Total War vs Total Faith: Al Qaeda Moves Ahead
Editor's Note: US military doctrine emphasises overwhelming battlefield victory over opponents. But this "total warfare" appears to be losing against Al Qaeda and other radical Islamic movements, as suicide bombings spread throughout the world, fuelled by faith that calls for martyrdom. Bush and Bin Laden, the writer says, must sit down together and begin to find ways to end both types of destruction.
SINCE World War II American military doctrine has been based on
"total war."
Total war allows for any means that bring enemies to their
knees.
The Korean War was a total war that destroyed everything above
the ground in North Korea.
The Vietnam War was not a total war because America feared
Chinese intervention, as happened in Korea.
America's wars against Afghanistan and Iraq were quasi-total
wars that brought about "shock and awe," not only among soldiers
but also too many civilians.
But in all these wars, total war has come up against a
formidable opponent -- faith.
America smote Afghanistan with total war less than a month after
9/11.
But two and a half years later, the Afghan resistance is ready
to retake some cities.
Recently, Washington cajoled Pakistan to mount a big military
attack in its autonomous northwest territories, and rumours flew
that Ayman al-Zuwahiri was cornered.
But all Pakistani forces got was tribal fury and deeper
commitment within Pakistan to the Taliban.
A year ago, the Pentagon smote Iraq with a tempered down total
war.
Yet the Iraqi resistance gets more and more recruits, including
potential suicide bombers.
Vengeance is only a part of what's happening in the Middle
East.
Islamic suicide bombers are waging their own total war.
But unlike shock and awe, their voluntary death shows they
believe they are part of a higher cause, in this case a new turn in
Islam.
Throughout the billion-plus Muslim world, a new ideological
schism has been opening.
Essentially it's between those who want to work with the
Americans and those who hate them.
But, because of American use of total war, the pendulum of
history is swinging to the latter.
William Tecumseh Sherman, often considered the creator of total
war because of his ravaging of Georgia during the American Civil
War, probably knew about this danger.
He wrote in his memoirs: "If the people raise a howl against my
barbarity and cruelty, I will answer that war is war, and not
popularity-seeking."
In World War II, Germany and Japan had at first excelled in
total war.
But then the USA inflicted an even greater total war as it
firebombed their cities.
An example from the Battle of Stalingrad (December 1942 to
February 1943) shows how faith can triumph over total war.
After spreading destruction all over Russia, Hitler's hordes
reached Stalingrad, where they believed they were on the threshold
of final victory and hunkered down for the winter.
But the Russians poured waves of soldiers into the fray and
broke the German ranks.
The faith that moved many Russian ranks into certain death was
loyalty to Stalin, who was viewed as a kind of demi-god and was
educated in an Orthodox Christian Seminary.
When Hitler's troops had advanced to the Volga River, commonly
called Mother Russia, Stalin reopened all churches.
The Japanese also used spiritual faith in war.
Their kamikaze pilots almost halted the American juggernaut,
giving their lives because they believed their emperor was the "Son
of Heaven."
When the Son of Heaven made peace with the Americans, almost to
a man they stopped fighting.
However, if the Emperor had overruled his generals and commanded
his people to fight to the end, they might have obeyed.
American deaths could have reached a million, and the Japanese
figure would have been many times that.
Spiritual faith is playing a major role in the current war.
This mindset is called in Arabic, "takfir wa hijra."
An Islamic website explains takfir: "Muslims are not allowed to
wage war on each other, but they can on unbelievers.
If a society or group can be labelled as unbelieving, it becomes
acceptable to engage them in armed battle."
Hijra refers to the new world that the Prophet Muhammad
proclaimed in the many years of his Medina exile.
("wa" just means "and.") Until Saddam Hussein, backed by the
United States, invaded Iran in the summer of 1980, Muslim states
overwhelmingly abided by the God-given law that they must not kill
other Muslims.
But Saddam broke that law.
In October 1981, the group Muslim Brethren assassinated Egyptian
leader Anwar Sadat, who had become an ally of the United
States.
Those two events pushed many young Arabs, including Osama bin
Laden, to mull over life, death and destiny beyond life and
death.
That mulling led many into "takfir wa hijra," and some of them
to become suicide bombers.
Aside from the suicide bombers of 9/11 and those in
Israel/Palestine, there were few suicide-bombers in 2000, 2001 and
2002.
Though no terrorist attacks have taken place in the United
States since 2001, in 2003 rashes of suicide bombings occurred and
have continued this year.
It seems that total war is waning while bombings, both suicide
and non-suicide, are waxing.
For now, Al Qaeda seems ahead of America on the Middle Eastern
chessboard.
American total war and "takfir wa hijra" are two sides of the
same coin.
They both indiscriminately kill and maim.
The only way the world can get out of the waning of one and the
waxing of the other is by destroying the coin.
