In my opinion, the 'war on terror' like all other wars is irrational and the mainstream media is not playing an objective role in getting the average American involved in the matter. If terrorism as defined in some strict sense does not exist, on what exactly is the war all about? The needs to answer this question and to have faith and belief in the government are confusing and require correct information and deliberation by the people.
In the Town Hall.com's article, Chavez clearly disagrees with the very action of raising a question when she said nothing about the justifications done by the Federal Government in engaging the nation to a protracted war, where this war clearly is not and will never benefit the people. In addition, how will questioning the validity of invading two sovereign nations, be a threat to one's own government?
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives…...
mlaReferences
Chomsky, Noam. "There Is No War on Terror." December 23, 2005. Interview by Geov Parrish.
Chomsky, Noam. "On 9-11, Noam Chomsky debates with Bill Bennett." 30 May 2002.
CNN. 9 November 2008.
Zbigniew, Brzezinski. "Terrorized by 'War on Terror', How a Three-Word Mantra Has Undermined America." 25 March 2007. The Washington Post. 9 November 2008.
(enner, 2002, p. 26)
The Taliban committed millions of acts of fundamentalist-based violence. They isolated women, forced them to wear the Burka, the most conservative of Islamic veils, closed girls schools, forced women to stop working and beat people on the street for even the most minor infractions. Additionally they devastated the cultural history of the nation and added to the general destruction of the nation.
The Overthrow of the Taliban by U.S. Invasion
The Taliban was not overthrown until around 2001, when the U.S. invaded the nation, with UN forces, post the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The Taliban, who had never been recognized by most foreign nations as the legitimate government of Afghanistan refused to turn over the leader of Al Qaeda who was reported to be hiding there and being sheltered and aided by the Taliban. Though the regime toppled under U.S. force, the devastation of their wake was felt in…...
mlaReferences
Assifi, a.T. (1982). The Russian Rope: Soviet Economic Motives and the Subversion of Afghanistan. World Affairs, 145(3), 253-266.
Carpenter, T.G. (1994). The Unintended Consequences of Afghanistan. World Policy Journal, 11(1), 76-87.
Afghanistan. (2007). In the Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.
Donini, a., Niland, N., & Wermester, K. (Eds.). (2004). Nation-Building Unraveled? Aid, Peace and Justice in Afghanistan. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press.
Others say Omar "was chosen by God," Rashid writes. hen interviewed by a journalist from Pakistan (Rahimullah Yousufzai) after taking control of Kabul, according to Rashid's book, Omar stated, "e had complete faith in God Almighty. e never forgot that. He can bless us with victory or plunge us into defeat."
Omar was born around 1959 (albeit much of his life is carefully guarded in secrecy), he has only one eye, and he never meets with or speaks with anyone who is not Muslim. He was born into a "family of poor, landless peasants who were members of the Hotak tribe" (Rashid, 25). The Rashid book (24-25) describes him as a "tall, well-built man with a long, black beard and a black turban." He has a "dry sense of humor and a sarcastic wit," albeit he is "extremely shy of outsiders" and is a "poor public speaker," according to Rashid on…...
mlaWorks Cited
Afghanistans. (2008). Afghanistan History. Retrieved March 22, 2009, at http://www.afghanistans.com/information/history/default.htm .
Bhatia, Michael. (2007). The Future of the Mujahideen: Legitimacy, Legacy and Demobilization in Post-Bonn Afghanistan. International Peacekeeping, 14(1), 90-107.
Cogan, Charles G. (2008). Afghanistan: Partners in Time. World Policy Journal, 3(25), 153-156.
Gibbs, David N. (2006). Reassessing Soviet Motives for Invading Afghanistan: A Declassified
War on Terror and Racial Profiling
Ten years removed from the horrific and fatal attacks launched by Al-Qaeda on 9-11, U.S. leadership continues to grapple with the challenges and complexities of protecting our nation from terrorist threats. Domestic security agencies such as the FBI utilize a myriad of information sources, channels, and platforms to collect intelligence which may prove useful in unlocking potential clues to homeland security threats. One of these essential tools is the gathering of data based on certain demographic characteristics: "certain terrorist and criminal groups target particular ethnic and geographic communities for victimization and/or recruitment purposes, this reality must be taken into account when determining if there are threats to the United States" (Knickerbocker, B. October 21, 2011. P.2). While the FBI views this activity as essential in the prevention of domestic terrorist attacks, civil liberties groups denounce the practice as "industrial scale racial profiling" (Knickerbocker, B. October…...
