How to End Terrorism: Diplomacy or Military Action?

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Al-Qaeda
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham
Boko Haram
The Algerian War of Independence
The Mau Mau Movement in Kenya
The Abu Sayyaf Terrorist Group in the Philippines
Diplomacy or military action
Conclusion
Reference

Introduction

International terrorism is one of the global issues of modern society. Terrorist organizations are aimed at the destabilization of the economic and political situation in the countries, mainly to change the policy contrary to the views of the terrorists. The main tool of terrorists is violence used for political, ideological, and religious purposes. The goal of the terrorist acts is the intimidate the population for the purpose of rocking the political situation in the countries, which policy is controversial to the ideas of terrorists. The international community rejects terrorism as a form of dissent with the political decisions of the governors. Every year, a number of measures are taken to combat the acts of terrorism and the financing of global terrorism. International terrorism orchestrated by ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram is extremely serious and can be solved through either diplomacy or military intervention.

Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda is one of the largest ultra-radical terrorist groups of the Wahhabi branch of Islam. It was organized by Osama bin Laden in 1988 after the war in Afghanistan. The main enemies of the terrorist organization were the United States, the countries of the Western world, and the Islamic supporters of their policy. The so-called Western world adheres to universal views on gender equality, democratic values, and respect for international human rights. Radical Islamists believe that these policy directions are contrary to the basic tenets of Islam. Al-Qaeda has topped the list of international terrorist organizations after the attacks on the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998. Al-Qaeda planned and implemented a number of large-scale terrorist attacks. The tragedy of September 11, 2001, was also prepared and carried out by al-Qaeda. Experts in the study of the nature and structure of terrorist organizations allocate 5 stages of terrorist activities of al-Qaeda: the foundation, wild period of its activity, the heyday, between 1996 – 2001 years, the emergence of the terror network, and, finally, the fragmentation of al-Qaeda after 2005. After the deaths of the Al-Qaeda leaders, the organization lost its hierarchy. The activities of Al-Qaeda took the form of associated terrorist groups and single terroristic acts. They use suicide bombers and the bombing of concrete objects. Al-Qaeda operators drill in the training terroristic camps in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, or Sudan (Inspire Magazine, 2014). The main goal of al Qaeda is to rid the Islamic countries of the influence of Western policy, the unification of all Islamic countries, and the foundation of the new global Islamic caliphate. One of the ideas of Al-Qaeda is the hypothesis of the existence of the Christian-Jewish union, whose primary goal is the destruction of the Islamic world. The jihadists believe that killing infidels is not contrary to the dogmas of Islam, thus, they reject the religious taboo on murders and internal wars (Inspire Magazine, 2014). Also, Al-Qaeda is against all legal norms and legislation, considering sharia as the only valid law. Al-Qaeda inflames internecine fighting between Muslims advocating violence and cruelty among the Muslims. The representatives of al-Qaeda do not recognize liberal Muslims, Shiites, Sufis, and other branches of Islam. They regard them as the traitors who have captured their mosques and holy places. Groupings of the international terrorist organization al-Qaeda operate in 34 countries around the world; the number of victims of terrorist violence increases annually (Byman, 2015).

Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham

The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), also known as the Islamic State is the Sunni Islamist international extremist organization mainly operating on the territory of Syria and Iraq. In fact, since 2013 it has become an unrecognized state with a strict Sharia form of government with the capital in the town of Rakka in Syria. The Islamic State is headed by Iraqi and Syrian Sunni Arabs. The Islamic State groups under its control are also involved in the fighting in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Nigeria, the Philippines, and other countries. Today, ISIS tops the list of international terrorist organizations on the level of threat. The ideology of the Islamic state reflects the views of al-Qaeda, and its operators are inspired by the terroristic activity of Osama bin Laden. The Islamic State of Iraq, which appeared in 2006 by joining the eleven extremist groups, preceded the establishment of the Islamic State. In 2014, ISIS proclaimed itself a worldwide caliphate led by caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The organization supports the traditional Sunni Islam but also cooperates with organizations of Persian Islam, al-Qaeda, and tribal militias. The ISIS terrorists ruthlessly murder the Kurdish Sufis, Christians, and Jews, which is, undoubtedly prohibited by the Islamic religion (Byman, 2015). Their women are also engaged in terrorist activities, so there is slavery for women of other faiths and the opponents of the Islamic State. The organization is interested in educating people of different origins. They conduct ideological propaganda, train children and adolescents. Every day the number of the Islamic State is replenished from among the mobilized volunteers and foreigners. In almost every Western country, there is an underground terroristic group. Their main task is to destabilize the political and economic situation in the country and carry out extremist attacks. The organization’s primary goal is to eliminate the borders established after the division of the Ottoman caliphate and the establishment of the orthodox Sunni Islamic state throughout the Islamic world. The ISIS organization distanced itself from al-Qaeda because of some ideological differences, related to Salafis. In 2014, Syrian groups “Army of the Mujahideen,” “Rebel Syrian Front,” “Islamic Front” and “Al-Nusra Front” started an armed struggle against the militants of the Islamic State. These conflicts have claimed thousands of lives. However, after the establishment of an international coalition against the Islamic State, Islamic associations and other opponents of the United States decided to join forces. Nevertheless, religious and political differences between the groups remained unchanged. The number of extremists reaches several tens of thousands of people. They are well supplied with heavy weapons. Thousands of infidels were killed by terrorists, thousands of people were forced to leave their homes escaping the aggression of the Islamic State, a multitude of women and children are becoming the hostages of terrorists and are kept in the concentration camps. The international terrorist organization ISIS has become well-known thanks to the full-scale attack on the northern and western territories of Iraq and Syria in 2014. ISIS propagandizes its activity throughout the world, has the support of young Muslims, and represents a significant threat to world peace (Lister, 2015).

Boko Haram

Boko Haram is a Nigerian radical Islamist organization. It was founded in 2002, and led by Mohammed Yusuf. The main goal of the organization is the introduction of Sharia on the territory of Nigeria and the eradication of the Western lifestyle. The organization initiated the disturbance in Nigeria, set fire to churches and police stations. In 2014, Boko Haram swore allegiance to the Islamic State and in 2015 changed its name to the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP). The basic ideology of the organization is to avoid the spreading of Western traditions and practices in the Muslim world. According to the ideas of the group, any social and political activities associated with Western values should be prohibited. Boko Haram regards the current Nigerian government as the followers of Western leaders, and they consider that its rule has to be overthrown. As well as al-Qaeda and ISIS, Boko Haram believes, that Nigeria has to live by the strict Sharia law, but not by the false man-made laws. According to them, these laws are contrary to the laws of Islam.

Numerous attempts of the Nigerian government to negotiate with the terrorists of Boko Haram did not succeed. Boko Haram attacked politicians, Christians, civilians, and civilian objects. They also use the methods of suicide bombing. There is a hierarchy in Boko Haram, but it also operates as a network of cells. After Yusuf’s death in 2009, Abubakar Shekau became the leader of the organization. The financing of Boko Haram consists of money from kidnapping and bank robberies. The organization is well provided with the weapon. Also, the group receives donations from wealthy Muslim admirers. Boko Haram also was implicated in cocaine trafficking, contraband, and poaching. Over 2014 year, Nigeria became the leader in the number of terrorist acts. Today, Boko Haram is a highly motivated numerous extremist organization. African and international coalitions contribute to the anti-terrorist activity in Nigeria (Smith, 2015).

The Algerian War of Independence

The Algerian War is a military and political conflict between the French colonial administration in Algeria and armed groups, who demanded the independence of Algeria from France. In spite of the actual military defeat of the Algerian insurgents, the conflict ended with the recognition of the independence of Algeria by France(Evans, 2012).

