Winning the War on Terror

“In Defence of the Diplomatic and Legal Modules to Combat Internationally Constructed Terrorism-Using Innovative Diplomatic Principles, Mechanisms, Foreign Policy Techniques and Strategies”. By: Schwarzkorf Hakeem Kwame Nkrumah One of the most worrisome happenings in the world today is what is universally referred to as global terror or international terrorism; a very turbulent and highly traumatic human experience that would in fact bother the minds, time and space of humanity for a long time to come. Very unfortunately though, it presents in its wake seemingly unyielding challenges that tend to challenge our locus of control as a people. To the well-meaning people of the world today comes the big question; a giant puzzle, as regards which of the opposing camps is winning the war on terror. Terrorism today has become a universal serial killer, a formidably fearful, panic –creation expert, a dangerous beast, a death –ridden gangster; a hot-headed monster whose unwarranted acts, plans and crude methodologies continue to baffle the very minds of the whole of humanity today. This, rather ridiculous and ludicrous phenomenon brings to the fore questions as to how we can marshal practically worthwhile, strategically peaceful, tactically powerful and diplomatically appropriate deals and actions that can work wonders for the total good of humanity today and in the future. Walking across the streets of Great Britain, the Super Power United States of America, and other parts of the western world brings one close to walking hand in hand with unnecessary fear, agony, anxiety; treacherous and highly malicious actions that find their roots in mere evil doings and inclinations of some few misguided people.. The most unfortunate part of it all is the fact that such malicious acts captioned international terrorism have more often than not, been blamed on the religion of Islam. A critical, well-informed study of the religion of Islam would bring one close to the fact that Islam as a religion has no foundations in creation of terrorism of any kind neither does it accord anyone the gut and the licence to engage in evil acts in the name of religion or ideology. The religion of Islam has very unfortunately been blasphemed in various instances for many wrong doings that take place in various parts of the world. However, the fact of the matter is that there are people out there who call themselves true muslims and believers but who are just elements of sheer hypocritical tendencies and double standard mongers in religion. For all intents and purposes, such people who trade havoc creation and terror just lack lustre in enlightenment very seriously and quite worryingly. This is because enlightenment and beauty in human nature and its interrelationships are the very fundamental norms, ethics, values and such other sterling beauties which Islam as a religion is deeply rooted. In fact, should there be any doubts regarding those who think and believe that taking to suicide bombing; blowing up oneself, and possibly dying as a result with other people would warrant going to paradise are clearly mistaken. For it constitutes one of the most blatant lies ever promulgated against the beautiful religion of Islam. Such are in fact horribly and horrifically wrong, very unfortunate and very irresponsible on the part of anyone who may resort to such tendencies in religion. Looking at it from another perspective, we realise that Islam does not encourage any form of violence creation, mayhem and, above all, other mischievous acts and deeds. In terms of differences in faith, conscience, religious inclinations and affiliations, Islam as it were, establishes very explicitly and beautifully one of the most prolific and productive international human rights laws backed by positive values that are universally unwavering in spirit, letter and application. It is made clear in the Holy Quran Chapter 2: 257, “there is no compulsion in religion”. In other verses, the Quran makes it clear, in no uncertain terms, that right is always distinct from wrong. It would therefore constitute an act of utter hypocrisy by any set standards for anyone or group of people to carry such actions and inactions that have their roots in wrong doing, malice, mischief and, above all, sheer political interests and other shamefully personal and egoistic tendencies. It goes without saying that Islam believes, in no small measure- in the dignity of the human person, to such an extent, that it has established for the good of mankind one of the most humanly dignifying rules, principles and policies for ensuring proper treatment of prisoners. Not left behind in this discourse are women, children, sick people, weak, poor and the vulnerable, among others in our society. As a matter of fact, it would be a high level exhibition of good global citizenship if we could all spare a moment, out of time and space, to study the true; unadulterated nature, practices and philosophy of the teachings of the religion of Islam. Our inability to do this as a people endowed with reason, conscience and refined resolve for truth as against falsehood, would very unfortunately find ourselves in utter hopelessness; at least in our search for international peace and security. The fact is that there had been evidences here and there, regarding tremendous pains, unwarranted loss of precious lives and property, including other highly devastating aftermath effects that had resulted from the evil deeds of faceless people whose hypocritical tendencies ruin humanity of its happiness, progress