Introduction
Terrorism is clearly a problem for the national security of the United States. The destruction of the twin towers on the morning of September 11, 2001 is a tragic event that will live on in the minds of Americans that stopped in their tracks at the site of this travesty. Even those who were not around will feel the effects of the attacks for years to come in United States domestic and foreign policy. They will likely have to wage the United States’ War on Terror throughout their own generations.
When waging a war against terror, the root causes of terror have to be found. Dr. Kent Hughes and Professor Bert Tussing stated that “although leaders of many terrorist organizations are from the ranks of the educated, the foot soldiers of terrorism are often drawn from the deprived masses of failed and failing states” (Kent and Hughes, 1). They also stated that “while the U.S. may have been successful in its efforts to attack and disrupt key terrorist organizations, lack of development and resulting shortfalls in the legitimacy of governance continue to provide terrorist organizations a feeding ground of frustration and futility that is replenishing their numbers faster than the U.S. can diminish them” (1). Martha Crenshaw furthers this view by saying that terrorism is likely to be caused by a lack of opportunity for political participation and elite dissatisfaction (Crenshaw 382-383). The general view is that those who feel as though they are powerless can achieve power or a feeling of place through terrorism. Terrorism is a tool with which they could not otherwise achieve their goals. It is important to tie in how Middle Eastern governments have perpetuated this feeling to its citizens. It is also important to see how the United States reinforces this system. This will show why terrorists that have emerged from Middle Eastern and African countries target the United States.
Vast oil reserves contribute to the wealth of many Middle Eastern...