Maravi

Eleven years later

Eleven years later
Tue 11 Sep. 2012, 10:30 CAT

It is impossible to forget the unanimous shock suffered by all peoples of the world on this day, eleven years ago due to the insane terrorist attacks against the American people, which could be seen live on television.

But what is worrying us is that after eleven years, the world doesn't seem to have an effective, efficient and orderly response to terrorism.

This very sad event, which we today remember, had created exceptional conditions for the eradication of terrorism without the need to unleash useless, senseless and endless wars. The world today is far less safer from terrorist attacks than it was eleven years ago. What this means is that our responses to terrorism are not correct.

Terrorist actions anywhere in the world inflict terrible damage on the peoples fighting for a cause that they objectively consider to be fair. Terror has always been an instrument of the worst enemies of mankind bent on suppressing and crushing the people's struggle for freedom. It can never be an instrument of a truly noble and just cause.

All throughout history, almost every action intended to attain national independence, including that of the American people, was carried out with the use of weapons and nobody ever questioned, or would question, that right. But the deliberate use of weapons to kill innocent people must be definitely condemned and eradicated for it is unworthy and inhuman as it is repulsive, the same as the historic terrorism perpetrated by imperialist and oppressing states.

The way the United States reacted to the insane terrorist attacks on New York eleven years ago has not helped to eradicate terrorism. It has in fact complicated this problem. Many people in the world opposed the United States' response to terrorism by deciding to unleash endless wars. But it is not too late. And despite all the grave political and military mistakes committed by the United States in Afghanistan, real possibilities still exist in the world to eradicate terrorism without endless wars.

But as we have experienced over the last eleven years in Afghanistan, the main obstacle is that the most notable political and military leaders in the United States refuse to listen to any word said against the use of weapons and in favour of a truly effective solution to this very worrisome problem, heedless of the fact that it will always be very honourable to help eradicate terrorism in the world while avoiding bloodshed. The decision makers in the United States only bet on war actions. They have associated honour with war. Their presidency seems to be centred on the president being a war leader. Others have shown more rationality and common sense, but it is still along the war line. Objectivity and rationality are not abundant. Many people have been made to believe that only belligerent formulas are viable, regardless of the loss of lives.

As for those carrying out terrorist attacks, their actions totally undermine the just causes they claim to represent. Terrorism has undermined even the genuine and legitimate struggles of the Palestinian people. It is also undermining the rights of many others in the Arab or Muslim world to national sovereignty and independence. What they are planting in the world is confusion and panic. They are also encouraging opportunists to take up positions motivated by convenience and national interests, tearing their honour to pieces.

Eleven years after September 11 and our experiences over these years, we should come to the conclusion that none of the present problems of the world can be solved by force. The international community should build a world conscience against terrorism devoid of arrogance, pomposity and imperial attitudes. It is very clear now that only the intelligent policy of seeking strength through consensus and the international public opinion can decidedly uproot this problem. The world cannot be saved unless a path of international peace and cooperation is pursued. Stationing imperial armies in every region of the world will not help the United States or indeed any other country to effectively deal with the problem of terrorism. International cooperation should be arranged to launch effective global actions, in accordance with international law, the charter of the United Nations and the relevant international conventions, based on the extraordinary power of consensus and the sovereign and combined will of all states.

It would suffice to return to the United Nations the prerogatives that it has been deprived of and let the General Assembly, its most universal and representative body, be the centre of that fight for peace - regardless of its limitations due to the arbitrary veto right of the Security Council's permanent members - and for the eradication of terrorism with total and unanimous support from the world opinion. It is indispensable to return to the United Nations its role in the attainment of peace.

The United Nations is precisely that universal coalition we need to fight terrorism. No amorphous and unpredictable coalition or group of states - regardless of its power - could replace the United Nations in the global and legitimate action against terrorism. The United Nations should not give up its functions or prerogatives in favour of something imposed by any country, nor should it indulgently serve hegemonic interests. What is still happening in Afghanistan and other parts of the Arab world today demonstrates very well what can happen in the world when the United Nations is ignored, is pushed aside by those who think they have the political and military might and can do whatever they want.

It befits the United Nations, and no one else, to address in a deep, calm, resolute and forceful way, the serious challenges of a globalised world, including increasing terrorism as a matter of urgency. The United Nations is the natural forum in which to build a universal coalition against terrorism and it alone can give global legitimacy to the long-term struggle against terrorism. The United Nations even has the prerogative to use force to defend the principle of collective security. However, this exceptional prerogative will always need to be used with utmost prudence and responsibility.

To move forward, we must address all forms and manifestations of terrorism in every corner of the world with absolute honesty, without double standards, avoiding hegemonic interests or national ambition, and state terrorism cannot be an exception. The overwhelming political will of states to fully implement international instruments must prevail without any double standards, or political selectivity, without treating differently those who live in affluent societies and without allowing states and their armed forces, especially the most powerful, to act in disregard of legislation and international law.

We should not continue to respond to terrorist acts with vengeance and war actions that would lead to a still unimaginable spiral of violence and barbaric acts. The solution cannot be to pass legislation or decrees that condone summary executions, that let states kill foreign citizens or act covertly in other countries, disrespecting law and borders, or use force within other states. That would divert the world from its purpose of eradicating terrorism, and would mean the end of collective security mechanisms. It would mean the rule of force and the beginning of the end of the so-often proclaimed rule of law.

The right to self-defence must not be invoked by a powerful state to unilaterally unleash a war that could have unpredictable consequences bringing the death of an unthinkable number of innocent people. Instead, that right must be exercised as the right of all to the common defence of all. Our poor countries would eventually be the potential victims of actions of force if today we accepted wars under the pretext of fighting terrorism. And for this reason, our poor countries should not accept the establishment of American military bases in their territories under the guise of fighting terrorism. The fight against terrorism should not be just to meet the interests of the most militarily powerful states. We shouldn't all be pushed to give support to hegemonic and arbitrary decisions made by the United States and its allies, which violate the charter of the United Nations and international law, and that trespass on the sovereignty of all states.

In an economic situation as the world is experiencing today, when extremely serious problems affecting mankind remain unsolved, including its own survival which is threatened by other evils unrelated to the destructive power of modern weaponry, one wonders: why start and support complicated and open-ended wars?

We have said all these things before; we have raised these questions before over the last eleven years. There is nothing new in what we are here stating today; we are merely repeating things we have stated before because we believe this is the only way humanity can be saved. It is an important message that needs to be continually repeated. Let's reflect on these issues and meditate over them deeply on this sad day, the eleventh anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attack on the innocent American people.

Labels: 911, TERRORISM

posted by MrK @ 4:46 PM