert any debates that would arise on the issue of Vietnam. At the congress, the government had legislation that needed approval, and the president did not want to lose out on both fronts. This is quoted as saying that he would not want to lose the “woman he so dearly loved (the American society) for the bitch of a war on the other side of the world” (Wallace 57).

On the face of it, though, the American is trying to win over the confidence of Vietnam. By staying silent amid all the mayhem, Fowler realizes that being opinioned is also a course of action (Wallace 20). They broadly discuss the legality of their occupation and the whole conflict with Pyle, a representative of American interest. He accuses Pyle and his people of interfering with the stability in the whole region by interjecting that Pyle and his “like (whites) are trying to make war with people who are not even interested” (Wallace 86).

Much as Fowler critics the American and his ideologies in the manner at which he handles the war, he has some deep-rooted respect to Pyle’s desire to make a change.

The two people are a sharp contrast to one another, Pyle has a couple of theories to himself that surprisingly detach him from the reality on the ground and is utterly untouched by the actions of both his people and the enemy. Greene describes him as carelessly dismissive of the chaos that he has caused, albeit indirectly. He convinces his conscience and anybody who cares to know that the casualties of war were simply a bunch of people who died in the right course (Wallace 171). Pyle is only interested in protecting his white folks, which in this case, is rather racist because the American army also had black soldiers. Fowler, on the other hand, despite his indifference in the war initially, is shocked and dismayed by the level of suffering the people he comes across, such as the woman whose baby passed while on her lap. In desperation, he concludes that the casualties “were not sufficiently important” (Wallace 155)

These two characters are a stack of the symbolism of what their ideals stand for. Pyle represented American interests in the war. He was neither concerned by the effect of their interference in the war or the damage to civilians. Rather, he only cared about containing the spread of communism. He brushes the death and resultant casualties as nothing more than a contribution to democracy, to which he also draws his solace.

Was race a factor in the respective works?

To the black man, the war defined a point in time when another opportunity, aside from World War II, had presented itself. Blacks had initially been described as fearful and that they would melt away in times of combat, as was the case in their encounter with Italian troops in World War II. To them, it was a test of patriotism, a chance they had been given to redeem themselves once more like people who cherished American ideals. They were also tested on their ability to withstand and take orders from their white superiors in the face of the civil rights and liberation struggles and the unrest that shook America at the time.

In the book, the race was a major factor. A good number of American soldiers were blacks who were either serving life sentences back home or even minor offenders from the ghettos convinced to contribute to democracy. Pyle cares less about black people in the book; he is rather affected by any white casualties. On the other hand, the government of the US is not interested in the count of the dead soldiers who were majorly black, but rather in winning the war whatever it entailed.

Conclusion

In a synopsis, the literature has brought to the fore the compelling reason that made the American intervene in Vietnam War: to stem communist ideology. In the course of the war, America’s interaction with the Vietnamese people was such that they rather remain, mum, as they wield atrocity on the civilians. This was at the backdrop of a failed military strategy and of whom racial discrimination against black soldiers was majorly manifested.

Works Cited

Greene, Graham. The Quiet American. New York: Penguin, 2004. Print.

Wallace, Terry. Bloods: Black Veterans of the Vietnam War: An Oral History. Boston: Allyn, 1985. Print.

How government can detect radicalized individuals before they act

According to King (2012), it is not easy for the government to identify the radicalized individuals who were born and brought up in the United States. However, there is a process that the government can use to identify these individuals before they can execute criminal acts. The process involves high level of intelligence at the local level that is multifaceted. The intelligence collection should start at the lowest level possible where citizens are encouraged to report any sudden change of ideas and behavior of individuals within their community.

For instance, if one suddenly changes faith and starts expressing deep hatred for the government or existing systems and structures that he or she respected before, then that should be a red flag. Similarly, if a person starts making unexplainable trips or his or her operations become unclear and secretive, it should be a sign that the person needs investigation. Members of the community can detect these weird behaviors hence they should be encouraged to be vigilant and report to the police or send messages anonymously to the intelligence officers. Once the tip is received, activities of these individuals should be monitored very closely. Once it is confirmed that they are involved with terror activities, government should move swiftly and arrest them before they can act.

How government handle those who express radical ideas

The government should be able to gather intelligence on those who express radical ideas. According to Bell (2009), most of these radicalized individuals often try to express their radical ideas within the society, often criticizing the government and making very dangerous proclamation. They try to seek sympathy from the public to help justify their radical activities (Gartenstein & Grossman, 2009).The government should act swiftly when dealing with these individuals.

Once they have been identified, the government should not allow them to continue spreading their radical ideas because they are likely to influence a section of the society and win sympathies. As Olsson (2014) observes when dealing with radicalization, swift action is very critical to achieving success. Immediate investigation should be launched to determine if they are making contact with other radical groups locally or internationally. Their communications should be tapped and their associates thoroughly investigated (Hughbank, Niosi, & Dumas, 2011). When a justifiable reason is identified that links them to terrorism, then they should be taken to court to face charges of terrorism.

