BARCELONA MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2013 (BCNMUN) November 2013 Forum: Security Council Issue: Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism Student Officer: Clara Martin Position: Chair Introduction Hardly a week goes by without an act of terrorism taking place somewhere around the world, killing hundreds and even thousands of innocent civilians. Whether it be aircraft highjacks, street shootings or suicide bombings, international terrorism causes hundreds of blameless victims every year. Although many different treaties have been agreed upon, resolutions have been passed and measures have been applied, terrorism still takes place every few days somewhere around the world. Because of this, international terrorism has remained on the United Nations agenda for decades. It is in the interest of all countries to drastically reduce or eliminate international terrorism in order to ensure safety and political and economic stability. Violence has been part of human civilization for thousands of years. Most violence among countries is usually targeted against military forces. However, terrorism is specifically characterized by its intention to cause terror or panic in the people. Terrorism is an issue that is particularly hard to tackle because of the strong feelings it evokes in the groups suffering from it. It is usually the effect of an underlying conflict related to injustice, poverty, misery, starvation, nationalism, politics or religion. Thus, most terrorist attacks and terrorist groups’ foundations can be traced back to either a long-­‐term, underlying issue such as poverty or to a disagreement between two or more groups with different ideologies. More and more often, terrorism is associated with the religion of Islam. This is mostly due to the amount of terrorist attacks carried out by Sunni Muslim extremists in the name of Islam in foreign countries. According to a report by the USA National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), about 70% of the world’s terrorist attacks in 2011 were planned and carried out by Sunni Muslim. The most well-­‐known Sunni Muslim terrorist group is Al-­‐Qaeda – formerly led by Osama bin Laden – which claimed responsibility for the September 11th attacks in New York City and Washington DC. Due to the large number of international attacks being carried out by Sunni Muslim groups or organizations, increasingly large numbers of people have become prejudiced about the religion of Islam altogether. Page 1 of 11 BARCELONA MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2013 (BCNMUN) November 2013 However, as above-­‐mentioned, it is not only religion that serves as a cause for international terrorism. In numerous instances, it is other issues that need to be addressed first. More often than not, these issues or disagreements are caused by injustice and poverty, and terrorists emerge from countries or backgrounds that lack proper living conditions and education, or political and economic stability. Therefore, in the cases of these terrorist groups or attacks, the underlying problems are usually the real cause of the conflicts. Key Terms Defined Terrorism The illegal use of force or violence against any people or property to intimidate or terrorize a government, population, or any other group of people due to political or social objectives. International Terrorism Terrorism carried out in a country by people that are not native to that country. Ideology The beliefs, values and/or principles by which a group identifies itself and its objectives. These are defined in many cases by factors such as politics or religion. Shariah Translates to “the way” in English. It is the religious law of Islam, based on the traditions of the Koran and the sayings of the Prophet. Like many aspects of the Islamic religion, it can be interpreted in an extreme manner. Jihad “The struggle” in English, also known as “holy war”. It is the religious duty of Muslims. As it is open to individual interpretation, there are two main accepted meanings for Jihad: an inner, psychological struggle or an outer, physical struggle that would translate into a violent or non-­‐
violent conflict with those that do not believe in Islam. This meaning is mostly accepted by Shiah Muslims. Page 2 of 11 BARCELONA MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2013 (BCNMUN) November 2013 War on Terror The international military campaign put into action against terrorist groups, governments and organizations as a result of the September 11th attacks on the USA. Most NATO nations – such as the United Kingdom – participate in the War on Terror as well as several other non-­‐NATO nations – such as Pakistan. So far, the greatest achievement of the War on Terror is the assassination of Al-­‐
