Ten years after the 9/11 catastrophe

Ten years after the horrendous terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States, Osama bin Laden and many of Al-Qaeda’s leaders have been eliminated, the deadly organisation’s operational capabilities have been severely curtailed, there has been no clash of civilisations and the Arab Spring has offered a democratic alternative to millions of Arabs living under dictatorships.

Al-Qaeda has been committing acts of terrorism since the 1990s but the mass murder committed a decade ago on 9/11 in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania really highlighted the threat that it posed to all those who believe in democratic values. The attacks were not just on America but on the whole world and were targeted against peaceful coexistence among peoples and nations, democracy and tolerance. Although it has been weakened considerably, Al-Qaeda still cannot be written off. It continues to plan and commit acts of terrorism in various parts of the world and has a dangerous foothold in countries such as Yemen, Pakistan and Iraq. However, the US-led international effort aimed at defeating it deserves credit for greatly reducing its abilities to commit acts of terrorism. This effort must continue.

The US “war on terror” has come at a high price, both in monetary and human terms. The then Bush Administration’s response to the attacks on September 11 was to launch two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which have cost the US taxpayers close to $2,000 billion and resulted in 6,000 US troops being killed. Thousands of civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan have also died in these wars.

The overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan was sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council, had the support of the international community and was the right thing to do because it led to Al-Qaeda losing its operational base and offered the Afghans a better future.

The war in Iraq, however, the most controversial aspect of the US war on terror, did not have UN backing. It divided Europe and Nato and was carried out on the pretext that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. After Saddam Hussein’s overthrow, no such weapons were found and Iraq entered a spiral of sectarian violence and became a haven for Al-Qaeda terrorism. It was only the so-called “surge” in US military activity towards the end of the Bush Presidency that prevented Iraq from becoming a failed state.

The war on terror has also highlighted the importance of Pakistan, a nuclear armed country of 190 million Muslims, which has suffered tremendously at the hands of Al-Qaeda and its own Taliban. Unfortunately, however, there have been links between elements of the Pakistani intelligence services, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Yet, without the full support of Pakistan, the US and the international community will not be able to fully defeat Al-Qaeda’s terrorist network.

In order to claim complete victory against Al-Qaeda and its poisonous ideology, the US must win the battle for the hearts and minds of the masses in Arab and Muslim nations. There is no doubt that America’s image in such countries suffered under President George W. Bush due to the war in Iraq, torture allegations, Guantanamo and the stalled Middle East peace process.

President Barack Obama has said the right things about improving relations with Muslim countries and has supported the Arab Spring. Now it is time for him to redouble his Administration’s efforts at making a Palestinian state a reality, which will further erode Al-Qaeda’s already dwindling appeal among Muslims.