Democracy can be imposed only if the right example is given in this sense.
Torture is always completely arbitrary in the sense that you never know whether the person you are working it on is actually a terrorist or, perhaps, an innocent victim. The testimonies given by some of the prisoners are clear to show this.
The testimonies given in the transcription are those of different prisoners that have experienced the conditions in these secret CIA centres of detention. It is difficult not to be impressed by everything the victims have told the radio. The structure of their presentations follows the general forms of violent interrogations. For example, Binyam Mohamed tells us about his interrogation and describes it as almost the interrogators wanted to hear specific denunciations on his behalf and almost as if the torture was senseless after a point where the victim was already unable to provide any more…...
War on Terror
INTRO: Given recent events, it would be impossible to write this essay without first acknowledging the biggest victory in the War on Terror since its inception, the targeted assassination of Osama Bin Laden by U.S. Navy SEALS. With the kingpin of al-Qaeda, and mastermind behind the September 11 attacks on the United States, officially out of the picture, the world is a better place. Yet, a "better" place does not necessarily mean a "safer" place. There are still radicals and Islamic fundamentalists (Jihadists and Ba'athists) and enemies of the United States who would like to see this country suffer and who will stop at nothing to see their terrorist plans actualized. In short, the world is still a dangerous place. With that in mind we must continue to safeguard this country from terrorist attacks and it is the thesis of this essay to investigate ways in which…...
" (Meyer, 2009, p. 10) He argues that the Bush Administration forcefully framed the terms of the debate about the response to the terrorist threat and critics of his policy "missed an opportunity to advance broader political agendas." (Meyer, 2009, p. 10) The idea of fighting back with soft power and a law enforcement approach was ridiculed by those in power and made to seem as illegitimate way of attacking the terrorists.
The concept of a "war on terror" is difficult to explain because terrorism is a tactic, not a definable group of people. Airplanes, missiles, tanks, and infantry cannot defeat terror, and the ability to use terrorism is in the hands of small groups or even individuals, which again makes it hard to fight war against it. Also, unlike past American wars against distinct groups or nations, the war on terror relies on people agreeing on what defines terror itself.…...
mlaDue to the negative aspects of the war on terror -- the pre-mature declaration of "mission accomplished," the abuses at Abu Gharib, the questionable legality of Guantanamo Bay, the warrantless wiretaps at home, and the difficulty in beating down the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan -- by Bush's second term, the idea of the war on terror was losing some of its luster in the United States. In the presidential election year of 2008, the Democratic candidate Barack Obama refused to refer to the campaign against terrorists as the "war on terror" because the term had become so weighted down with negative connotations, and by not using it, he was signaling a change in approach. Once elected, Obama referred to the ongoing struggle as the "Overseas Contingency Operation."
In a very interesting article in the journal American Behavioral Scientist, David S. Meyer (2009) argues that the idea of a war on terror was not inevitable, and an alternative response could have been fashioned around so-called "soft power" measures. These could have included "expanded funding for language instruction and comparative religion in American schools, improved training for first responders in medical emergencies, and an overhaul of the health care system to provide rapid responses to crises." (Meyer, 2009, p. 10) He argues that the Bush Administration forcefully framed the terms of the debate about the response to the terrorist threat and critics of his policy "missed an opportunity to advance broader political agendas." (Meyer, 2009, p. 10) The idea of fighting back with soft power and a law enforcement approach was ridiculed by those in power and made to seem as illegitimate way of attacking the terrorists.
