British Television and Journalism War on Terrorism

British Television/Journalism

The topic chosen is 'Is the War on Terrorism an example of 'Post-Modern Warfare?' being one that is very relevant to today's world, it deals with the causative factor behind the 'war on terrorism' that was declared by the United States of America after the attacks on some of its main centers on September 11, 2001, executed by a group of Islamic militants identified as 'Al-Quaeda', and the post-modern warfare that has resulted out of the entire episode. The issues that will be explored during the course of this paper will be the following: the actual attack, and descriptions of the attack, the measures taken against the attack, and descriptions of the plans, the result of the attack, and descriptions of the people trying to escape the buildings that were struck, the responses for and against the war on terrorism declared by the U.S.A., and descriptions of several different writers on this war, and also of different people from different walks of life, and the future of the world when super powers like America carry out their threats against certain militant outfits like the Al-Quaeda, and the need for more tolerance in this postmodern world of today, and all the relevant quotations in this respect.

Discussion:

In a BBC News article dated Thursday 13 September 2001, it was reported that it was on September 11, 2001 that a number of terrorist attacks were carried out on America. One attack was launched on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, located in the heart of the United States of America, at 08:45 AM. Several eyewitnesses have reported to the BBC through e-mail and through direct contact that they were stunned beyond belief that such a thing could actually occur in the world's super power, America. One eyewitness, Mac Delaney, states how he was engaged in some work at the South Tower of the World Trade Center, when he felt the aircraft strikes the North Tower of the Center. Initially there was widespread panic thinking that there had been an accident of some sort, and people did not know what was actually happening. However, when the word came through that they were to evacuate the second tower, people who were in the building scrambled for safety, and as a result, the stairwells as well as the elevators were jammed beyond their capacity, and only a few people managed to get out and run, 'like there was no tomorrow'. (11 September, Key Reports and Video)

When they were out on the street and thanking God for saving them, they happened to witness the second aircraft that was flying right into the second tower, from which this witness had just escaped. No one could actually believe that such a thing was happening. The second explosion was even bigger than the first one, and the impact shook the ground on which many people were still standing. This was because the second aircraft was fully loaded with fuel, and the impact caused the full tank of fuel to explode, like a 'giant mushroom'. Soon the news that there had been a third and then a fourth explosion began to be circulated, though no one could believe it. The sad truth was that this was true. The third plane that was a part of the massive terrorist attack on the United States of America was crashed into the Pentagon, in Washington DC, the power Capitol of America. This attack led to an evacuation of the persons within the military and intelligence building even as it burned. The pentagon, which is generally the source of military relief in the case of a national tragedy of this sort, was rendered helpless in this particular situation, and this was because of the fact that a large part of the Pentagon happened to collapse after the attack. (11 September, Key Reports and Video)

BBC Correspondent Stephen Evans stated in his report of the attack to the News online that he was actually inside the twin towers, working on the ground floor level, when they were struck by the aircrafts. He says that his initial reaction was that there had been an 'earthquake'. He then thought that something had fallen from a great height, and that this had created such a huge impact on the very building. It was only later that the reality of what had happened struck him, and the reality was far worse than his imagination. A large number of emergency relief workers as well as firefighters were killed during the attacks, mainly because they did not expect that there would be any more attacks after the first one. This was the tragic story of the terrorist attack on America that occurred on September 11, 2001. (It doesn't seem real)

Gordon Corera, BBC news correspondent, states in his report on the 'War on Terror' declared by the United States of America to not only fight those terrorists who had put fear into the hearts and minds of all the citizens of America but also to avenge the deaths of the tens of thousands of innocent people who had perished in the attacks for no reason of theirs at all, that there is at present intense speculation on the direction of America's foreign policy over the next few years. The feeling at present is that America has in fact relegated this so-called 'war on terror' against the militant group responsible for the attacks, Al-Quaeda', to the backbenches for the time being, and have instead started to direct their concentration on the affairs in Iraq and Iran. The answers to the questions of whether or not the United States would win the war are being completely ignored now, states Gordon Corera. Richard Clarke, the former advisor on counter-terrorism measures for both the present President George Bush, and for the past President Clinton, feels that the George Bush administration demonstrates a clear lack of strategic thought. ('War on Terror' vanishes from agenda)

Much of the attention of the administration is being concentrated on Iraq, so that the afore-declared war on terrorism was being, in fact, ignored. The accusation is that the President has combined and conflated Iraq and the terrorist war together so that when work is being done against Iraq, it is being assumed that the work being done is for the campaign against terrorism, which is definitely not true. Mr. Clarke also states that the present time is in fact a lull between the first attacks against the Al-Quaeda group and the second one. The first one was responsible for destroying a large part of the group, but not the entire Al-Quaeda. This means that, the remaining people of the group or maybe even others who are angry at the Unites States for their activities in Iraq may start organizing entirely new networks that had been unheard of before. This inevitable means that there will soon be an emergence of new terrorist groups and nothing can be done to combat this. Mike Scheuer, who used to work for the CIA in the Bin Laden Unit, states that the United States does not in fact understand what motivates Bin Laden, and unless this is known, how one can fight terrorism? Some persons have made the wrong assumption that the Unites States is fighting a single organization when in fact; the United States is fighting an entire global Islamic insurgency. ('War on Terror' vanishes from agenda)

The question to be asked at this juncture is that of whether the ongoing 'War on Terrorism' being carried out by the United States is an example of 'postmodern warfare' or not. If it is, then in what way is it a true example of the postmodern war? In an article by writer Victor Davis Hanson on the theory of postmodern war in 'The City Journal', on 10 January 2005, the writer states that the United States of America, being as powerful and well equipped as she is at the present time, is a formidable enemy to anyone who attempts a war with her, unless the opponent who dares to fight a conventional war with her is fully equipped with the type of arms and discipline and the military organization that is similar to what is in possession of the United States alone. The truth of this statement is amply demonstrated by the sudden but sure collapse of the regime of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and also of Saddam Hussein's regime when attempts were made by both parties to try to face the United States of America in a direct conflict.

The military dynamism that was exhibited by America when she attempted to intervene in the affairs of the Middle East was so artfully carried out that it could not have been attempted by anyone other than the United States. The reason for America's success is based on her culture, including her approach to religion and politics and to economics, as well as the system followed by the U.S.A. In trade, that is, free markets, and also the fact that the government of the United States is a consensual one, and the fact that the individual enjoys a lot of freedom in all his activities have all contributed towards the immense power of America, even today. The writer of this article, Victor David Hanson, states that since earlier times, this sort of disparity in power has been in evidence, and it is a fact that the others have been attempting to build up their innate strength and power by merely imitating the West. This is sometimes referred to as a type of 'military parasitism', wherein those who were weak would often try to steal or buy or clone those weapons of the West that they found to be powerful. One example of this phenomenon is that of Japan. This country had no munitions manufacturing unit, no organized naval fleet, yet she managed to defeat a Russian Armada during 1905. (Post-Modern War)

The main reason for this success was that Japan had been sending thousands of her students to foreign universities and to military academies to study, and this resulted in the gaining of certain knowledge in the military affairs and strategies that were being utilized by the West at the time. In addition, Japan had been steadily importing not only knowledge about the Western ideas of commanding an army or a navy or a people, but also knowledge about advanced optics and metallurgy. This helped Japan in her quest for power that would not only equal the West but also rival it. However, one truth that must be remembered is that it is not sufficient that such knowledge be imported from the West; what is more relevant is the fact that there must be free enterprise, free trade, a transparent government and also a facility for open enquiry. These are, then the real machines of power, and unless these were to be achieved, there would be an immense gap between the West and the rest of the world.

Americans and almost every Westerner is aware of the ways and means in which to achieve success in war, like for example, in the hills and vales of Afghanistan, and also on the factors that led to failure in war, like for example, in Vietnam and in Lebanon. The recent war that was carried out by the United States of America on Iraq is however seen as being highly irregular. Not only is the U.S.A. not constraining its immense military powers and prowess, but is also conducting such irregularities as a part of her right to conduct a 'war on terror', as retaliation against the terrorist attacks that was carried out by the extremist group, Al-Quaeda. Terrorists are now in the process of acquiring more and more knowledge about the ever-changing nature of war over the years, and this knowledge helps them in gaining a definite advantage in trying to evade the net of the western world to capture them. (Post-Modern War)

In addition, the combination of several factors like globalization, postmodern thoughts and actions, and so on, has only served to make them stronger in their pursuit of terrorist activities. This is because of the fact that the innate cycle of challenge and response has also been continuing over the years, and the present proliferation of e-mails and Internet and other communication media is only adding to this advantage. For example, when a young man is shot dead and this image happens to be captured live on a camera and is beamed to millions of homes, live, as it happens, with the help of a satellite, then the entire world would automatically sympathize with the young boy, even if was known that he was in fact an extremist or a trained terrorist well versed in the ways of the war and thus well-prepared for any eventuality. A camera on the spot of the war may capture the image but not explain what the boy had done and why he was being shot down in this manner. Therefore, it can be said that such coverage may more often be one sided and may earn more of a bad name for the superior power than warranted. Another issue in postmodern warfare is the fact that the present age in which we are living is one of great therapeutic culture, wherein modern medicine and technology have combined in their efforts to bring eternal youth and health to everyone concerned.

This inevitably means that, for instance, when one soldier feels homesick or depressed, he can use e-mail to communicate with his mother thousands of miles away, in an instant, and the worried mother can immediately contact the local media hoping that they would help to rescue her son from the danger that he may be facing at present. This transaction would inevitably be viewed by millions of people all over the world, and despite the fact that in previous days this sort of happening used to be referred to as a veritable 'mutiny', it is now known as perhaps a 'misunderstanding' or a very legitimate 'grievance'. When taken in the context of the war of the United States against Iraq, it is very obvious that in this postmodern war, the U.S.A. has been successful in killing and exterminating a large number of terrorists, and also in being able to promote freedom and material improvements to all her people. (Post-Modern War)

Michael A Peters of the University of Glasgow, UK, has written about the phenomenon of postmodern warfare in relation to the 'war on terrorism' being carried out by the United States of America after the vicious attacks by Islamic extremists on certain nerve centers of America, which left a large number of people dead and injured and maimed for life. The motives behind the attacks and also the counter-attacks carried out by the West are, however, yet to be discovered or uncovered, despite plenty of research being undertaken on the subject. Some researchers have tried to dig deep into the several causes behind the degeneration of the causes of Cold War from achieving a safe and secure world into the 'new world order'. Some others have tried to probe into the story behind Al-Quaeda, and some have attempted to club together the emerging trends in warfare with certain historical happenings in the past. (Postmodern Terror in a Globalized World)