and well being. The most unfortunate thing in this rather sad discourse is the fact that the activities, actions and in-actions of these charlatan terrorists have no foundations in truth, justice and true; appropriate application of an unadulterated conscience and mentality. It is therefore pointless for any source to think simply let alone consider matters so lightly, that the pivotal war on terror is going to be easy and plausible within a specified time frame and space. Day in and out, there seems to be echoes on our door steps, that we need to take certain practically appropriate, humanly difficult but worthwhile steps that can help to create a new era in which positive, peaceful and humanly acceptable human interrelationships can be maintained and safeguarded. We can confidently do these by nurturing, shaping, developing and consolidating the gains already attained by our own efforts and commitment to a peaceful and secured future. These can be done on the basis of unconditional mutual respect for all forms of cultures and traditions, values and norms, free wills and, above all, a genuine resolve and determination to develop, respect, preserve and defend these ideals and principles. In fact the gains that would emerge from such diplomatic exchanges and understanding and which would ultimately constitute the fundamental basis for securing true freedom and happiness for all must not at any point be allowed to be slaughtered on the altar of religious and ideological differences and misgivings that do not any foundations in a refined conscience and dignity of humanity. We have come a long way in our development aspirations and efforts, suffering in many ways to keep some levels of peace and tranquillity together along the line. We have delved deep; more so even deeper, in our determination and commitment to keep ourselves together as a people with common breakthroughs and achievements. We have had to suffer the woes of fate and opportunity to drive the forces of evil and mischief well away from our midst in spite of the difficulties we had so far encountered in one way or the other. Very fortunately, we are well placed; at least humanly, to wage a fruitful, non-destructive war against all forms of evil and chaos. We can, as a people accord coming generations solace, lasting hope and goodwill, and which would once and for all time to come pre-empt and reengineer firm foundations on which bridges to lasting peace and international understanding can be built and sustained as a matter of international priority. The highly unprecedented problems and wicked challenges that had caught the attention of many innocent people all over the world today is the issue about global terrorism. The fact is that it has beaten the potentials and thinking capabilities of seasoned international diplomats, high profile government leaders and officials and, above all, weakened the very firm foundations on which the United Nations as an organisation was built and sworn in to defend. At least in the most special fashion, as may be deemed strikingly relevant in terms of international relations principles and values, the international community cannot run away from a duty towards finding out the root causes of all forms of international terrorism. In fact, the highly devastating bombings on July 7, 2005 at various places in London resulting in the deaths of many innocent people and property losses are things that must be frowned upon by all those who cherish the values of peaceful human relationships. This includes those committed to the cause of untainted freedom and justice, supremacy of international justice and the rule of law. Also worth mentioning are those who bear testimony only to truth as against hypocrisy and falsehood, acrimony and injustice, those who bear allegiance to human dignity and goodwill; the values of which are found in international feelings of brotherly love, understanding and fraternity. Very reasonably, these would become the strong and formidable cornerstones with which future bridges to lasting peace, prosperity, progress and sustainable development can be developed. Refreshing our memories on what happened to Spain as regards the rail derailments in 2004 that led to many deaths and destruction of property, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Muriel made a very important point that perhaps, very unfortunately, caught the attention of a few people. He declared, in response to the traumatic experiences that characterised the train crash in Spain that the international community, governments and all well- meaning people throughout the world need to find, determine and consider new ways and approaches to resolving international disputes. He added in no uncertain terms, that there seems to be, very positively and encouragingly, some other peaceful, workable and lasting ways towards finding lasting solutions to the problems that are haunting people all over the world today. As a people, we have come to the crossroads in our resolve to defeat the wagers of senseless wars, unwarranted creation of fear and terror, perpetrators of antagonistic religious doctrines including unnecessary promotion of such inhuman activities that do not help anyone in the end. We have come a long way in our fight against all the known and unknown falsehoods that surround some beliefs and actions of people, doing more harm than good all the time, at least in vengeance ways, practices and tactics. We need to do some other things, hitherto accorded little or no emphasis to win the hearts and minds of all