Does Globalisation contribute to the growth of terrorism Essay Example

Does Globalisation contribute to the growth of terrorism Essay Example Does Globalisation contribute to the growth of terrorism Essay Does Globalisation contribute to the growth of terrorism Essay Essay Topic: Notes From Underground Globalisation has contributed to the growth of internationalised linkages through the ideals of free market liberalisation. It has facilitated the growth of multi-national companies whose business networks are connected through the internet and global communications networks. This interconnectedness has a dark side according to Louise Shelly, Terrorists have also globalised, taking advantage of the ability to recruit internationally, to be close to diaspora communities that can support them financially and logically.1 Jessica Stern feels that the current crop of global Jihadists are, both an expression and a symptom of globalisation, spread through the internet and other global media such as satellite television2. The concept of globalisation leads to a backlash against it3 and against the US lead Westernisation of the world. In a globalised world the causes of terrorism are, derived from a series of political, economic and technological problems that are interconnected4 and in turn the tools of globalisation; the internet, the media and the increased flow of materiel and people, are exploited.5 As Cronin states, Terrorism has a long and varied history6. It has been utilised by different groups for a myriad of reasons and in itself is almost impossible to define. At its most basic level terrorism can be viewed as having a political nature, using acts of violence against innocent targets to precipitate political change7. It is primarily used by non state actors, even when these groups have received funding or assistance from state actors. Since the end of the cold war, the world has seen a large increase in the amount of what Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon describe as Sacred Terror- mainly Islamic-based terror groups who see the overthrow of the west and the containing disconnection from the globalised world as their raison detre.8 In 2005 a working group for the Club de Madrids International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security published a paper: Addressing the Causes of Terror; which outlined six contributions that globalisation has made to the growth of terrorism. These were: 1. Globalization as a cause and motivation for terror. 2. Cultural resistance to globalisation. 3. Globalisation fosters the development of new minorities. 4. Globalisation increases the opportunities for militant and terrorist groups. 5. Linkages develop between political and criminal networks. 6. Globalisation weakens the state. Using these six factors as well as information and evidence from other sources, this paper intends to outline how globalisation has contributed to the growth of terrorist activities. Globalization as a cause and motivation for terror The countries that have not integrated successfully into the new liberal global economy find a growth in inequalities and social polarization. Globalisation has divided the world into haves and have-nots, those that are rich in information and those that are disconnected from the information the West takes for granted. This may lead to a growth in terrorist activities by groups seeking a more equal disruption of globalisations benefits.9 This could be considered ironic, as US intelligence estimates put Bin Ladens personal fortune, gained through the use of globally based companies in excess of $500 million.10 The sweeping changes that globalisation has brought to the world have led to inequalities and poverty in certain locations. Ted Robert Gurr writes in his work on the economic factors of terrorism that, Macro-studies show that terrorism can occur anywhere, but it is more common in developing countries economic change creates conditions that are conducive to instability, the emergence of militant movements and extremist ideologies11. In many states where globalisation has lead to a changes in the economic structure, the structure of culture and society as well as changes in political doctrine, there is the possibility of a growth of terrorist groups. However to prove this is a hard task. Beyond interviewing each and every terrorist group active in the world today, it is almost impossible to prove empirically that globalisation is a direct cause of grievances amongst terrorist groups. Some commentators feel that the humiliating effects of the negative aspects of globalisation incur the wrath of certain militant ideologies12; that the grievances of some groups are fuelled by social and economic tensions13. Certainly Al Qaeda subscribes to this view as the argument of Ayman Al Zawarhiri demonstrates: that it is better for the youth of the Muslim world to take up arms than to submit to the humiliation of globalisation and Western hegemony14. Others feel the opposite, that while globalisation increases the terrorists ability to harm us, globalisation is not a direct influence on them15. One can only conclude this by noting that terrorism is a large subject and its adherents