Essay Available:
Pages:
10 pages/≈2750 words
Sources:
-1
Style:
Chicago
Subject:
Life Sciences
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 39.6
Topic:
Terrorism in Afghanistan. Life Sciences Assignment.
Essay Instructions:
For this assignment you will take your case-study from the first paper and, first, provide your analytical assessment (thesis) on the case. Second, you will detail the threat in a nine-section Threat Assessment format. Your assignment should be 10 to 12 pages (not including title page and bibliography), typed double-spaced in Times New Roman, 12-point font. Remember to us the Chicago Style Manual for all citations and bibliography. A minimum of 10 (10) scholarly sources are required for this assignment. Below are the required sections. Please include the section headings in red on your assignment. You are welcome to rearrange topics so your paper flows well.
OVERALL THREAT ASSESSMENT/ANALYTICAL Assessment: How much of a threat does this non-state actor actually pose to your chosen nation-state, taking everything into consideration? Is the threat successful at exerting its influence? Is the nation-state's response effective or ineffective?
Topics:
HISTORY: This is the section where you can discuss the history of the threat and your nation's perception and response. Discuss why and how the threat came to be. Why did it become a threat? What was its initial motivation? What environmental/societal/economic/etc. factors contributed to its formation?
MEMBERSHIP/LEADERSHIP: Who makes up the threat? Why do they participate? What is their motivation? Who are the leaders, if any? How effective are they?
STRUCTURE/ORGANIZATION: How is the threat structured? Is there an organization? What is it?
CURRENT GOAL/MOTIVATION: What is the current goal/motivation of the threat entity? What is it trying to achieve? Has it evolved since its formation?
TACTICS/CAPABILITIES: What tactics does the threat employ? How capable is it? What weapons/tools does it use?
FUNDING/CONNECTIONS: Where does the threat get funding? Supplies? Weapons? Does the threat have connections to any other organizations, nation-states, etc.?
LOCATION/SCOPE/MAGNITUDE: Where does the threat operate? How broad in scope is the threat? Are they a regional threat or a global threat beyond the immediate threat to your nation-state?
COUNTERING THE THREAT: How has the nation-state countered the threat? Also, please suggest possible ways to mitigate or counter the threat. Look at alternatives the nation-state could take to counter the threat. This is especially true if the nation's responses are ineffective. Try to think outside the box and be a little creative. I understand that you won't have total information, but just give it a try!
If any of these sections do not apply to your particular topic for some reason, you need to at least include the required section heading along with a short explanation as to why it doesn't apply.
Essay Sample Content Preview:
Terrorism in Afghanistan
Student Name
Course
Instructor
Date
Terrorism is a major global issue that not only causes the destruction of property worth millions but also massive losses of lives. While there are different definitions of terrorism, it basically relates to acts of violence targeting civilians with the intention of pursuing either political or ideological objectives. From a legal perspective, terrorism entails criminal acts that are intended to provoke and cause terror and tension to the general public or a particular section of people in society. Based on the above definitions, it is evident that terrorism directly impacts the enjoyment of various human rights, including the rights to life and physical integrity. These acts of terror tend to jeopardize peace and security and consequently destabilize governments. They also threaten and challenge social and economic development as investors shy away to avoid losses from the destruction of their properties. There are various countries that have been signed by terrorism because terror groups have formed and established deep roots in those regions. One notable nation is Afghanistan and which was recently identified as the most dangerous country on the planet by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). This is because the country continues to exhibit a high number of deaths from terrorist activities. Various terrorist groups such as the Al-Qaeda and Jihadists have their primary bases of operation in the region and where they have planned violent acts of terror, including the 11th September 2001 attacks in the U.S. From the above sentiments, Afghanistan is at the center of international counter-terrorism initiatives.
