Research Report Forum: Issue: Student Officer: Position: Security Council The question of threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist attacks Bella Tran Deputy President of Security Council Introduction Terrorism refers to the act of disseminating fear and terror through various forms of violence, whether it is plane hijacking, executions or suicide bombing. The purpose of terrorism is to help certain group reach its political, ideological or religious goals by posing threats towards another group or the general public. Terrorism has been practiced by various politically or religiously motivated groups, including left wing and right wing parties, revolutionists, radical ideologists, or even ruling government. The immediate victim of terrorists acts are not the main target of terrorists; rather, it is the general public, especially those whom the group is opposing. Recently, terrorists attacks have forced countries to reassess the scope and potential of terrorism generally and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) specifically. Previously, the ISIL has only released videos of executions to the general public. Recently, physical attacks have broken out in different parts of the world outside of the Middle East, including Paris and certain locations in the United States. The ISIL is warning the United Kingdom about future attacks. Terrorist attacks can cause massive amount of casualties if they are not identified early. Terrorism is influential due to its ability to cause divisive international relationships, create overreactions from both governments and civilians, such as riots, hence driving countries to implement security measures that may indirectly impact productivity like curfews. Some overreactions are caused by misinformation of the general public, especially due to distortion of stories on social medias, and miscommunication between countries. Therefore, countries should to encourage citizens to seek accurate sources of information and stop misleading rumors from spreading. Countries should also strive to improve information flow to grasp cohesive understanding of terrorists movements to take informed actions. This involves sharing information and most importantly improve the nebulous viewpoints about terrorism.
Actions, whether diplomatic or forceful, should be take to solve conflicts happening in the Middle East or certain Islamic Countries, which are hotbeds for radical groups operations. However, actions should be premeditated and communicated to prevent misunderstanding by the general public in both involved and non involved countries. In short, the first step to solving terrorism is a clearer communication between different countries and between the government and civilians. As a last point, many terrorist acts are politically or religiously motivated. It is every country s duty to eradicate the act of disseminating purposefully misinterpreted or extremist ideologies, and keep its citizen well informed and educated. Though this ultimate goal seems far fetched, it is the most important action in the attempt to eliminate terrorism completely. Definition of Key Terms al Qaeda The al Qaeda is a network of terror established by Osama bin Laden. The ultimate goal of the organization is to eliminate Western influences, especially those of the United States, out of Islamic country, destroy Israel and create a united Islamic state that runs under the Islamic code. The organization is extremely discreet and mobile, with cells operating independently around the world. The al Qaeda is responsible for various occasions such as the 9/11, the Madrid and London bombing. The ISIL was originally an affiliate of the al Qaeda. International law of armed conflict Also known as the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the International law of Armed Conflict aims to minimize damage and suffering to non combatants in warring regions, such as civilians, wounded soldiers or medical and religious agents. In the case of terrorism, many terrorists breach the imposed limits and regularly harm non combating units in executions and terrorist acts. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) The ISIL is a group of Sunni Muslims, originated mostly from Syria and Iran, that came together under the al Qaeda, but was later disowned due to its refusal to cooperate with the al Qaeda. ISIL emerged strongly in 2014, actively disseminating executions video and is responsible for the recent terrorist attack in Paris. The organization exploit political conflicts in Syria and Iraq, using the struggle for power to take over territories. In June 2014,
the group pronounced the establishment of a caliphate (the head of a state ruled under the Islamic law), changing its name to the Islamic State (IS). Pre emptive war Not to be confused with preventive war which seek to obliterate a source of threat, pre emptive war is a strategy where one party initiate armed conflict as a deterrent to perceived imminent aggression. However, pre emptive war is not allowed by the UN Charter because it is an action of armed aggression before the break out of an armed conflict; however, the United Nation (UN) can authorize pre emptive war as enforcement strategy. Proxy war Proxy war is a war started by a major nation that does not directly take part in combating. An example is the United States funding the rebel to overthrow Bashar al Assad. In context of terrorist attacks, proxy wars complicate and prolong the conflicts in the Middle East, leading to more opportunities for radical groups to grow from lack of control. Shiite and Sunni Islam The Shiite and Sunni are two factions of Muslims, which hold conflicts in their beliefs and often conflicted with each other in the fight for power. In some countries, one faction is dominant but is ruled by the minority faction, which frequently leads to marginalization and unrest within the country. In Iraq, although the population is mainly Shiite, the country was ruled by a Sunni head of state for a long period of time until the U.S invasion led to the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Similarly, the majority of Shiite in Iran is ruled by a Sunni head of state Osama bin Laden. In Syria, a Sunni majority is ruled by Bashar al Assad who is an Alawite minority. Taliban The Taliban is a political movement that started in the 1990s in Northern Pakistan, after the Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan.. The Taliban claimed to restore peace to Afghanistan and Pakistan after the war by rebuilding the country under the Islamic law. When the Taliban introduced cruel Islamic punishments, Pakistan fought against the Taliban. However Afghanistan accepted the new ruling power, believing that the Taliban is better than the Soviet, creating the opportunity for Taliban to extend its ruling significantly. The Taliban terrorize Pashtuns, and in recent years have grown back to power, although its stability is being threatened by the Islamic State.
