3 of 62

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 3

won. Proponents believe that they can kill or capture all the extremist Muslims, but that is absurd. As some terrorist/extremists are contained, others continually take their places. The massive number of impoverished and displaced Muslims in the Middle East ensures that achieving the stated goal of eliminating all the extremists is impractical. It would require creation of police state controls over the impoverished Muslim areas, unless economic opportunities were created for them in huge new economic development programs. The high birth rate of impoverished Muslims all but guarantees a continuous supply of willing recruits for al-Qaeda. To date, neither America and its European allies, nor the wealthy Muslim sovereigns, have been willing to invest substantially in either economic progression or

suppression of the masses of poor. Even in Iraq, where American troops have nominally ruled the streets for nearly 5 years, the numbers of angry, disaffected Muslims hasn't diminished.

Winning the "War on Terror" is unrealistic without drastic changes in approach. The prominent American role in Iraq and Afghanistan is counter-productive, as it directly supports the efforts of al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups to recruit to their causes. American troops should be removed from obvious leadership roles in order to disassociate the connections. At the same time, economic empowerment should become the major focus of the "War". Only progress and hope can make recruitment tough for al-Qaeda, unless Aldrous Huxley's "1984" is to be the model. People who feel betrayed and disadvantaged don't turn from inspirational rebels, unless they have reason for belief that conditions will improve for themselves. They don't care what Westerners think or want, unless there is something in it for them. That something would have to be credible for them, something palpable that they can believe in. Empty platitudes of Western concepts of freedom and liberty mean almost nothing without prosperity.

America doesn't want a Pyhrric victory that will only make the terrorists stronger. America wants a victory which will be lasting. However, that is unattainable by military means alone. In fact, what is perceived by Muslims as military oppression tends to turn more moderate Muslims into radical extremists. It is possible to exercise some level of military control over places in Iraq and Afghanistan, but that is only temporary. Over time, the number of troops required increases, because of the inherent

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Winning the war against terrorism?
We want to hear your view. Write now!