Opinion

Understanding the terrorist threat and its complexity

By Bowin Lee ’17

February 13, 2015

With the recent buzz over terrorist attacks flying around the news, the concept of the modern terrorist is becoming more and more caricatured. Americans, and the general global public, have continued to imagine the terrorist as a religion-crazed gun-waving fanatical psychopath whose only goal is to mow down as many of the western infidel as he can before he gets sent to paradise. On the surface, this may seem to be quite accurate due to recent media, most notably American Sniper, portraying terrorists as single-minded, bloodthirsty savages. This method of thinking is narrow-minded, shortsighted and simplistic. Ultimately this way of thinking is more dangerous to us than any single terrorist act. To most effectively destroy the enemy you must understand him. The killing of a terrorist squad is like pulling a single leaf off of a tree; it will come back after a short while. If you want to destroy a tree, you have to eliminate it from the roots.

Let me ask you a question: What do Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, ISIS and the Tamil Tigers all have in common besides rampant terrorism? The answer is simple: massive bureaucratic functions. In light of Bin-Laden’s death, it has been found that Al-Qaeda maintained detailed records down to the sales of ordinary printing machines. Numerous studies have been conducted on both the individual terrorist as an agent, and how multiple agents group together to form a terrorist organization. There are very few studies as on bureaucracy and structure of terrorist groups that makes large scale attacks such as 9/11 and coordinated resistance to elite military organizations (such as the US military) possible. Terrorist organizations evolve into large-scale bureaucratic entities. Ever wonder where these seemingly endless waves of jihadist fanatics come from? Hezbollah provides many social services in its territories that the Lebanese government cannot. These include garbage disposal, healthcare (in the form of hospitals) and textbook discounts for local students. In exchange, Hezbollah gains legitimacy in the eyes of the Southern Lebanese populace, as well as steady stream of loyal fighters who are granted a pension if they fall in battle, much like any modern military.  These operations are strictly confined to actions of a terrorist group on a single landmass. It would be remiss to forget that terrorists act overseas as well.

We do not seem to consider that the planning of terrorist attacks overseas is quite complex. After all, the recipe for a terrorist attack includes: a terrorist, a fanatical spirit, a few guns, a couple of bombs and a fast-track to some western devils, right? That would be correct, but amateurs talk tactics, experts talk logistics. The physical materials for attacks come from a large underground network requiring smooth and undetectable communication. Where does the overseas terrorist himself come from? He cannot just come from any old random mountain village. To comprehend the complexity of his mission, he must be highly educated. Professor Wu recommended to his Econ 101 class a book called What Makes a Terrorist? This book found that most terrorist executing agents had higher education degree, up to a Ph.D. They are people with the same inherent complexity and comprehension abilities as any Hamilton student, and that is what makes them extremely dangerous. This similarity is also why we, the American public, ignore the fact that our enemy is capable of nuanced thought. Instead we turn him into a one-dimensional boogeyman. We dislike linking ourselves with the enemy and distance ourselves rather than seeking understanding. Do not mistake the use of “understanding” for “sympathy.” Terrorists commit horrible atrocities and are not to be sympathized with under any circumstances.

To tie this discussion into the immediate present, consider ISIS and what are they trying to accomplish in the long term. I make no claim to any in-depth tactical understanding, but feel justified enough to say that they understand insurgency and terrorism enough to play the long game. By buying the idea that ISIS is composed solely of mindless jihadis, we play directly into their hands. Terrorists are not barbarians. They are not animals. They are calculating, malicious and ruthless individuals. Their tactical skills must be respected up to a point, that being the point that makes it easier to handle and ultimately eliminate them. Failure to do so will result in more innocent lives lost. ISIS knows the longer they exist, the stronger and more concrete their organization becomes. The longer they exist, the more people die. The prime example of their extensive comprehension of the terrorist strategy is emblazoned on the front of their banner. The motto in Arabic under their infamous black flag reads “Baqia wa tatamadad”: Remaining and Expanding.

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