The concept of a "war on terror" is difficult to explain because terrorism is a tactic, not a definable group of people. Airplanes, missiles, tanks, and infantry cannot defeat terror, and the ability to use terrorism is in the hands of small groups or even individuals, which again makes it hard to fight war against it. Also, unlike past American wars against distinct groups or nations, the war on terror relies on people agreeing on what defines terror itself. As the old saying goes, one man's terrorist in another man's freedom fighter, and this gray area can make building domestic and international support somewhat challenging. Under the current administration, the rhetoric of the war on terror has been shelved in favor of a more multi-lateral approach abroad and a focus on civil liberties at home. However, many of the military tactics, such as the surge in Afghanistan, remain the same. Still, it seems helpful to have moved past the excesses of the early stages of the war on terror.
doubt whatsoever that September 11, 2001 will forever remain one of our country's darkest days. On this day, terrorists successfully launched one of the worst terror attacks the world has witnessed in modern times. In an attempt to come up with a reliable account of the background of the terror attacks, a commission was set up. This came to be referred to as the 9/11 commission.
The Major Interest Groups Surrounding the 9/11 Commission
From the onset, it is important to note that "family members of 9/11 victims were instrumental in the creation of the 9/11 commission" (Bolton, 2008, p. 240). They, therefore, constitute a key interest group in this case. These were people who lost and had their loved ones injured. In addition to ensuring that they got closure, they also needed safeguards and assurances that what had befallen their loved ones would not happen again -- one of the…...
mlaReferences
Bolton, M.K. (2008). U.S. National Security and Foreign Policymaking after 9/11: Present and the Re-Creation. New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield.
Badino, D. (2010). Democratic Oversight of Intelligence Services. Sydney: Federation Press.
Prevent Another 911
hat to Do to Prevent Another 9/11 and How to Fight the ar on Terror
On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda caught many Americans off guard. ith the exception of a few intelligence officers and politicians who had access to classified information, no one imagined that a foreign terrorist organization could attack the United States with such a precise and deadly strike. The attack left around 3,000 Americans dead, many others crippled and scarred (both physically and psychologically) caused billions of dollars worth damage to American people and the state, and fundamentally affected the American society. In response to 9/11, the U.S. government unleashed a war on terror to prevent another attack and defeat terrorism once and forever. The effort turned out to be partly successful -- no attack has been carried out against America on its soil since then -- and partly a failure since al-Qaeda still exists…...
mlaWork Cited:
Coaty, Patrick C. Understanding the War on Terror. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Pub. Co, 2009. Print
Cold ar and the ar on Terror
The Cold ar (C) and the ar against Terror (AT) were similar in several ways and different in other important aspects. Each is situated in its own particular political and social era. The C emerged in the post-2 years and was inextricably linked with a number of dynamic variables then shaping the global geopolitical spectrum: these variables included the rise of the Military-Industrial Complex, identified by Eisenhower as a threat to global peace and American security/prosperity in his outgoing speech on the eve of his departure from the hite House (Stone, Kuznick); also included was the propaganda campaign regarding the containment of Communism (even though this was not an issue in 2, as the U.S. was allied with the leader of the largest Communist nation in the world, Stalin of the Soviet Union -- and together they fought one of the only countries in…...
mlaWorks Cited
Butler, Smedley. War is a Racket. IN: Feral Press, 2008. Print.
Davis, John. Presidential Policies and the Road to the Second Iraq War. VT: Ashgate,
2006. Print.
Ferguson, Niall. Colossus. NY: Penguin, 2004. Print.
he war on terror does not have boundaries, because terrorists can be anywhere, and can target many different types of locations and people. Expanding the war on terror is justified, because there are many Americans overseas, and many foreign countries support America, and they become targets, too. his means we have to support our allies as well as our own internal war on terrorism, and supporting our allies helps keep us safer, as well.
Finally, the war on terrorism is justified because it has made people more aware of the threat of terrorism, and it has made them more aware of their surroundings and the people around them. errorists can be anywhere, and people understand that now. People are more diligent about their safety, and the safety of others. he war on terrorism does not promote hysteria or paranoia, it attacks terror in a logical way, and makes the people…...
mlaThe war on terrorism is not just taking place in America, it is happening around the world. A good example is the terror ring in Germany that was broken up and uncovered enough materials to bomb and kill thousands of people. The war on terror does not have boundaries, because terrorists can be anywhere, and can target many different types of locations and people. Expanding the war on terror is justified, because there are many Americans overseas, and many foreign countries support America, and they become targets, too. This means we have to support our allies as well as our own internal war on terrorism, and supporting our allies helps keep us safer, as well.
