CSS 2015 Solved Essay | The War on Terror has Contributed to the Growing Abuse of Human Rights
Abeera Fatima, a Sir Syed Kazim Ali student, has attempted the CSS 2015 essay “ The War on Terror has Contributed to the Growing Abuse of Human Rights ” on the given pattern, which Sir Syed Kazim Ali teaches his students. Sir Syed Kazim Ali has been Pakistan’s top English writing and CSS, PMS essay and precis coach with the highest success rate of his students. The essay is uploaded to help other competitive aspirants learn and practice essay writing techniques and patterns to qualify for the essay paper.
Outline
1- Introduction
2- An Overview of the War on Terror
- ✓ How has the war on terror started?
- ✓ A glimpse of major terrorist attacks
- ✓ How has the globe responded to the ‘war on terror’?
3- Facts Highlighting the War on Terror has Contributed to the Growing Abuse of Human Rights
- Violation at the National Level
- ✓ Augmentation of people’s displacement
- Case in point: A report by costs of war project, 38 million people displaced
- ✓ Inaccessibility to the right to a fair trial
- Case in point: Rights given in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- ✓ Suppression of freedom of speech and expression
- Case in point: Killing And Evacuation Of Journalists From Afghanistan In 2021
- Violation at the Regional Level
- ✓ A large bulge of refugees in the neighbouring country impedes the economic sector
- Case in point: 1 lakh refugees accommodated in Pakistan
- ✓ Mobilization of groups and their rule across the border
- Case in point: The militarization in the Pashtoon belt of Pakistan led to the unavailability of education; the attack on Malala Yousafzai
- ✓ Rise of hybrid or 5th-generation warfare
- Case in point: social media as a weapon or tool in the 21st century
- Violation at the International Level
- ✓ Contribution to air pollution
- Case in point: Burning of wells in the invasion of Iraq in 2003
- ✓ Denial of access of students to higher education
- Case in point: Denial of scholarship programs for Afghan students in the us
- ✓ Discrimination based on alliance or bloc politics
- Case in point: A comparative analysis of Palestine and the 9/11 attacks
4- Some Devastating Impacts of Terrorism across the Globe
- ✓ Prevailing mistrust among the civil society and authorities
- ✓ Rise of sectarianism, extremism, and fanatism
- ✓ Increase in human mobility owing to shared cultural patterns
- ✓ The shift of foreign policy towards the policy of appeasement to the superpowers
- ✓ Regional economic recession
- ✓ Multiplication of psychological and emotional trauma
- ✓ A big pause in the regional developments
- ✓ Division based on social and cultural norms
- ✓ Displacement and forced migration
- ✓ Restriction on civil liberty
5- Recommendations for Countering the Menace of War Abuse in the Best Possible Way
- ✓ Implementation of laws for the provision of human rights during the war
- ✓ Empowerment of women and youth through the spread of education
- ✓ Address of grievances and cause root of the war
- ✓ Provision of the process of rehabilitation and victim support
- ✓ International cooperation and assistance in sharing information
- ✓ Provision of accountability for war crimes and human rights violations
6- Conclusion
Essay
Humanity, irrefutably, can never rise to the glory by disregarding terrorism. Amid the 21st century, the rise of terrorism shackles the world of modernization; consequently, human security becomes a matter of concern. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, the war on terror has contributed to the growing abuse of human rights. A number of testimonies are quoted in the account: augmentation of people’s displacement, inaccessibility to the right to a Fair Trial, suppression of freedom of speech and expression, a large bulk of refugees in the neighbouring country impede the economic sector, mobilization of groups and their rule across the border, a rise of hybrid or 5th generation warfare, contribution to air pollution, and denial of access of students to higher education. Nevertheless, the war on terror has had significant impacts across the world. Prevailing mistrust among the civil society and authorities, a rise of sectarianism and extremism, an increase in human mobility owing to shared cultural patterns, a shift of foreign policy towards the policy of appeasement to the superpower, and regional economic recession are some of the many footprints of the war on terror. However, some viable and pragmatic measures are needed to combat war abuse in the best possible way.
The war on terror, officially known as the Global War on Terror (GWOT), is a counter-terrorism campaign initiated by the US in response to the 9/11 attacks. The term was first used by the President of the US -George W. Bush – in his speech. The war aims to target militant groups such as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS), which were involved in the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. To illustrate in the historical context, four jet airlines were hijacked by nineteen men on the morning of 11th September 2001; the hijackers crashed two jets into the Twin Towers of World Trade Center in New York City. The third jet was hit into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. According to a report, 2977 victims crashed in these hijacked jets. However, NATO invoked Article 5, which commits each member state to consider an armed attack against one member state to be an armed attack against all member states. Nevertheless, the global community has responded immediately against the war on terror and stood firm on one pace.
