9/11's dangerous legacy
NEVER before the repercussions of a terror had attack inflicted such misery in the history of mankind. No, I am not talking about the victims of World Trade Centre, but about the ones who became prey to America's 'war on terror'. The 9/11 is perhaps the deadliest among all legacies that was intended for creating more global conflicts across the world.
Ask yourself, if you had ever known, heard or come across a disaster that would create and justify a rhetorical war under the 'war on terrorism' banner which is literally dispersed while whose criteria for inclusion is also unclear. It's all the battles under this 'war for terror' flag that has snatched away the lives of peoples at least ten times more than the collective number of who died on that ill-omened day of September. Not surprisingly yet this war is being used for justify unilateral preventive war, human rights abuses and other violations of international law. But the question is for how long will it continue? The question automatically arises since, enough abuse have been already recorded. By no means am I trying to say that terror acts should not be prevented but simply proposing to define this war more clearly than what it's now. Ironically, the war's euphemistic term under the Obama era has changed to 'Overseas Contingency Operation'- a term that is even more obscured.
This war wouldn't have existed if 9/11 hadn't occurred, but think deeply how much of global terrorism this war has actually prevented since its commencement? Little in fact and the truth is: if it was intended to fight terrorism than it had only fought against those terrorists who had conducted terror attacks on US subjects and interests. More to it is that this US-style Jihad on terror wouldn't have initiated even if a million had died on a terror attack in another country.
Against the backdrop of current reality, there are enough reasons for saying that the abuse of this war has actually become a prime reason for fundamentalists and fanatics for carrying out even more intensified acts of horror. With Over 6,000 US soldiers killed in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq followed by a damaging over-reaction is America really winning the war it was meant for? Domestically it may have winning but on a global perspective it allowed the Taliban to regroup in Afghanistan that has strengthened Al-Qaida's positions even further. And evidently the US military's unbeatable trademark has also vanished by the success with which rag-tag groups of guerrillas have defied and aggravated it in some parts of Afghanistan and middle-east.
The bottom line is we aside the all Americans condemn and mourn for what had happened on 11 September, but the legacy of a vicious continual warfare born out of it must come to an end; its struggle against terrorism must be re-defined.
The writer is Current Affairs Analyst, The Daily Star.
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