Iraq War for One Year, Terror Spreads Out Globally

“Iraq was the biggest intimidation to the United States one year ago. As a result of war, we can live in a more peaceful world,” remarked Condoleezza Rice, the White House National Security Advisor, evaluating the result of the war on an NBC television show on March 14.

Donald Rumsfeld, the defense secretary, appeared on a CBS television program, stating, “Conducting the Iraq War was a righteous decision, and I’m really satisfied that we could attain our goal against the terrorists.”

Like the assertion of the U.S. administration, has the root of terrorism really been eradicated and the world grown into a safer place? At least for the U.S., no more intimidating terror has occurred so far. However, considering the past year, not like the well-protected United States, the world has been wrapped up in the horrors of terrorism.

Some people pointed out, “The wretched feelings of the September 11 terror attack felt by the Americans at the time have been shared by the world.” The organizations designated as terrorists’ faction by the U.S. State Department has increased from 28 before the September 11 terror to 36 recently.

Terror that has become a violent mean of diplomacy strategy –

Just after George W. Bush’s declaration of the end of the Iraq War on May 1, 2003, in a certain foreigner’s residence in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyad, a chained bomb explosion occurred on May 13 in advance of the official visit of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. This terror, which killed 29 people through four consecutive explosions, can be regarded as the “signal” of the Iraq War to become an “international terror war.”

After three days, the terror attack continued in Morocco. Terror, in order to break down the solidarity of the allied countries and provoke the voices of anti-war around the world, formed a battle line without boundaries. The English consulate’s bomb terror in Turkey occurred just before the meeting between U.S. President George W. Bush and Britain Prime Minister Tony Blair. The anti-war ambience in the U.K. reached its climax at this time.

The Spanish train bomb terror called the “European September 11 terror” showed that the terror has progressed to the level that terror can control the domestic and international politics. This terror, which was occurred just three days before the general election on March 14, could convert the voter’s tendency of support to the anti-war sides, altering the whole administration itself. CNN assessed, “The muzzles of the Iraqi insurgents which aimed at the U.S. forces are now headed towards the whole world.”

Iraq has changed into terror training center –

Taking advantage of the unstable security condition, Iraq has changed into a terror training center or a demonstration plant. Not only as a mean to resist against the allied countries but also to wipe off the confronting races, civil wars like terrors have occurred many times so far. The increase of the terrors which aim at civilians and not the military personnel can be attributed to this reason. As the demand of “terror” soars up, even the mercenaries are hired.

“Sunni and Shia Muslims, and the Kurds regard this situation as a critical chance for them to be free from the other political factions and the races,” remarked Lee Won-sam, the chief of Korea Muslim Culture Laboratory, adding, “It is one of the reasons why terrors continue to take place.”

Cessation of terrorism, is it possible? –

“If we capture Osama Bin Laden, the second and third Bin Laden will appear continuously.” On March 9, at the congressional briefing, George Tenet, the chief of U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, has disclosed his hardships of conducting anti-terror operations similar to mentioned above. He added that the terror organizations spread their influences out to diverse countries such as Morocco, Kenya, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

The problem centers on the unilateralism of the U.S. The U.N. deputy chief of administration, at the interview with Foreign Affairs September and October, 2003 editions, focused, “Terror problems cannot be solved only with the strength of the U.S. It should be dealt with using a solution that utilizes multilateralism.”

“The U.S.’ method of solution, which prefers the force of arms, cannot bring peace in the international order,” remarked a professor of First University of Paris, and Kennes Polak, the chief researcher of Brookings Institution stated, “The U.S.’ policy towards the Middle East should maintain a neutral standpoint.”

Dong-Won Kim daviskim@donga.com