The war against terrorism is a critical endeavor that pits people of conflicting interests. However, the handling of the war is a subject interpretation as it is faced with a multiplicity of challenges (Awan, 2011). It is critical to understand that these dilemmas of lead to numerous questions over the legitimacy of the war. Several dilemmas face counterterrorism. They range from ethical to political dilemmas that remain hard to unravel. They include;
Terrorism vs. National liberation
It is undisputed that numerous terrorists’ acts are often associated with liberation and attempt to condemn national occupation. The dilemma thus remains on how to define exactly terrorism. It is important that a line of demarcation between national struggles and terror activities is drawn to help distinguish the two (Baram, 2013). It has often been subject to debate as to how definitions can bring the debate to a conclusion as different groups hold divergent paradox about the subject. It is thus paramount that many a difficulty exists in defining and differentiating national liberation from terrorism.
Terrorism vs. political protest
In every rebellious act, a political interest underlies either covertly or overtly. It is essential that a distinction between political protests that exhibit use of violence to achieve anterior motives and terrorism is created (Baram, 2013). Terrorism is driven by political motives that range from changing the leadership or overthrowing the government. In this, it becomes difficult to differentiate the two thus leading to a dilemma.
Terrorism vs. Crime
The underlying facts of criminality still are exhibited in terrorism. It is essential for a clear differentiation between ordinary criminal indulgence and terrorism to be made (Ganor, 2005). While any form of crime is often prohibited in all countries, the severity of punishment for terrorism and crime is worlds apart. Surprisingly, it is becoming increasing difficult to determine what is ordinary crime and terrorism especially when they are executed in similar fashion.
References
Awan, I. (2011). ‘Paving the way for Extremism: How Preventing the Symptoms Does Not Cure the Disease of Terrorism’. Journal of Terrorism Research, 2(3).
Baram, A. (2013). Religious Extremism and Ecumenical Tendencies in Modern Iraqi Shiâism. The Sunna and Shi'a in History. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
Ganor, B. (2005). The Counter-Terrorism Puzle. A Guide for Decision Makers, 8-20. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
