War on terror: Are we on wrong track?

Terrorism is a phenomenon not defined. War on terror started after the 9/11 attack on USA. Since then the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq by USA and her allies are major steps in the war on terror. In Afghanistan and Iraq, the people who are fighting against foreign occupation, and in Palestine those who are fighting against Israel, are branded as terrorists. Islamic militant groups in some other countries are also called terrorists. Osama-bin-Laden is branded as the front-running terrorist of the world. These terrorists with all their terrorist activities have so far killed only few thousand people. But according to some estimates US forces in Iraq have killed more than one hundred thousand civilians. Then who are the notorious terrorists in terms of killing innocent people? Poverty, disease, illiteracy, climate change should have been the real concerns for mankind rather than war on terror. About 40 million people across the world die of tobacco related diseases every year. About 530,000 women die a year in pregnancy and at childbirth. Terrorism has caused much less death than those diseases.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) remain at the risk of non-realisation owing to shortage of funds. There are eight goals and eighteen targets of the MDGs ranging from poverty alleviation, achievement of universal primary education, promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, improvement of heath standards etc. Poverty, disease, illiteracy, gender inequality have wreaked havoc on mankind. But ironically more funds are being spent to fight terror -- a low-profile problem.

The disastrous management failure during hurricane Katrina in USA in the late 2005 simply doesn't justify USA's spending on recent wars. It is argued that war on terror diverted US resources from disaster prevention thus causing the management failure. According to experts, climate change caused by emissions of greenhouse gases would result in more storms, floods, desertification and sea level rise but the USA has pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol that aimed at addressing the issue. The USA has refused to adopt legally binding targets to cut the emissions of greenhouse gases. The Bush administration claims that new technology rather than legally binding targets is the way to tackle climate change. Global warming will cause sea level rise that will force the people of Kolkata, Shanghai, New York and other low-lying cities to be evacuated. The Kyoto Protocol has been signed by 140 countries but USA didn't sign it presumably because if the Protocol is implemented fuel price will rise and five million Americans will lose their jobs. US energy giants like EXON and MOBIL are reported to have been influencing the US administration not to sign the Kyoto Protocol. To protect the petty interests of its oil giants, the US administration is working against the interests of mankind. The emission of greenhouse gases poses a threat to civilization more catastrophic than the much-vaunted weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. Disregarding climate change most of mankind's efforts today are directed towards regime change.

To fight in Afghanistan and Iraq more than US$300 billion has been spent in four years. It is now revealed that the Iraq war was waged on wrong, fabricated grounds. Instead of on war, had this huge amount of money been spent on welfare activities of even the American people, it could have done much for the welfare of the people of America, people of Iraq and many other people of the world because of tricle down effect. The OECD countries promised to provide 0.7 per cent of their GDPs annually as foreign aid to the developing countries. But so far, the level reached is 0.22 per cent, which currently converts to around US$60 billion a year. Promised 0.7 per cent converts to US$191 billion. While many of the poor countries are not getting US$131 billion (difference between promised US$191 billion and actual disbursement of US$60 billion) from the OECD countries as foreign aid, the US has spent US$300 billion in recent unnecessary wars. Over US$130 billion has been spent by the US on missile defence since President Reagan gave his 1983 'Star Wars' speech, but so far, there is not a single device capable of reliably intercepting a long-range ballistic missile. These are the instances of wastage of resources when millions of human beings cannot eat two square meals a day.

In many countries defence spending was higher than spending in other activities. This was a major cause of concern. It was argued that instead of defence, had the spending been on welfare activities, the lives of people would have been much better -- the earth could have been turned into a nice place for living. But such a noble idea has not been turned into reality; the worst has happened. With the launch of war on terror, defence spending has reached new heights draining off resources from welfare activities.

Human values are making quicker steps towards oblivion. The cases and dimensions of violation of human rights have become frequent and many. Respect towards others' religion, culture, opinion appear to be a value of the past. All these signify that the civilization has taken a U-turn. Values are the cementing force of society and civilization. Erosion of values would exert devastating consequences upon mankind.

Rather than symptomatic treatment, the situation demands identification of the real causes. When the real causes are identified and eliminated, the situation will improve. With symptomatic treatment the harshness of the problem is reduced for the time being. War on terror is a symptomatic treatment of the situation. People in authority do not try to identify and address the real causes behind the problem. Therefore, the situation is sure to aggravate.

Today, the overwhelming efforts of mankind are employed to fight terrorism while millions of people suffer the scourge of poverty; millions of children instead of going to school go to hard work for subsistence; millions of mothers die during pregnancy and childbirth. Isn't it mankind's top-most priority to wage fierce war against poverty, diseases, illiteracy and climate change instead of so called war on terror? The sooner good senses prevail the better.

Dr. Md. Abdur Rouf is a Faculty in Dhaka Centre of Royal Roads University, Canada.