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Chapter 12: Non-State Actors and Challenges to Sovereignty

Summary

• It is September 12, 2001. On 9/11, al-Qaeda conducted a series of successful terrorist attacks on American soil. The terrorist group hijacked four commercial airplanes. Two of the airplanes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City. A third plane struck the Pentagon, near Washington D.C., while a fourth plane unsuccessfully crashed in rural Pennsylvania. The whole country is mourning as over 3,000 people died in the attacks.


• You are President George W. Bush and have two goals: minimize the threat of a future terrorist attack and get re-elected in 2004.


• Currently, the Middle East is filled with despotic authoritative leaders and rife with instability. The Middle East has been a proxy battleground for great power interests. For example, the Cold War saw the US and Russia battle for international influence, using the Middle East as a pawn in their broader struggle. In particular, Afghanistan is considered a strong terrorist safe haven as the Taliban, an al-Qaeda sympathizer, controls a large portion of the state.

In the short term, what do you do to resolve the threat of terrorism?

Consult the UN	Terrorism is a global issue. You would like to respond to the threat with global action through a unified resolution from the United Nations. It should be noted that it is difficult to balance all of the Security Council members' interests in one resolution.
Invade Afghanistan	Terrorism exists because failed states like Afghanistan provide safe havens for the networks to thrive. Afghanistan will not be taken back from the Taliban through diplomatic measures such as aid, the US needs to conduct a large-scale military operation.
Reduce US presence	Terrorism exists because the US meddles in world affairs too much. Our presence either conducts or enables local atrocities and oppression, creating the 'blowback' effect of inciting radicalism. The US needs to pull out of Saudi Arabia while denouncing its support of Israel and other states that oppress minority Muslim groups.
Foreign aid	Terrorism happens because the Middle East is filled with weak/failed states that provide safe havens for the networks to thrive. The US should help 'legitimate' governments in the Middle East secure their sovereignty through foreign aid. Furthermore, the US should maintain its global forward military presence and strengthen support for all of its allies. These security measures will enable the US to invade the Middle East in the future, but, for now, invasion is unnecessary.