Reconsidering William Davies Essay in Light of New Developments

My opinion would have been supportive of William Davies if this easy was written in 2017. However, since I am writing it at the time when new development on the war of terror has taken place, I believe that we are not losing the war on terror, if only we can limit the word "terror" to jihadist movement, and depending on how we define the word "losing".

So far as the war on terror is concern, 9/11 severs as a wake-up call and a determiner for strong interests on the part of the government, security and intelligence agencies, citizens and allies, in the fight against terrorism.

My opinion on the motion that we are not losing the war, is base on my examination from this period to date, steps taken in terms of policies, laws, finance, recruitment of intelligence officers, partnerships, collaborations etc.

The aftermath of 9/11 saw the introduction of strong laws and airlines safety measure which can sever as a deterrent against future terrorist attacks.

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The PATRIOT Act 2001 was introduced to complement the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act 1978 (FISA). Some of the clauses in this Act authorized security agencies to conduct electronic surveillance and examine records without warrant [1]. These drastic measures violate US without citizens' constitutional rights. One such program that saw the violation of the Fourth Amendment right of citizens was the introduction of operation "Stellar Wind". This controversies operation was not only radical in it approach but also violate individual privacy. Many governments official threatening to resign but the Bush administration went ahead with it.

The argued that their action was based on national security interest, the interest of the American people and the prevention of an occurrence of a 9/11 kind of attack. Today, the PATRIOT ACT is one of the leading Act in the fight against terrorism. Apart from legislating terrorist laws, the US have also legislated laws that will regulate the social media, which is one of the instruments that is now used by these terrorist groups to reach out to their members and sympathizers to radicalize them to inflict violence. The US has effectively surveillance terrorist activities through the social media, develop technology to monitor terrorist networks in the social media and introduced strict cybercrime laws [2].

Similarly, we saw the creation of the Department of Home Land Security and consolidation of all intelligence agencies into a single coordinated body. This has foster effective collaboration in the area of information sharing, analysis, resource coordination, sharing of tactics, strategy and operations, improving policies and counter terrorism measures etc. These intelligence agencies have taken the fight against terrorism a step further by increasing its recruiting and having professionals and experts who will help in the fight against terrorism. The staffs are better trained to be in position to counter any terrorist attack and this they have often done. Also, government have shown commitment in the fight by constantly increasing the budgets for these agencies. The US has also expanded it intelligence network with foreign intelligence agencies so as to have effective collaborations. The US have continuously exchange vital information with foreign countries relating to terrorist activities and names of terrorist. At the same time, they have carried out capacity building, joint operations, tactics and strategies with these countries. The US has also provided finances for most of these countries in the fight against terrorism.

Another bold step taken by the US in the fight against terrorism was to invade Afghanistan and Iraq. Although it has its consequences, yet, the US succeeded in destroying the base of the led transnational terrorist groups (Al Qaeda) who had made claim to the 9/11 attack. Similarly, the US was able to remove the Taliban regime that was hosting them. This was a major step in disrupting the operations of Al Qaeda and the Taliban forcing them to move from one place to another without a hub to operate. The effect of this caused the death of their leader (Osama Bin Laden) who was left in the open to be easily traced by the US and killed. His death gave way to the rise of an uncoordinated and uncontrolled terrorist leaderless groups and individuals [3]. It also gave way for the birth of ISIS. Since the wars in these two countries is ongoing and it is becoming very unpopular, critiques of these wars have argued that because of the situation in these countries the US is losing the war. The argument was almost supported by leadership of the US when troops were reduced and reminder contemplated to be withdrawn. If withdrawal should have been made, I believe that the US would have negated the prize of all lives lost, money and time spent. It could have also given opportunity for terrorist groups and hostile states like Iran to take advantage of their absence. However, the continuous presence of the US in these two countries are part of the US preemptive strategy (taking the fight in the enemies back yard) which is a useful means of combating terrorism. The presence of the US in these countries amidst all odds, have given them tremendous successes in ensuring that US "control leaders" are elected in these countries, so that terrorist will not use them as a hub. Also, their presence in these countries, has connected them with prominent Muslim scholars and people who are helping them with intelligence and effective message in the deradicalization of terrorist members and sympathizers.

The US effort in arresting most of the terrorist leaders and have them detained in Guantanamo bay prison is indeed a success. By imprisoning them, their ideas cannot benefit their followers. The US interrogative practice of these prisoners have also helped in obtaining vital information that will assist in the fight against terrorism. Although such methods have spark out debates on the rights of prisoners.

Again, the US has succeeded in blocking many terrorist groups from gaining access to funds and have impose strong laws and mechanism to combat money laundry. The US through the effort of its intelligence agencies has intercepted many terrorists and terrorist group from carrying attacks in the US. The have also succeeded in scattering terrorist cells. They have succeeded in forestalling the creation of a jihadist caliph in Syria and Iraq. This has destroyed the dream of ISIS which is the last surviving major transnational terrorist group in that region. This have saw the return of many homegrown terrorist who we now known as terrorists "Next Door". The US has succeeded in bringing these citizens to trials and some convicted for fighting alongside terrorist groups like ISIS. An example was Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud of Columbus, Ohio.

William Davies assessment came at the time when the issues were alarming. We saw the atrocities of 9/11 and the way it was planned and directed, later, the Boston Marathon Bombing and the instruments used to create the bombs and it mastermind, the unpopular nature of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq and the controversies that surrounded it, the rise of ISIS and the its recruitment of western citizens (Terrorist "Next Door"). The attempt of ISIS to create a "Caliphate", the existence of terrorist group cells and lone wolves responding to jihadist calls and inflicting violence by means of using available weapons like axes, knives, trucks, etc. These developments and the pattern in which some of these atrocities were directed could have probably tempted William Davies to conclude that we are losing the war. He did not pay much hide to the fact that terrorist groups are not conventional in nature and that most of their activities are designed for clandestine and guerilla purpose which are difficult to decode.

However, with the existence of strong laws and safety measures, the commitment of government and security agencies, the US preemptive measure strategy, the killings, arrest and detention of major terrorist leaders, the effort to destroy all major transnational terrorist groups leaving them in a state of uncontrolled and uncoordinated leaderless groups and without a base, the destruction of the "caliphate" the realization of the existence of terrorist "next Door", the prevention of major attack, the effective collaboration and partnership, and the effort of the global community, I will safely say that the US is not losing the war but rather winning it. These efforts must not be counted as losing if only we could emerge what America will be like without such efforts. The current states of affairs of these transnational terrorist groups is leaderless. Their shepherds have been struck and the sheep are scattered as described in the book of Zechariah 13:7, Matthew

26:31 and Mark 14:27[4]. We have seen the period from 2017 to date as a period of relative peace and the absence of major terrorist attacks. However, we should not be complacence with their silence. We should know that this groups are comfortable with clandestine operations and guerilla tactics. The fact that Americans are more concern with the issues surrounding government, the rise of extremism and their livelihood, does not mean the war on terrorism is over. We may have succeeded in stopping the bombs, guns axes, trucks, etc. for now but we should never under estimate their silence. We should use this moment to prepare and plan against any future attacks so that we may not have any surprises.

1. Davies, W. A. (2017): Counterterrorism Effectiveness to Jihadists in Western Europe and the United States: We Are Losing the War on Terror, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, page 3
2. White, J. R. (2014). Terrorism and Homeland Security, 8th ed. page 98.
3. Davies, W. A. (2017): Counterterrorism Effectiveness to Jihadists in Western Europe and the United States: We Are Losing the War on Terror, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, page 5