[Peace-discuss] Fwd: mamdani on terrorism

[Al Kagan]

>Here is a short but excellent article on the US approach to terrorism.
>
>>
>>
>>UGANDA Turn Off Your Tunnel Vision
>>
>>By Mahmood Mamdani
>>
>>Sunday, January 6, 2002; Page B03
>>
>>Washington Post, Outlook Section
>>
>>The Pentagon's search for al Qaeda members in Somalia is the latest 
>>indication that Sept. 11 could have an adverse effect on U.S. 
>>relations with African nations. To understand why, think back to 
>>1975, when the United States was defeated in Indochina and the 
>>Portuguese empire collapsed in Africa. The same events that 
>>Africans celebrated as ushering in the end of European colonialism 
>>opened a new phase in the Cold War: There was a shift not only in 
>>the Cold War's center of gravity from Indochina to southern Africa, 
>>but also in the methods of waging it. Official America harnessed, 
>>even cultivated, terrorism in the struggle against movements it saw 
>>as Soviet proxies. Yes, I do mean "terrorism," which Washington 
>>supports when it backs groups for whom the preferred method of 
>>operation is destroying the infrastructure of civilian life.
>>
>>The post-Vietnam embrace of terrorism did not end with the Cold 
>>War. Right up until Sept. 11, America counseled African governments 
>>to "reconcile" with terrorist groups. Since then, that has given 
>>way to a demand for justice. But just as reconciliation became a 
>>code word for impunity, the danger now is that "justice" will mean 
>>bloody revenge. Reconciliation became a strategy to undermine newly 
>>won state independence; the campaign against terrorism risks 
>>demonizing dissent.
>>
>>I was a young lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam in 
>>Tanzania in 1975, and I remember well the U.S. approach to southern 
>>Africa then and in the years that followed. Faced with the 
>>possibility of a decisive victory in Angola by the MPLA, the 
>>Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, which it saw as a 
>>Soviet proxy, Washington encouraged South Africa to intervene 
>>militarily in support of UNITA, the National Union for the Total 
>>Independence of Angola. But South African military assistance only 
>>tarnished UNITA with the brush of apartheid and weakened it. 
>>Preoccupied with how to bring South Africa out of political 
>>isolation to contain movements such as the MPLA, the Reagan 
>>administration announced a major policy shift: "constructive 
>>engagement" with the apartheid regime.
>>
>>The American embrace of terrorism was global -- in Angola; in 
>>Mozambique, where it supported RENAMO, the Mozambique National 
>>Resistance; in Nicaragua (the contras); and in Afghanistan (the 
>>mujaheddin). Terrorism distinguished itself from guerrilla war by 
>>making civilians its preferred target. What official America today 
>>calls collateral damage was not an unfortunate byproduct of war; it 
>>was the very point of terrorism. And the point of collateral damage 
>>was never military, always political.
>>
>>When South Africa curtailed assistance to UNITA in 1991, U.S. aid 
>>was stepped up. The hope was that terrorism would deliver a 
>>political victory in Angola, as it had indeed in Nicaragua. The 
>>logic was simple: If the level of collateral damage could be made 
>>unacceptably high, the people would surely vote the terrorists into 
>>power.
>>
>>Even after the Cold War, the tolerance for terror remained high. 
>>The callous Western response to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda was no 
>>exception. Nor was Jan. 6, 1999, when Revolutionary United Front 
>>gunmen maimed and raped their way across Freetown, Sierra Leone, 
>>killing more than 5,000 civilians in a day. The U.S. response was 
>>to pressure the government to share power with the rebels.
>>
>>If the Cold War was an umbrella under which America sheltered 
>>right-wing dictators in power and embraced terrorists out of power, 
>>the danger is now the temptation to view Africa while preoccupied 
>>with a single overriding concern -- this time terrorism -- and to 
>>once again ignore African realities.
>>
>>Mahmood Mamdani, a native of Uganda, is Herbert Lehman Professor of 
>>Government and director of the Institute of African Studies at 
>>Columbia University.
>>
>>© 2002 The Washington Post Company

-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
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