GHW- 1

007
ASSIGNMENT NO. 2 ECLAR, Eugene N.
Date Due: JULY 2, 2016 1 - M.A. Ed. Social Studies

Our World in the 21st Century

9/11 WTC Attacks: A Geography of Terrorism

Terrorism in the 21st Century

The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 was a message which
resonates until now—that terrorism may strike anywhere at any time. Terrorism became the policy
concern of almost all countries, especially the United States and various European states. Terrorist
attacks are persist on world news headlines. Despite the prevalence of terrorism, some scholars
cannot agree on the definition of terrorism. However, Richardson (2006) provided that “terrorism
means deliberately and violently targeting civilians for political purposes.” This definition is so
generalized for its expansive meaning. It may cover an individual, armed groups or even a state.

What is striking about terrorism is its

ability to transform according to its goal.
White (2003) echoed said view, saying “In
the years following the Second World War,
ethnic issues, ideology, and nationalism
dominated the world of terrorism…Today;
the world of terrorism lies in the realm of
violent theological expression.” Bradshaw,
SOURCE: http://www.visionofhumanity.org/
et al. (2004) was more straightforward,
pointing out “that terrorism entered a phase wherein terrorists view their acts with religious
purpose.” However, it is believed that religious ideology is only a part of terrorists’ goal. Geography
is the underlying motive of every terrorist organization.

The following terrorist attacks are mentioned and discussed below to show the relationship between
geography and terrorism.

September 11, 2001: Four hijacked passenger planes were crashed into the World Trade Center and
the Pentagon; and one crushed in Pennsylvania (Crenshaw, 523). The hijackers were believed to be
members of the Al Qaeda, an extremist group led by Osama bin Laden. He was alleged to have
financed other terrorist acts, helped other Muslim extremists to wage jihad and to establish an
Islamic caliphate (Encyclopedia Americana, Vol. 3, p. 751).

October 12, 2002: Extremists of the Jemmah Islamiyah bombed two nightclubs in Bali, Indonesia,
killing mostly Western tourists (newsday.com, 2011). The extremist group is an “Al Qaeda-affiliated
Islamist group,” aiming to establish an Islamic state encompassing Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore,
Indonesia, Brunei and the southern Philippines (nctc.gov, 2016).
March 11, 2004: Bombs were detonated in Atocha train station in Madrid, Spain, killing 191 people.
An al-Qaeda terrorist cell was held responsible (newsday.com, 2011).

September 1, 2004: Islamist

Chechen fighters belonging
to the Riyadus-Salikhin took
1,100 hostages in a school in
Beslan, North Ossetia in
southern Russia. Over 330
were killed (britannica.com),
including terrorists, when
Russian forces attacked the
school to free the hostages. Riyadus-Salikhin is an Islamist, Al
SOURCE: http://news.riskadvisory.net/
Qaeda-influenced separatist rebel group. It advocates the
independence of Muslim Chechnya from Russia (web.stanford.edu, 2016).

November 23, 2008: Terrorists

affiliated with the terror group
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba attacked several
buildings in Mumbai, India killing 164
people (newsday.com, 2011). The
terror group seeks the liberation of
Indian-controlled Jammu & Kashmir
among its goals. It struggles to fight
oppression of Muslims
(web.stanford.edu, 2016).

Year 2015: The Institute for

Economics & Peace released a Global
Terrorism Index 2015 with emphasis
on the year 2014. It ranked in the Top
5, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan and Syria; the countries which had the most number of deaths
from terrorism. Almost all terrorist attacks in Iraq and Syria are perpetrated by the Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL)(economicsandpeace.org, 2015).

November 13, 2015: A series of attacks in Paris were perpetrated by a Brussels ISIL terror cell. The
group’s alleged leader, Abdelhamid Abaaoud was killed by French authorities in a raid five days
later.

