the voice of terror

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125 ocused on understanding the terrorist phenomenon, our approach followed the idea of Terror Genesis – From The Big THE VOICE OF TERROR Between the “Islamic Law” and “Civilization Consciousness” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ General Questor Anghel ANDREESCU, PhD ~ State Secretary – The Romanian Ministry of Interior and Administration Reform ~ Lieutenant Colonel Nicolae RADU, PhD ~ Chief of the Centre for Psychological Expertise and Assistance, Department for Protection and Guarding (SPP) ~ Encyclopaedia of Jihad to the Hamas Covenant and the White al-Qaeda and Terror Network – From the Black September to the White al-Qaeda. This study analyses the meaning of terrorism taking into consideration reference materials such as: Big Encyclopaedia of Jihad, The letter from an al-Qaeda member, and last but not least How to withstand and to confront special services investigators. Specific Conceptualisations According to the theories concerning prevention and fight against terrorism (Law 535/2004), terrorism means the actions and/or threats, which are public risks and concern national security. According to the US Department of Defense, terrorism means “the unlawful use of – or threatened use of – force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives”. In order to achieve their goals, terrorists resort to a wide range of terrorist practices, as follows: political murders, kidnappings, bomb and guns attacks. F The article is an analysis of the meaning of terrorism. Firstly, some definitions of terrorism are provided. Secondly, the main goal of terrorist activities is emphasised – that of bringing fear and terror, the authors showing that, no matter the terrorist group considered, to understand terrorist behaviour, one must study the terrorist psychopathology. Then, some statistics are provided with a view to identifying some of terrorists’ psychological traits, in strict connection to their social background. Thirdly, the authors show that, in spite of terrorism violent character, to consider Islam as a violent religion is more than a mistake. To support this idea, they bring examples from Sharia – the Islamic Law. That is why, the authors invite us to give up the expression “Islamic terrorist” for “terrorist who abusively make use of Islam. To conclude, the authors show that “terrorism remains the price paid by the Western society for its hegemony and for the enforcement of democratic principles in the world”.

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  • 125

    ocused on understanding the terroristphenomenon, our approach followedthe idea of Terror Genesis From The Big

    THE VOICE OF TERRORBetween the Islamic Law

    and Civilization Consciousness~~~~~

    ~~~~~General Questor Anghel ANDREESCU, PhD

    ~ State Secretary The Romanian Ministry of Interiorand Administration Reform ~

    Lieutenant Colonel Nicolae RADU, PhD~ Chief of the Centre for Psychological Expertise and Assistance,

    Department for Protection and Guarding (SPP) ~

    Encyclopaedia of Jihad to the Hamas Covenant and theWhite al-Qaeda and Terror Network From the BlackSeptember to the White al-Qaeda. This study analysesthe meaning of terrorism taking into considerationreference materials such as: Big Encyclopaedia of Jihad,The letter from an al-Qaeda member, and last but notleast How to withstand and to confront special servicesinvestigators.

    Specific ConceptualisationsAccording to the theories concerning prevention

    and fight against terrorism (Law 535/2004), terrorismmeans the actions and/or threats, which are public risksand concern national security. According to the USDepartment of Defense, terrorism means the unlawfuluse of or threatened use of force or violence againstindividuals or property to coerce or intimidate governmentsor societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideologicalobjectives.

    In order to achieve their goals, terrorists resort toa wide range of terrorist practices, as follows: politicalmurders, kidnappings, bomb and guns attacks.

    FThe article is an analysis of the

    meaning of terrorism.Firstly, some definitions of terrorism

    are provided. Secondly, the main goalof terrorist activities is emphasised that of bringing fear and terror,the authors showing that, no matterthe terrorist group considered, tounderstand terrorist behaviour, onemust study the terrorist psychopathology.Then, some statistics are provided witha view to identifying some of terroristspsychological traits, in strict connectionto their social background. Thirdly, theauthors show that, in spite of terrorismviolent character, to consider Islamas a violent religion is more thana mistake. To support this idea, they bringexamples from Sharia the Islamic Law.That is why, the authors invite us togive up the expression Islamic terroristfor terrorist who abusively make useof Islam.