encompass such a wide scope of ideologies, that it could be said that the very nature of globalisation, even if it only affected one group, does contribute to the growth of terrorism in general. Cultural resistance to globalisation The global spread of liberal western market-driven culture can be interpreted by some militants as the infiltration of an alien and corrupting culture. This is then used by some nationalist or religious groups as a justification for terror activities.16 The Wests cultural inclination toward consumerism and acquisition of materials has become a source of anger for those in spheres without access to certain material products. Globalisation has lead to the broadening of travel by certain ethnic groups, as people from disconnected states; such as Africa, attempt to move to the west in order to gain more prosperity. This has contributed to the growth of certain terror groups, often right-wing in nature, that enact vigilante acts against what they see as the encroachment of the culture of illegal immigrants on national identity. 17 Globalisation as a philosophy, as the expression of western expansion and as a symbol of the corrupting influence of democracies, can be seen by certain groups; principally Al Qaeda and its affricatives, whose principal aim is the complete destruction of these corrupting values, as a justification for violence. 18 Globalisation fosters the development of new minorities Globalisation facilitates the movement of populations around the globe. This has lead to the development of new minorities within established and settled populations, many of whom have views that are, at minimum, sympathetic to groups with extremist ideologies.19 The wide dispersal of populations, often due to migration facilitated by globalisations open borders, has given terror groups a wide network of recruitment through diasporas20. At present, figures show that around 80% of recruits to the Salafi Jihadist terror movements have come from Islamic diaspora groups. Globalisation, through its open borders, has contributed to the growth of recruitment for the Salafi Jihadist movement and its connected terror groups such as AQ and its affiliates21. Gabriel Sheffer of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem observes that 27 of the 50 most active terrorist groups are either segments of ethno-nationalist or religious diasporas, or are supported by them.22 The wide dispersal of a population allows extremist movements within these populations to co-ordinate actions on a trans-national basis. For example, Borik Zadeh of the Battelle Institute found that mosques in Ohio, London, Frankfurt, and Paris were delivering virtually identical sermons, the key message of which was an endorsement of global war against the West.23. In the same way that globalisation benefits a multi-national corporation by allowing it to place staff across the globe and communicate with them; terror groups reap the same rewards through their ability to communicate, recruit and plan and execute attacks, utilising dispersed global populations of like minded individuals. Globalisation increases the opportunities for militant and terrorist groups Globalisation has facilitated the growth of terrorism through the movement of operatives across borders, information through the internet and money through international finances; legitimate as well as illegal. At the same time, the physical links in the global network from pipelines and communication networks to a globalised world population have become targets. 24 In the eight year period from 1987 to 1994, there were 9575 global casualties for terrorism. In the next nine years, 1995 to 2003, that total jumped to 27608. 25 Martha Crenshaw states in the Club de Madrid Series on Democracy and Terrorism that Globalization, for example, facilitates the spread of terrorism but is not a direct cause. (One paradox is that groups with the most fervent anti-Western ideologies exploit Western technology for their own gain) 26 On September 11 the very weapon that the terrorist operatives used was the passenger jet, which had hitherto been celebrated for bringing the world together.27 In fact RAND Corporation analysts point to the hijacking by PLO operatives of an Israeli passenger liner in 1968 as the first act of international terror. 28 In the modern phase of terrorism, the use of the tools of globalisation is apparent in the way that terror groups use new technologies, in the movement of terror operatives, and the changes in sources of support. As is common in globalisation, these are intertwined with one another, reflecting the interconnectedness of things that come about due to globalisation. 29 Modern terrorist groups are extremely adept at using the tools of globalisation. As David Barno writes in Parameters, Their command and control centre system is the internet, the laptop, the courier and the cell phone, drawing on technologies that were invented and paid for by their adversariestheir biggest operational weapon is the global information grid, particularly the international media30. With particular reference to the global network of Al Qaeda and its affiliates, it can be seen that through the use of a globalisations tools, particularly the internet, Al Qaeda has been able to disperse its message and gain support for its actions.31 In December of 2006, in a speech to the International Institute of Strategic Studies, Alexander Downers said, In the internet age, terrorist propaganda is everywhere. It cannot be blocked. 