Abstract
Terrorism has become a global issue lately, and the prevalence of radicalization among youth is still a major concern. However, over the years, terrorists have not been receiving the ultimate punishment that they deserve. Holding terrorists in cells and sentencing them to a jail term is not enough for them to pay for the crimes they perpetrate. I believe more stringent punishments should be included alongside the jail term in order to make them feel the pain they cause to others. Terrorism is one of the actions that should be punished the hardest because it takes innocent life each time, no matter the justification of it.
Salama’s “UAE anti-terror law is ‘toughest in 40 years”
In my opinion, I find it very offensive to read the law that is referred to as the toughest in the UAE in the last 40 years. Reading the law carefully and looking at the definitions of terrorism according to the UAE, one can only assume that terror threats are not a major concern in the region. I see a number of inconsistencies in the content of the law and the willingness to punish the crime. The definition of terrorism in the presumed tough law seems to give leeway for a lot of terrorist attacks. For instance, a terrorist attack is any action that results in “the death of a victim, including attacks on a head of state or his family or a representative or officer of a state; coerced recruitment of individuals into a terrorist organization” (Salama, 2014).
This is just a potion that I have picked to prove my point. Clearly, the UAE seems to assume that the greatest tragedy that can befall the nation is an attack against the head of state, his family, or state officers. Other than an outright cover of the state’s highest-ranking officers, the punishment set for terrorists is also very lenient, in my opinion. Although the government is threatening that acts of terror will be acted upon with the full force of the law, the same lave seems to have very limited power to unleash the most appropriate wrath on offenders. According to the new laws that are meant to curb and scare off terrorists, “Convicted terrorists will face capital punishment, life imprisonment, and fines of up to Dh100 million” (Salama, 2014). The monetary fine mentioned in this law is my greatest worry. It is known globally that terrorists’ networks are financially able to carry out their actions. Paying a monetary ransom is not a difficult task for such organizations. Therefore, I think this punishment is effective. People perpetrating acts of terror should be punished without any consideration of their human rights because they do not consider other people’s rights while unleashing terror.
Tapper, Khan, Raddatz, and Effron’s “Osama Bin Laden Operation Ended with Coded Message ‘Geronimo-E KIA’”
According to a Speech given by the United States’ president, terrorist attacks are still imminent. However, I believe the war on terror can be won if stringent measures are taken to deal will perpetrators. One of the most successful scenarios was the killing of Osama bin Laden and his top officials. Although taking another man’s life is not justifiable, I think it is high time that we relook into the issue of terrorism from a different perspective. The perpetrators do not care about the law or good conscience. The operation by the Navy Seals that led to the death of Osama bin laden was a success story. According to the article, “Bin Laden was shot twice, once in the head and once in the chest” (Tapper et al., 2011). The death of the Leader of Al-Qaeda was a sigh of relief to the world and the family and friends of the 9/11 victims. This operation was very important since it “decapitated the head of the snake” (Tapper et al., 2011).
I believe this is the best punishment that can serve to warn other aspiring jihadists and terrorists. Since the death of Osama, terrorism has dropped significantly. At least the major global-scale acts of terror have reduced. In addition, terror groups and activities have been reduced. This is a clear indication that terrorism needs a different approach rather than the current apprehension and jailing procedures. Perpetrators need to be treated ruthlessly with the same disregard that they have for human life. Every time an act of terror occurs, human life is lost. The most saddening fact is that most of the lives lost and most of the people who suffered from the actions of terrorists are innocent. Women and children who had nothing to do with political battles are the most affected by terrorism. In fact, terror gangs target the areas with the highest number of civilian casualties. Such disregard for human life should be played back with the same wrath. The Osama case is a perfect example to show how effective harsh punishment can be in combating terrorism.
Conclusion
This essay has discussed and summarized two articles. The two articles are about terrorism, and one although from different angles. One article is discussing the laws to curb terrorism in the UAE, while the other one is about the United States’ victory in killing Osama. I have used these two articles to support my thesis.
References
Tapper, J., Khan, H., Raddatz, M., & Effron, E. (2011). Osama Bin Laden Operation Ended With Coded Message ‘Geronimo-E KIA’. Web.
Salama, S. (2014). UAE anti-terror law is ‘toughest in 40 years’. Web.