Terrorism is defined as the “use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims” (Oxford, 2010). There is a phenomenon of ruthless individuals sharing radical political ideologies that seek to cause harm to others for achieving their goals. Thus, it is important to enact appropriate measures to counteract these intended detrimental actions. Among the possible strategies offered to fight terrorism are to ensure prosecution, freeze funds of people and organizations suspected to be involved in terroristic activities, and to protect vulnerable targets.
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Terrorists cannot continue their actions if they are prosecuted and detained. Grounds for criminal prosecution include UN Security Council resolutions and outstanding U.S. indictments (Scheffer, 2001). Circumstances surrounding the attempted use of these grounds to prosecute terrorist activities are not always favorable. For example, “The Cuban government continued to permit fugitives wanted in the Unites States to reside … And also provided support, such as housing, food ration books, and medical care for these individuals” (Country Reports on Terrorism, 2001). While proclaiming to be a country that is anti-terroristic, the Cuban government continues to provide a safe haven for terrorists, and does not cooperate with the U.S. Ensuring prosecution of these individuals by encouraging safe-haven countries to cooperate is key strategy in fighting terrorism.
A substantial amount of funds is required to fuel terrorism. Often this money comes from the sale of illegal drugs, weapons, or even slaves. This money is used to “…pay for the training camps, recruitment, conventional and unconventional weapons, travel, safe houses, propaganda…” (Ehrenfeld, 2002). In order to douse this fuel, such strategies as freezing funds should be implemented. Usually, funds received from illegal activities not only take up too much space, but are also far too heavy to transport in the form of physical bills. This is the reason why funds are transferred digitally through international bank accounts. If terrorist leaders’ accounts would be frozen, terroristic organizations would no longer have the essential resources to perform terroristic acts. Encouraging countries to set up proper tracking within banking systems is a vital step towards eliminating terrorism.
To diminish terrorism, the proper protection of vulnerable targets should be taken into consideration. According to the UN, upon request, “INTERPOL will assist member countries seeking either to develop protection strategies or enhance establish strategies by securing suitable assistance…” (Working Group on Strengthening the Protection of Vulnerable Targets, 2010), which means establishing protection over valuable potential targets of terroristic attacks. This measure is a smart step, but there is still much work to do to expand it worldwide, as not every country in the world is a member of this protective program. The UN should create a special international council that would work on developing protection strategies. Protecting vulnerable targets must remain a top priority for each country in the world.
Terrorism is an unpredictable and volatile phenomenon which possesses a threat to the natural human right to live without fear. It is a tool of intimidation, aimed to achieve political goals and to impose propaganda. Ensuring prosecution, freezing funds of terroristic organizations, and protecting vulnerable targets, combined together, are essential strategies to fight terrorism.
References
“Terrorism.” Oxford Dictionaries. April 2010. Oxford Dictionaries. April 2010. Oxford University Press.
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/terrorism (accessed March 09, 2013).
“Options for Prosecuting International Terrorists.” United States Institute of Peace. November 2001.
http://www.usip.org/publications/options-prosecuting-international-terrorists (accessed March 09, 2013).
“Country Reports on Terrorism 2011.” United States Department of State. July 31, 2012.
http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2011/195547.htm (accessed March 09, 2013).
“Confronting Terrorism.” Rachel Ehrenfeld. March 2002. Los Alamos National Laboratory. 2002.
http://library.lanl.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc?event=CT2002&document=30 (accessed March 09, 2013).
“Working Group on Strengthening the Protection of Vulnerable Targets.” United Nations. 2010.
http://www.un.org/en/terrorism/ctitf/wg_vulnerabletargets.shtml (accessed March 09, 2013).
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