Today,
the world does not face the threat of major wars between superpowers, but is
instead faced with the danger of attacks from non-state actors that use terror
tactics in order to achieve their goals. It is often thought of as the weapon
used by the weak, for they have no other way in which to achieve their goals. How
effective is the use of terrorism in terms of reaching their major goals? In
particular, how effective is it for Hezbollah and Hamas, two major
organizations that make use of terror in the Middle East? Will their
effectiveness ever change the way the go about accomplishing their goals?
The
organizations that use terror as a tactic vary widely. They can be small,
working only for changes in one country, or they can be international networks
such as al-Qaeda, working throughout a large part of the world. They also hold
many different motives, beliefs, and ideas, which often overlap each other. They
can range from religious to political. Many believe that what makes terrorism
so dangerous in today’s world is the use of weapons of mass destruction and the
internet, which is an example of terrorism evolving with the rest of humanity.
Terrorism
can cause a huge amount of damage – killing thousands of people and causing
millions of dollars in losses, or it can be a small bomb that kills only a few
people. However, the physical damages are always a lot less than the mental
damage and fear that it breeds. But, even though it causes a large amount of
fear, it is also the source of anger. After the attacks of September 11th,
President Bush declared a “war on terror,” and was fully supported by the
American population. The United States, along with the rest of the world, has
not even thought about giving in to the demands of organizations such as
al-Qaeda.
In
1983, Hezbollah came to the world stage when they launched a series of
terrorist attacks against American troops in Lebanon (Hezbollah). These attacks
on American troops convinced the army to depart from the war-torn country. Hezbollah
has since become a major threat in the region. It has gained seats in the
Lebanese government, and is the main representation of the Shia population in
Lebanon, providing the population with necessities that they would not be able
to get otherwise (Hezbollah). Their assistance of the Shia population has
gained them the support that they needed from the group, enabling them to
become a major political party in the country. So, while they have yet to
accomplish any of their more important, long-term goals, Hezbollah has
accomplished many smaller goals that could eventually lead to their success.
Similarly,
Hamas, a nationalistic and religious group in Palestine, has gained control of
the Gaza Strip through an agreement with Fatah, who controls the West Bank. The
main goal of the organization is to create a Palestinian state based on Islamic
law (Hamas). Hamas, like Hezbollah, uses much of its resources in order to
better the life of the people it governs. However, the presence and power that
Hamas holds was the major reason that the United States vetoed the recent
Palestinian bid for statehood in the United Nations. The United States will not
support the birth of a nation when half of it is under control of an
organization that routinely uses terror. The times may be changing for Hamas
though. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Palestinians in the Gaza
Strip are beginning to feel the need for a regime change (Hamas). What this
means for the future of Hamas and its tactics has yet to be seen.
Both
of these organizations have many similarities. Both of them use terror tactics,
but they also function as governmental parties. As a government party, they use
a lot of their budgets to fund the people who support them. This support gives
them security in return for support their regimes. There is a possibility that
these two organizations could take the path of the Palestinian Liberation
Organization, which used terror until it made peace with Israel in the 1993
Oslo Accords, which also established the Palestinian Authority, now the
recognized governmental system of the West Bank (Terrorism Havens).
Is
it possible that Hamas and Hezbollah will take the path of the Palestinian
Liberation Organization? As they seek to become a legitimate power, they might
find the need to use the terror tactic less and less. If they are ever going to
see their goals accomplished, I think I might have to do just that. If it is possible, then the future of terrorism does not look so grim.
Works Cited
“Hamas”.
Council on Foreign Relations. 20 October 2011. 20 October 2011. http://www.cfr.org/israel/hamas/p8968
“Hezbollah
(a.k.a. Hizbollah, Hizbu'llah)”. Council on Foreign Relations. 15 July 2010. 20
October 2011. http://www.cfr.org/lebanon/hezbollah-k-hizbollah-hizbullah/p9155
“Terrorism
Havens: Palestinian Authority”. Council on Foreign Relations. December 2005.
authority/p9515
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