Major Paper III: Forging a United Front can Help Avert the Danger of Terrorism

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Forging a United Front can Help Avert the Danger of Terrorism
Introduction
Terrorism has had some profound effects in the world and it is understandable how almost everyone (in the West of course) is determine to offer a hand in helping fight it. Every year, thousands of people die as a result of terrorism and with a group such as ISIS on a recruitment spree, one can only pray and hope for the best. The world has witnessed countless number of attacks which often leave the majority in tears and anguish. While some people cast or point a finger to the terrorist groups and solely blame them for their inhumane approach to issues, others point an angry finger to the superpowers and their unwillingness to dialogue and concoct a solution for this global malaise. Superpower countries like the US and Russia have always fought to protect their interests regardless of the repercussions of their actions. Their actions could indeed be interpreted as selfish but to them, they are justified and their interests will always supersede the world’s. However, whenever their interests clash, the world is left to rue and this happens often. In their article, ISIS' Worst Nightmare: The U.S. and Russia Teaming Up on Terrorism, Graham and Saradzhyan (2015) express their belief in the possibility of the world’s superpowers teaming up and staging a united front against the terrorist groups. However, while there have been positive indications of the above happening, the authors also express concerns when they stated that “even when relations were good, counterterrorism cooperation was never robust as many had hoped after 9/11. This was because of a fundamental conceptual gap about the nature of the terrorist threat.” Regardless of the truth expressed in the above statements, this article seeks to drive or build on the argument that the conceptual gap has created an opportunity for more terrorist groups to bloom. The result has been a world drawn into chaos but can a united front help avert the dangers ahead and help affirm a peaceful future?
The truth is, Russia enjoys enormous influence in the Middle East than any other country in the world including the US. In his book, Pillar offers insight into how the extremists perceive the US and why they believe violence is the only answer. Apparently, extremists share the belief that the US is responsible for polluting Islamic culture, traditions, and values. To them, the US is the enemy and violence is the only “natural and justified by-product of a cosmic struggle between good and evil. Outrage and unyielding religious beliefs provide moral sanction to use violence against the intrusion of a godless West, symbolized by America, into the Middle East” (Moore, 2007). While some can say that this enmity is warranted, others, especially the US citizens believe their country has always acted in the interest of its people. However, by ‘acting in the interest of its people’ the US has indeed rubbed people the wrong way on several occasions. Conversely, Russia is also guilty of using the cliché ‘acting in the interest of its people’ to exacerbate or aggravate the already hot topic of terrorism. In the re...