Finally, the war on terrorism is justified because it has made people more aware of the threat of terrorism, and it has made them more aware of their surroundings and the people around them. Terrorists can be anywhere, and people understand that now. People are more diligent about their safety, and the safety of others. The war on terrorism does not promote hysteria or paranoia, it attacks terror in a logical way, and makes the people feel safer as a result. I think it is vital that we remain vigilant about the threat of terrorism, and do not become complacent or distanced from it. We have to remain on guard at all times, and the war on terror helps people remember that we still have enemies, and we have to be vigilant about protecting ourselves from them. The war on terror is conducted so that we do not become complacent, but we also do not become paranoid about every person or activity. People need to remain calm and yet concerned, and I think the war on terror has helped promote those feelings, and that is another reason it is totally justified.
In conclusion, the war on terrorism has made things very different in this country, and we may never feel as safe as we did on September 10, 2001. However, the war on terror is justified because it has prevented more attacks, it saves lives, and it ensures our safety and well-being as much as it possibly can. The war on terrorism is justified, and it should, and will, continue in this country and around the world.
Arab League and the War on Terror
CONCRETE REFORMS OR LIP SERVICE?
The Arab League's Contributions to the War on Terror
The League of Arab States, also called Arab League, is a voluntary group of Arab-speaking countries, aiming at strengthening shared ties, coordinate common policies and direct these countries towards a common good (C NEWS 2007). It has 22 members, including Palestine, regarded by the League as an independent state. These 22 member-states have a combined population of 300 million, occupying 5.25 million square miles.. The concept of the League was originated by the ritish in 1942 when they intended to use Arab countries against the Axis powers during World War II. ut the intent did not materialize until March 1945 after the War. The preoccupation of the League at the time was to liberate colonized Arab countries and to prevent the Jewish minority in Palestine from turning it into a Jewish…...
mlaBibliography
Associated Press Staff (2002). Why War? Arab League Chief Warns U.S. Against Wider War. 3 web pages. Associated Press. Retrieved September 1, 2007 at http://www.why-war.com/news/read.php?id=1816&printme
BBC News (2007). Profile: Arab League. 3 pages. BBC co.uk. Retrieved September 1, 2007 at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/1550797.stm
Bhadui, A. (2004). Arab League Turns on Itself. 9 web pages. Asia Times: Asia Times Online Ltd. Retrieved September 1, 2007 at http://atimes.com/atimes/Middl_East/FE26Ak04.html
Bush, G.W. (2002). Remarks on the Situation in the Middle East. 4 pages. Compilation of Presidential Documents. U.S. Government Printing Office: Gale Group
Defeating Islamic Terrorism
According to Chan (2007), in his article "Defeating Islamic terrorism," to win the war against terror, the U.S. must wage a battle for the hearts and minds of people living in the Muslim world, not simply fight the battle on the level of a military conflict. A largely negative perception of the U.S. In the Middle East has stoked the fires of radicalism and without counterbalancing that mindset the U.S. will always be fighting radical fundamentalist groups, even if it successfully defeats every last member of Al Qaeda. However, the U.S. must also be aware of the fact that to build trust it must reach out to Muslim moderates. Physically, the effort to defeat terrorist groups in the short-term has been more successful than long-term efforts (Chan 2007:2).
The Islamic world has been difficult for the U.S. To understand because it is not monolithic although it is sometimes portrayed…...
mlaReference
Chan, W. (2007). Defeating Islamic terrorism. USAWC Strategy Research Project.
Rights of Enemy Combatants
hat rights to enemy combatants have when in United States custody? hat are the rules of war in that regard according to the Geneva Accords? This paper uses scholarly publications to examine the aforementioned important issues.
Clearly the U.S. attempt at the administration of justice with regard to enemy combatants -- an invented term that had no legal standing until the High Court accepted it -- has failed miserably. The image of the United States, the world's most visible democracy, has been sullied by the continuing saga of the way enemy combatants have been treated.
The rights of enemy combatant prisoners at Guantanamo
President Obama vowed during his first few days in office that he would work to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay within a year -- but that plan has not worked out for the president. As late as February 23, 2016, Obama has provided a blueprint…...
mlaWorks Cited
Cutler, L. (2006). Enemy Combatants and Guantanamo: The Rule of Law and Law of War
Post-911. Peace & Change, 31(1), 35-56.
