Understanding the War on Terror

Over the past many years, we have experienced our globe changing from one level to the other in terms of many sectors. This is the very change which has led to the rise of super powers in the world. Despite the fact that the advancement in technology could be one of the major contributions to the global advancements, a number of other resurgent factors could be used to explain this. Due to the immense wealth that is seemingly endless as well as the available resources, most countries have risen to become notable controllers of the global world especially when it comes to such phenomena as war.

One of the countries whose description has been given above is the United States of America. Due to its stability in terms of development as a nation, America is popular for owning some of the most sophisticated weapons and also boasts one of the most efficient military personnel in the world. Due to the strength and the stability of the nation especially in other fraternities like politics and economics, the country has interestingly become a soft terrorist target for most countries especially the Islamic countries. This has been greatly fuelled by the poor relationship between them hence the spread of the anti- American propaganda. It is rather ironical that a country with such a heavy security endowment at one point became a terrible victim of some of the most bloody terrorist attacks in the world.

Perhaps much has been heard and much has been seen, most of these could have faded the minds of many yet one has remained deeply engraved in the minds of people especially the American Citizens, the September 11^th attacks. This attack has since gone down in history as one of the most lethal ones which claimed the greatest number of lives ever when terrorists hijacked a plane before directing it to the twin towers leading to an explosion whose description many haven’t obtained to date.

 Many authors have put this experience down and many ideas have been discussed in line with the same aspect. It is probably because of this very trend that Patrick Coaty decided to put down an outstanding literary piece called Understanding the War on Terror. In his book, he gives intriguing details which explore the circumstances surrounding the September 11^th attacks. On top of the details, the author in his book goes ahead to explain a number of vital strategies and steps which could be taken to ensure victory in this war against terror. According to the author, the attack that claimed so many lives took place because of a number of security flaws and loopholes. In order to understand this war, it is therefore important for the target country(s) to be completely aware of any loopholes and hence come up with the necessary adjustments in order to avoid a reoccurrence of the September 11^th attacks. In line with the above statements, this work shall majorly involve an analysis of some of the main contents of the book as they tend to help the reader to develop a better understanding of the war on terror.

In order to make the analysis as effective as possible, it shall be done with the main target of seeking an answer to the following questions; what would you do to prevent another 9/11 attack? And what specific thing should one fight in the war on terror. To begin with, the 9/11 attacks was one of the most vital ones hence preventing such a phenomenon from occurring again has been one of the greatest desires of every American especially those individuals charged with security responsibilities.

According to the author, it is clear that America’s superiority has drawn a negative response from most unfortunate countries like Iran and Iraq. These countries have always used terrorism as a counter mechanism to ensure that power is redistributed. However, terrorism as well as other acts of genocide are issues not tolerated on the international level. This has caused the nation to respond appropriately to these attacks by not only hitting at the attackers but also tightening its home security and the security of other threatened areas/nations.

One of the things that one can do to avoid another attack like that on 9/11 is to identify the main channels through which the terrorist organizations get funded. There are a number of countries which directly or indirectly offer their support to these terrorist organizations, once such channels are disabled, the economic and political strength of these organizations become thwarted hence reducing their general strength. Furthermore, the United States must ensure that the war is won both internally and externally. The country therefore needs to approach the war with both a defensive as well as an offensive mind.

The attack could not have occurred if America had a good relationship with the attacking countries as well as other nations. Due to the recent economic problems and issues of corruption, the country has failed in many instances to prove that it is stable on its own hence becoming more and more vulnerable to these attacks (Cindy 2003). As a result, to avoid such an attack, it would be vital for the country to build strong international relations especially with the Islamic countries. This could start with the less aggressive ones like the UAE and Indonesia. This strategy would go a long way in bringing down the internationally placed allegations that America is a corrupt nation. In line with the same issue, it is also vital for America to revive its image by rescuing its own economic status and hence prove to the world that it is a country to look up to rather than one which is imploding. I therefore would advise the government to come up with strategies which would ensure strong international relations and a resurgence of the economic status of the country.

In addition to that, the author also notes that the use of conventional military attack has been one of the most common tactics in this war. However, this approach has not been one of the most effective ones. If anything, it has even led to more fuelling of the anti-America propaganda. In order avoid this attack and hence win the war on terror, the country needs to come up with alternative tactics. For instance, the country can use covert intervention, naval blockades, no fly zones as well as electronic warfare (Richissin, 2004).

At the same time, the war on terror cannot be effectively countered by simply tightening the border security. This is because this has become not only ineffective but also costly. At the same time, such a measure would only lead to isolation between America and her neighbors which wouldn’t do much in enhancing the much needed international unity. There is therefore need to increase security at check points. This can make the approach more effective and also thorough. It is a point worth noting that many of the 9/11 attackers easily went through the airports probably because the security measures at such check points were not as updated as required.

According to the contents of the book, it may also be possible to deal with the war on terrorism by using the direct target killing method. In other words, America needs to withdraw the attack on Iran which is more costly and trickle down the attack to specific single terrorists who might have been identified either internally or externally.

On the other hand, there are specific things that the country ought to note and hence fight in this war against terror. These may include some of the most common channels through which the terrorist attacks get implemented and hence executed. One popular avenue is the media. By ensuring a tight scrutiny on the media, the country ensures that all the communication channels through which the terrorists can interact with each other are effectively barred.

The country may also need to step up the anti-drug campaign. It is highly probable that most terrorists are drug peddlers hence taking part in illegal drug selling would simply be interpreted as supporting terrorism (Cindy 2003). As a result, stern measures ought to be taken on those found guilty of this offense as this has proved to be one of the most thriving strategies used by the terrorist to gain their stability and network within the target country.

By analyzing all the issues discussed above, perhaps the most vital one would involve the citizens. Each and every individual ought to be charged with the main responsibility of taking part in the fight against terror (Coaty, 2008). The citizens must always be alert to notice and report any unusual activity which may be part of or may lead to an act of terrorism. The citizens also need to come up with perfect response procedures which allow one to react very fast after the occurrence of an abnormal situation. This can go a long way in bringing down the devastating effects of such happenings (Coaty, 2008).

In conclusion, the book clearly outlines some of the most practical measures that both individuals and the country as a whole can put in place in order to handle this war against terrorism. From the above analysis, it is possible to note some of the things that can be put in place in order to avoid another attack like the September 11^th one. In addition to that, the author has also outlined certain specific areas which may require reinforcement by the country and hence ensure victory in this unique war against terror. It is also a fact worth noting that what has been explored above might not be enough to fully sort out the war against terrorism yet in one way or the other, they are vital steps and adjustments which when implemented can well take the counter strategy against terrorism to another remarkable level.