    To conclude, the authors show thatterrorism remains the price paid bythe Western society for its hegemonyand for the enforcement of democraticprinciples in the world.

  • Romanian Military Thinking ~ 2/2007

    126

    Their victims are statesmen, businessmen, remarkable peoplefrom cultural and science fields, policemen, journalists, andeven women, old people or children.

    Richly subscribing to the well-known specialists remarks(Burgess; Eva-Ildiko Delcea, 2006), according to whomstarting now to define terrorism will be such a complex andunbiased (objective) matter, so that we may say that it is ratherup to the artistic side than to the scientific one, terrorism canbe perceived as a special social phenomenon, at the beginningof this century and millennium, with a complex nature throughits multiple ways, worldwide related.

    Without claiming an exhaustive documentary work, thecontent of this paper is part of an in-depth research, structured

    General QuestorAnghel ANDREESCU, PhD

    on six chapters. The main topic is dedicated to: Decoding the terrorist phenomenon.The authors intention would not be realistic if it did not bring to general attention the needfor terrorist phenomenon conceptualisation, based on the meanings derived from documentssuch as: The Big Encyclopaedia of Jihad or The letter from an al-Qaeda member.

    The Daily PsychopathologyWithin this context, the Jihad interpretation (Reinischer Merkur, 2005) and the reference

    materials from the Jewish Virtual Library as well as from the Polish Terrorism Centre arevery significant in decoding and understanding the terrorist phenomenon. Even thoughthe Islamic masters do not recommend violence (Reinischer Merkur, 2005), a study carriedout by Laiden University from The Netherlands concluded that the violence element waspresent in 83% of the registered terrorism cases, the political targets represented 65%,and 51% had as a main goal to bring fear and terror (Schmid and co, 1984).

    The meaning of terrorism is given by the violent manifestations, precisely orientedand very well organized, that bring an apocalyptical image and are to create a terrifyingpsychosis of terror even in peacetime, including a great variety of activities during periodsof crisis or war.

    Contemporary terrorism is already a type of war, marking numerous manifestations,briefly described in the previous articles. Using an analytical approach to terrorist behaviour,regardless the terrorist group to be investigated dynamite men from the Jewish organisationSTERN, Palestinian Fedains, the Islamic fundamentalists, or the Chechens Black Widows,one major aspect to be considered is that in order to understand the terrorist, one must studythe terrorist psychopathology (Frattasio, 2006) and identify the genesis of terror.

    Statistics and AttemptsThe recorded data from local and foreign mass-media (http://stiri.neogen.ro; Le Monde,

    August 4, 2005, shows that, compared to 175 terrorist attacks in 2003, 391 terrorist activitiestook place in 2005/2006 (compared to 288 terrorist attacks occured during the sameperiod of 2004/2005).

  • 127

    Geopolitics Geostrategy International SecurityIn this context, a lot of the latest successful attempts

    have been directed towards statesmen (12.03.2003 Serbiaand Montenegros Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjici;13.02.2004 the Chechen President Zelimkhan Iandarbiev;the Afghan Air Force Minister Mirwais Sadiq; the Presidentof Taiwan Khen Shui-Bian; 09.05.2004, Groznyy, theChechen President Ahmad Kadirov). The terrorists actsagainst public institutions and structures require a specialattention (11.03.2002 3 railway-stations from Madrid, Spain 191 dead people; 12.10.2002 a night-club and a restaurantfrom the Bali Island, Indonesia 202 dead people; 23.10.2002 Moscow Theatre Russia 120 dead people; 09.12.2003 Lieutenant Colonel Nicolae RADU, PhD

    the National Hotel, Moscow, Russia 6 dead people and 10 injured people; the schoolin Beslan, 03.09.2004 North Osetia 329 dead people and 500 injured people)(Ciobanu, 2006).

    The complexity, diversity and ingenuousness of the terrorist acts, the psychologicaland fighting level, the assets and mobility of the terrorist structures like Al-Qaeda, Fatah,Hamas, Turkish Hezbollah, Al-Dawa or ETA have called the attention on the need forimmediate adjustment of the antiterrorist structures to the extending terrorist phenomenon scourge of the present times (Andreescu and co, 2003) as this phenomenon is morethan an improvisation, more than simple murder or bomb attempt.

