The United States of America Vis-à-Vis Terrorism: The Super Power's Weaknesses and Mistakes

In: American behavioral scientist: ABS, Band 48, Heft 6, S. 783-794

Abstract

Due to international policy and internal sociopolitical factors, America has been the primary target of international terrorism since the 1960s and is seen as a major obstacle to the goals of international terrorism. This article discusses key mistakes made by the Unites States that the author argues have strengthened and given rise to further terrorism, including (a) acceding to terrorists' demands; (b) funding freedom fighters who later became involved in terrorism against their former benefactors and allies; (c) misunderstanding foreign peoples and cultures and believing all terrorism must be state sponsored; (d) applying force selectively; (e) thinking in error that the United States is safe from terrorism; and (f) faulting U.S. media specifically, exacerbating the problem by inadvertently galvanizing sympathetic public opinion for acceding to terrorists' demands. The author discusses corrections to these mistakes.