TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Table of Content
Table of Illustration
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Objectives of Study
1.4 Significance of Study
1.5 Scope and Limitations
1.6 Literature Review
1.7 Theoretical Framework
1.8 Hypotheses
1.9 Methodology
1.10 Definition of Key Concepts
References
CHAPTER TWO
HISTORICAL ANTECEDENT OF AFGHANISTAN
2.1 Afghanistan and Terrorist Activities
2.2 The Fall of the Taliban Regime
References
CHAPTER THREE
3.1 Fighting Terrorists Finance
References
CHAPTER FOUR
THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM AND GLOBAL SECURITY
4.1 America’s War on Terrorism, impact on Global security
4.2 The United Nations and The War Against Terrorism
References
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendation
References
Bibliography
Appendix
TABLE OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig. 1: Showing some major terrorist incidents in Afghanistan
between September 2001- June 2010.
Fig. 2: Terrorist attacks in Afghanistan between September 2001 –
June 2010.
Fig. 3: Death casualties in some major terrorist incidents in
Afghanistan between September 2001 – June 2010.
ABSTRACT
This study intends to critically carry out an assessment among other
things, role the United States is playing in the fight against terrorism;
whether the United States actions conform with international laws and
conventions. In order to research on the problem, the following
hypotheses were formulated to guide the study; the war on terrorism has
affected terrorists financing; the war on terrorism has had significant
impact on global security. The Power Theory was found viable as an
analytical tool because it is most suitable for the study. The theory posits
that wealth and military strength cannot make a state super power, but
that states also need a high level of influence as in the case with the
United States. That is why the United States is referred to as super power,
because it possesses military strength, wealth and influence over most
nations. In order for us to achieve the objectives of this study, information
were derived through content analysis of articles, documents, journals,
internet sources, magazines, monographs and books related to the study.
The study found out that the United States did not declare war against
terrorism because it was interested in the security situation in Afghanistan
in particular and the world in general, but because the Taliban and their
allies finally engaged in activities that directly harmed the United States.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Terrorism is a phenomenon that governments around the world
have come to fear. According to Jenkins (1975:1), terrorism is referred to
as, a strategy whereby violence is used to produce certain effects in a
group of people so as to attain some political end or ends, and one of the
effects of such a strategy is often fear, although there are also other
effects. Thornton (1964:73), in his contribution sees terrorism as the use
of terror as a symbolic act designed to influence political behaviour by
extra normal means, entailing the use of a threat of violence. Terrorism
therefore may achieve political ends by either mobilizing forces
sympathetic to the cause of the terrorists or by immobilizing the forces of
the incumbent authorities.
Terrorism is a phenomenon that governments around the world
have come to fear. According to O’Connor (1987:149);
The problem of how to deal with the threat of terrorism has
been grappled with by political leaders of virtually every
democratic nation (O’ Connor, 1987:149).
Since the Second World War, there have been hundreds of terrorists
groups operating world wide, each pursuing its own political agenda that
ranges from aircraft hijackings, hostage taking and embassy and
department store bombings, to the assassination of political leaders and
diplomats. According to Bush (1988:131);
Combating this continuing stream of terrorist events has
proved a troublesome political issue for democratic
governments, especially when trying to protect their citizens
and property overseas (Bush, 1988:131).
Governments can usually enact legislation to guard against terrorism at
home and develop their domestic, law enforcement agencies to detect and
deter potential local events. It can also exercise a large measure of control
when resolving events such as hostage situations that have already
unfolded domestically, but when faced with events overseas, far from
their geographic sovereignty, governments are especially vulnerable and
terrorists know this. It is a notable fact that some states have regarded
terrorism as one means of conducting foreign relations. In this view
therefore, Davis (1990:10) posited that, Libya under Murmah Ghadaffi,
established a large network of training camps which at times gave support
to specific attacks. He went further to state that during the 1980s, Libya
trained as many as seven to eight thousand terrorists and guerillas per
year, spent approximately one hundred million US dollars on arms and
financial disbursement to Palestinian terrorists, shared intelligence with
terrorists groups, provided transport aboard Libyan airlines, supplied false
passports and save-housed terrorists operating in Europe (Davis,
1990:10).
Suffice it to say therefore that, the activities of terrorists escalated
and came to limelight in contemporary times, as a result of the terrorists’
attacks on World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on the 11th of
September, 2001, popularly referred to as “9/11”.
According to Andreani (2004:31), September 11th was for all to
see, an act of war. The sheer magnitude of the attacks, their merciless
violence, plus the world wide impact of the damages, immediately
imposed the word “WAR” as the only one commensurate with the event
and the outrage it had provoked. Less than 30 days after the attacks,
President George W. Bush of the United States, declared ‘WAR ON
TERRORISM’ with a global reach and announced that the war would end
“only with the eradication of this evil”. In the fall of 2001, the swift
punishment of the perpetrators of these attacks, and the defeat of their
Taliban accomplices following a lightening military campaign in
Afghanistan, translated the US president’s promise into deeds.