Understanding the History of Terrorism in Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a landlocked South Asian country with a population of about 30 million and who have increasingly suffered not only in terms of losses of property worth millions of dollars but also lives. Over the recent past, Afghanistan has toppled Pakistan and Iraq as the most dangerous nation on the planet that has borne the brunt of terrorist attacks. There are several vicious terrorist groups and organizations operating within the region, particularly in the mountainous parts of the country. These groups started terrorizing locals and foreign nations in the late 20th century and have grown immeasurably to the point that they have a presence in different countries to evade law enforcement agencies. One notable terrorist group with deep roots in Afghanistan is Al-Qaeda. The group started out as a logistical network during the Afghan War and provided fundamental support to Muslims fighting against the Soviet Union. The invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union was instigated by the need for the latter to deter the growing insurgency of the Communist government that was the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). While the Soviet Union poured millions of dollars into the war, their efforts proved futile as the Afghan resistance received heavy support not only from the international community but also the Islamic world. It is through the Afghan resistance, otherwise known as the Mujahedeen, that the Al-Qaeda was formed. The members mostly came in and around the Islamic world with a deep understanding and passion for the Islamic religion.[Waldek, Lise. "Endemic Violence In Afghanistan: A Socio-Cultural Perspective". Journal Of Policing, Intelligence And Counter Terrorism, vol 13, no. 2, 2018, pp. 220] [Waldek, Lise pp. 227]
The Soviet Union was eventually defeated and withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 after suffering massive losses in the form of lost lives. Despite the win, the different factions within the Afghan resistance and the Mujahedeen failed to agree on power-sharing and consequently plunged the nation into years of civil war. The war went on until 1994 when a group of students who ascribed to the Pashtun fundamentalist movement and who were highly trained in madrasas (Islamic religion) seized and took control of Kandahar. The group called its Taliban and from that moment embarked on exhaustive campaigns to detach the rest of the country from the control of warlords. The Taliban militia (Al-Qaeda) eventually forced a majority of the Mujahedeen warlords to flee the country and set up its headquarters in the capital in 1996. The group then continued to expand and grow throughout Afghanistan, recruiting members from far and wide by pushing the idea of holy war against all non-Islamic states, including the U.S.[Terpstra, Niels. "Opportunity Structures, Rebel Governance, And Disputed Leadership: The Taliban’S Upsurge In Kunduz Province, Afghanistan, 2011–2015". Studies In Conflict & Terrorism, vol 3, no. 7, 2020, pp. 1-27. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/1057610x.2019.1702256.]
Al-Qaeda has over the years merged with other militant Islamist organizations such as Egypt's Islamic Jihad. It has set up camps for its Muslim militants not only in Afghanistan but worldwide and trains them in paramilitary skills, espionage, and terrorism, among other inhumane acts. The Afghan-based group terrorizes locals by forcing them to pay "taxes" and toe the line in terms of supporting the Islamic religion. The locals live in constant fear, and any person who questions the authority of the group and its influence is dealt with ruthlessly. There are numerous cases of people who have had their limbs chopped off, and others have been slaughtered in cold blood because of a severe interpretation of Islamic law. Sanín and Giustozzi(2010) reiterate the above fact and share, "the Taliban Militia instituted a severe interpretation of Islamic law that, for example, forbade female education and prescribed the severing of hands, or even execution, as punishment for petty crimes". Under the tutelage of Osama bin Laden who entered the country in 1996 after being expelled from Sudan, the group took its holy war a notch higher by targeting and carrying out vicious terrorist attacks in other nations. Al-Qaeda took responsibility for the bombings of U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 1998, where thousands of innocent people lost their lives. The group also planned and carried out the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. The attack is the deadliest terrorist move on U.S. soil, and the Al-Qaeda was quick to accept responsibility.[Terpstra, Niels. pp. 24] [Sanín, Francisco Gutiérrez, and Antonio Giustozzi. "Networks And Armies: Structuring Rebellion In Colombia And Afghanistan". Studies In Conflict & Terrorism, vol 33, no. 9, 2010, pp. 840] [Sanín, Francisco Gutiérrez, and Antonio Giustozzi. pp. 850]
The U.S. government responded swiftly to the 9/11 bombings by attacking Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants in Afghanistan, where several key members have since either been killed or captured. The invasion severely crippled the operations and communication of Al-Qaeda in the areas. It also disrupted the financial backing of the militants by Al-Qaeda leadership. Nonetheless, the invasion also prompted a structural evolution in the region. Localized and relatively autonomous cells cropped up and started orchestrating attacks. These grassroots and independent groups were not only built on a common agenda but also ascribed to Al-Qaeda's broader ideology. This form of militancy has proved utterly difficult to confront. Consequently, Al-Qaeda conducted even more gruesome attacks in the years following 9/11 compared to those prior. These attacks took place in different areas, including Saudi Arabia, Kenya, UK, Algeria, and