It is one of the most significant events in French history that caused the fall of the Fourth Republic, two putsches in the army, and the emergence of the Secret Army Organization that terrorized the French government to force them to refuse the recognition of the Algerian independence. Formally, Algeria was part of France and some French considered the events in Algeria as a threat to the territorial integrity of the country. Bout a million French colonists lived on the territory of Algeria. Despite some inequality, the indigenous population, and the colony lived in peace for a long time. After the manifestation of Wilson’s Fourteen Points in 1918, some Algerians began to express the idea of securing autonomy from France. During the Second World War, the demands for autonomy or independence in Algeria intensified. The demonstration on May 8, 1945, in Setif, grew into mass riots. The French army responded to this with artillery, tanks, and aircraft. The repression lasted several months and killed thousands of Algerians. Algerian territory was divided into six military districts. On November 1, 1954, the National Liberation Front (FLN) was established in Algeria. It was aimed at obtaining independence militarily (Evans, 2012). It was the first day of the Algerian War. FLN counted about 500 rebels and was experiencing an acute shortage of weapons. The guerrillas attacked army convoys and garrisons posts, blew up bridges, destroyed strategic targets. Also, they conducted the ideological struggle. French schools were forbidden, the use of alcohol and tobacco was also prohibited, thus forcing them to obey Sharia, and at the same time undermining the French economy. The suspects in collaboration with the French were cruelly killed. The French created the divisions, whose main task was to win sympathy among the local population (Evans, 2012). Meanwhile, the FLN launched terroristic operations on the streets, explosions thundered every day. Charles de Gaulle, being prime minister of France concluded that military means will not solve the Algerian problem. The National Liberation Front succeeded in undermining the authority of France in the international community. Charles de Gaulle announced a five-year plan of economic development of Algeria’s military attack against the guerrillas. In addition, he initiated the so-called “peace of the brave”, which included the amnesty for the rebels, surrendered voluntarily. It started under general Maurice Challe’s command and was named in his honor. It was a series of military operations, their effect was devastating. According to the military experts, France actually won the Algerian war. In the summer of 1961, hostilities actually were finished. The right ultras carried out more than a dozen attempts upon de Gaulle’s life. Due to the numerous terrorist attacks far-rightists completely disappointed the majority of Frenchmen. On March 19, 1962, the Evian Accords were signed that ended the war of Algeria and opened the way to independence. The independence of Algeria was officially proclaimed on July 5 after the referendum (Evans, 2012).

The Mau Mau Movement in Kenya

The Mau Mau Uprising in the largest anti-colonial national liberation movement of the peoples of Kenya. It united the Colonies and Protectorate of Kenya, who were unsatisfied with the British domination over the territory. The Mau Mau movement consisted of the representatives of the Kikuyu people. It is the most multitudinous nationality in Kenya. Currently, its population reaches 6 million. Kikuyu practiced and continue to practice their traditional beliefs while being subjected to considerable Christianization during the colonial period. Many Kikuyu were almost used by the British authorities for various works in agriculture and in the industry. In fact, it was cheap labor for the British. The founder of the Mau Mau movement was Dedan Kimathi Waciuri (1920-1957). He was a typical representative of the educated stratum of Kenya. In the late forties, he became a member of the rebel movement and soon he headed it. In October 1952, Kimathi led the largest Mau Mau grouping. The formal name of the organization was “Kenyan Army of Land and Freedom” (KLFA) (Bennett, 2013). The movement denied British culture, language, and customs. The British government used repressive measures to suppress the rebel movement. But these methods were ineffective because of the broad support of the insurgents from the local population. One of the main forms of the Mau Mau activity was attacks on the farms of European landowners, using the labor of local residents. The attacks were made by mobile groups of about 10 people. British authorities conducted fierce police operations. All suspicious Africans were put in the filtration camps. Since these measures proved to be operative, the British authorities decided to create anti-partisan detachments. They engaged African amnestied criminals and rebels who knew better local trails. Thus, the Kenyan society was polarized. In turn, the rebels killed for the cooperation with the British authorities, they burned down villages and murdered the collaborators. British authorities conducted propaganda among the local population in order to reduce their support of the insurgents. Propaganda of the colonizers succeeded in creating a negative image of the movement. There is no denying that the activity of Mau Mau was very cruel, but the atrocities practiced by both sides. There are still disputes about the losses of the rebels and the number of Africans who suffered from colonial terror and repression. It should be noted that a harsh policy of the colonial government gave certain results. The number of rebels was considerably reduced. In October 1956, the leader of the Mau Mau movement, Kimathi, was captured. In February 1957, Kimathi was executed. In fact, the Mau Mau movement ceased to exist in 1956. Today, the members of the Mau Mau in Kenya are recognized by the authorities as to the heroes of the war for independence, who sacrificed their lives to liberate Kenyans from the colonial authorities. The Government of Kenya has introduced Mashujaa Day (Heroes Day), a special day, which is celebrated annually on 20 October (Bennett, 2013).