Qaeda former leader Osama bin Laden. Background Information Although it has been a more prominent issue in the 20th and 21st centuries, terrorism is not unique to the last 150 years. However, mostly due to the September 11th attacks, international terrorism has been given more attention by the populations and governments of the affected countries, such as the United States and Israel. The specific causes of international terrorism are boundless, but most attacks can be divided into two major groups according to their purpose: ideological or strategic. Ideological purposes Many times terrorist groups act in the name of an element of their ideology – which encompasses factors such as religion and political or social philosophies or demands – in an attempt to justify their actions. Examples of relevant international terrorist groups that act for ideological purposes are: Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) An international terrorist group led by Sabri al-­‐Banna which has carried out attacks in twenty countries including Israel, the United Kingdom, France and the Palestinian territories, although it has attacked several other Arab countries, too. Its major attacks were inflicted upon the Rome and Vienna airports in 1985. It has a particularly strong presence in Libya and Sudan and has received state support from Iraq, Syria and Libya. Its goal is to eliminate the State of Israel, preferably through an international Arab revolution. Japanese Red Army (JRA) A Japanese international terrorist group founded after breaking away from the Japanese Communist League Red Army Faction. Fusako Shigenobu originally led the group until her arrest in 2000. The group’s goal was to overthrow the Japanese government and to impulse a worldwide communist revolution. It acted in many countries such as Italy, the United States, Japan and Malaysia. After she was arrested, Shigenobu announced she would pursue the group’s goal by Page 3 of 11 BARCELONA MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2013 (BCNMUN) November 2013 creating a legal political party rather than by resorting to terrorism, and claimed the JRA would dissolve in 2001. Irish Republican Army (IRA) A separatist Irish terrorist organization whose goal is to achieve an Ireland completely independent from the United Kingdom’s rule. With the Anglo-­‐Irish Treaty in 1921, it achieved the complete freedom of Southern Ireland while the UK still retained authority over Northern Ireland. However, some members found the treaty unacceptable and continued to act in an attempt to achieve the complete independence of Ireland. Al-­‐Qaeda The most well-­‐known international terrorist organization, formerly founded and led by Osama bin Laden, who was killed by USA troops and CIA operatives in 2011. The group was created during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan but then evolved and developed new goals. Its current purposes are to establish one solid, Islamic Arab Nation ruled under the Shariah, to eliminate American influence from all Arab countries – especially in Saudi Arabia, to destroy the entire state of Israel, and to overthrow all Arab state supporters of Western countries. Its most important attacks were the September 11th attacks in 2001, the Madrid bombings in 2004 and the London bombings in 2005. It receives financial aid mainly from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) A group of factions acting to create an Islamic state in the place of Israel through Jihad. The PIJ is also against moderate Arab governments influenced by Western culture and against strong supporters of Israel such as the USA. It lacks organization and a single leader, but has previously threatened to attack the USA and Jordan and it has carried out bombings in the Gaza Strip, the West Banks and Israel. It is supported by Iran and Syria. HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement) An offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, HAMAS is since 2005 the ruling authority in the Gaza Strip. Its goal is to eliminate Israel and to establish a Palestinian Islamic state in its place. It is very loosely structured, with some members working in and recruiting new people in mosques and social institutions and distributing propaganda; and with others performing attacks mostly in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to achieve their goals. It receives aid from Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as humanitarian aid from many Western powers. Page 4 of 11 BARCELONA MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2013 (BCNMUN) November 2013 Hezbollah (Party of God) Shi’ite international terrorist group which receives support and aid mostly from Iran and Syria. The group was formed as a response to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and was quickly strengthened due to training provided by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. It began to popularize and encourage suicide terrorist attacks such as the one it carried out in the US Marine Barracks. It has also acted in countries such as Argentina and the United Kingdom, mostly against United States and Israeli entities. It is usually credited with popularizing suicide terrorist attacks, just like Al-­‐
Qaeda, and firing small rockets at the State of Israel. Strategic purposes According to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), “terrorism is the result of a logical analysis of the goals and objectives of a group, and their estimate of the likelihood of gaining victory. […] States may sponsor terrorist groups, especially when the objectives of the state and the terrorist group are similar”. Most of the aforementioned terrorist groups are supported by states whose interests are similar to those of the groups. Countries such as Palestine or Saudi Arabia support some terrorist groups like Al-­‐Qaeda, the PIJ or Hamas, because of their common interest in the elimination of the state of Israel. Thus, groups that operate with the support of state governments usually also operate for strategic purposes such as the reclaiming of formerly owned lands. However, government support or sympathy for terrorist groups and organizations isn’t common worldwide, with most cases located in the Middle East – the powder keg of international terrorism. Major Countries and Groups Involved State of Israel Israel occupies a major role in international terrorism as it is the target of many terrorist groups such as HAMAS or Hezbollah. In response to terrorist attacks by groups such as these, Israel enacted plans like the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (PTO), which addressed the issue of terrorism head on and thus ensured Israeli citizens’ security. Some measures implemented by the PTO include the confiscation of any property belonging to or being used by terrorist organizations and “taking away rights and freedoms of an individual who has damaged the rights and freedoms of innocent members of society” (Buhler 4). This is a particularly controversial aspect of the ordinance, as it involves restricting the rights and freedom of certain members of society. However, the PTO has proved useful so far for Israel’s response towards international terrorism. Page 5 of 11 BARCELONA MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2013 (BCNMUN) November 2013 United States of America As a very strong supporter of Israel, it is often involved or attacked by Islamic terrorist groups in events such as the September 11th attacks, after which it declared the War on Terror. With the help of many other nations, the War on Terror – led mostly by the USA – is able to cause the fall of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, destroy several Al-­‐Qaeda camps and kill Osama bin Laden, a major terrorist leader. However, with these actions, Islamic extremist resentment towards the USA grows. Islamic Republic of Iran “Iran [has] remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism in 2010. Iran’s financial, material, and logistic support for terrorist and militant groups throughout the Middle East and Central Asia had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, threatened economic stability in the Gulf, and undermined the growth of democracy,” states the 2010 State Department Country Report on Terrorism. As mentioned before, Iran has a common enemy – Israel – with terrorist groups like Al-­‐Qaeda, whose main goals are to establish Shariah and eliminate the state of Israel. It has long been a sponsor of Islamic terrorism and its policy towards the issue of international terrorism is problematic, as it slows progress in detaining and bringing major terrorist leaders to justice. Un-­‐cooperative countries such as Iran are sometimes seen as a major obstacle in eliminating international terrorism. Syrian Arab Republic “Syria in 2010 continued its political support to a variety of terrorist groups affecting the stability of the region and beyond. Syria provided political and military support to Hezbollah in Lebanon and allowed Iran to resupply the terrorist organization with weapons. […] Statements supporting terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah consistently permeated government speeches and press statements,” the 2010 Country Report on Terrorism states. As is the case with Iran, Syria is a supporter of several anti-­‐Israeli terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and the PIJ because of common interests. As was mentioned before, un-­‐collaborative countries like these halt the progress in eliminating or reducing international terrorism and ensuring peace in conflictive areas. Sudan Viewed by many terrorist organizations – such as Hezbollah, the PIJ, Abu Nidal and HAMAS – as a safe haven in which to plan and organize future attacks or events due to its weak government and law enforcement system. While few terrorist groups actually carry out attacks in the country of Sudan itself, many recruit and train new members in the safe grounds of Sudan. Page 6 of 11 BARCELONA MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2013 (BCNMUN) November 2013 Palestinian National Authority (PNA) As its territories border Israel, numerous terrorist organizations seek a foothold in Palestinian soil. Over the last few years, Palestine has become increasingly similar to Sudan – a place where terrorist organizations plan, train and recruit new members due to the proximity of their target: Israel. Furthermore, although several terrorist groups such as HAMAS or the PIJ claim they fight for the destruction of the state of Israel as a means to an end – the establishment of a Palestinian Islamic state – they continue to attack Israel soil despite their political gains in Palestinian grounds. This suggests that their goals have recently shifted to the mere destruction of the state of Israel. Taliban An Islamic political movement that spread from Pakistan into Afghanistan, the Taliban were able to form a government but were only recognized by three other states. It enforced a strict, brutal interpretation of Shariah law. In many cases, the Taliban have been said to use terrorism to achieve their social and political goals, and were responsible for most Afghan civilian deaths during their years in power. After the September 11th attacks, they were overthrown by American troops. Timeline of events Date May 14, 1948 April 18, 1983 September 11, 2001 September 20, 2001 March 11, 2004 July 7, 2005 Event The Israeli Declaration of Independence is signed and the state of Israel is declared. First use of suicide bombings in the Lebanese Civil War against the US Embassy in Beirut, by the Islamic Jihad Organization. Al-­‐Qaeda airplane hijacks against the USA in New York City and Washington D.C. USA President George W. Bush declares the War on Terror. Suicide bombing of Madrid trains at rush hour by an Al-­‐ Qaeda-­‐inspired Islamic terrorist