“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” -Edmund Burke

Terrorism threatens the very fabric of our society. It is a cancer eating away at the structural integrity of the world. A terrorist group by itself is vulnerable and weak, which is the very reason terrorism becomes an appealing policy to adopt. Their small size and relatively small arsenal leave individual terrorist cells incapable of open warfare. If left out in the open a terrorist group stands little chance against a power as formidable as the U.S. Therefore, they are forced to operate in the shadows. It is states willing to sponsor and support their actions that make terrorists a great threat. States like; Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Syria, and the Sudan offer terrorists safe haven and in some cases, even support. In these states willing to acknowledge terrorism as a viable method of public policy, terrorists are offered training camps, money, escape routes, and ultimately protection from justice by the host country’s sovereignty. Sovereignty is a states right to accept no greater authority than its own. The question one must ask oneself, is how can one effectively combat terrorism if states continue to offer support for terrorists? Because essentially what does that say to the people forced to live in a terrorist state? It creates a level of affinity towards the terrorist’s goals; it spreads the message that terrorism is an acceptable method of behavior, thereby continuing to create more extremists. The war on terrorism is one that will only be won through a unified effort to oppose and condemn all forms of terrorism. What compels states to support something as atrocious as terrorism? There are a multitude of reasons but it most cases the heads of state often share a feeling of contempt with the terrorists, towards a larger more powerful entity. The U.S. has created a large amount of bad blood in the world throughout history. In the case of Libya one of Qaddafi’s children was killed during an American bombing. In Iran and several other countries the U.S.’s continued and relentless support of the state of Israel has created a strong level of resentment. These are prime examples of the sensitivity of the international arena. The most discouraging thought is that the more the people of a terrorist state share their soil with terrorists, the more likely they are to start to develop similar feelings towards the west. State sponsored terrorism not only impairs our ability to effectively combat terrorism it also serves to spread the terrorist’s fanatic ideology. As long as that resentment is able to be cultivated, state sponsored terrorism seems inevitable. Therefore, the question then becomes if we can’t apologize for the past how do we prevent the spread of state sponsored terrorism while at the same time avoiding actions that would further feelings of resentment towards the west?

Maybe it can’t be done. Terrorism isn’t a force that will be resolved through diplomatic sanctions. It is unlikely a peaceful resolution will ever present itself between the west and terrorist groups. Terrorism will continue to be measured not on a scale of time but rather a scale of lives lost. It’s a vicious cycle. The more they attack the more we respond, in doing so we create more animosity, which lends itself to the terrorist’s ideology of the attacking devil, which in turns swells their ranks prolonging our struggle. The solution rests in the theory that terrorism will only effectively be combated through a concerted effort by all democracies of the world The west needs to stop butting heads with the rest of the world over what it considers right and wrong. Terrorism is wrong in all its forms. The west needs to show its teeth and let states that would choose to harbor and support terrorists know that their behavior will not be tolerated. A level of respect must be maintained, and the west should not allow itself to become overly aggressive in its response. But we can no longer afford to take on this aggressive phenomenon divided.

John Burton '07