After discussing the epitome of the historical background of the war on terror, it is imperative to shed light on the growing abuse of human rights during the war on terror. To start with the violation at the national level, augmentation of people’s displacement is prioritized in the discussion. Fundamental human rights are written in International Treaties such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; on practical grounds, unfortunately, millions of billions were forced to migrate. The cost of migration was high for the people in terms of loss of property and loss of lives. These people were subjected to torture, humiliation, and maltreatment; consequently, they were forced to leave their homeland. According to a recent report by Costs of War Project, the post-9/11 wars of the campaign have displaced 38 million people, the second largest number of forced displacements of any conflict since 1900, and caused at least 4.5 million deaths, directly or indirectly, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Philippines, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.
Moreover, inaccessibility to the right to a Fair Trial is also a violation of human rights. In Article 6 of the Equality and Human Rights Commission grantees the right to a fair trial of any criminal charge against them. Similarly, article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights stated that all persons shall be equal before the courts and tribunals and shall be entitled to a fair and public hearing. Unfortunately, on practical grounds, these rights are jeopardized in the war on terror. Thus, many innocents were not subjected to these fundamental rights. Had these rights been exercised, the situation would not have been the worst.
Likewise, freedom of speech and expression is suppressed during the war on terror, which is again a violation of human rights. It is recognized as a fundamental human right by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The right is enshrined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights, and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Sadly, it is buried under the mountain; hence, no right was given in the war on terror. To exemplify the killing of journalists in 2021 is cited in the account. According to a United Nations report, 33 Afghan media professionals were killed between 2018 and 2021.
In the same way, a regional violation is a large bulge of refugees in the neighboring countries that impedes the economic sector of the country. For Pakistan, refugees, for instance, are a bottleneck for all the sectors of the country. To elucidate, refugees are not registered due to their great number, which means these refugees would be considered in the undocumented economy once they establish their businesses. According to reports, 70 percent of Pakistan’s economy is undocumented, which means there is no record of daily wages for workers. And in Pakistan’s stance, this is exactly what happened; after 9/11, 1 Lac refugees were accommodated in the country due to the shared borders, cultures, and languages. Pakistan, however, has had its impacts on the economic and social sectors.
Moreover, the war on terror has increased the mobilization of groups and their rule across the border, paving the way for militant insurgencies in the neighboring countries. In the Afghan-Soviet War, militant groups were formed to fight against the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR); these militant groups, such as Al- Qaeda, ISIS sabotaged the world peace order in the 9/11 attacks. These groups were mobilized in nearby areas like Swat, Bajour, South Waziristan, and such forth- known as Pashtoon Belt. Hence, these militant groups used multifaceted tactics to manipulate and exploit locals. To clarify, the unavailability of education due to the attacks on educational institutions is a violation of human rights. In addition to this, an attack conducted on Malala Yousaf Zai, as she wrote for the Dawn newspaper to raise her voice for the availability of education in these areas, is unquenchable.
Furthermore, a rise of hybrid or 5th-generation warfare is again a violation of human rights as it disobeys the right to privacy. Fifth-generation warfare is conducted by non-kinetic operations such as social engineering, misinformation, and cyberattacks. Social Media is used as a weapon or tool of 5th-generation warfare in the 21st century. It is used to manipulate the mindset of the youth. The enemy states spread misinformation and disinformation regarding the economic and security aspects of different regions. The main focus of such campaigns is ethnic communities, religious sects, and minorities. The Jaranwala attacks in Pakistan are exemplified; the sentiments of the youth bulge provoked through the medium of WhatsApp and Facebook. According to EU Disinfo Lab, 500 plus fake websites are operational to create pernicious acts in Pakistan; these fake websites are being operated from India.
Similarly, the contribution to air pollution is prioritized to be discussed in the context of international violation. In 2003, the US invaded Iraq in response to weapons of mass destruction allegations. However, the Bush administration cast the Iraq war as a part of the War on Terror. Numerous war crimes were conducted such as the protection of civilians and violations of women’s rights. However, numerous wells were burned in the invasion which has had hazardous impacts on the environment. According to Al Jazeera, during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, approximately 40 oil wells were set on fire in the Persian Gulf within Iraq.
Besides, the war on terror has violated the denial of access of students to higher education. In Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the 1960 UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education, the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the 1981 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have reaffirmed the right to education; sadly, all are silent in the inaccessibility of students from Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Pakistan, and such forth.
Along with this, discrimination based on alliance or bloc politics has been observed during the war on terror leading to violation of human rights and civil liberty. Thus, this discrimination includes racial profiling, targeting individuals based on nationality and religion. In the context of the War on Terror, countries that aligned themselves with the United States and its coalition partners were often given preferential treatment, while those perceived as adversaries or even punitive measures. This resulted in unfair treatment and violations of human rights.
