The impact of Al Qaeda’s attacks on the financial sector

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

5 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

05/30/2009

Category :

Economics & finance

Sub category :

Economics

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Summary :

Introduction
Foster's view on the World Wars
Civil War of the United States
Al Qaeda's adaption of General Ludendorff's concept of Total War
Military strategies adopted by Al Qaeda
The future of the war by Al Qaeda
Conclusion
Bibliography

Abstract

"Five-and-a-half years ago, 19 terrorists hijacked four airplanes and changed the course of history. Just as we underestimated Al qaeda then, we risk repeating the same mistake now." (Hoffman 2007, 44).
First, the question itself merits a two or so sentences - it is interesting by itself. Clausewitz's concept of war is "Absolute War" rather than a "Total War." The concept of "Absolute War" is an abstract concept or a war free of politics, which is actually impossible. "Total War," on the other hand, is the idea that a country's entire effort can be put behind a war effort which was mainly advocated by General Erich Ludendorff. He thought that if a country views a war as a total war, then everything becomes a legitimate target. Unfortunately, his concepts on "Total War" was one of the reasons why General Ludendorff was included the list of war criminals handed down by the Allies to the Germans in 1919.
Foster was right in saying that "[t]he Great War was long, painful and costly. The Second World War was total and murderous. Both wars haunted the last century and haunt us still" (2003, 321). These wars are examples of a "Total War." Fortunately, the Iran - Iraq War in the 1980s was the last "Total War" conducted. As a result of the destruction caused by the Second World War or WWII military theorists in both the West and the Soviet Block began to reject the idea of a "Total War." They began looking at this type of war as a waste and counterproductive. The destruction resulting from these wars resulted to an expanded sense of international humanitarian law which demanded that the idea of "Total War" in battles be replaced by a more "humane" form of war. The international humanitarian law demanded that the sanctity of basic human rights be protected at all times - in war and in peace. This resulted to the declaration of the United Nations of the common pledge to "preserve human rights and justice in their own lands as well as in other lands" (Betts 2005, 53).