group. Islamic extremists carry out The United Kingdom’s first suicide bombings. Page 7 of 11 BARCELONA MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2013 (BCNMUN) November 2013 September 8, 2006 August 31, 2010 May 2, 2011 The United Nations Global Counter-­‐Terrorism Strategy is proposed. It marks the first time all Member States agree on a strategy to fight international terrorism. HAMAS terrorists ambush a car and kill four Israeli citizens, one of which was a pregnant woman, in the West Bank. The attack was a protest to the restart of Israeli-­‐Palestinian peace talks in Washington, D.C. USA troops and CIA operatives kill Al-­‐Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. His body is dumped in the ocean to avoid further conflicts. Previous attempts to solve the issue Use of force and violence Although it is a common strategy used against terrorism, the use of force and violence often causes feelings of resentment and bitterness in the nations involved, potentially producing more terrorists and more confrontation between the conflicted groups. However, it does hinder terrorists’ ability to operate and is sometimes effective in eliminating certain terrorist groups. An example of the use of force and violence would be the War on Terror. After being a silent supporter of the Taliban government because of its pro-­‐Western ideology, President George W. Bush puts the War on Terror into action, its main target being the Afghan Taliban, which harbored the Al-­‐Qaeda terrorist organization. In collaboration with numerous NATO and non-­‐NATO members, the War on Terror overthrows the Taliban government and kills bin Laden. However, as was mentioned above, it creates Arab feelings of bitterness towards the USA and American distrust of Islam. Negotiation Although most nations refuse to negotiate with terrorist groups in the public eye, negotiations sometimes take place out of public view in order to organize and sign treaties. An example of negotiation to eliminate terrorism is the Good Friday Agreement. After publicly refusing to negotiate with the terrorist group IRA, the UK puts an end to several decades of terrorist attacks in Ireland and the UK by creating and signing the Good Friday Agreement. Although some members of the IRA remained unhappy with the Treaty, it eliminated most terrorism by the group as a whole. Page 8 of 11 BARCELONA MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2013 (BCNMUN) November 2013 International agreements Organizations such as the United Nations engage in diplomatic debate and discussion to pass resolutions and make progress in the issue of eliminating international terrorism. Specifically, the issue is usually brought up in the Security Council where the countries represented agree on and pass a resolution such as Resolution 1373, called “Improving International Cooperation”. Possible solutions Providing strength to unstable countries As was mentioned in the introduction, countries that lack political and economic stability, proper education and have high poverty and starvation rates usually become safe havens or training grounds for terrorist groups. Sudan is a very unstable country with all of the characteristics mentioned above, and it has become one of the countries with most terrorist groups and organizations in the world. Because there is no proper legislation or law enforcement, terrorist groups thrive and are able to train and prepare for their attacks. If the safe grounds of terrorist groups are eliminated, they lose much ability to carry out their plans. Intercultural communication Because many of the issues that emerge between groups are due to ideologies, intercultural communication and acceptance is key to ensure world peace and to eliminate international terrorism. By providing better education to countries in need, new generations would learn the importance of global acceptance and interdependence, thus preventing future terrorist groups. Ending pseudo-­‐imperialism and exploitation Much bitterness is created when one country invades and abuses the resources of another. Countries like Afghanistan have been raided for resources, something that has created resentment among many Arabs towards countries like the USA, leading to – in extreme cases – the formation or expansion of terrorist groups that promise the fall of imperialist countries. Regulating the resources that are exported from conflictive countries could be a way to ameliorate international relationships and drastically lower terrorist attack rates. Page 9 of 11 BARCELONA MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2013 (BCNMUN) November 2013 Giving international organizations effective power The creation of an effective legislative and executive power could be a solution to stop terrorist-­‐
supporting countries such as Syria and Iran from sponsoring and financially aiding terrorist organizations. Eliminating state support would reduce the resources of terrorist organizations such as PIJ and Al-­‐Qaeda to a minimum, supported only by private donations. This would drastically hinder their progress and international terrorism would be greatly reduced. Bibliography "Abu Nidal Organization (ANO), Aka Fatah Revolutionary Council, the Arab Revolutionary Brigades, or the Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims." Abu Nidal Organization (ANO). Council on Foreign Relations, 27 May 2009. Web. 19 Oct. 2013. <http://www.cfr.org/israel/abu-­‐nidal-­‐organization-­‐ano-­‐aka-­‐fatah-­‐revolutionary-­‐council-­‐
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