March 22, 2016: Two nail bombings in an airport and one in a train station, all occurred in Brussels,
Belgium. 35 persons were killed including the suicide bombers. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
(ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Geography of Terrorism

In understanding terrorism, regardless of its political and religious agenda, its geographical
significance must be examined. Bradshaw et al. (2003) asserted the need for a “geographical
assessment of terrorism.” Such that (1) [there must be] an “understanding where issues underlying
terrorism occur,” and (2) “where the vulnerable places for such actions are,” meaning where will a
terrorist attack occur (544).

With this contextual assessment in mind, it is the establishment of an Islamic caliphate or state
which the terrorist groups ought to accomplish; especially adhered to by Al Qaeda and the Islamic
State of Iraq & Syria (ISIS). This aspiration for an Islamic state presents a new dimension in the
geography of terrorism. The underlying issue for this aspiration is grounded on oppression of
Muslims committed to them by “Western, imperialist or Judeo-Christian alliance.” This ideology is
prevalent among terrorist groups which are usually Middle Eastern in origin or which has Islam for a
religion; as Brumberg (1991) succinctly put, radical Islamists believe that such establishment will
protect the Islamic religion and all Muslims from decadent Western, American imperialist
hegemony.

Even Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei mentioned this frustrated aspiration that “the imperialists and
the self-seeking rulers divided the Islamic homeland…there once existed the great Ottoman State,
and that, too, …divided by Russia, Britain, Austria and other[s], each came to occupy and absorb
into its spheres of influence part of the Ottoman realm” (cited in Moaddel & Talatoff, 2000, 257).
The statement by the Ayatollah refers to the dream of a pan-Arab, pan-Islamic homeland in the
Middle East shattered due to occupation, colonialism and subsequent division of Muslim, Arab lands
into different states by the European powers.

On the second point, to identify places to where a terrorist attack will occur cannot be assessed with
clarity. Terrorist attacks both occurred in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and in the US. It showed the
expanding geographical capability of terrorists groups to sow terror anywhere at any time. Al Qaeda
set the precedent of sowing terror with a wide geographical reach when it attacked the United States.
Such geographical implication became more pronounced when other terrorist cells in Europe
committed bombings and acknowledged that they were inspired by Al Qaeda.

Today, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) wreak havoc in Syria and Iraq. This group started
as two groups affiliated with Al Qaeda. There
were known as Al Qaeda in Iraq and Al Qaeda in
Syria. Both groups were founded by Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi. He consolidated both groups and came
to be known as ISIS. He also cut ties with Al
Qaeda for religious and tactical differences.
Today, it has seized oil fields, kidnapped and/or
killed Westerners and fellow Arabs/Muslims,
resorted to extortion and aims to establish an
Islamic caliphate in the Middle East. AbuBakr al-
Baghdadi is the current leader and “caliph.”
SOURCE: twitter.com
CONCLUSION

The geographical aspiration of creating an Islamic caliphate or state conflicts with existing Arab
states; aside from the constitutional repercussions of separating from an established state; the actions
of these terrorist groups and its effects are transnational in character. The crimes they commit have
wide geographical reach to which various national governments are involved.

An Islamic caliphate or state cannot possibly succeed in the presence of Arab states in the Middle
East. The leaders of these states cannot simply afford to give their allegiance to these terrorist groups
because much is at stake. The former will be subjected to a harsh interpretation of Islam and Shariah
law; they will lose their say on oil revenues; and that they will have the United States for an enemy.
These terrorist groups’ efforts are futile at most.

Acts of terrorism should not be seen as isolated cases. Its geographical implications must be studied
in the light of transnational security, drawing of political boundaries, defense, migration, economy,
religion and human development.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bernas, J. (2009). Introduction to public international law. Manila: Rex Book Store.

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Bin Laden, Osama.In The Encyclopedia Americana (Vol. 3, p. 751). Danbury, Connecticut:
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Brumberg, D. (1991). Islamic Fundamentalism, Democracy & the Gulf War.In Piscatori, J. (ed.),
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Crenshaw, M. (2006).Terrorism.In The Encyclopedia Americana (Vol. 26, p. 523). Danbury,

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Global Terrorism Index 2015. Retrieve from http://economicsandspace.org

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