REPORT #426 September
TERRORIST STUDIES IN THE AMERICAS


Produced by the Belize Development Trust

  The recent action of foreign born terrorist acts against one of our major countries in the American Hemisphere highlights the difficulties in dealing with terrorism and changing world politics and roles of influence.

  In the recent case of the USA, one of our fellow 34 countries in this American Hemisphere; wherein, at this writing, foreign terrorists succeeded partially in a fanatical suicide commando mission by an international terrorist cell based on idealogical intrepretations  and views.  The question of what to do about American Hemispheric policy on terrorism, on a world basis and in particular those terrorist organizations that are based internationally with targets in the 34 American countries remains to be solved?  Can we achieve some sort of world policy on dealing with terrorism from the American Hemisphere acceptable to all our 34 countries?

  In the much publicized USA terrorism incident, Secretary of State of the USA, Colin Powell says that the USA will strike back at the terrorist cell and any organizations and state sponsorship if so proved. While the USA has received the most world publicity of a terrorist act in the Americas; the fact is, that terrorist acts in the 34 American countries are an ongoing problem.  In particular, Colombia and Peru right now, and for the last decade are continuously seeing terrorist acts supported by citizens and organizations of Sweden, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

  In the USA recent terrorist attack case, perpetrators the media says; are from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.  Afghanistan is blamed as a supportive host state for the mastermind leader, who is a Saudi Arabian citizen.  How the USA will deal with this hodge podge of multi-nationals in a terrorist cell for retribution and revenge to satisfy home local political consumption is at this writing unknown?  For convenience sake, Afghanistan with no friends and being in a remote location, can probably be used as a target for revenge, to satisfy home political support requirements.  But what about the other countries who have nationals involved in this terrorist cell?  These are known USA allies and provide a complicated foreign policy decision?

  The complications of dealing with host states to terrorist backers and organizations is compounded by the facts that;  of the 34 American countries, two ( Canada and the USA ) are members of a European organization called the NATO alliance, which is concerned about preventing future world wars.

  In this case, does the interests of the two American countries, Canada and the USA lie with the 34 American countries of this hemisphere, or with NATO countries?  What choices should these two American countries make?  The question arises because both Colombia and Peru are suffering from longer term terrorist attacks on a much larger scale than anything seen in this recent terrorist cell attack on the USA.  But European countries and organizations in those NATO countries are financially supporting terrorist organizations, like the ELN, FARC and others in Colombia, including the Shining Path in Peru.

  To top it all off, where do the main interests of the leader of the Americas, the USA really lie?  Economically, the small Caribbean countries combined are a larger export target for USA products than any individual European country and of several European countries together in some cases.  Mexico alone in the Americas is a bigger export market for USA manufactured goods than all the European NATO countries lumped TOGETHER.  The economic interests of the USA for instance lie within the American Hemispheric block.

  If USA policy as a leader of the Americas, as USA Secretary of State, Colin Powell said; should indicate it is alright for any American country of this hemisphere to go after organizations supporting terrorist cells and organizations and host governments that wink, support, or close their eyes to such terrorist activity.  Then what happens when other countries in this American Hemisphere decide on covert international military action against terrorist supporter organizations in the NATO European countries, currently backing more serious terrorist activity than that recently suffered by the USA at the Pentagon and Trade Towers?  Is there going to be a conflict between fellow American countries in these 34 nations on action against international terrorism?  Should we have a joint American Hemispheric policy on terrorism?  If so, how will the USA and Canada who are members of NATO, a European military organization reconcile their different hemispheric obligations?

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