War on terror After the 9/11 attack, President G.W. Bush declared a global War on Terror, urging various states to take part in stopping terrorism. The effort involves both covert and overt military operations, attempts to cut off funding for terrorism, adopting new laws, increasing international security etc... However, war on terror is only vaguely defined, and hence is frequently accused of being an ideology of fear itself. The declaration of war on terror has also allowed some countries to unjustifiably repress oppositional groups. History and Background Information The widespread of terrorism and war against terrorism In the past, terrorism was mostly used by ruling government to maintain sovereignty. In the 1970s and beyond, religiously motivated terrorism in considered the most alarming issue today. Commercialize airlines have created opportunities for plane hijacks, social medias have allowed the propagation of terrorism to the general public, which leads globalized terrorism The 9/11 attack On September 11th 2001, a coordinated attack happened in the United States. Four planes were hijacked, two crashed into the World Trade Center building in Manhattan, New York, one crashed in the Pentagon and the other was aimed towards Washington D.C, killing 2,977 civilians. The reverberation of the attack urge different nations to improve national security and become more aware of the imminent threats from terrorists. The war on terror commence. The attention received by the attack was a signal for the terrorists to sustain similar actions to raise their voice. The Paris attack on November 13th On November 13th, 2015, various attacks targeted at civilians at different landmarks in Paris, killing more than 120 people. The ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack have created concerns for country who are accepting Syrian refugees, and the consideration by some United States governors to close off their borders. However, after investigation it has been found that several gunmen behind the attacks are actually French nationals who lived in Europe. This fact
reveals the scope of influence ISIL has beyond the Middle Easts and how vulnerable internally countries are. Key Issues Conflicts in the Middle East Many Middle East's countries have a dominant Islam population, hence is a vulnerable targets for extremists. The ongoing conflicts in some countries also create opportunities for radical groups to recruit jihadist and militants. Many of these conflicts are deep rooted in the conflict between Shiite and Sunni Islam. Ongoing conflict in Iraq After the the United States retreated from Iraq and Saddam Hussein was overthrown, for the first time in many years the Shiite dominant population is able to elect a Shiite leader. However, the Shiite leader mistreated the minority Sunni population, which leads to discontentment amongst Sunni Islam. Since most Iraqis are Shiite and the government system is democratic after the United States, the Sunnis turned to the remnant of al Qaeda remained after the war, and reformed into the ISIL. The Iraqi government has not been able to fight of the ISIL, which threatens and has taken the lives of many civilians through executions or suicide bombing. If Iraq breaks into religion based regions, the ISIL can potentially obtain oil rich properties and increase their funding. Ongoing conflict in Syria In 2011, the war between rebel groups and president Bashar al Assad broke out then the president refused to hold a re election or step down. The conflict have resulted in the loss of 200,000 people. The ISIL used the tumultuous state of the war to take over a huge expanse of territory in Northern Syria, terrorizing civilians and breaching the IHL by using deadly chemical weapons. The Syrian conflict also forced 4 million people to flee to neighbouring countries, and Europe receives a huge influx of refugees. The large amount of refugee makes it hard to maintain national security and create openings for terrorists to enter. However, if countries close their borders, the ISIL will be able to terrorize or recruit more potential Syrians. The debate on whether or not countries should close their borders to Syrians refugees have created national and international tension.
