68 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 25 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 6/9/11

US vs Islamic Militants: Invisible Balance of Power

By       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   9 comments
Follow Me on Twitter     Message Dr Stuart Jeanne Bramhall
Become a Fan
  (67 fans)

Invisible Balance of Power
Invisible Balance of Power
(Image by Daily Times)
  Details   DMCA

Book Review

US vs Islamic Militants: Invisible Balance of Power by Sajjad Shaukat is, in essence, a review of western military history as it relates to Balance of Power theory. The latter is based on the premise that in the absence of an international body capable of enforcing international law, "balance of power" between dominant nations is the only force capable of containing wanton military aggressors with "excessive" economic and political power. This 2005 book presents the novel theory that the rise of stateless terrorist groups has created an "invisible balance of power," which performs the same function in curbing US state terrorism as the Soviet Union did prior to its collapse.

Shaukat begins by tracing various balance of power relationships starting with the Peloponnesian War in ancient Greece, through the rise of European nation states and the complicated alliances that followed and finally the Cold War balance of power between the US and the Soviet Union. He points out that during the 1945-90 Cold War period, the threat of Mutually Assured (nuclear) Destruction was responsible for a lengthy war-free period in the developed world, although the two super powers continuously jockeyed for political advantage via proxy wars in the Third World.

Wanton State Terrorism By the US

Shaukat goes on to demonstrate that since the demise of the USSR, the US has felt free to blatantly and repeatedly violate international law. As examples, he cites

  • The 1998 air strikes against Sudan and Afghanistan, condemned by Iran and China as a violation of international law.
  • The 1999 air strikes against Serbia, condemned by Russia and China as "terrorism" and a violation of international law.
  • The 2003 invasion of Iraq, condemned by UN Secretary General Kofi Anan as a violation of international law.

US Military Failures in Iraq and Afghanistan

However since 2003, the political influence of "group terrorism" has replaced the USSR in providing a clear check on US military ambitions. Shaukat points to failure by the US military to achieve their objective of turning Iraq and Afghanistan into economic colonies to improve strategic access to Middle East and Central Asian oil and gas resources.

He then gives numerous examples of political and diplomatic objectives Islamic groups have accomplished via specific terrorist acts. He describes the use of suicide bombers and random bombings to force the UN and Spain to withdraw from Iraq and the US from Saudi Arabia, as well as the use of high profile kidnappings and videotaped executions to pressure the Philippines, Russia, India and Kuwait to withdraw troops and workers.

Suicide Bombings as a Rational Response to Genuine Grievance

Shaukat also disputes propaganda efforts by Western leaders to portray suicide bombers as psychological deranged and/or jealous of western democracy and culture. In fact, I think he makes a compelling case for suicide bombings being a totally rational Third World response to US state terrorism, in the absence of an international body strong enough to prevent the US from victimizing weak nations. He argues that the rise of militant Islamic groups is clearly a direct response to the increasing dominance over the world economy by wealthy nations and their corporations, to the detriment of most of the citizens of the globe. He then points out that suicide bombings are always a direct response to genuine grievances (either state terrorism in the form of massive civilian casualties from carpet bombing, shelling, random shootings at checkpoints and in house to house searches, unlawful detention and torture of innocent civilians, including women and children -- or "coercive diplomacy" (imposing free markets, privatization and denationalization on Third World countries). Finally, and most importantly, he points to the wide support Islamic militants movements in Iraq, Palestine and Kashmir receive from intellectuals in Muslim nations.

The Concept of Moral Force

According to Shaukat, the latter relates in part to the greater "moral force" enjoyed by "group terrorism," in contrast to US state terrorism. Many in the Third World who have directly experienced US "state terrorism" and/or "coercive diplomacy" view the war launched by the Islamic militants as a "just war," aimed at correcting a massive injustice. In addition to facilitating recruitment, this also gives "group terrorism" substantial military advantage over state terrorism, as it results in greater discipline, morale, cohesion, toughness, courage, and, if necessary, readiness to die.

Shaukat sees very little support in the Third World for US attempts to revise the definition of state terrorism based on the so-called "intent" of the aggressor (for example, if the US accidentally kills civilians in pursuing a terrorist leader or tortures prisoners to access information vital to security, this doesn't count as terrorism).

Future Dangers and Potential Solutions

Shaukat devotes a full chapter to the potential dangers the world faces from a continuation of the "invisible balance of power." Chief among them is the real risk Islamic terrorists will access and deploy nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Well Said 3   Supported 2   Interesting 2  
Rate It | View Ratings

Dr Stuart Jeanne Bramhall Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

I am a 63 year old American child and adolescent psychiatrist and political refugee in New Zealand. I have just published a young adult novel THE BATTLE FOR TOMORROW (which won a NABE Pinnacle Achievement Award) about a 16 year old girl who (more...)
 
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Follow Me on Twitter     Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Did Fracking Cause the Virginia Earthquake?

The Tipping Point: When Do Americans Hit the Streets?

The President with No Past: Obama's Electability in 2012

The Mass Psychology of Fascism: Not a New Problem

Who Pulls Obama's Strings?

Developing Story: Hundreds of US-NATO Soldiers Arrive & Begin Operations on the Jordan-Syria Border

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend