9/11 and Global Terrorism

It seems only fitting that this pessimistic blog begins with one of the greatest tragedies of our history: 9/11.  

While I will be focusing on the political implications of the event in relation to global terrorism it is important to acknowledge the human suffering that occurred. The total number of deaths of September 11th as a result of the attacks stands at 2,996. In response to 9/11 the US invaded Afghanistan to dismantle Al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban government that harboured them. This invasion subsequently meant the loss of 2,361 American troops, 453 British service men and women, and (a more difficult statistic to be certain of) up to 21,000 Afghan civilians. 

The attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda are perhaps the most prominent example of global terrorism, however this point should not be overstated as it was not the first incidence of international/transnational/global terrorism. For example, in the 1960s left wing groups such as the Japanese Red Army and the Italian Red Brigade were of the belief that they were part of a global struggle against Capitalism and aimed to remove the U.S's military presence in Western Europe. 

Modern terrorism can be seen as a result of globalization, firstly the increased flow of ideas, people, money etc. across borders is of benefit to non-state actors at the expense of the state as terrorist groups in particular are capable of exploiting this. Secondly, increased international migration has helped to support terrorist campaigns- the Tamil Tigers for example are partly funded by diaspora communities in Western Europe and Canada. Thirdly, the consequence of globalization is that it has generated a backlash against cultural globalization (the spread of western ideas, values and goods)- furthermore the global capitalist system has contributed to a growth in political militancy by creating imbalances that have impoverished certain parts of the world. 

Having said that, globalization alone cannot explain the emergence of transnational/global terrorism. Jihadist terrorism, an example of transnational terrorism, is a response expressed through political-religious ideology to political developments from the 1970s onwards. First of all, popular opinion turned against the autocratic and corrupt regimes that failed to meet the economic and political demands of the citizens- the defeat of Arab nationalism led to an increasingly religious based movement to overthrow apostate Muslim leaders in countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Pakistan. Secondly, the growth of U.S. military influence in the Middle East further exacerbated the situation- support for apostate leaders across the region and troops in the 'holy ground' of Saudi Arabia made the U.S. appear a threat to Islam. Finally, the growth in religious fundamentalism, much of which can be attributed to the 1979 Iranian 'Islamic Revolution'. 

These are the circumstances from which Al Qaeda evolved- it's goals are transnational and can be seen to represent Islamist terrorism as a whole. It seeks to overthrow Muslim apostate leaders whilst simultaneously expelling U.S. influence. It has cells and organisations across the globe and terrorist attacks in states such as Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Kenya have been associated with the organisation. This does seem to support the idea that modern terrorism has developed onto a global scale- by defining its aim as the overthrow of a civilization (liberal/secular society) it expands its target beyond the U.S. However, the globally united nature of modern terrorism must not be overstated. The jihadist movement is not a single entity, rather it encompasses a range of groups with, usually, very different beliefs and aims. They are, in a sense, religious nationalists as opposed to revolutionaries. For example, to link attacks such as 9/11 to the 2005 London bombing and the 2008 Mumbai bombings and see them as unified by purpose or inspiration is a misunderstanding. Secondly, terrorist attacks usually have taken place in a relatively small number of countries such as Israel, Afghanistan and Iraq- meaning much of the world isn't significantly affected by terrorism. Lastly, the concept of modern terrorism is much to do with the response to terrorism. The global 'war on terror' has sustained the idea of modern terrorism. 

Furthermore, not only has terrorism in some views expanded to a global scale but it's impact as a significant security threat as increased- of course 9/11 is the most prominent example here. There is no doubt 9/11 had a costly impact- the lives lost, as mentioned above, and the significance of its targets as institutions of global political power, financial power, and military power. Having said that, the causalities of 9/11 were relatively small in number compared to other forms of warfare, such as the Battle of the Somme which claimed the lives of 1.5 million men. 

To conclude, the real significance of 9/11 is that it highlighted an uncontrollable security threat- a threat that has the potential to wreak catastrophic devastation and is near impossible to protect against.