The Abu Sayyaf Terrorist Group in the Philippines

The internal armed conflict in the Philippines is the conflict between the central government and the criminal organizations of the Muslim secessionists, communists, radical activists, and bandit groups in Mindanao. Often, fights occur in the remote parts of Mindanao. One of the main rebel groups was the group of Muslim separatists, the Abu Sayyaf. Abu Sayyaf is not numerous, but one of the most violent of the Islamic terrorist organizations. The militants of this group are well-known for multitudinous kidnappings, terrorist acts, and extremist operations. The Philippine government considered these militants terrorists and rejected to conduct any negotiations with them. Abu Sayyaf (“Sword Bearer” in Arabic) separated from MNLF in 1991. Then his younger brother, Gaddafi Janjalani, led the group, he also was murdered by Philippine troops in September 2006. In June 2007, Yasser Igasan became the leader of Abu Sayyaf. After this MILF and MNLF condemned the activity of the Abu Sayyaf (Browne, 2010). The USA reckoned the grouping among the terrorist organizations, claiming that the Abu Sayyaf has links with al-Qaeda. The support of Abu Sayyaf among the local population is limited, but some of the locals of Sulu and Mindanao help the rebels and even cooperate with them. The US troops help the Philippine military in the fight against Abu Sayyaf. Americans train and consult the Philippine army, but do not participate directly in hostilities because the Philippine Constitution prohibits foreign troops to participate in combat operations on the territory of the Philippines. Abu Sayyaf also committed a number of bombings in the country and the attacks on civilian targets with hundreds of victims. They kidnapped for ransom the journalists, the representatives of the Red Cross, civilians. Abu Sayyaf has never been a participant in the negotiations with the Philippine government, and they were never engaged in any form of peaceful political activity. They are the adherents of military struggle as the method of establishing the independence of the Moro state. They break cease-fires and hinder the attempts of peace talks between the Philippine government and the MILF (Kegley & Blanton, 2014).

Diplomacy or military action

After the analysis of nature, structure, and types of terrorist organizations, it can be concluded that most terrorist groups are not ready to sit down at the negotiating table. Hence, the peaceful settlement of conflicts is impossible at the moment. All global policies are aimed at a peaceful solution to cultural, ideological, and political international conflicts. However, the implementation of peace agreements is not possible without mutual interest. The requirements of international terrorists are too radical to be satisfied by any form of negotiations. The main issue of the current policy is the adherence to democratic values and international human rights in the struggle with militants. Terroristic organizations violate all moral and ethical norms, moreover, they created the image of the hostile Western world. Almost all international Islamic terrorist groupings perceive Western values as contrary to the foundations of Islam. Thus, negotiations are not effective in the solution of this problem. The current policy is aimed at the rapid destruction of the threat since every day carries new losses. Thus, diplomacy fails in the solution of this global problem. Nowadays, numerous international coalitions are founded with the aim of ending international terrorism. The most efficient instrument in this struggle is a well-thought strategy of the military anti-terrorist operations (Petraeus & Amos, 2009).

Conclusion

Nowadays, global terrorism poses a serious threat to the safety of all mankind. It is an urgent international issue that should be solved either by military methods or by peaceful negotiations. It should be stated that terroristic groupings are not just armed rebels; they are the representatives of a certain ideology. Thus, the first step to ending terrorism is to destroy their beliefs and to stop their spread (Petraeus & Amos, 2009). Reasonable agreements and peaceful negotiations are sometimes not less effective measures than military confrontation. Efficient policies putting the emphasis upon the value of international human rights should be implemented in the solution of this global problem. Reputable Islamic adherents of the peaceful settlement of the dispute should become active participants in the negotiation process. They should be engaged in the propaganda of peace and equality all over the world.

Reference

Bennett, H. (2013). Fighting the Mau Mau. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Browne, M. (2010). Contending with terrorism. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

Byman, D. (2015). Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the Global Jihadist Movement. New York: Oxford University Press.

Evans, M. (2012). Algeria. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Inspire Magazine. (2014). Al-Malahem Media, 12. Web.

Kegley, C., & Blanton, S. (2014). World politics. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.

Lister, C. (2015). The Islamic State. Washington: Brookings Institution Press.

Petraeus, D., & Amos, J. (2009). U. S. Army U. S. Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual. Kissimmee: Signalman Publishing.

Smith, M. (2015). Boko Haram. Inside Nigeria’s Unholy War. London: I.B.Tauris.

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