Turkey, among others. Similarly, the Al-Qaeda changed tact and increasingly became tech-savvy. The group embraced the internet not only to recruit but also communicate its misaligned propaganda of a holy war. Nonetheless, despite the setbacks in the region, U.S. military forces eventually managed to raid and kill bin Laden in 2011. Osama bin Laden was the longstanding leader of the terrorist group and had masterminded various terrorist activities, including 9/11 and the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. This was a major win against the war on terror and significantly decimated the operations of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. While the group still has a presence in Afghanistan with its ardent supporters and militia operating in mountainous areas to escape capture, U.S. forces have greatly assisted in restoring peace and order. They have also prevented Al-Qaeda from reinventing itself and causing greater havoc not only in Afghanistan but globally.[Rome, Henry. "Revisiting The “Problem From Hell”: Suicide Terror In Afghanistan". Studies In Conflict & Terrorism, vol 36, no. 10, 2013, pp. 825] [Rome, Henry. pp. 830]
Membership/ Leadership of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan
Al-Qaeda and as is the case with terrorist groups globally, has sustained its membership through effective recruitment. The group initially recruited young individuals who were hell-bent on preventing the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union. The group comprised of energetic individuals from different parts of the Islamic World who saw the invasion as a slap on the Islamic religion. Since then, Al-Qaeda and other terror groups operating in Afghanistan have taken their recruitment exercises worldwide. They lure unsuspecting young people into schools and mosques with promises of giving them better lives. They are then taken through extensive radicalization where they are fed and made to believe that all Non-Muslims are enemies and should be dealt with ruthlessly. Over the recent past, Al-Qaeda has embraced technology and the internet in its recruitment and radicalization process. It uses social media platforms to seek out vulnerable persons and consequently feed them with hogwash on how the West and particularly non-Muslims should be eliminated from the face of the earth.[Piazza, James A. "The Opium Trade And Patterns Of Terrorism In The Provinces Of Afghanistan: An Empirical Analysis". Terrorism And Political Violence, vol 24, no. 2, 2012, pp. 220]
It is essential to note that the al-Qaeda terrorist that comes into the public limelight after conducting a vicious attack is totally different from the young person that was recruited and trained. The majority of the fighters led normal lives before they were recruited, radicalized, and made to travel great distances to kill innocent people. While some come from poverty, others are from relative wealth and privileged backgrounds. Similarly, it is essential to highlight that not al-Qaeda recruits are Muslim. On the contrary, they are believed to inadequate understandings of their religions and which makes them susceptible to misinterpretations. From Piazza's (2012) perspective, "Almost universally, they either had an incomplete religious education or were raised in a household where the faith was routinely practiced but was not a dominating force". Al-Qaeda has five major parts. The first part is the strategic leadership, which comprises the group's core leadership, strategists, and senior-level managers. The members mostly reside in Afghanistan and are primarily inclined towards the provision of guidance and strategic direction. They also offer regular powerful messages to followers that lead to unrest not only in the Muslim world but beyond. The second part of Al-Qaeda includes affiliated and associated movements. These are independent franchises of the group and receive varying levels of support from the core leadership. One notable member is the Al-Shabab in Somalia that has fully aligned itself with Al-Qaeda's principles. The other parts of the broad group that is Al-Qaeda include independent adherents, ideology, and brand identity.[Piazza, James A. pp. 227]
While Al-Qaeda's status and current position in Afghanistan is subject...
Student Name
Course
Instructor
Date
Terrorism is a major global issue that not only causes the destruction of property worth millions but also massive losses of lives. While there are different definitions of terrorism, it basically relates to acts of violence targeting civilians with the intention of pursuing either political or ideological objectives. From a legal perspective, terrorism entails criminal acts that are intended to provoke and cause terror and tension to the general public or a particular section of people in society. Based on the above definitions, it is evident that terrorism directly impacts the enjoyment of various human rights, including the rights to life and physical integrity. These acts of terror tend to jeopardize peace and security and consequently destabilize governments. They also threaten and challenge social and economic development as investors shy away to avoid losses from the destruction of their properties. There are various countries that have been signed by terrorism because terror groups have formed and established deep roots in those regions. One notable nation is Afghanistan and which was recently identified as the most dangerous country on the planet by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). This is because the country continues to exhibit a high number of deaths from terrorist activities. Various terrorist groups such as the Al-Qaeda and Jihadists have their primary bases of operation in the region and where they have planned violent acts of terror, including the 11th September 2001 attacks in the U.S. From the above sentiments, Afghanistan is at the center of international counter-terrorism initiatives.
