Counter-terrorism context, U.S. global strategy

Author: Center for American and European Studies, China Institute of Modern International Relations
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: Analyzes the core components of the U.S. global strategy, opens a new perspective for re-evaluating the U.S. power status, explores the U.S. strategy toward China in the post-9/11 era, and provides an insightful look into the new dynamics of counter-terrorism and U.S. grand strategy! From the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York to the March 11, 2004, attacks in Madrid, was it a coincidence, or a meticulously planned interval of exactly 911 days? In these 911 days, amid the shifting climate of terrorism and counter-terrorism, the tides turned dramatically. The coastline of international security, battered by the collision of global terrorist activities "base hóa" and the U.S. global security strategy, was left in confusion, with tensions escalating. Over the two and a half years from "9/11" to "3/11," international terrorist forces exhibited a "headquarters economy" phenomenon in their ideological guidance, with significant changes in motivation, structure, methods, types, regions, and composition, showing a trend of convergence, alignment, and imitation toward Al-Qaeda's central leadership.
1. Globalization of Terrorist Activities
Following the collapse of the "safety myth" in the U.S. homeland and Asia becoming a "hotbed of terrorism," European defenses were further breached by terrorists. The U.S., Europe, and Asia now face the threat of comprehensive terrorist attacks, with France, Germany, and the UK on high alert. Japan and South Korea raised their vigilance levels, while the anniversary of the Iraq War became a major "holiday" for terrorist activities: in Baghdad and Madrid, truck bombs were replaced by backpack bombs, and the danger of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons attacks grew closer. Compared to the strategic significance of targets, terrorist organizations place greater emphasis on the bloody scenes of their attacks. From Moscow, Jakarta, Istanbul, Casablanca to Madrid, the methods of perpetration often mirror the indiscriminate massacres by "Al-Qaeda schools."
2. "Base hóa" of Terrorist Organizations
If the U.S.-Iraq war was like stirring a hornet's nest, creating a surge of terrorists, then one year after the war, Al-Qaeda had become a "dispersed nebula." Traditional terrorist activities, which once confined themselves to specific boundaries, were replaced by the concept of "global jihad." From the notorious Southeast Asian "Jemaah Islamiah" to the newly emerging "Moroccan Combatant Brigade," the verb changed, but the subject remained the same. "Global jihad" became a cloud with rain, as the global terrorist forces, led by Al-Qaeda, sought "work sites" worldwide in a team-based, bundled manner. European counter-terrorism experts analyze that Al-Qaeda currently operates on three levels: founding members of the organization, or the "Afghan Arabs" who participated in the anti-Soviet jihad in the 1980s; Al-Qaeda-authorized local groups, which retain full initiative at the grassroots level according to the dynamics of the global "jihad movement"; and new "converts" who serve as key links between the grassroots and local organizations.
3. Major Adjustments to the International Counter-Terrorism Alliance After 9/11 Due to 3/11
The transatlantic relationship, or the "transatlantic-trilateral" relationship between the U.S. and new and old Europe, as well as the relationship across the Pacific, may face a new round of shifts. On one hand, 9/11 weakened the U.S., leading to a hardline counter-terrorism strategy aimed at achieving hegemony; on the other hand, 3/11 awakened Europe, prompting adjustments to its security strategy. The EU's 15 member states will soon establish a unified intelligence center, command center, and action center, narrowing the "generation gap" between new and old Europe. The U.S. and Europe will engage in "reciprocal thinking" about their respective security situations.
4. 3/11 as a Political "Explosion" in Europe
Faced with terrorism, European countries exposed new fatal weaknesses. Terrorists "played politics," using bloody attacks to influence voting intentions and undermine the political cohesion of Wall Street, Downing Street, and the Kantei. The Madrid "massacre" led to a "terrorist evolution" in Spain's political landscape. 2004 was an election year, and whether "regime change" and "terrorist evolution" would escalate into a "terrorist flu" affecting Tokyo, Seoul, Canberra, Rome, Warsaw, The Hague, and London has become a serious issue that people must confront.
Studying a mature embryo is far easier than studying a mature cell. Progressing step by step from the October 7, 2001, Afghanistan War to the March 20, 2003, Iraq War, people will gain a deeper understanding of the U.S. global strategy in the post-9/11 era, the relationship between counter-terrorism and hegemony, the connection between counter-terrorism and geopolitical strategy, and the interplay between diplomacy and domestic politics.
In the latter half of the 20th century, "containing the Soviet Union" was the soul of the U.S. global strategy. In the first half of the 21st century, "counter-terrorism" may become the core component of the U.S. global strategy, marking the beginning of a "new era" in its grand strategy.
Renowned for "closely tracking developments and accurately predicting trends," the China Institute of Modern International Relations has timely provided a platform for 30 young and middle-aged experts on international issues, bringing together a thought-provoking work filled with intellectual sparks. The book covers the interplay between the international landscape, national security strategy, regional strategy, and domestic and foreign policies in the context of counter-terrorism. It is characterized by originality in conception, depth in perspective, rigor in argumentation, and a fresh writing style, making it a new work that helps stimulate in-depth thinking among international issue researchers on U.S. affairs.