[Peace-discuss] a *real* plan for fighting terrorism

[patton paul]

Ending Terrorism: What Would it Really Take?
by Andy Mager


After more than two years of the "War on Terrorism," few of us feel safer
here at home and many around the world many people feel less secure. Two
wars have been launched--and continue--in Afghanistan and Iraq. While the
Bush/Cheney administration persistently asserts that we're "winning" this
war, their claims rings hollow.

Their approach has focused on "pre-emptive" wars and heavy-handed limits
on civil liberties.

Below is a list of actions/approaches which I believe are necessary
components of a plan to really end terrorism, followed by a summary of the
US government's actions in these areas.

Honestly Define Terrorism as Attacks Which Directly or Indirectly Target
Civilians' Regardless of the Perpetrators

Our government refuses to meaningfully define terrorism because such a
definition would include various US actions as well as those of some
allies. The US government and many of its allies and client states have
been big-time practitioners of terrorism-from Jackson, Mississippi to the
jungles of Viet Nam, from the refugee camps of the Gaza Strip to the
island of East Timor, from the mountains of Colombia to the Bay of Pigs in
Cuba. To end terrorism, we must first stop terrorizing.

Create Viable International Institutions to Prosecute Crimes Against
Humanity

Our government has repeatedly blocked efforts to create an effective
International Criminal Court. The Clinton administration gave lip service
while insisting on special treatment. The Bush administration seeks to
scuttle the entire enterprise. As long as unequal standards are applied to
the judgment of international conduct, violence will remain an acceptable
option.

Strengthen International Institutions to Address Poverty and Inequality

Our government has withheld funds from the United Nations for many years
and frequently denigrates the UN. (This approach changes temporarily when
UN support for US priorities is sought). US foreign aid is low compared to
the size of our economy, is rarely targeted at the countries most in need,
and often comes with requirements that benefit US corporations more than
impoverished people.

Support International Efforts to Address Global Problems

Our government actively resists efforts to address global warming,
ignoring the international consensus. It was a "no show" at the 2001 UN
Conference on Racism. The US is among the "rogue states" who refuse to
sign the International Treaty to Ban Land Mines. The US government
regularly thwarts the will of the international community through power
politics.

Work to Eliminate Weapons of Mass Destruction

Our government continues to maintain the world's largest stockpile of
nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. We have been a leader in
developing all these technologies and are ready to embark on the
development of a new generation of nuclear weapons. The US government
played a key role in preventing the passage of a Nuclear Non-proliferation
Treaty with teeth which would have committed the nuclear powers to a
timeline for disarmament. The US insists on the right of a few nations to
maintain a nuclear monopoly.

Reduce Weapons Exports

Our government is the largest exporter of all types of arms and has often
sold weapons to both sides of a conflict-for example, Iran and Iraq.
According to the Arms Sales Monitoring Project of the Federation of
American Scientists, "Since 1990, the United States has exported more than
$152 billion worth of weapons to states around the world. Many of these
sales have been to repressive and/or unstable governments." In 2001 (the
last year for which information is available) the US accounted for 45.8%
of the world's total arms exports. At the UN Conference on the Illicit
Trade in Small Arms in 2001, the US delegation sought to water down and
undermine agreements to reduce the international flow of small weapons.

Base US Foreign Policy on Fairness and Equality

US foreign policy is based on self-interest, particularly for its
corporate backers. Our trade policies benefit large corporations and hurt
poor and working people throughout the world. The tremendous pressure for
further extension of what is misleadingly called "free trade" threatens to
worsen this process.

Preserving our "way of life"-i.e. our right to consume as many resources
as we can, is consistently cited to justify support for repressive regimes
the world over. The US government's military and political power is used
to guarantee access to cheap natural resources.

Recognize and Address Historic and Current Racism

Our government denies the powerful role that racism has played in creating
and defining our world. They go even further in denying the way that
racism drives much of our current policies. Ignoring the desperate
humanitarian needs in parts of Africa and the Rwandan genocide are
examples of this long and sordid record.

Refuse to Support Military Solutions to Social Problems

If it is acceptable for our government to use military force to solve
conflict, then other countries and groups will follow suit. After the US
bombed Afghanistan in 2001, India used this example to justify its
military build-up and threats against Pakistan. Israel seized the
opportunity to step up its military assault on occupied Palestine. Foreign
aid resources must be diverted away from military support and training and
used for education, healthcare, infrastructure development, etc. The "War
on Drugs," now largely supplanted by the "War on Terrorism," is another
example of the US government's choice of military responses (arms to the
Colombian military, greater police presence at the Mexican border, etc.)
to a social and economic problem.

Don't Train or Support Terrorists

Our government has threatened to strike any nation which trains or harbors
terrorists. Remember the CIA training manuals for the Nicaraguan contras?
It advocated terrorist attacks on union leaders, mining harbors, and more.
Similar manuals have been produced by the US Army's School of the Americas
to train terrorists throughout Latin America.

Seek to Understand what Motivates "Terrorist" Attacks

Bush administration officials continue to define this as a struggle
against "evil," defining terrorism as a problem solely of small groups of
"wicked" people. Instead, we should seek to understand what motivates
those who attack civilians. Seeking to understand and address the root
causes of terrorism does not mean that we condone those acts.

Use the Media to Promote Education and Understanding

The Bush Administration has consistently misled the public and the media
to sell the Iraq War to the American people. Their statements are designed
to make it seem "unpatriotic" to raise questions and criticisms. President
Bush shuns news conferences or other situations in which he is questioned
by journalists.

Reduce US Dependence on Oil

Our national addiction to oil remains unchallenged, including in the
Energy bill before Congress. The need for massive oil supplies fuels US
foreign policy in the Middle East and affects policy in other parts of the
world. Efforts to increase efficiency standards for automobiles,
particularly SUVs, have been rebuffed.

This list is certainly not comprehensive, but can serve as a starting
point for discussion about how to eliminate terrorism. Since this "war"
will be a major issue in the 2004 Presidential election, debunking the
myths and looking at reality is critical to the success of democracy at
home.

Andy Mager is a staffperson at the Syracuse Peace Council, a nonviolence
trainer and freelance writer.