Does America Have What It Takes To Stop Terrorism?
Some Americans have suggested that the war on terrorism is a war that will never be won. There are many reasons why people hold this opinion. Here are a few. There are a lot of terrorist organizations, most of which are in hiding, so it is very difficult to find them and stop their terrorist activities. There is also the question of getting into countries to fight terrorists when those countries do not want the United States Military or other militaries in their country. The United States cannot get into every country that has terrorists and they cannot find every terrorist organization. These are just some of the problems the world is facing in trying to stop terrorism. But, is there another way to stop terrorism or at least minimize terrorism?
It has been suggested that one way the United States might stop terrorism is if the United States and their allies threatened terrorist groups with the loss of their salvation. For example, if we told all Islamic terrorists if they attack our country or our allies that we would take their bodies, because they are on our soil, and bury them with unclean things, like pigs, which would stop their spirits from going to heaven. Terrorists that are motivated by their religion say that they are attacking the United States and our allies because of our conflicting values. They are also motivated because they are guaranteed salvation if they sacrifice themselves for this religious cause. So if the United States were to threaten their salvation would that make a difference? Would this be enough to stop them?
Would terrorism stop or at least decline if the United States threatens to kill terrorists’ families and bury their bodies with unclean things? According to some religious beliefs terrorists are guaranteed a spot in heaven if they sacrifice their life for Allah. But, their families do not have this guarantee. So, burying them uncleanly would prevent them from going to heaven and which may reduce the number of men that are willing to participate in suicidal terrorist activities. One problem with stopping terrorism has been that some of these terrorist groups believe that by committing suicide for their God will get them to heaven so it is worth the sacrifice for them to guarantee themselves a spot in heaven. If their family were prevented from going to heaven would this change their mind? It is an honor for them to sacrifice for Allah. So if we stop this thinking that these terrorists are heroes that are going to go to heaven by burying them or their families uncleanly would this stop or at least decrease the amount of terrorist activities?
Terrorism will never be completely stopped. There are always going to be people who are willing to sacrifice themselves and their families for their cause. But looking at these options is it possible we could decrease the terrorist activity in the world by hitting terrorists where it hurts the most which is their beliefs?
I do not think that America has what it takes to stop terrorism if this is the way that it must be done. We have the resources to go after the families of terrorists and to defile their bodies to prevent them from entering heaven but we do not have the heart to do that. Our country is founded on morals, values, and human rights protections and to do this to people is not humane. I think if we were to do this that we would lose a lot of credibility in the world because we claim that we have the highest values and morals and to do this would jeopardize our standing in the world.
By doing this the values that America stands for would be a joke. We would be hypocrites. We would then become the terrorists we are fighting. How far are we willing to go to stop terrorism?
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July 12th, 2006 at 7:37 pm
We don’t have to kill family members or bury them with “unclean” animals. The FBI and CIA just have to do their jobs. September 11th could have been prevented had the FBI not been (still is?) an ancient techno-phobic bureaucracy.
Of course, it also entails not doing certain things, like revealing secret government programs to track financial transactions of terrorists. Or listening to phone calls between suspected terrorists and their contacts here in the U.S.
July 12th, 2006 at 11:59 pm
One disadvantage we have with this war on terror is that, although we have a well-defined objective (to stop terrorism), we have anything but a well-defined enemy. A terrorist could be anybody whose hatred drives them to such an intense level of insanity they will stop at nothing to make a statement, however disruptive and violent, of what they feel is right.
With that said, perhaps you could play off the religious beliefs of those who make up a large group of terrorists, and threaten them with the loss of their salvation, but would that prove a strong enough deterrent to terrorism? (see the article by Largo on capital punishment) I would imagine it could be a more intense deterrent than even death for the sane individual, but are terrorists really sane? Do they think logically and rationally; beyond the here-and-now?
Aside from threatening someone with the worst punishment their belief system will allow, and even if the FBI and CIA were to do their jobs the very best they could, is it possible to stop terrorism? It’s obviously possible to reduce terrorism - I think we have done an amazing job at that over the last 5 years - but can it ever be eliminated?