Terrorism – How should we deal with it?

Option One – Direct an Expanded Assault on Terrorism

Arguments For:

• Acting alone speeds up the process and cuts out countries that don’t agree with you
• We can only prevent imminent threats by acting preemptively
• By getting indigenous (local) forces to fight the terrorists, we will save American lives (like in Afghanistan)

Arguments Against:

• Acting alone will increase anti-American sentiment
• We need other countries to break up terrorist networks worldwide…if we act without regard for their concerns, we will lose their support
• We may be pulled into helping out indigenous forces in the long term if we rely on their help in the short term
• We can’t afford to waste our resources in going after countries that don’t pose an immediate threat
• This response does not address the underlying cause of terrorism
• Military action overseas takes away resources needed for protection here at home
• Using the military against other countries will inevitably result in civilian deaths

Option Two – Support U.N. Leadership to Fight Terrorism

Arguments For:

• International cooperation will result in a truly international response
• International cooperation brings together the financial, diplomatic, and intelligence tools necessary to address international terrorism
• Shared leadership will result in a response that takes all perspectives and interests into account
• We cannot afford further isolation from the international community

Arguments Against:

• The U.S. has the right to defend our interests with or without the support of the international community
• The U.S. will lead the international coalition anyway
• The U.N. already has laws and procedures to deal with terrorism…but they haven’t worked so far…why should they now?
• The U.N. is too slow, too weak, and too indecisive to make a real difference
• Still does not address the root causes of terrorism
• Accommodating the interests of other countries will force us to compromise on the things that are important to us

Option Three – Defend Our Homeland

Arguments For:

• Most of the trouble in the world is caused by a small group of individuals…we must be prepared for any type of attack here in the U.S.
• By limiting any response only to those who directly threaten us, we will avoid needlessly drawing the wrath of a wider circle of terrorist organizations
• Taking sides in other nations’ conflicts only increases our own vulnerability…the less involved we are with other nations, the more secure we will be
• Resources saved from international involvement can be redirected to promote enhanced security at home

Arguments Against:

• Terrorism is global…we need other members of the international community to gather intelligence worldwide
• Withdrawing from the international community will not protect us from terrorism.
• Still does not address the root causes of terrorism
• Putting more strict security measures in place here at home will inevitably take away the civil liberties that we stand for
• The threats to our security are not only here in the US…they are worldwide
• We need oil…and we need the oil from the Middle East

Option Four – Address the Underlying Causes of Terrorism

Arguments For:

• We have no choice but to address worldwide poverty, injustice, powerlessness, hatred, and in some cases U.S. policy, we risk feeding anti-American rage
• Taking a leadership role in addressing humanitarian needs of populations in failing states will reduce animosity toward the U.S.
• In order to be a credible force in addressing terrorism, we must demonstrate that we understand the causes of terrorism and are committed to taking action to address them
• We will not trample on our civil liberties if we address the underlying causes of terrorism

Arguments Against:

• This approach will take time while we are still open to more attacks…we must act now to stop terrorist attacks at their source
• Neither the U.S. nor the international community has the resources to address all of the underlying causes of terrorism
• We cannot afford to spend our budget overseas…we need to put security measures in place here at home
• If we focus on long-term solutions, we will allow terrorist to act with immediate consequences…which will invite more attacks
• There will always be hatred and violence. No amount of foreign aid will change this. We have no real control over anything but our own security
• Terrorists are angry people who hate the United States and the West for ideological and political reasons. The origins of terrorism have little to do with perceived economic and social justice.