Understanding the History of Terrorism in Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a landlocked South Asian country with a population of about 30 million and who have increasingly suffered not only in terms of losses of property worth millions of dollars but also lives. Over the recent past, Afghanistan has toppled Pakistan and Iraq as the most dangerous nation on the planet that has borne the brunt of terrorist attacks. There are several vicious terrorist groups and organizations operating within the region, particularly in the mountainous parts of the country. These groups started terrorizing locals and foreign nations in the late 20th century and have grown immeasurably to the point that they have a presence in different countries to evade law enforcement agencies. One notable terrorist group with deep roots in Afghanistan is Al-Qaeda. The group started out as a logistical network during the Afghan War and provided fundamental support to Muslims fighting against the Soviet Union. The invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union was instigated by the need for the latter to deter the growing insurgency of the Communist government that was the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). While the Soviet Union poured millions of dollars into the war, their efforts proved futile as the Afghan resistance received heavy support not only from the international community but also the Islamic world. It is through the Afghan resistance, otherwise known as the Mujahedeen, that the Al-Qaeda was formed. The members mostly came in and around the Islamic world with a deep understanding and passion for the Islamic religion.[Waldek, Lise. "Endemic Violence In Afghanistan: A Socio-Cultural Perspective". Journal Of Policing, Intelligence And Counter Terrorism, vol 13, no. 2, 2018, pp. 220] [Waldek, Lise pp. 227]
The Soviet Union was eventually defeated and withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 after suffering massive losses in the form of lost lives. Despite the win, the different factions within the Afghan resistance and the Mujahedeen failed to agree on power-sharing and consequently plunged the nation into years of civil war. The war went on until 1994 when a group of students who ascribed to the Pashtun fundamentalist movement and who were highly trained in madrasas (Islamic religion) seized and took control of Kandahar. The group called its Taliban and from that moment embarked on exhaustive campaigns to detach the rest of the country from the control of warlords. The Taliban militia (Al-Qaeda) eventually forced a majority of the Mujahedeen warlords to flee the country and set up its headquarters in the capital in 1996. The group then continued to expand and grow throughout Afghanistan, recruiting members from far and wide by pushing the idea of holy war against all non-Islamic states, including the U.S.[Terpstra, Niels. "Opportunity Structures, Rebel Governance, And Disputed Leadership: The Taliban’S Upsurge In Kunduz Province, Afghanistan, 2011–2015". Studies In Conflict & Terrorism, vol 3, no. 7, 2020, pp. 1-27. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/1057610x.2019.1702256.]
Al-Qaeda has over the years merged with other militant Islamist organizations such as Egypt's Islamic Jihad. It has set up camps for its Muslim militants not only in Afghanistan but worldwide and trains them in paramilitary skills, espionage, and terrorism, among other inhumane acts. The Afghan-based group terrorizes locals by forcing them to pay "taxes" and toe the line in terms of supporting the Islamic religion. The locals live in constant fear, and any person who questions the authority of the group and its influence is dealt with ruthlessly. There are numerous cases of people who have had their limbs chopped off, and others have been slaughtered in cold blood because of a severe interpretation of Islamic law. Sanín and Giustozzi(2010) reiterate the above fact and share, "the Taliban Militia instituted a severe interpretation of Islamic law that, for example, forbade female education and prescribed the severing of hands, or even execution, as punishment for petty crimes". Under the tutelage of Osama bin Laden who entered the country in 1996 after being expelled from Sudan, the group took its holy war a notch higher by targeting and carrying out vicious terrorist attacks in other nations. Al-Qaeda took responsibility for the bombings of U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 1998, where thousands of innocent people lost their lives. The group also planned and carried out the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. The attack is the deadliest terrorist move on U.S. soil, and the Al-Qaeda was quick to accept responsibility.[Terpstra, Niels. pp. 24] [Sanín, Francisco Gutiérrez, and Antonio Giustozzi. "Networks And Armies: Structuring Rebellion In Colombia And Afghanistan". Studies In Conflict & Terrorism, vol 33, no. 9, 2010, pp. 840] [Sanín, Francisco Gutiérrez, and Antonio Giustozzi. pp. 850]
