By Dr. Sawraj Singh
September, 2011 will be ten years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York. The question remains, is America winning the war against terrorism? New agencies such as Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence have been created. Security has increased at the airports making the air travel was unpleasant experience for some people sometimes. The Indian ambassador and the Indian ambassador to the United Nations were subjected to harassment. Many turbaned Sikhs had to suffer humiliation at the airports. The American immigration policies have been adversely affected. Attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq were launched, draining billions of dollars and killing hundreds of thousand innocent people. However, the basic question still remains, that is America winning the war against terrorism?
The answer to this question is a big no. Bush claimed victory in Iraq from a speech in an air craft carrier, in 2003. However, in 2004, the CIA conceded defeat in Iraq. Many military experts feel that the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable. Osama Bin Laden has been a but the Al Qaeda remains very much alive. There has been no decrease in the terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. After 20 years of fighting, there has been no decrease of violence in Somalia. The violence there has spread from the land to the sea. The ships belonging to almost all major countries have been hijacked. There is possibility that the situation in Libya may become similar to Somalia.
Why is America not winning the war against terrorism? I feel that the main reason for America’s failure is that it is fighting terrorism mainly with military force. However, the fight against terrorism can not be won by the military force alone. We have to address the underlying causes of terrorism. There is a widespread impression in the world that the American policies are based upon inequality, injustice, discrimination and double standards towards the people of the third world, particularly against the Muslim. The impression that America is following anti- Muslim policies, is one of the main causes of terrorism. However, America has practically done nothing to correct this impression and has done everything to reinforce this impression. The Al Qaeda has been able to convince many Muslims that the American policies are against them. Therefore, it has no problem recruiting more people.
There is still another impression about America which is also widely held. This is that America is not sincere in the fight against terrorism and has used terrorism to its advantage wherever it can. If America is really serious and sincere to eradicate terrorism then it has to join the world community to find the answers to the question that how can we eradicate terrorism? We cannot use double standards and have to condemn all kinds of terrorism, including the State terrorism. We have to strive to make the World a better place for all the people regardless of their race, color, religion or national origin.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected] or 509-962-3652.
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