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Terrorism has become a part of modern life. Hijackings, bombings, and assassinations on different continents of the world may seem like isolated attacks, but they reflect an easy reliance on violence as a way to promote social, political, and religious change. They are elements of a pervasive end justifies the means philosophy being followed to its most perverse conclusions. International terrorism has become the scourge of all democratic governments.
These democratic governments are accustomed to dealing within a legal structure, often find it difficult to deal with criminals and terrorists that routinely operate outside of the law. However, deterrence is just as much a part of justice as proper enforcement of the laws. Democratic governments that do not deter criminals inevitably spawn vigilantism as normally law-abiding citizens who have lost confidence in the criminal justice system take the law into their own hands. A similar backlash is beginning to emerge as a result of the inability of western democracies to defend themselves against terrorists. However, lack of governmental resolve is only part of the problem. Terrorists thrive on media exposure, and news organizations around the world have been all too willing to give terrorists what they crave, publicity.
If the news media gave terrorists the minuscule coverage their numbers and influence would decline. But, when hijackings and bombings are given prominent media attention, governments start feeling pressure from their citizens to resolve the crisis and eventually capitulate to terrorists demands. "Encouraged by their latest success, terrorists usually try again" -Winston Churchill Recent successes have made terrorists hungry for more attacks. News commentators have been unwilling to call terrorism what it is, Blind criminal violence. They soften their barbaric acts by arguing that one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. This illusion is simply not true. Terrorists are not concerned about human rights and human dignity.
In fact, they end up destroying human rights in their alleged fight for human rights. A relatively new term for terrorism has been coined, new warfare. Yet, terrorists turn the notion of war on its head. Innocent citizens become targets in the devastating terrorist attacks. How do we define a terrorist? Is a terrorist a common criminal?
If terrorists are mere criminals, then with reference to the Bible, they should be dealt with by their host governments. In Romans 13, the Apostle Paul says; He who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behaviour, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid: for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil This passage of scripture helps us make an important distinction we will use in our analysis of terrorism.
It shows us that criminals are those who do evil and threaten the civil peace. But, any outside threat to the existence of the country is not a criminal threat but an act of war, which is also to be dealt with by the government. In other words, criminals threaten the state from within. Foreign armies threaten the state from outside. These evildoers should live in fear of government.
However, terrorists do not live in fear of the governing authorities in the countries where they live. Their governments do not think of them as breaking civilian laws and thus do not prosecute them. Let us look over an imaginary situation. If an anti-Syrian terrorist group was based somewhere in North America, we would prosecute those terrorists as enemies of our countries. This North American based terrorist group would be illegal because it would be engaging in activities reserved for the governments of the North American countries. Why wouldnt the Middle Eastern governments prosecute these terrorists?
Its simple, because the terrorists often carry out the policies and desires of such host governments. The assumption that is made after studying a case like this is that both the terrorist groups and their host nations are truly enemies of the North American governments. After studying this imaginary case, it is possible to see that both the terrorist groups and their host nations are truly enemies of North American government and people. When they capture and kill innocent civilians for military and foreign policy purposes, it is not simply civilian murder but, military warfare. What the world is facing is a new type of military aggressor. As explained earlier, terrorists are not common criminals to be tried in civil courts.
They are military targets who must be stopped since they are armed and military enemies of the governments whom they oppose. In the same way that it took traditional armies some time to learn how to combat guerrilla warfare, so it is taking Western governments time to realise that the rules for warfare have been revised in the case of terrorism. Diplomatic efforts have failed to convince. Meetings and negotiations haven't been able to strike fear in the hearts of terrorists. When we fight terrorism we need to realise we are talking about war.
Military warfare is different from civilian peacekeeping. In civilian peacekeeping, people are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A citizen can be arrested and detained before trial but must be released unless guilt is proven. Military warfare is different. A trial is not held for each military action.
In a sense, in a just war, a "trial" of sorts is held before any action is taken. Discussion and debates among government officials usually occur before war is declared. Fact-finding studies, presentations, testimonies, and other kinds of forethought go into a declaration of war. In a sense, when the use of the military is involved, the trial period comes before anyone is confronted or arrested.
But once war is declared, there are no more trials until the enemy is defeated. And every one who aids and abets the enemy is guilty by association. At present, terrorism is a one-sided war that the target governments are lo...
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