peoples the world over; very hopefully to win the hearts and minds of all without let or hindrance. It would also pave way for consolidating some crucial factors that can also help to cement lasting international friendship, peace, solidarity and goodwill. We need to condemn, by every means necessary, all forms of violence, inhuman actions and deeds, crude methods, tactics and antics that are currently being perpetrated by the enemies of peace and freedom. We must sow in their place strong seeds of wisdom, reason and international togetherness, acknowledging them, at least consequently, as master keys to lasting international peace, freedom, progress and prosperity Very undoubtedly, the time has now dawned on us as a people with various talents and gifts of understanding, powers of reason, well-informed choice making skills and experiences to let go all false and negative egoistic values and principles that do not help anyone in the end. Consequently, we need to fashion out new strategies, methods and positive ways through which all the horrors and horrendous issues of international terrorism can very appropriately find lasting remedies of peace and credible conclusions. For many years, the United Nations and other credible international bodies have done a lot in their power and ability to help secure international peace and security, in spite of any formidable difficulties, challenges and such constraints that, more often than not, question the very nature of human nature. The international community today needs more education and conscience grooming experiences as an innovative strategy for building and developing new frontiers for international peace and understanding. We also require without doubt positive-minds refining clinical sessions that can help us to see things in more humanly embracing perspectives. We also need to harness for our own good solid foundations on which holistic bridges of true freedom, justice and peace, international fraternity and goodwill can firmly be established. Doing something more, we must oblige ourselves with the need to cherish, uphold, defend and consolidate these universally appropriate ideals and values as our major weapons for fighting all forms of inhuman thinking and actions. Logically put, creation of such solid thrust of trusts that can very firmly unite us as a people with international citizenship status are things that cannot, in any way be put up for negotiations. For, the time has now come for all of us as people with very distinct faculties that need to be fully operational in all respects. The international community may consider it possible for world leaders to secure dialogue with the perpetrators of evil and wrongdoing. For instance, controversial figures such as the Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, former president of Iraq Saddam Hussein, Slobodan Milosevic of former Yugoslavia, Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, among others, could be encouraged to think and act positively, using innovative diplomatic platforms and strategies to help them consider their ways. Together, we can reason with people with such criminal records as a matter of need for new diplomatic values, foreign policy initiatives and fundamentally appropriate social fabrics on which the United Nations and the international community can use deeds instead of words to help address all forms of conflicts brought about by differences of opinion, conscience and actions need to be given due recognition and attention.. This may be seen as a very new, seemingly impossible and technically nonsensical moves that would yield no meaningful results but which, for all intents and purposes, may constitute some of the most powerful mechanisms with the capacity to help generate peace and harmony in our world. They can also help to open doors for nurturing reforms in the United Nations system. The United Nations Charter itself needs redrafting if we are to be properly anchored onto the challenges of the 21st century including, very importantly, the kind of strategic empowerment we so desperately need as a people. These are within the contexts of helping to explore and harness international diplomatic technicalities, principles and values. In fact a careful study of the UN Charter brings one close to the fact that there are lots of loopholes out there that need refilling; and also consequently fuelling it with a wealth of proper formulation and application of conscience. Such imperatives would help to secure effective strategies for managing and administering challenges of the foreseeable future. These are in fact just some of the many plausible diplomatic trump cards and strategic international human development acumen that His Excellency Mr Kofi Annan and his hardworking team would be expected, as a matter of urgency and international importance to exhibit and promote. They would be expected to do these within the framework of his intended package of reforms towards marshalling all the resources available to address problems facing our world today. One very important fact of life is that the enemy of any kind can best be defeated and consequently won over with love, compassion, fortitude, patience and, above all, an unequalled resolve to uphold and adhere strictly to the very tenets of unwavering tolerance and prayer. One of the former presidents of the United States of America- Richard Nixon- succinctly pointed in connection with the Watergate saga that human beings as we are, some people may hate us but the fact is that the person being hated senselessly, and