Frakt, D.J.R. (2015). Persuasion in Civil Rights Advocacy: Lessons Learned in Representing
Guantanamo Detainees. Michigan State Law Review, 2015 (4), 1599-1615.
(Reese, Killgore & Ritter 22)
Another well documented myth is that Iraq and some active terrorist organization, of which Iraq is not one, have benefited from the dissolution of the Soviet Union, through the proliferation of Soviet weapons scientists and their knowledge.
A another fear of MD proliferation was through Soviet "brain drain." Yet there has been no open-source evidence indicating that MD materials or knowledge has reached terrorist hands from the breakup of the former Soviet Union. [61] Though the potential proliferation of weapons and expertise has to be taken seriously, several factors mitigate the danger of chem-bio defectors. First, most chemical and biological scientists who departed the Soviet Union have emigrated to the United States, Britain, Israel, and Germany for commercial jobs. Second, there is no evidence to suggest that scientists have alternately gone to Libya, Syria, North Korea, or Iraq to sell their weapons expertise. Third, some confidence…...
mlaWorks Cited
Ackerman, Spencer. "War in Iraq 2003-?
: The Pentagon Had No Intention of Staying in Iraq Forever. But the White House Won't Answer a Simple Yes-or-No Question about Permanent Bases, and the Situation Keeps Getting Worse. So Pentagon Brass Are Planning -- and Building-for the (Very) Long Haul." The American Prospect, November 2006, 17.
American Policy and Islam; Attack on Iraq Will Hurt War on Terrorism." The Washington Times, 18 March 2002, A19.
Cohn, Marjorie. "Understanding, Responding to and Preventing Terrorism." Arab Studies Quarterly (ASQ) (2002): 25.
Operation Anaconda was, at the time, the largest combat operation in Afghanistan as part of the War on Terrorism that was declared after the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It was launched on March 2, 2002. Major General F.L. Hagenback, the commander of the U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division, was responsible for leading an offensive attack on al-Qaeda and Taliban forces that were located in the Shahi-Kot Valley/ Arma Mountain region near Zormat in Afghanistan. It was the first major battle after the Battle of Tora Bora and was the first battle to feature American....
Critical Discourse Analysis: Unraveling Power Dynamics and Ideological Influences in Language
Introduction
Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is a multifaceted approach to linguistic inquiry that investigates the ways in which language is used to construct and perpetuate social and political power dynamics. CDA scholars contend that language is not merely a neutral medium of communication, but an active agent that shapes our perceptions, ideologies, and the ways we interact with the world.
Key Principles
CDA is grounded in the following principles:
Language is inseparable from power: Discourse is embedded in social contexts and reflects the power relations that exist within them.
Meaning is socially constructed:....
Chapter 1: Ancient Civilizations
The Rise and Fall of the Sumerian City-States
The Indus Valley Civilization: Unraveling the Enigma
The Ancient Egyptian Civilization: Pyramids, Pharaonic Power, and Daily Life
The Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations: Maritime Masters of the Aegean
The Zhou Dynasty and the Birth of Chinese Civilization
Chapter 2: Classical Civilizations
The Athenian Golden Age: Democracy, Philosophy, and the Arts
The Roman Empire: Conquests, Governance, and the Pax Romana
The Mauryan Empire: From Chandragupta to Ashoka's Legacy
The Hellenistic World: A Syncretic Blend of Greek and Persian Cultures
The Han Dynasty: China's Ascendancy and Technological Innovations
Chapter 3: Medieval Civilizations
The....
1. The Effects of Modern Warfare on Civilian Populations
2. The Role of Technology in Shaping Contemporary Wars
3. The Changing Nature of Conflict in the 21st Century
4. The Role of Media in Shaping Public Opinion during Modern Wars
5. The Humanitarian Impact of War in Contemporary History
6. The Evolution of Guerrilla Warfare: Case Studies from the 21st Century
7. The Role of International Intervention in Modern Wars
8. The Impact of Cyber Warfare in Modern Conflict
9. The Changing Face of Terrorism in the Modern World
10. War Crimes and Accountability in Contemporary Conflicts
11. The Influence of Political Rhetoric on the Naming of Wars in Modern....
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