When will this 21st century reign of terror finally end? No one has an answer. There are, however, some positive contributors that may eventually align to bring about a slow but sure jihadist flame-out.
Democracy In The Middle East
First, the unexpected mass movements in Middle East and North Africa demanding more democratic government and individual freedoms may deal a serious blow to organizations such as al Qaeda. Osama bin Laden preached for many years to his fellow Arabs that the only way to bring about change and rid Middle East of selfish monarchs and despot dictators was through violent means.
The predominantly non-violent, 2011 mass demonstrations throughout the Arab region (Libya being the exception) may have proven to Arab Street that with respect to al Qaeda and similar jihadist groups promoting violent overthrow, their time has passed.
During the winter and spring of 2011, many thousands of citizens in Tunisia, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain refused to resort to violence during their protests, despite the often brutal tactics employed by those countries’ security forces against the demonstrators.
The paramount example of change that can be achieved by peaceful protest was presented to the Arab world by the Egyptians. Egypt is the largest Arab nation state. The ousting of their President and long-time heavy-handed ruler Hosni Mubarak, after just weeks of unrelenting yet peaceful civil disobedience and demonstration, lent credence to a growing view in the Arab world that the preaching of violence to achieve governmental change, as espoused by the Osama bin Ladens of the world, is passé.
The demise of Osama bin Laden, coupled with continued, peaceful and successful Arab demands for freedom, could prove to be the 2 decisive blows that slowly but certainly render al Qaeda weak and increasingly irrelevant in the months and years to come.
What We Can Do To Aid Middle Eastern Democracy
Freedom-loving nations must affect an end to the preaching of anti-Western, anti-Christian and anti-Judeo hatred permeating all-too-many textbooks, sermons, family discussions, radio and TV shows throughout Arab, Persian and Muslim worlds. In order to stop the terror, one must terminate the cause that sparks and fuels the terror. Kill the cause and the terror will fade away.
The free world must continue to provide economic development, secular education and job opportunities for those trapped in poverty and despair in underprivileged Arab and Muslim lands. Secular education brings with it exposure to other views and opinions, debate, new cultures, disagreement and reflection – all of which can lead to a greater understanding, acceptance and tolerance of different peoples, their religious beliefs and lifestyles.
Following a secular education, opportunities for well-paying careers and advancement must be afforded to many more Muslims internationally. Careers generate respectable income and individual pride. Financial security and opportunity for advancement among a greater number of Muslims will enable them to stabilize, marry, retain a job, maintain a residence and provide for a family.
Western powers must cease aligning themselves with corrupt Arab and Muslim regimes that suppress their own citizens and squander their nations’ wealth. Much easier said than done. The relationship between the United States government and the Saudi Arabian royal family is a textbook example of the oil-based, pimp-prostitute relationships that only fuel anti-American sentiments. America’s support of corrupt and unjust regimes stimulate the propaganda machines of al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Taliban and contribute positively to terror recruiters’ efforts.
There is a growing intolerance among Muslims for terror attacks, carnage and killing of innocents. Hopefully this disapproval will continue to grow and erode local indigenous support for Islamists throughout the world.
The Need For A Smart Application Of Force
Terrorists must continue to be captured and killed. This will not stop the terror. When one jihadist dies in battle another quickly takes his place. But until it all ends, one less terrorist on the streets is one less innocent falling victim to murder in the name of Islam.
America must defend itself at all costs but without occupying Muslim lands and engaging in prolonged wars. The United States has been playing into al Qaeda’s propagandist hands for almost 2 decades. Osama bin Laden told his followers in the early 1990s that if American troops were allowed to occupy Muslim lands, they would never depart. That has been proven true since Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm were conducted 2 decades ago. American troops remain in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Afghanistan.
Unfortunately and while initially well-intentioned, the United States has missed the mark and significantly botched both the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Neither of these wars possess definable, achievable objectives. The Iraqis are simply playing along and biding their time until U.S. and coalition forces finally depart. Then the bloodbath will commence as Sunni and Shia Muslims battle each other for wealth and power and as Iran supports Iraqi Shias with arms, intelligence, supplies and the political clout of an impending nuclear power.
With respect to Afghanistan, the military objective for which we initially invaded – to retaliate against al Qaeda for the 9/11 attacks and to rid Afghanistan of al Qaeda – was achieved a long time ago. Let’s stop playing into the hands of the Islamist propaganda machines by indefinitely occupying Muslim lands. Let’s bring our valiant man and women of back home and give them the rest they so desperately need and so richly deserve.
The United States must adopt a ruthless but non-occupational approach to eradicating terror threats in foreign lands. On May 1, 2011 President Barack Obama did just that when he ordered American elite Special Forces to violate the sovereign airspace and border of Pakistan, find and eliminate Osama bin Laden and return home.
All America presidents must keep the world on notice.
Any nation that willingly or unwillingly permits terrorists to reside, train, plan or conduct operations to the detriment of the United States, and that refuses to eradicate the threat itself, will be visited by U.S. military forces.
The U.S. military will drop in unannounced, brutally eliminate the threat and then return home immediately. People will be killed. Things will be broken. The U.S. will not pick up the cleaning bill.
The U.S. reserves the right to ruthlessly defend itself, anytime, anyplace. But it will no longer occupy foreign soil, nation-build, pay for damages incurred in the act of defending itself abroad nor notify other nations of an impending, special forces visit.
The Struggle For Peace Must Go On
The post-bin Laden Islamist jihadist will continue to be resilient, innovative, asymmetric and willing to die for Allah and Islam. Unburdened by massive bureaucracies, nation state fiscal obligations, complicated procedures and long approval processes, the jihadist will continue to successfully and rapidly develop and adapt his tactics, techniques and procedures and weaponry to meet and beat those of his adversaries.
The ongoing, Islamist jihad is not likely to come to an abrupt end. The free world must continue to endeavor to get it right, with its best hope being that the Islamist jihad will wither away on the radical vine before the mid-21st Century.
Peoples of the free world must remain ever-vigilant. Let us all never forget that in this war against Islamist jihadists, one person can save the lives of a great many by taking to heart the spot-on guidance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security:
“If you see something, say something.”
