The war on terror redux

We are now back to how things were after 11 September 2001. The War on Terror is back in control of the global agenda, but now France is leading instead of the US.

The Islamic State group (IS, formerly ISIS) has replaced al-Qaeda; same character, different name. We are back to talking about Islamist extremism and fanaticism, against which world leaders are currently meeting in Paris to form an alliance.

Over the past months, IS has been treated as a recognised power, much like al-Qaeda was after the September 11 attack, which it called its "Manhattan conquest" operation.

Terrorism grows on the margins of imperialist policies, not separate from them.

The US administration has called together an alliance with the participation of nearly 40 countries to wage a "fierce war" that included thousands of air raids and missiles, thus far reportedly killing nearly 1,000 IS members. Nonetheless, the IS has continued to expand.

Terror as a byproduct of imperialism

I condemn all forms of terrorism and killing based on belief or opinion. I also believe that terrorism grows on the margins of imperialist policies, not separate from them. Terrorism is not an isolated act, even though there are individuals who are prepared for such acts, but it requires a "drive" or an "instigator" to happen. Religious justifications and fatwas come later, based on distorted - or real - history.

This is not what matters, though. Terrorism has always been there, taking the same forms and using the same justifications. Different states have used it as a weapon in their global conflicts. What matters and what we should examine carefully is that we are back to where we were at the beginning of the millennium, i.e. the War on Terror, which resulted in the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Al-Qaeda only took root in Iraq after the country was invaded. Still, at the end of the first decade of the millennium, it seemed the War on Terror was over. The US even successfully tracked down and killed Osama bin Laden, marking a symbolic end to the war. Al-Qaeda remained in Yemen and appeared in Mali, but it no longer drew attention of media or politicians.

So, why the comeback?

Somewhere between the end of interest in terrorism and the return to it, the Arab revolutions took place. The focus on terrorism came at the expense of these revolutions, as they are now seen in the light of terrorism. Don't the events in Libya fall under the rubric of terrorism? Aren't the events in Yemen an extension of al-Qaeda's activities? And aren't the IS, Nusra Front and the Islamic Army in control of Syria?

Terror trumps support for freedom in the Arab world

"Terrorism has now become global, so let us unite against it" says the imperialist mentality, aiming to stifle the revolutions and crush them under the slogan of the war against terrorism. That slogan also paves the way for cooperation with old regimes against the revolutions.