Can terrorism be defeated by warfare???

Question

...tom science

Answer 1

Increasingly it seems the answer is no. For direct attacks on terrorists, I don't know why we don't use special ops and then work to improve conditions in the nations that breed terrorists.

Saudi Arabia is still praised for being an ally in the "war on terror" (can you truly fight a concept?) even though their schools preach hatred of America.

Answer 2

David M seems to be on the right track. War as I have said elsewhere, is only an expedient that is use because we don't have the correct answers to the reall issues that we face and react violently because we assume certain time restraints, real or delusional!

Look at Russia 20 years ago people in the West assumed the lack of self-determination in Russia was making the communist government untentable and thus Democracy would prevail. But if Democracy was the issue why did the Union need to seperate into so many democracies. I don't profess to know the whole politic there but clearly one must see that old wounds do not merely go away! They may disappear for a while but they always come back to see if we have learned the lesson, and all too often we have not!

Where I would differ with David is, less intellect and more the voice of reason. Karl von Clausewitz in his notes " on War "pointed out that in a war, the biggest mistake you can make is to assume the enemy is evil by nature, or is motivated by hate. Having had a few struggles in my life I am convienced a persons sense of love that is defiled greatly is the prime motivation for hate!

The world will always have a few socio-paths that will tax humanity if given half a chance! The only way to keep them in their place beyond the ears of those easily persuaded is to educate, and educate not on the bases of science and technology but on the merits of Wisdom , Virtue, Forbearence, Compassion, Charity and Morality. These are the ingredients of a real Great Society and who but the devil can argue with that!

Answer 3

If we only killed terrorists in warfare, maybe, or we make a lot of martyrs.

If we do as we are right now (especially in Iraq, and Israel in their craziness) and kill anyone in the way, no. The only thing we are doing right now is making more people angry with us and showing that there is no difference between what we do and what the terrorists to except for the fact that we are a country with an organized military.

What really needs to happen is for the terrorists to be captured and put on trial. They lose any "martyrdom" if it is shown that they are powerless killers willing to kill the weak to gain personal power.

Answer 4

Terrorism is not new. The Brits called the Revolutionaries (Americans) TERRORISTS. The French called the people they invaded Terrorists. The Algerians fought the French and gained independence after 1 million civilians and so called "terrorists" got killed. Britain called Jewish millitants who fought against the British mandate in Palestine "terrorists." Yitzhak Shamir, who was Israel's prime minister in the 90's, was accused for being a terrorist for killing high-level british officersin the 1940's.

And by far, Europe and the Americans have more civilian blood stains on their hands than any other civilization----ever!!!! All u have to do is count the number of civilian deaths in WWI and WWII. Back then, it was not illegal to kill civilians. Only after so many people died in Europe did they make rules of war which make it illegal to kill civilians in war and peace times. Islam forbids killing of civilians, animals, and any living thing including trees in wartime. This rule was established more than 1400 years ago.

So why are there Muslim fanatics killing civilians? Well, they copied the Jewish militants who copied the Irish militants. That was their strategy, to inflict most civilian casualties hoping to force the occupying powers to rethink their strategy and leave.

Notice that Palestine is considered internationaly and by the UN to be occupied by Israel. Briefly without going into detail, Israel has killed civilians at will without any international accountability even when it was proven they willingly did not comply with the Geneva conventions.

In current events, notice how Hizbollah attacked and captured Jewish soldiers in the Israeli-Lebanese disputed territories. Israel's reaction: "we will return Lebanon 20 years back". They targeted buildings, bridges, homes, etc. Most of the dead in Lebanon are civilian. Israel's response is not surprising because this is the only thing they know how to do, kill civilians.

So before you pass a judgement, know what is going on, know your history, and most importantly define your terms. What is a terrorist? What would u expect from someobdy who unjustly lost his family and who has nothing to lose anymore? It's not a relilgious thing, when u take away all hope from a people, and leave them with nothing, do u think they're gonna build a golden ball for you and give it to u with admiration and gratitude????? Are u so blinded by the media??? Where is your logic, can u not think?

Answer 5

No, only the people that sponsor them can be defeated by warfare .Potential terrorists have nothing else to live for so, an economy and a life would do more towards ending it.

Answer 6

No...first there can be no war against terrorism. Mainly because war is fought between armies/militaries. There can be a conflict against terrorism, however you can't fight an ideal. What ever the ideal for a terrorist is what he/she fights for and fanatics are willing to die easily and without heistation for that thought. Terrorists are also an unseen enemy...they could be anywhere and that's another issue that leads me to the conclusion that you'll never rid yourself of them. PEACE!

Answer 7

We can dry up their funding, make it very hard for them to transfer money or communicate via any means, move about freely, recruit new members, buy raw materials for terrorist devices, and train their new members...

Maybe we can't completely defeat terrorism by warfare, but we can sure slow it down.

Answer 8

No it will be defeated by intelligence. Not the CIA or FBI intelligence but the intelligence of the majority of people on earth. Also the intelligence of the terrorist. The Irish IRA, Spanish ETA, African PAGAD and many other groups have realised that their actions actually hurt their cause.

Answer 9

In some instances yes some no. You have to know if the country your going to the majority of the people are going to support you, if not your fighting an up hill battle. Example in Iraq at first they wanted us their to free them but now that people from pakistan and syria and iran are comming in there and killing not just us but the citizens of the Iraq the Iraqi people are getting scared and just want us to leave because they think that things will quiet down after we leave. It will quiet down, for one relious group but it will be even worse for the other they will be slaughtered. But they don't see that

Answer 10

Partially-- you have to root out and eliminate the camps, financiing and the bad guys. Some of those people will not change.

The other part of that is we need to work diplomacy to address some of the things that drive people to terrorism.