    The terrorist actions from September 11, 2001, in USA, March 11, 2004, in Madridand those from July 7, 2005, in London, as well as those in Beslan and Moscow, proved thatmodern terrorists can hit any objective, anywhere, trying to change, through terror, certaindecisions, even political ones (Andreescu, 2006).

    Societys RebelsStrange or psychopathological behaviours (Delcea, 2006), noticeable at a series of

    terrorists from groups such as AUM (The Supreme Truth), the Japanese group or ANO(Abu Nidal Organisation), amplify violence, their actions lacking in any form of compassionfor the victims. A survey performed on 250 terrorists from Germany reveals that 25% ofthe enquired people have lost one parent before reaching 14, 79% have had argumentswith their parents and 33% have described their fathers in a hostile manner (Brad, 2004).It results from the same research that 33% have been formerly convicted by a juvenile court.

    Unacceptability of the established order, secretly considered a form of disguisedoppression, represents the most frequent type of profile for the psychopathic terrorist.Rebel youngsters are the first to be oriented towards terrorist organizations (Gurr, 1970).Placed at communitys periphery, being born into a disadvantaged environment, hauntedby an inferiority complex and feeling unfulfilled, the psychopaths of terror try to takerevenge on a society in which they could not fit, on a way of life incompatible with theirdeviant psychology.

  • Romanian Military Thinking ~ 2/2007

    128

    The Panic PsychologyCreating a status of general fear within people, of general discouragement by using

    sarin gases, VX, by attacking atomic plants, sabotaging hazardous materials transports,targets from the energetic area, oil areas, natural gases are an already acknowledged goalof the al-Qaeda network. It could be said that terror represents a state of mind presentin every human being and during his whole life (Fratassio, 2006).

    Terrorism is not stupid violence as it is often considered but, no matter how unusualand illegal it could be or it may seem to be, it has a certain purpose. Terrorism adopts acertain cause, usually a political one, it has a certain formation and structure and a certainprofessional specialization of those who are in charge of accomplishing missions.

    Ali Ahmed Ali Hamad himself, the former al-Qaeda commander, who fought in theBosnian War between 1992-1995, confirms the extension of al-Qaeda Network in thewhole Balkan area and from here towards the EU. Hamad, who is now in a Bosnian prison,in a recently interview published in the German magazine Der Spiegel, affirms that theterrorist network from the Balkans acts as the White al-Qaeda and that it is made ofmujahideen, integrated in the Bosnian society, most of all, participants in the Bosnian Warbetween 1992-1995. About 400 native Bosnians, who have been trained regarding thefighting methods of the terrorists organization, fight in mujahideen units (Hamad, 2006).

    Convicted by His Own WordsOsama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader is a Muslim who gives his own interpretation

    to Jihad (Felder, 2005). On a recording from October 7, 2001, he said that God blesseda significant Muslim group, the Vanguard of Islam, in order to destroy America (Al-Jazeera,2001). This statement represented the grounds for immediate reactions such as: al-Qaedais not accredited to talk in the name of the Muslims (Akhbar Al Arab, 2001), its leadershould speak for Islam as well as for the good reputation of the religion (Canadian MuslimAssociation for Civil Freedoms, 2001).

    The Civilization ConscienceTo consider Islam as a violent religion is more than a mistake. It is a peaceful religion

    that does not agree with killing innocent people (Bacchinocchi, 2002). Islam is the religionof liberty, peace, kindness and mercy (Rashid, 2003). The Malaysian Prime Ministerassembled 50 important clerks, asking them to disapprove terrorism, to deny the connectionbetween terrorism and Islam otherwise, as the Prime Minister put it: we shouldnt besurprised if we become suspects (Felder, 2005). Islam reprobates each terrorist act.Furthermore, any reprehensive act is a breach of the Islamic Law Sharia, as well as ofthe human logic (Sultan bin Abdulaziz, 2002).

    Taking into consideration all these, it is necessary to give up the expression Islamicterrorist in order to use terrorist who abusively makes use of Islam(Andreescu, 2006).More and more Muslims begin to see the USA as a colonial power which, together withIsrael, holds the most important places of the Islamic religion (Cadran politic, 2007).