The question one may wish to ask at this point is, “can the war on
terrorism end with a declaration of final victory?” The impact of the
September 11 attack on US has thus been contradictory. There is no
doubt that it did deliver a salvage blow to America’s prestige, its
economy and its international dignity. It has also helped justify a massive
military build-up which has placed the United States in an even more
dominant position than it was already. However, the knowledge or belief
that terrorism is, directly or indirectly, the hostile act of another state
provides the target state with a visible foe and creates the circumstances
for the exercise of diplomatic or military responses, which includes, the
imposition of military, economic or political sanctions and retaliation
with the aim of deterring future terrorists attacks as evident in the case of
Afghanistan.
It is imperative to state that the war on global terrorism may not
end with a declaration of final victory, the use of the word, ‘war’ in
reference to such evils, and to terrorism itself, rather than against a
designated enemy, is essentially metaphorical. Based on the above, it is
important to carry out a research on the United States war on terrorism
and the impacts it has on global security, with a case study of
Afghanistan, so as to ascertain the role the United States is playing,
whether it is of selfish or of collective global interest.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
According to a diplomat, as quoted by Ikenberry (2001:29),
“One knows where a war begins, but one never knows where it ends”.
After the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush, declared “war
on terrorism” and announced that the war would end only with the
eradication of this evil. Declaring a war against terrorism is warranted to
the extent that there is a normative element in any war, so that success
should confirm that certain types of behaviours are unacceptable and that
the perpetrators can expect to see their efforts thwarted and eventually
punished. The problem with this designation is that, it takes the war
beyond the immediate cause and raises questions of what is to be
included and excluded.
Many acts can be described as terrorism and they might be
undertaken in the name of many causes. The use of the word, “war” in
reference to terrorism itself, rather than against a designated enemy is
essentially metaphorical. According to Freedman (2001:63); Al-Qaeda
(which claimed to be behind the September 11 attacks on U.S) does not
claim to be fighting a war for terrorism, but one that pits true Islam
against Christianity and Judaism. Suffice it to say therefore that,
according to the above statement, this is a war about the future of Islam
and therefore about the grievance of all states with Muslim populations,
and all conflicts in which Muslim groups are directly involved.
This statement which is credited to Osama Bin Laden has done
more harm than good to the Muslim extremists in particular and global
security in general, which is evident in the nearly everyday suicide
bombings taking place all over the world. These extremists see this war,
not against Christians alone, but the US which they have tagged “infidel”.
The world is now faced with the mighty task of living with not just
terrorism and its spate of violence, but its impacts on global security if
not managed.
Suffice it to say here that, if careful efforts are not taken
diplomatically, the “war against terrorism”, that is being championed by
the United States of America, may lead to an adverse impact on global
security that can even lead to a Third World War. Not also forgetting the
number of lives and properties, including U.S tax payers’ monies that
have being lost to this cause. Yet, the U.S is finding it difficult to
completely curb terrorism, because these terrorist groups have continued
to metamorphose in style and sophistication and not every country is
cooperative with the U.S in its war against terrorism and means by which
terrorism thrives, especially through terrorist financing.
To this effect, we raise the following research questions which
form the basis of this study.
1. Has terrorist financing affected the war on terrorism?
2. Has the war on terrorism had any impact on global security?
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The primary aim of this study is, amongst others, geared towards;
1. Analyzing the impacts of terrorist activities on global security.
2. Appraising the role the United States is playing in the war
against terrorism, so as to ascertain whether it conforms with
the stipulations of international law.
3. Assessing the undertones in U.S unilateral declaration of war on
global terrorism.
4. Finding out the implications of the dual strategy employed by
the United States in Afghanistan, in the war against terrorism.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
Studies in this subject have exhaustively pin pointed the negative
impact of terrorism on global security, which no doubt has so far affected
the peace and stability of the international community.
This study will form a basis for further research and a reference
point in the study of war against terrorism. It will help to profer ways by
which the fight against terrorism can be carried out diplomatically, so as
to avoid any actions that may lead to a Third World War. The study will
also throw more light on the nature of terrorism as well as a guide to
students, institutions and countries that are involved and concerned about
the war against terrorism and especially in Afghanistan.
1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
As a result of time constraint, this study shall cover the war against
terrorism after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United
States of America, to June, 2010, so as to appraise its effects and impacts
on global security, using the experience of Afghanistan. The study
encountered many obstacles in the process of carrying out this research
work, which includes financial constraint which is the reason for my
inability to visit Afghanistan for first hand information.
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