Proxy War The involvement of large nations in Middle East conflicts prolonged many of the conflicts whilst being quite ineffective. For example, the United States sponsored the Sunnis in Syria to rebel against the dictator Bashar al Assad, but the conflict is not ceasing. While the United States greatest ally is the Sunni, they have a nuclear deal with the Iranian Shiite and help the Iraqis Shiite to fight off the ISIS. However, Washington is also funding Saudi Arabia who is bombing the Iranian Shiite rebels. United States is not the only country indirectly involved in the Middle East wars, and the great nations are unable to bring forth an effective way of dealing with the conflicts. Longer wars in the Middle East would means terrorists will have more opportunities to capture territories and expanding their regime, thus become greater threats to international security. Terrorism in other countries by extremist groups Various instances of terrorism in other countries have also killed many civilians and threaten national security. Some such countries are Lebanon, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Pakistan The ISIL has also expressed its determination to expand its territories to other countries, to which countries should be aware and prepare to deal with. Nebulous nature of terrorism Another key issue is terrorism has a very nebulous definition, which makes it hard for the world as a whole to pinpoint actions that are considered as terrorism. Different countries have different opinions on what constitutes a terrorist acts, depending on their preeminent religion, political stance and customs. Mass media try to avoid using the word terrorists in newspaper, opting for more specific words like combatants, jihadist,... which may misinform the public. With differing opinions, nations are unable to offer resolute courses of action even after long debating periods. The involvement and impact of the general public One of the main predicaments in eradicating terrorism is its ability to sway both the public reactions and some government actions in a beneficial direction for the terrorists. The most desirable reaction that terrorists hope to achieve is fear based overreactions. The propagation of terrorism can even cause internal conflicts within countries and blocs due to various opposing, and more importantly controversial opinions on possible routes that can be taken to stop terrorism.
Civilians targeted attacks Civilians are among the most vulnerable targets that terrorists aim for. Since most of the time terrorists are the weaker side of a conflict (militaristically), they turn to terrorism as a mean to be recognized and have a voice. Civilians are targeted mainly for three reasons: (1) There are many civilians, and it is almost impossible to completely protect civilians from harm. (2) When civilians are directly targeted, fear will build up within the nation more easily, as citizens will feel that they are imminently in danger. Also, citizens of a country do not have as much a holistic view on terrorism as the state does, and so can be more easily (3) When sufficiently terrorized, civilians may demand the states to take action; a rejection by the state will likely be viewed as unjustifiable because the state is seemingly unwilling to take action to protect its citizens, which may invoke outcry and discontentment from the general public. Citizens have political influences, and even the most dictatorial state rule with at least some consent by the people. Role of religion in terrorism Religion is a huge aspect of life for many people in the world. Up to 84% of the world s population have faith, and extremism is unavoidable. Currently, the most threatening religiously motivated terrorist groups are Islamic. This is due to the fact that some Middle East countries have never truly achieve stability and hence cannot improve their educational system. Also, the Qu ran is a specific case where the belief that non believers must be eradicate is strongly emphasized. Terrorists are people who were converted to extremists. The ISIL intentionally misinterpret holy texts in order to justify its actions and convince gullible or young Muslim to join the organization. Islamophobia Islamophobia is prejudices that people have about Muslim, including the beliefs that Muslims are terrorists or are planning terrorist acts. Islamophobia turn other citizens against Muslim, which create division within a country and conflict between people and the government. For example, some citizens may want the government to close down borders refugees from Islamic countries or deliberately spread incorrect information about Islam, creating fear and confusion. Islamophobia is a form of overreaction by the general public and helps terrorists to reach their goal of spreading fear and weakening other parties through conflicts. Unpredictability