Homegrown radical individuals

According to Bergen (2016), the United States of America has undergone a long period of racism that sometimes creates resentment towards government structures and leadership of the country. However, the country has never before witnessed the emergence of homegrown terrorists that is currently becoming a menace. Although racism and other social differences in the society may create hatred between different social groups, the desire to exterminate a large group of people simply because of their religion or race is something new in the United States of America. It is something that is motivated by the external forces. The locals may have the financial capacity and technical knowhow to organize and execute acts of terror. However, they lack the drive to kill their fellow citizens in mass because of these demographical differences. These people have to be radicalized by the external forces for them to turn into cold killers who do not care about innocent lives.

References

Bell, S. (2009). The Martyr’s Oath: The Apprenticeship of a Homegrown Terrorist. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Bergen, P. L. (2016). United States of Jihad: Investigating America’s homegrown terrorists. New York, NY: Cengage.

Gartenstein, D., & Grossman, L. (2009). Homegrown terrorists in the U.S. and U.K: An empirical study of the radicalization process. Washington, D.C: FDD Press.

Hughbank, R. J., Niosi, A. F., & Dumas, J. C. (2011). The dynamics of terror: And creation of homegrown terrorists. Hoboken, NJ: Tate Pub. & Enterprises.

King, M. (2012). The radicalization of homegrown terrorists: A social-personality model. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Olsson, P. A. (2014). The making of a homegrown terrorist: Brainwashing rebels in search of a cause. London, UK: McMillan.

Introduction

Kahane Chai is one of the nonwhite supremacist hate groups which is opposed to Arabs and Christians in Israel. Nowadays, it is declared a terrorist organization by the Israeli officials and the USA (Gerstenfeld, 2013). Like many other hate groups, Kahane Chai supports bigoted viewpoints that are not widely accepted both by the citizens of their country and the international community. The extremist behavior and the selection of illegal methods for supporting their ideology, e.g. the armed attacks on civilians and rebellion, are the major factors defining the terrorist nature of the group and its failure to gain widespread acceptance.

Historical Development of the Pro-Jewish Movement

The group’s founder is Benjamin Zeev, the son of Rabbi Meir Kahane who was the leader of the Jewish Defence League (JDL) founded in 1968 in the USA (Cohen-Almagor, 2007). The activities and philosophy of the JDL are directly linked to the emergence of Kahane Chai. When the Meir Kahane’s movement was restricted by the US federal law enforcement agency, he immigrated to Israel where he continued his proactive supremacist activities.

In 1984, Kahane entered the parliament with his Kach party and for a few years, he had undertaken many attempts to disseminate the anti-Arab ideology and had actively promoted the ideas of Jews’ superiority over Arabs and “the precedence of the Jewish law, the halacha, over the law of the state” (Cohen-Almagor, 2007, p. 83). Afterward, the government and the media took measures to reduce Kahane’s influence and prevent his activities – Kahane’s movement became de-legitimized and was banned from participation in the political decision-making. Then, in 1990 he was assassinated in New York.

After the failure to succeed in his father’s leadership in Kach, Benjamin Zeev Kahane established the Kahane Chai movement which can be translated as “Kahane is Alive” (Cohen-Almagor, 2007, p. 83). The splinter from the JDL and Kahaneism, Kahane Chai supported a similar ideology and maintained violent activities against Arabs.

Ideology and the Focus of Hatred

The group’s philosophy is rooted in the Zionist ideo-theology which combines the ideas drawn from the Jewish history and religion, as well as the values of justice and freedom for people with the Jewish identity (Jones, 2007). The members of Kahane Chai believe that Jews are God’s peculiar people, and they are chosen to live on the holy lands – the biblical homeland of the Jews. The Hebrew Bible takes a central position in forming the pro-Jewish worldview as the acceptance of the laws and commands written in the holy scriptures distinguish Hebrews and Jews from the rest of the nations that reject them.

According to Kahane Chai’s view, non-Jewish people cannot be the rightful citizens of Israel, and they are thus should be expelled. Since the Israeli territory is considered to be the historical and biblical homeland of Jews, the territorial concessions to Arabs are considered unacceptable and are regarded as the betrayal of the Bible and God who promised the possession of this land by Jews. Kahane Chai strives to protect the places of sanctity and deliver them from the presence of other ethnicities and religions. Hence, Jews’ control over Jerusalem, especially the Temple Mount, is considered to be an indisputable truth.

Although Kahane Chai is against any foreign religion and traditions that do not support the supremacy of the Jewish nation and their historical rights, in the face of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the main focus of their fierce activities is made on terrorizing Palestinians. It was reported that the group members participated in organized attacks on Palestinian villages as well as individual murders of Palestinians (Cohen-Almagor, 2007). Additionally, the group members openly protest against the government officials whose decisions and views contradict Kahanist ideology.

