Ryan Hadeed
As a student of history, I often wonder what it must have been to witness important events of the past. For my father, it was the news that US President John Kennedy had been assassinated. He can still remember where he was and what he felt when it happened. It was unbelievable that the most powerful man in the world was slain, in broad daylight, and by a nobody. Such a moment of disbelief occurred for me on the morning of September 11, 2001, as I watched images of airplanes crash into the towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City. It was unthinkable that the world's mightiest nation was brought low by an act of terror. I remember clearly where I was and what I was doing when it happened. As a university student in South Florida, I never made it to campus that day, nor the one after that. In the flat I shared with my siblings, we spent the next few nights sleeping in front of the television which had been permanently tuned to CNN. We may have been far away from all the death and destruction that was taking place, but there was still a heavy feeling of fear and uncertainty of what would happen next. The one thing that I knew for certain was that the world was about to change and even then, I suspected that it wasn't going to be for the better.
Two Sundays ago marked the 15th anniversary of the deadliest attack on American soil, one that ended the lives of close to three thousand people. In a cosmopolitan city such as New York, many nationalities, races and religions were counted amongst the dead, uniting the world in grief. And while there was bereavement for deceased friends and loved ones, the same can't be said for the innocent Iraqis who senselessly died in the resulting US-led invasion in 2003. Some estimates place the number as high as one million people, yet there are no words of condemnation, no monuments erected, no moments of silence. This is an important contrast because just last Sunday, the Big Apple was once again the site of another attack. Thankfully its effects were minor, but according to the journal of the would-be terrorist, his motives cited America's actions in the Muslim world and the wanton slaughter of its people. This echoed the sentiment of the Boston Marathon bombers (2013) who, like the Manhattan bomber, were also naturalised US citizens with no apparent ties to radical groups. But if they have come to see their adoptive country as the aggressor, then not only is the message succeeding, but there may be reason enough to believe it.
The reality is that it's 15 years later and the American-declared 'war on terror' is no closer to being won. The leadership of Al-Qaeda, the group responsible for 9/11, has been decimated, and three regimes that supported terrorism have been toppled: the Taliban in Afghanistan, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and Muammar Gaddafi Libya. But despite these so-called victories, the world cannot claim to be a safer place. The more brutal Islamic State has since risen to prominence, the before-mentioned countries are still struggling with post-tyrannical democracy, and there has been an increase in the frequency of terrorist events taking place in major cities across the globe. For now, the rhetoric of radical Islam has remained unsuccessful in inspiring massive numbers of Muslims to undertake the cause of jihad. However, when it comes to instilling fear amongst those they deem as 'unbelievers', it's the one fight the terrorists might actually be winning.
It started near the end of that sorrowful September, when then-president George W Bush poignantly stated, "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." It was a message to the rest of the world that the US would undertake any action necessary to not only bring those responsible to justice but to ensure its national security. This would become their 'Casus Belli' (Latin: a case of war), serving as justification for a new brand of foreign policy–to strike whenever and wherever they pleased. Whether it's targeted assassinations using drones, supporting regime change, violating territorial sovereignty, or detaining and depriving individuals of legal rights. But as the casualties and the suffering rose, so too did the animosity. America is once again choosing to combat the tangible enemy instead of the intangible cause. And their continued reliance on military supremacy, while winning them battles, is also costing them the ideological war. The irony is that their righteous fury, which has been heavy-handed, self-serving and short-sighted, is doing more to nurture and propagate the threat of radical Islam. Think of it as the metaphorical equivalent of using petrol to extinguish a fire. They have undoubtedly done their part in creating a home-grown enemy that can strike the heartland whenever and wherever 'they' please.
The September 11th attack has turned into the rallying cry for both sides of this new generational conflict. So in the midst of memorials and recollections, with everyone asking, "Where were you 15 years ago," another question that deserves equal contemplation is, "Where are we 15 years later?" The debate will continue as to whether any progress has been made and who has ultimately benefited from it. For while the forces of radical Islam continue to gain a victory without war, the nations of the civilised world are stuck waging a war without victory.