Due to their small size, terrorist organizations are hard to track as well as predict. Some organizations like the al Qaeda has mobile cells that operate individually, some units do not even come in contact with their leaders. Hence, information flow is not good within some terrorist groups, which makes it difficult to extract information regarding attack plans, leaders hideouts and specific data on weapon arsenal and man power. With the refugee crisis, it is even harder to maintain border security and pinpoint the sources of terrorist attacks. Widespread use of mass media In recent years, terrorism has experienced a burgeoning widespread around the world, mainly due to the popularity and common use of mass media. Billions of people around the world can be reached via various social media, television, radio,... as as a consequence they are more exposed to events happening around the world. Hence terrorism became popular amongst different groups as strategy and tactic, causing immense impacts on the economy, national security, international relation and even civilians lives. As useful as it is in informing citizens around the world about terrorism, it is inevitable that information are distorted online and have caused confusion, panic and detrimental rumors among citizens, sometimes even national agency. For example, recently in Viet Nam a group of young computer users have created a Facebook account under the name of the ISIL and post statuses regarding future attack. Although this instance is soon after confirmed as a hoax, not every occurrence can be easily verified and can create detrimental confusion. Major Parties Involved and Their Views France During 2015, France has experienced two terrorist attacks that disrupt its national security. Due to the Syrian conflict, many refugees are moving to France, which increases its vulnerability and chance of letting potential terrorists in. Because it is an important place politically, Paris is frequently targeted by the ISIL to make a statement. Despite the past terrorist attacks, France refuses to close its border to Syrian refugees and instead continues to cooperate with other countries in restoring security. Middle East countries Many Middle East countries follow the religion of Islam. Due to the raging religious and political conflicts in this region, terrorists have been able to establish their bases and use the chaotic political situation as an opportunity for recruitment, gaining land and power. Everyday, countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran experiences hundreds of lives loss
from terrorist attacks. These countries have unstable political state, and are susceptible to losing control to radical groups. They all need help from other countries to implement a resolute and impactful resolution to weaken terrorists and hence restoring order within the country. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Terrorism is a global issue and is threatening towards all countries. To raise the security for citizens of NATO countries, the organization has implemented several proposals. After the 9/11 attack, it is the first and only time that NATO has invoked its collective defense clause. This clause states that in the event of an armed attack against a NATO member, any other member can take action as it deemed necessary to restore international security; in this case the use of armed force is allowed by the UN Charter. NATO also established a Counter Terrorism Policy Guideline that focuses on three areas: awareness, capability and engagement. NATO is willing to cooperate with other organization through enhancing intelligence sharing and improving technologies in dealing with terrorist threats and terrorist attacks. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) Though there are many terrorist organizations, the ISIL is the most eminent in the current terrorist landscape, posing the greatest threat to international security. The ISIL is determined in taking over more territories in the Middle East and overpower Western force. The ISIL uses Islam as a justification to the murdering and execution of innocent civilians, as well as a mean to recruit young citizens around the world to join it. The United States of America (US) The US, like some other nations, has suffered directly from terrorist attacks. Like other countries, the US is active in taking action against terrorism. After the 9/11 attack, the US announced the start of the war on terror and urge other nations to join in the effort. The US also has a committee that is specified in counter terrorism effort: the Inter American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE) is. The CICTE holds annual session each year to discuss the state of terrorism and possible measures that can be taken to improve national security. The US also actively take part in proxy wars in the Middle East. It also mobilize troops to certain countries to help the government fight against terrorist organizations. United Nation (UN)
The act of terrorism has breached many different international laws imposed, including the human rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian laws. When these limits are overstepped, the UN takes measure in participating to eradicate terrorism and restore rights to citizens around the world. However, the UN is not directly involved with mobilizing forces against terrorism. Instead, the UN urges member nations to take careful actions against terrorism and cooperate in the counterterrorism effort through intelligence sharing. The UN believes that the general public should be informed of the goals and actions of counterterrorism efforts. Additional information: The UN have also implemented a counterterrorism Strategy document, which is updated biannually to adapt to the changing state of terrorism, hence prioritizing actions and steps