The U.S. government responded swiftly to the 9/11 bombings by attacking Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants in Afghanistan, where several key members have since either been killed or captured. The invasion severely crippled the operations and communication of Al-Qaeda in the areas. It also disrupted the financial backing of the militants by Al-Qaeda leadership. Nonetheless, the invasion also prompted a structural evolution in the region. Localized and relatively autonomous cells cropped up and started orchestrating attacks. These grassroots and independent groups were not only built on a common agenda but also ascribed to Al-Qaeda's broader ideology. This form of militancy has proved utterly difficult to confront. Consequently, Al-Qaeda conducted even more gruesome attacks in the years following 9/11 compared to those prior. These attacks took place in different areas, including Saudi Arabia, Kenya, UK, Algeria, and Turkey, among others. Similarly, the Al-Qaeda changed tact and increasingly became tech-savvy. The group embraced the internet not only to recruit but also communicate its misaligned propaganda of a holy war. Nonetheless, despite the setbacks in the region, U.S. military forces eventually managed to raid and kill bin Laden in 2011. Osama bin Laden was the longstanding leader of the terrorist group and had masterminded various terrorist activities, including 9/11 and the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. This was a major win against the war on terror and significantly decimated the operations of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. While the group still has a presence in Afghanistan with its ardent supporters and militia operating in mountainous areas to escape capture, U.S. forces have greatly assisted in restoring peace and order. They have also prevented Al-Qaeda from reinventing itself and causing greater havoc not only in Afghanistan but globally.[Rome, Henry. "Revisiting The “Problem From Hell”: Suicide Terror In Afghanistan". Studies In Conflict & Terrorism, vol 36, no. 10, 2013, pp. 825] [Rome, Henry. pp. 830]
Membership/ Leadership of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan
Al-Qaeda and as is the case with terrorist groups globally, has sustained its membership through effective recruitment. The group initially recruited young individuals who were hell-bent on preventing the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union. The group comprised of energetic individuals from different parts of the Islamic World who saw the invasion as a slap on the Islamic religion. Since then, Al-Qaeda and other terror groups operating in Afghanistan have taken their recruitment exercises worldwide. They lure unsuspecting young people into schools and mosques with promises of giving them better lives. They are then taken through extensive radicalization where they are fed and made to believe that all Non-Muslims are enemies and should be dealt with ruthlessly. Over the recent past, Al-Qaeda has embraced technology and the internet in its recruitment and radicalization process. It uses social media platforms to seek out vulnerable persons and consequently feed them with hogwash on how the West and particularly non-Muslims should be eliminated from the face of the earth.[Piazza, James A. "The Opium Trade And Patterns Of Terrorism In The Provinces Of Afghanistan: An Empirical Analysis". Terrorism And Political Violence, vol 24, no. 2, 2012, pp. 220]
It is essential to note that the al-Qaeda terrorist that comes into the public limelight after conducting a vicious attack is totally different from the young person that was recruited and trained. The majority of the fighters led normal lives before they were recruited, radicalized, and made to travel great distances to kill innocent people. While some come from poverty, others are from relative wealth and privileged backgrounds. Similarly, it is essential to highlight that not al-Qaeda recruits are Muslim. On the contrary, they are believed to inadequate understandings of their religions and which makes them susceptible to misinterpretations. From Piazza's (2012) perspective, "Almost universally, they either had an incomplete religious education or were raised in a household where the faith was routinely practiced but was not a dominating force". Al-Qaeda has five major parts. The first part is the strategic leadership, which comprises the group's core leadership, strategists, and senior-level managers. The members mostly reside in Afghanistan and are primarily inclined towards the provision of guidance and strategic direction. They also offer regular powerful messages to followers that lead to unrest not only in the Muslim world but beyond. The second part of Al-Qaeda includes affiliated and associated movements. These are independent franchises of the group and receive varying levels of support from the core leadership. One notable member is the Al-Shabab in Somalia that has fully aligned itself with Al-Qaeda's principles. The other parts of the broad group that is Al-Qaeda include independent adherents, ideology, and brand identity.[Piazza, James A. pp. 227]
While Al-Qaeda's status and current position in Afghanistan is subject...
Get the Whole Paper!
Not exactly what you need?
Do you need a custom essay? Order right now: