Specifically, the actions of the FBI, CIA, and the American government may have played a role in America's lack of preparedness for surge and terrorist actions (Posner).
Interstate
At the interstate level, international relationships are viewed through the interactions of states with each other. In this level of analysis, policy can be understood through the often that reciprocal relationships between individual countries (Goldstein).
At this level of analysis, the terrorist attacks can be understood within the context of the interactions of individual states. Specifically, the interaction of the United States with Islamic states and Israel can be seen as linked to terrorist acts. Writes Posner, "how could America support the terror state of Israel, he asked, and then cry foul when the underpowered struck back?"
Global
The global level is a worldview approach to the analysis of international relations. The social, economic, and political structure of the world whole is seen as the strongest influence on international relations. This worldwide structure thereby influences the individual policies of international actors and individual countries. As such, an understanding the structure and function of this international system provides an understanding of the workings of international relationships. The global level of analysis looks at the global gap in wealth among nations of the world, and technological change (Goldstein).
The terrorist attacks of 9-11 and later can be understood within this global framework. Today, huge inequalities in wealth exist among the nations of the world (Goldstein). This global gap in wealth between nations like the United States and Islamic states can be seen to have fueled anti-American sentiment. Interestingly, globalization and the world's increasingly mobile population may have also played a role in allowing terrorist access to the World Trade Center buildings (Posner).
Overall,...
The global view provides some answers to the reactions of shock and disbelief that segments of the world could hate America so much that they would commit the acts of 9-11. At the same, time, the global level of analysis fails to give a really adequate understanding of America's response to the terrorist actions that is provided in the domestic view, or an understanding of the actions of individual actors revealed in an individual analysis.
While the global level of analysis seems to best facilitate understanding of recent terrorist actions, it is important to remember that a complete understanding of international relations often requires a simultaneous analysis of all four levels. This is especially true in the case of an issue as complex as terrorism.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a look at the four levels of analysis of international relations reveal a great deal about the terrorist attacks of 911 and subsequent attacks. Individual, domestic, interstate, and global analysis each reveals a unique facet of the problem. While the global view may be the most powerful on its own, the four levels taken together provide the most complete understanding of the issue.
Works Cited
Goldstein, Joshua. International Relations, Fourth Edition. Pearson Education, 2000.
Jipson, Joshua and Immelman, Aubrey. Bush plays the charmer who wants to be taken seriously. St. Cloud Times, 2000. http://www.csbsju.edu/uspp/Election/bush012300.htm
MSN Encarta. Bush, George W (alker). 05 November 2004. http://encarta.msn.com/text_761581479____6/George_Bush.html
Posner, Gerald L. Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11. Random House, 2003.
Rabbie, Jacob M. "A Behavioral Interaction Model: Toward a Social-Psychological Framework for Studying Terrorism," Terrorism and Political Violence, vol. 3, 1991.