possibly for no apparent reason would be the winner on condition that he/she does not hate back, and that is the key. This is fundamentally a very sour, bitter pill for anyone with human feelings to swallow but that constitutes the cure for all the ills that humanity is suffering today. The point here is that while this is not to suggest ruling out the need to punish all perpetrators of evil and wrong doing, it is equally important for us to explore to the full all other avenues through which people can be made to understand what is better for all of us. The United Nations, the International Court of Justice, UNESCO, among others, must see it necessary to look for these areas of knowledge that can effectively be applied in our world today and in the future. We should be able to build new universal frontiers that would signal a new phase in international law administration. It would symbolise a strategic turning point in our resolve to fight global terrorism. It would amount to a significant phase in our history in which diplomacy and international law would bring about new insights into human interrelationships and, equally important, create crucial moments in our lives in which untainted exhibition of remorse for wrong doing can be procured pricelessly. This can be done on the merits of fruitful dialogues, accommodation of cultures and traditions, ideas, beliefs including differences in conscience; secured for our collective good and well being. The United Nations Secretary General His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan should be able to win the battle on his hand at the moment. He must be able to initiate innovative, practically workable diplomatic policies, programmes, ethics and sound norms that can effectively be applied to help resolve all forms of misunderstanding, misconceptions, bad ideas and beliefs that are today tearing our world apart; creating in their place anarchy and chaotic situations. We need to acknowledge these as the supreme values that would stand the tests of time. The fact is that some of such moves may well be met with criticisms here and there but at the end of the day, truth as and conscience opposed to falsehood and mischief mongering would win the battle. The Secretary-General may mandate the UN General Assembly and the Security Council to initiate and develop educational programmes in every country; doing so with a view to helping to enlighten people on the important ideals as espoused in the United Nations Charter on Universal Human Rights and Freedoms. This should include, very importantly, the need to eschew all forms of misconceptions, religious and socio-cultural hatred and extremism, disrespect for cultures and traditions of other peoples, and rather encourage one another, at least on the thresholds of our ability to bear allegiance to reason and true, unadulterated conscience. The UN Secretary General may well see some of these very possible breakthroughs as necessary parts of his intended or proposed plans for reforms within the United Nations system The international community must see it increasingly crucial the need to break new grounds that would empower governments all over the world to formulate and implement foreign policies that are both firm and internationally friendly, accommodating at least diversity-wise and, above all, solid in its approach to building strong foundations on which all forms of suspicion, disrespect, rancour, acrimony, rumour and mischief mongering, diplomatic hypocrisy , fanaticism of any kind, among other known and unknown evils can be nipped deeply in the bud. As a collaborative effort in this all-important discourse, the UN Security Council may source and consolidate technical assistance and support from top international organisations which may well include top, highly reputable universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Harvard and other renowned institutions such as UNESCO, UNHCR, UNDP, World Bank among others, as an international diplomatic strategy for educating people in various countries of the world. The most important thing here is that even though it may not be easy to achieve any immediate results, particularly as our expectations may warrant in the process at the initial stages, the incentive is that at least we can guarantee some very significant levels of achievement later. This finds meaning in our unwavering determination and resolve to bring about a reduction if not complete end to all forms of international terrorism. The point is that while acknowledging the pointlessness in not dealing with those who so deserve to be punished for wrong doing as regards the need to apprehend, bring to justice and appropriately punish all perpetrators of mayhem, violence, terror, fear and other disgraceful, highly inhuman actions and inactions, as known in cases of ethnic cleansing, genocide, among others, we need to seriously explore and take advantage of other alternative measures, fruitful diplomatic ideals, values, international relations norms and principles that can equally accord the international community a well-deserved guarantee of effective administration of international law, justice, including, the sacredness of humanity, our being and our experiences. *This feature article was written in a personal diplomatic response to the July 7, 2005 shocking bombings in the city of London; resulting in the deaths of at least 58 innocent people on board buses and at tube stations. The writer of this article can be contacted by e-mail at: hkwamenkrumah2006@yahoo.co.uk Dated July 28, 2005