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Anti-American Violence: An Agenda for Honest Thinking
From: RAND
| By:
C. Richard Neu |
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION |
A string of terrorist attacks within the United States over the last decade has renewed the demand for thoughtful analysis of political violence and the formation of effective policies to discourage terrorism. In this feature excerpted from the Summer 2002 RAND Review, C. Richard Neu asks several key questions in an attempt to understand the root causes of anti-American sentiment. With an emphasis on Islamic anti-Americanism, Neu's analysis makes clear the difficulty of answering such complex questions while carefully walking the narrow line between "clear-eyed honesty and cultural myopia." |
 ilitary action is an essential element of the struggle against terrorism. But military action alone cannot neutralize all those who wish America ill. Improved defenses against terrorist attacks are also essential. But free societies will always remain vulnerable to determined attackers. Making America safer from terrorists will also require determined action to get at the root causes of anti-American violence. What motivates terrorists to perpetrate violence against Americans? Who supports or tolerates such violence, and why? And most important, what can Americans do to reduce the motivations for this violence? An effective long-term strategy to defeat terrorism must be built on honest thinking about these potentially painful questions. But to date, these topics have attracted little systematic analysis. |
America and Islam
Certainly, not all Muslims wish America ill. Just as certainly, not all of those willing to unleash or to tolerate violence against Americans are Muslims. Nonetheless, distrust, suspicion, misunderstanding, and animosity between America and at least some parts of the Muslim world cannot be ignored. Today's uncomfortable reality is that the most dangerous terrorist threats to Americans seem to arise from societies and groups where Islam is the dominant religion. A good initial focus for thinking about the roots of anti-American violence will be a consideration of the divide that seems to have opened between America and some parts of the Islamic--and especially the Arab--world. |
The challenge of understanding and resolving differences between Americans and Muslims is a daunting one. But good works and good luck have won over populations that were once distinctly anti-American to an appreciation, if not a full acceptance, of American values: Japanese and Germans after World War II, Vietnamese after the Vietnam War, Russians and East Europeans after the cold war. And most recently, perhaps, the Chinese. |
The key questions
Understanding the root causes of Islamic anti-Americanism and crafting policies to discourage its violent manifestations will require consideration of at least seven fundamental questions:
- How extensive is anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world? Is a proclivity toward anti-American violence characteristic of only isolated rogue groups that might, at least in theory, be hunted down and destroyed? Or are such sentiments widespread in the Muslim world, requiring a broad campaign of action and public diplomacy to win over hearts and minds?
- Too much modernity, or not enough? Some writers have focused attention on the disappointments and humiliations suffered by Muslims--and especially Arabs--in recent years. Many Muslims recognize that something has gone wrong with their once-proud and once-successful culture. And an increasingly strident debate has sprung up about the causes of recent impotence and dysfunction. Often, this debate pits Western-oriented modernizers against Islamic fundamentalists who seek closer adherence to traditional Muslim principles. How much of what is manifested as rage against America grows out of a desire to recapture past Arabic and Islamic glory? Can Americans help to reconcile Western modernity with Muslim tradition and achievement?
- Are American values a threat? In many eyes--and not just in the Muslim world--America represents an aggressive manifestation of a particular set of political values: democracy, economic liberalism, individual rights and responsibilities, strict separation of religion and governance, and a willingness to question established beliefs and practices. More invasive may be American popular culture with its secularism, consumerism, promiscuity, freedom for women, and suspicion of authority. America's dominance in the modern world makes American values impossible to ignore. Can modernist American values and traditional Muslim values coexist? Or are Muslim fundamentalists correct that the dominance of American values poses an existential threat to Muslim societies? We cannot, of course, change our values. Can we convince Muslims that our values pose no threat?
- Does poverty breed terrorism? Not all those who wish to harm Americans come from the ranks of the poor, the unemployed, or the uneducated. Yet it is hard to dismiss the hypothesis that forced idleness, little or no hope for a materially better future, and the sense of impotence that comes from deprivation will breed at least sympathy for those who attack the richest and most powerful country in the world, a country whose wealth and power depend crucially on energy resources derived from the Muslim world. Can economic development and poverty reduction decrease support for terrorists?
- Is it the company we keep? Some Muslims find themselves estranged from their own governments, which they see as corrupt, oppressing their own peoples, and selling out to false Western ideals. US support for these regimes is sometimes seen as a cynical exchange for access to energy resources and military basing rights. To what extent does anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world reflect not a rejection of American values and policies but outrage at American support for regimes of dubious competence or legitimacy? Can we--should we--push these governments toward effective reform?
- Can Americans be secure if Israelis and Palestinians are not? Certainly, the continuing conflict between Palestinians and Israelis complicates relations between America and the Muslim world. If the Israeli-Palestinian conflict persists, must America remain a target for terror? And if this conflict were somehow resolved, how much Muslim antipathy toward America would still remain?
- How can we fight terrorists and still win friends? Military action against terrorists, pressure on foreign governments to round up suspected terrorists and their sympathizers, and more aggressive efforts to defend Americans against terrorism will inevitably harden some hearts against America and create propaganda opportunities for those who portray America as unjust, biased, or evil. Indeed, suspicion of--if not hatred for--the United States in the Muslim world may well have increased in the past year. How can we pursue the necessary war against terrorists without losing the broader struggle against anti-American sentiment?
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Why this is hard
These questions are intellectually challenging. The Muslim world is extremely diverse. Few conclusions about the roots of anti-Americanism will be generally valid. And the extreme exceptions may be the most relevant cases in thinking about how to counter terrorism. |
Moreover, candid discussion of these questions--discussion that reflects the broad diversity of relevant viewpoints--will not be easy. |
Difficult and potentially awkward questions relating to the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis will have to be faced. |
Consideration of some key US bilateral relations--with Saudi Arabia, with Egypt, with Pakistan, and with Israel, for example--cannot be avoided. The governments involved may not welcome this kind of scrutiny. |
Candid consideration of the strengths and weaknesses of various Muslim societies will be essential. Just as essential will be unsentimental reflection on what American values and culture do and do not offer to the rest of the world. |
These are touchy subjects, and the boundary between clear-eyed honesty and cultural myopia is narrow. |
Throughout its history, RAND has taken on the hard analyses that are key to the national interest. Understanding the root causes of anti-American violence and what can be done to eliminate them will require all of RAND's intellectual rigor, our objectivity, and our ability to reach out to the international community. We're looking forward to the challenge. |
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