Before highlighting the effectual measures, it is high time to explore the draconian impacts of terrorism across the globe. Prevailing mistrust among the civil society and authorities is the most eminent to discuss. Civil society has paid a high cost of the war on terror: loss of life, loss of property, people’s displacement, and such forth. It paves the way to mistrust among civil society and authorities.
Additionally, sectarianism and extremism are the ramifications of terrorism in the region. When sectarianism and extremism are discussed, it will point out the Middle East and Asia regions with high rates. Yes, the war on terror, indeed, has aggravated fundamentalism and extremism in the nearby regions. It is due to open secret places known to the militant groups in the nearby countries. To illustrate, the hiding places in Pakistan, a neighbor of Afghanistan, are popularly known to the militant groups. Thus, these groups conduct such activities in the name of religion and culture and hide themselves in secret places.
Moreover, an increase in human mobility owing to shared cultural patterns is also the outcome of terrorism. Due to the war on terror, people were forced to move the nearby countries like Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Iraq, and such forth. This movement in numerous cases paves the way to heinous crimes like human trafficking and smuggling.
Similarly, the shift of foreign policy towards the policy of appeasement to the superpowers is the repercussion of the war on terror. The policy of appeasement indulges many countries to form a typical dependent foreign policy. To clarify, Pakistan, since its red letter day, adopted the policy of appeasement toward the US; consequently, it emerged that leaders having a mentality of beggars cannot be choosers. Thus, the foreign policy of Pakistan has failed to chalk independent foreign policy, which has a myriad of implications socially, economically, and above all politically.
Furthermore, terrorism has resulted in economic recession regionally. It is estimated that the US has paid the cost of 8 trillion dollars, which includes the costs of operations conducted in Pakistan and Afghanistan during the 20-year war. However, the economies of the countries are linked with each other in a globalized village: creating market uncertainty, xenophobia, loss of tourism, and increased insurance claims. Bertrand Russel aptly stated that war does not determine who is right – only who is left.
Likewise, terrorism has left scars on survivors, witnesses, and communities; in other words, psychological and emotional trauma is multiplied. Eventually, these depressed people join militant groups for the sake of self-satisfaction of taking revenge. Clerics play a vital role in adding these people to the militant groups through brain-washing.
Despite numerous international laws and treaties for the provision of fundamental human rights, the international community has failed to provide security to humans. Thus, some pragmatic and viable measures are the need of the hour to counter the menace of war abuse in the best possible way. Firstly, laws for the provision of human rights must be implemented. Laws such as Universal Declaration for Human Rights (UNHR) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) ought to follow in true letter and spirit. The implementation can be possible through the help of Europol and Interpol as surveillance and monitoring.
Secondly, women and youth through the spread of education must be empowered. Marginalization, mainstreaming of women, community engagement programs, educational initiatives, and interfaith dialogue can help. Education programs that promote critical thinking, tolerance, and peacebuilding can empower individuals to reject violence and extremism.
Thirdly, grievances and root causes of the war need to be addressed. The use of kinetic means such as diplomatic and negotiation talks with the militant groups will find a better solution to the issue. Track II diplomacy can be used to materialize peace in the region.
Next to it, the provision of the process of rehabilitation and victim support must prioritize. It is possible through a large bulge of psychiatrists in the region across the globe to help the victims for recovery. The United Nations Programs of Rehabilitation can be helpful in the account.
Last but not least, international cooperation and assistance in sharing information is done in the context. Governments can work together to share intelligence, exchange best practices, and coordinate efforts in areas such as prevention, law enforcement, and countering the financing of terrorism.
Lastly, accountability for war crimes and human rights violations must be provisioned. States should establish effective mechanisms to investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for war crimes, including acts of torture, indiscriminate attacks on civilians, sexual violence, and other serious human rights abuses. This includes cooperating with international tribunals and supporting the work of national and international accountability mechanisms.
In a nutshell, terrorism is a multifaceted evil having big and sharp spikes around it. It pricks not only the socio-economic paradigm but also the political saga. However, the war on terror has sponsored the growing abuse of human rights depriving the bright future of billions of people. A myriad of deleterious impacts is impeding across the globe. Nevertheless, some meticulous and scrupulous measures are planned to devise so that it must curb the menace in the best possible way. Implementation of laws for the provision of human rights during the war, empowerment of women and youth through the spread of education, address of grievances and cause root of the war, a provision of the process of rehabilitation and victim support, international cooperation and assistance in sharing information, and provision of accountability for war crimes and human rights violations are some of the many baby steps in the context. One must hope that one day sparking of peace spreads around the world and makes Earth a better place to live in; the earlier it is realized, the better it is.
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