Combating Terrorism

The events of 11 September 2001 have thrust the United States to the forefront of the international struggle against terrorism. Terror is no longer a retail business; al-Qaeda has taken it to the wholesale level. In the past, as in the earlier history of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the purpose of terrorists was indeed to create fear, but also to achieve political aims of a limited nature. Even when they were at their most murderous, the IRA remained politicians, albeit criminal ones. They had their political objective, a united Ireland, and they had political constituencies to maintain, among Irish Roman Catholics, and among Irish Americans who misguidedly donated their dollars into Noraid's collecting boxes. These constituencies were willing to condone attacks on soldiers, policemen, or politicians. They were even willing to condone the murder of unconnected civilians, as long as it was in penny numbers. But they balked at the bombing in Omagh, which killed scores of innocents. Al-Qaeda does not use terror as a political weapon, but as a new type of total war. They do not seek to persuade, but to destroy. President Bush has been criticized for describing the situation after 11 September 2001 as the war on terrorism. Yet that is a fair description. When people kill by the thousands they change the nature of the crime. This is the hallmark of al-Qaeda; whether in New York, Bali, or Madrid, it believes in death (Rees-Mogg 2004).