State of Our World: Open_Notes 28

the political terrorist: 1. the need to be heard, a minority acts 2. mix of anger and helplessness produces an urge to strike out; retribution, justice 3. victims into terrorists; a battered people strike back; state terror breeds collective terror, ie., the "Irgun", the "Stern", holocaust, occupation causation, strike vs. external targets 5. an example is a bad thing, example spreads, ie., aircraft hijackings; state government terror are large examples 6. lack or absence of revolutionary ideology; revolutionary terror socially limited, selective -- private political terrorism increasing due to modern technology [weapons-communications], a new politics becomes possible -- political minds rooted in the past and modern times producing new realities.

prevention: 1. avoid extremes of double standards; a superpower can not promote terror in one place and condemn it in another 2. do not condone the terror of your allies 3. avoid covert operations and low-intensity warfare [breeding ground of terror and the drug trade] 4. focus on causation, help ameliorate causes 5. do not seek military solutions; political solutions must be sought; innocent victims always result from military options 6. help reinforce and strengthen the framework of international law; enforce the United Nations, the International Code of Justice.

Jihad [to struggle] revived by American help in the 1980s vs. the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan; US$, CIA encouragement to fight the "evil empire", Bin Laden an early recruit and recruiter [Saudi multi-millionaire], 1990 "Gulf War" US Forces in Saudi Arabia remained after victory, Bin Laden demanded removal of foreign occupation, ie., same cause as Afghanistan; the"tribal code of ethics" friend or enemy dependent on "keeping your word"; the US loyal friend has broken his word, therefore now an enemy -- covert operations have an incalculable cost. -- [Notes 27,28] [based on NPR, Alternative Radio, Ekbal Amad, d. May.99, author "Confronting Empire", discussion: "Terrorism, Theirs and Ours", Jul.29.00, with additions (SAGE)]

State of Our World: Open_Notes 28