Governments don’t like political justifications for terrorism. They prefer to focus on almost any cause other than dissatisfaction with American action. It’s much easier to deal with putting the blame on psychosis, religion, fanaticism, and irrational acts. Add ethnicity, nationalism/separatism, poverty, economic disadvantage, and globalization to the mix. Just don’t mention America's violent, deadly operations undertaken to fulfill policy goals.
One might take a moment to listen to the rhetoric of terrorist organizations and the arguments they use to recruit new members. There is often a logic (sometimes twisted) and a factual basis (often unattributed) in their professed viewpoints. Their vision may be skewed, but it effectively persuades many to radicalization, and some to violence. Revenge for politically based military action is a common theme, as is the slaughter of innocents. President Obama’s drones and the innocent civilians they kill are often mentioned.
A
"special edition" of Azan magazine, publiched by
fighters in the Afghan-Pakistan region, glorified the bombings in Boston,
Massachusetts, on April 15, 2013, and considered them retribution for America's
"war crimes" in Muslim countries. The 4-page issue was uploaded on a
file-sharing website on May 8, 2013, and does not appear to have been
officially released as yet. Referring to the attack as a "drone in
America," the authors thanked the bombers for bringing "coolness to
the hearts of millions of oppressed families worldwide," and justified it
as revenge for the US military invasions in Afghanistan and Iraq, America's
support to Israel, and its alleged insults to religious sanctities like the
Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad.
Here's what they wrote about President Barack Obama's pledge to bring the perpetrators [of the Boston bombings] to justice:
"Is it 'just' that you oppress the rest of humanity and feel a right to be secure? What are YOU doing in Afghanistan? Why are your soldiers here? Who started this war? Certainly, YOU Mr. President and your predecessors and cronies who pretend to be the harmonious protectors of the world – indeed, you deserve to be put in the court of justice… But not any man-made court of justice… You are a criminal in the Court of Allah… So, let the world rejoice at the destruction that befell the great tyrant. And let America fear for more…"
What may
appear as mere hype actually works to convince some to join the violent
jihad against the 'criminal' forces of Obama. This is especially true in
regions where people have been directly affected by drones, and where
the population has little access to views other than the terrorists
themselves. It also works to stimulate rage in people far away, who
sympathize with the plight of those innocents being attacked.
You either agree with them or you don’t, but ignoring them is a mistake. And shaping counterterrorist policy without paying attention to foreign policy is a deadly mistake.
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