towards eradication terrorism. It has also established a council to focus specifically on the issue of terrorism: the Counter Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF). The goal of the CTITF is to maintain and enhance the coherence and coordination of member states in the effort of fighting terrorism, suggesting constructive ways to improve the Strategy and provide assistance to members in need. The Security Council is also active in the counterterrorism effort, implementing sanctions, arm embargoes or travel bans to limit the resource of terrorists organizations. Timeline of Relevant Resolutions, Treaties and Events Date Description of Event 2001 The 9/11 attack and the initiation of the war on terror The declaration of the war on terror marks the beginning of a global effort and awareness in fighting terrorism. 2006 The establishment of The Counter Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) The creation of the CTITF marks an important development in the global effort to counter terrorism. The CTITF allows nations to cooperate more effectively and come up with coherent action plans. 8 September, 2006 The adoption of the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy by Member States This is an important step towards approaching terrorism in a holistic and strategic way. The Strategy allows the CTITF to adapt
to the changing landscape of terrorism and find the most appropriate response to terrorists movements. July 2011 August 20, 2014 November 13, 2015 The beginning of the Syrian Civil War This led to the refugee crisis the the growth of the ISIL, complicating the process of maintaining border security and keeping track of terrorist movements. The execution of journalist James Foley The ISIL publicized a video of the beheading of war journalist James Foley. The video significantly raise the public awareness on terrorism and marks the ISIL s rise to public attention. The Paris attack The attack on Paris reveals how hard it is to detect terrorist actions and how loose the security is compared to what terrorists are capable of doing. Evaluation of Previous Attempts to Solve the Issue Many countries are now aware of the threats that terrorism pose to international security, and are actively cooperating and debating possible resolutions to the issues. National broadcasting organizations is active in reporting information regarding terrorist movements and actions around the world. So far, some countries are benefiting positively from having well informed citizens. Despite the attack in Paris, citizens are responding calmly and there are no excessive overreaction from the general population. Great nations are intervening in the war in the Middle East as well, sending in troops to Iraq to help fight against the ISIL. However, some efforts by the great nation further complicating and prolonging the conflict, notably the Syrian civil war. While the US, UK and a few other countries support the rebel, Russia is supporting the ruling government. Both sides are being supplied training and weaponry, while the ISIL is left to roam and take over large portions of Syrian territories. Hence, in trying to solve conflicts in the Middle East, big nations should also focus on possible terrorist activities that can be incurred from certain decisions. Countries should cooperate more and discuss courses of action more thoroughly to prevent similar complications from happening.
Possible Solutions The first step that nations must take in effort to stop terrorism is to define the term clearly to create a common guideline. International relation must be improved as terrorism can be exacerbated when countries are divisive, which makes it easier for terrorists to target smaller opposing groups. Countries should maintain mutual trust and information flow to help locate terrorists easier, in the case that forceful intervention is needed. Nationally, the government should to sooth its citizen and prevent misleading or provoking information that may lead to unnecessary confusion from reaching people. Citizens should be kept protected both online and physically. Most realistically, the CTITF and national broadcasting organization should update news about terrorism frequently. A frequent circulation of news and information will help citizens distinguish between hoaxes and credible information, minimizing misunderstanding and panic. At the same time, the government should manage at least the flow of information from the ISIL online to minimize the amount of misleading information from the terrorist organization from reaching a more susceptible population (potential extremists, teenagers ). Bibliography "2015 UNHCR Subregional Operations Profile Middle East." UNHCR News. The UN Refugee Agency, 2015. Web. 22 Dec. 2015. Cordesman, Anthony H., and Arleigh A. Burke. "The Role of the United Nations in Fighting Terrorism." Center for Strategic and International Studies. CSIS, 18 June 2012. Web. 22 Dec. 2015. "Countering Terrorism." NATO. 3 Dec. 2015. Web. 22 Dec. 2015. Curry, Colleen. "A Simple and Useful Guide to Understanding the Conflict in Iraq." ABC News. ABC News Network, 13 June 2014. Web. 22 Dec. 2015. Hayes, Laura, Borgna Brunner, and Beth Rowen. "Al Qaeda Osama Bin Laden's Network of Terror." Infoplease. Sandbox Network Inc., 2015. Web. 22 Dec. 2015.
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