32 Al Sahab (the clouds), Al Qaedas media outlet, uses technology extremely well to propagate the martyrdom videos and propaganda videos of Bin Ladens rhetoric. 33 The internet; the principle tool of globalisation, has made facilitating a terrorist operation far more accessible to those with terrorist intentions. Information once only accessible to governments is now easily available to those with the necessary skills in utilising the information super-highway.34 In a few minutes one can access websites that instruct on sniper techniques and the construction of a pipe bomb35. The SITE Institute website36 alone carries numerous links to videos on bomb-making techniques. Further, the internet has enabled anyone with a grudge to form a movement that can be spread globally at the push of a mouse button. 37 Linkages develop between political and criminal networks Organised crime and terror networks have utilised the same methods for moving arms, money and other material across borders. Illegal banking activates have likewise been used by both terrorists and criminals. Terrorist groups increasingly funnel funds gained from illicit activities, such as drug dealing, to fund operations such as bombings, assassinations and hijackings. 38 The idea that criminal enterprises and terrorist operations are distinct and separate is both antiquated and erroneous. Terrorist groups have utilised the same underground channels to funnel arms and funds across borders as well as using the same infrastructure to change identities and move operatives. Louise Shelly notes in her work on the internationalisation of crime and terror, that the same language school used by the September 11 hijackers to gain their visas, was likewise used to provide visa documents for a major prostitution smuggling ring39. Globalisation weakens the state Due to globalisation, some governments have seen a weakening in their ability to control their own economies, diminishing their ability to project security. A growth in terrorist activity is sometimes a result of this. 40 While this is often the pervue of developing nations and failed states, it does have ramifications for the west. Globalisation is often marked down as a weakener of state controls. As the free market governs international relations, and regulations become less and less of the states concern, we will begin to see more and more illicit activity on the periphery of states controls. For example, we can look at the Riggs Bank in Washington DC, which was prosecuted for facilitating a transfer of funds to a terrorist group, while at the same time maintaining a client list that included diplomats and former US presidents.41 Existing in a globalised world means that actions of states, both at home and abroad, now have far more repercussions for security than before. Relating to the growth of terrorism, it can be viewed that: The states susceptibility to terrorism is determined not just by how it treats its citizens at home but by its actions abroad. When such actions lack international legitimacy and local populations perceive them as unjust, radical groups come to see terrorism as an appropriate response 42. In the interconnected world of globalisation, our very actions in fighting terror; in the way that states action their defences against terror, may lead to a greater number of disaffiliated actors who may turn to terror as a means of reprisal. Combating terrorism may also lead to a weakening of state controls, as acts of terrorism weaken states authority from below by emasculating the state, while the global governance takes control away form the states from above. This global governance will be accepted by states that wish to see terrorism combated for them by larger systems in the global community.43 Globalisation has contributed to the growth in terrorism through the use of its tools and through the agenda it pushes. Certainly the new crop of global terrorists seem to be railing against the perceived injustices caused by globalisation, as witnessed by the antagonism and alienation it causes in certain spheres. Some states have been weakened by globalisation, and these states have provided safe-havens for terrorism to flourish, offering support both logistically ands philosophically through global communities. The global network of finance has been exploited and terrorist groups work increasingly with criminal elements to secure illicit funds to push their operations further. These operations are broadcast globally through terrorist propaganda on websites. Be this as it may, the world still has the opportunity to use the tools of globalisation to better combat this rising darkness. Through global education and the interconnectedness of security treaties and trans-national allianc es, the world may yet begin to erode the support base that terrorist groups have throughout the disconnected places of this increasingly connected world.