Structure and Demographics

Meir Kahane is the founder of all Kahanist movements, and the supporters of his ideas often become the activists of both Kach and Kahane Chai. The organizational forces are primarily located in Israel and the occupied territories, but the group also receives support from the Jewish diasporas in Europe and the USA. Many followers of the Kahanist movement and the group activists were primarily students and youth who disseminated information by spreading leaflets.

The strength and influence of Kach and Kahane Chai started to decrease after the imposition of the official ban on the groups’ activities in 1994 and the death of Meir Kahane. In 2000, Benjamin Zeev Kahane was killed by the Palestinian gunmen, and currently, the strength of the group remains unknown (Kahane Chai, 2004).

Governmental Response

After the massacre of twenty-nine Palestinians at the Cave of Machpelah in 1994 initiated by a close associate of Meir Kahane, the government decided to outlaw both Kach and Kahane Chai movements. The ban was justified and consistent with subsections 2 and 3 of the amendment to the Basic Law which prohibit “Denial of the democratic character of the State” and ” Incitement to racism” (Cohen-Almagor, 2007, p. 86).

Kahane Chai was declared a terroristic organization to introduce some boundaries to liberty and tolerance which are inherent in democracy and, at the same time, protect the major democratic values. In this way, the government prevented the participation of the anti-democratic group in the elections and eliminated the potential risks of their entry into the parliament.

It is possible to say that Meir Kahane’s efforts in the dissemination of pro-Jewish ideas in the country could find a significant emotional response among the citizens and could become widely accepted as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict unfolded. However, the official ban on the Kahanist movement interfered with the acceptance of the violent ideology by the population and the political empowerment of the group which could destroy the Israeli democracy.

References

Cohen‐Almagor, R. (2007). Combating right‐wing political extremism in Israel: Critical appraisal. Terrorism and Political Violence, 9(4), 82-105. Web.

Gerstenfeld, P. B. (2013). Hate crimes: Causes, controls, and controversies. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Jones, C. (2007). Ideo‐theology and the Jewish state: From conflict to conciliation? British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 26(1), 9-26. Web.

Kahane Chai. (2004). Web.

How the Book Clashes with My View of the World

The book “The Accidental Guerilla” indicates that the conflicts experienced in different parts of the globe are associated with various complexities and trends. These trends are characterized by insurgencies and terrorism (Kilcullen 21). The text presents contradicting views about my current understanding of what is right and wrong. The author has presented adequate arguments to describe the nature of the world (Kilcullen 282). The issue of unrest in the Middle East can be treated as a right. These unrests are usually aimed at addressing the problems affecting different populations. The invasion of different countries should be treated as something wrong. This is the case because terrorism has been misunderstood. For very many years, people have believed that terrorism is something aimed at changing the global status quo. Consequently, America’s mission to deal with terrorism conflates the developments and trends suggested by the author. This argument clashes with my view of the world. Additionally, the author argues that “around ninety percent of Taliban’s have been for Pushtin honor and to profit their tribe” (Kilcullen 39). Unfortunately, these individuals “are intimidated by a few religious fanatics” (Kilcullen 39).

How My Views and Opinions Have Been Challenged

The targeted text has communicated to me by presenting powerful ideas that have changed my views about the state of the world. According to the author, the issue of terrorism has been misinterpreted for many years. I always believed that the war on terror was executed in a professional manner. The author explains why the US should have used better strategies to deal with terror. The book indicates that “terrorism must be examined from the right perspective” (Kilcullen 72). The arguments presented can address most of the challenges experienced in Iraq and Afghanistan. Any form of aid to the affected nations should be delivered through constant cooperation with local leaders. However, the 9/11 attack is not examined from the right perspective. This weakness affects most of the notions presented by the author about terrorism.

How the Book Addresses the Most Important Things

From a personal perspective, I strongly believe that the book passes the “who cares” test. The author focuses on specific issues that matter the most to the world. The issue of peace for all people in troubled regions is something that must be taken seriously. By examining the issues affecting many people in the world, the text offers powerful insights to support many civilians in the Muslim world. All people can be supported using similar ideas. Equality and freedom should be applied equally to all global citizens (Kilcullen 278). A new strategy focusing on people’s welfare will ensure global wars are managed in a professional manner. The approach will make the world much better.

Overall Reaction to the Text

The targeted book analyzes the critical issues affecting the modern world. The author focuses on counter-insurgency and terrorism as some of the major challenges dividing the modern world. Powerful tactical strategies are suggested to support the affected people. However, the book fails to offer meaningful suggestions to help the affected nations to deal with terrorism. Despite this weakness, I would recommend the text to individuals who want to understand the role of the West towards dealing with terrorism (Kilcullen 209). I will read more books in order to understand this topic better. The targeted books will outline the major challenges and ethical issues affecting the world today.

Work Cited

Kilcullen, David. The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One. Oxford University Press, 2011.