  • 129

    Geopolitics Geostrategy International SecurityThe reasons for terrorists fight against the USA are not generated by the freedom ofdemocracy but by the USA policy and actions in Muslims areas (Cadran politic, 2007).If somebody lifts hands against you, catch and kill them anywhere you find them. We aregiving you justified power against them (Sura, 22, 39-41).

    Advice to ReflectionStarting from the aspects that we intend to return to through specific themes, a few

    well-known specialists (Moisescu, Andreescu; Antipa, 2004; Delcea, 2006) have tried toanswer some questions in order to define the phenomenon and to find out the mostappropriate solutions:

    Is there a conflict between civilizations, meaning between the West and the Islamiccivilization ?

    Why cannot the West understand the Islamic Civilization and why is it always incharge of master, sometimes a too severe one ?

    Which are the motivations in training terrorists and how can they keep alivethe devotion for suicidal acts, taking into consideration that some terrorist have livedand trained in the West ?

    The questions could go on in the same manner, but some complementary explanationsare necessary:Y Starting with the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 in the USA, some changes

    have taken place as far as the USA programs and policies are concerned and a series oflaws regarding the fight against terrorism (US PATRIOT Act, Terrorist Exclusion List~TEL or Public LAW 107-56) have been adopted.Y Changes of opinion related to the states goals and position in the fight against

    terrorism have been noted (Inter-American Convention against Terrorism Barbados,June 2002) going to even establish new antiterrorists displaceable units able to dispatchactivities meant to annihilate terrorist groups activities.Y In the context of The Treaty of Prum on May 27, 2005, the prevention and fighting

    against the acts characterized as terrorist crimes, represent the reason for adopting thehighest cooperation standards made possible through improved information exchange,prevention of terrorists acts and creation of sky marshals.Y Disregarding the real aspects of contemporary society by the West helps terrorism

    globalisation, the media dissemination of the war image Islam-West, increasing the alreadyexisting feeling of uncertainty. The antiterrorist campaign should not become a warstatement against the Arab people, having about 350 million citizens, divided in 22 countries.Y The candidates for terrorist acts (Kamikaze Terrorists) are trained by imams to kill

    or to let themselves killed as, according to the theory, death brings them closer to Heaven,closer to Allah. The Promised paradise results also from the following verses: Those whoare leaving their homes in the name of Allah and die for this cause, He will take good careof them (Sura, 2, 23) and they will enjoy there forever (Sura, 36, 55-56).

  • 130

    Romanian Military Thinking ~ 2/2007Without claiming an exhaustive documentary work, or the subject depletion, we

    conclude, taking into consideration the facts, that terrorism remains the price paid by theWestern society for its hegemony and also for the enforcement of democratic principles inthe world (Andreescu, 2006).

    Selective Bibliography Andreescu, A., 11 septembrie provocarea secolului XXI n materie de terorism, Ed. Artprint, Bucure[ti, 2002. Andreescu, A. et al, Terorismul international flagel al lumii contemporane, Ed. Ministerului

    Administra]iei [i Internelor, Bucure[ti, 2003. Andreescu, A., Current Terrorism A Fatality ?, in Romanian Military Thinking Journal, No. 4, 2006. Andreescu, A., Radu, N., Terrorism From the Big Encyclopaedia of Jihad to the Hamas Covenant

    and the White al Qaeda, in Romanian Military Thinking Journal, No. 1, 2007. Andreescu, A., Radu, N., Geneza Terorii. M`suri corelative antiteroriste, Ed. Artprint, Bucure[ti, 2007. Andreescu, A., Radu, N., Re]eaua terorii. De la Septembrie Negru la al-Qaeda Alb`, in Gndirea

    Militar` Romneasc` Journal, No. 2, 2007. Albu, C., Caracteristici specifice profesiei de lupt`tor antiterorist. Referat Teza de doctorat, Universitatea

    Na]ional` de Ap`rare, Bucure[ti, 2006. Bacchiocchi, S., Curierul Ortodox, nr. 10 (135), 12 octombrie, 2002. Burgess, M., Delcea, E.I., Problematica definirii terorismului, n Terorismul Azi, vol IV - VI, an 1,

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