A first step in this new destiny is for George Bush and Osama
bin-Laden to talk to each other, face-to-face.
Even if this occurs secretly, it still means a first step in a
needed destruction.
PNS editor Franz Schurmann (fschurmann@pacificnews.org) is
emeritus professor of history and sociology at U.C. Berkeley and
the author of numerous books.
Total war allows for any means that bring enemies to their
knees.The Korean War was a total war that destroyed everything
above the ground in North Korea.The Vietnam War was not a total war
because America feared Chinese intervention, as happened in
Korea.America's wars against Afghanistan and Iraq were quasi-total
wars that brought about "shock and awe," not only among soldiers
but also too many civilians.But in all these wars, total war has
come up against a formidable opponent -- faith.America smote
Afghanistan with total war less than a month after 9/11.But two and
a half years later, the Afghan resistance is ready to retake some
cities.Recently, Washington cajoled Pakistan to mount a big
military attack in its autonomous northwest territories, and
rumours flew that Ayman al-Zuwahiri was cornered.But all Pakistani
forces got was tribal fury and deeper commitment within Pakistan to
the Taliban.A year ago, the Pentagon smote Iraq with a tempered
down total war.Yet the Iraqi resistance gets more and more
recruits, including potential suicide bombers.Vengeance is only a
part of what's happening in the Middle East.Islamic suicide bombers
are waging their own total war.But unlike shock and awe, their
voluntary death shows they believe they are part of a higher cause,
in this case a new turn in Islam.Throughout the billion-plus Muslim
world, a new ideological schism has been opening.Essentially it's
between those who want to work with the Americans and those who
hate them.But, because of American use of total war, the pendulum
of history is swinging to the latter.William Tecumseh Sherman,
often considered the creator of total war because of his ravaging
of Georgia during the American Civil War, probably knew about this
danger.He wrote in his memoirs: "If the people raise a howl against
my barbarity and cruelty, I will answer that war is war, and not
popularity-seeking."In World War II, Germany and Japan had at first
excelled in total war.But then the USA inflicted an even greater
total war as it firebombed their cities.An example from the Battle
of Stalingrad (December 1942 to February 1943) shows how faith can
triumph over total war.After spreading destruction all over Russia,
Hitler's hordes reached Stalingrad, where they believed they were
on the threshold of final victory and hunkered down for the
winter.But the Russians poured waves of soldiers into the fray and
broke the German ranks.The faith that moved many Russian ranks into
certain death was loyalty to Stalin, who was viewed as a kind of
demi-god and was educated in an Orthodox Christian Seminary.When
Hitler's troops had advanced to the Volga River, commonly called
Mother Russia, Stalin reopened all churches.The Japanese also used
spiritual faith in war.Their kamikaze pilots almost halted the
American juggernaut, giving their lives because they believed their
emperor was the "Son of Heaven."When the Son of Heaven made peace
with the Americans, almost to a man they stopped fighting.However,
if the Emperor had overruled his generals and commanded his people
to fight to the end, they might have obeyed.American deaths could
have reached a million, and the Japanese figure would have been
many times that.Spiritual faith is playing a major role in the
current war.This mindset is called in Arabic, "takfir wa hijra."An
Islamic website explains takfir: "Muslims are not allowed to wage
war on each other, but they can on unbelievers.If a society or
group can be labelled as unbelieving, it becomes acceptable to
engage them in armed battle."Hijra refers to the new world that the
Prophet Muhammad proclaimed in the many years of his Medina
exile.("wa" just means "and.") Until Saddam Hussein, backed by the
United States, invaded Iran in the summer of 1980, Muslim states
overwhelmingly abided by the God-given law that they must not kill
other Muslims.But Saddam broke that law.In October 1981, the group
Muslim Brethren assassinated Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat, who had
become an ally of the United States.Those two events pushed many
young Arabs, including Osama bin Laden, to mull over life, death
and destiny beyond life and death.That mulling led many into
"takfir wa hijra," and some of them to become suicide bombers.Aside
from the suicide bombers of 9/11 and those in Israel/Palestine,
there were few suicide-bombers in 2000, 2001 and 2002.Though no
terrorist attacks have taken place in the United States since 2001,
in 2003 rashes of suicide bombings occurred and have continued this
year.It seems that total war is waning while bombings, both suicide
and non-suicide, are waxing.For now, Al Qaeda seems ahead of
America on the Middle Eastern chessboard.American total war and
"takfir wa hijra" are two sides of the same coin.They both
indiscriminately kill and maim.The only way the world can get out
of the waning of one and the waxing of the other is by destroying
the coin.A first step in this new destiny is for George Bush and
Osama bin-Laden to talk to each other, face-to-face.Even if this
occurs secretly, it still means a first step in a needed
destruction.PNS editor Franz Schurmann (fschurmann@pacificnews.org)
is emeritus professor of history and sociology at U.C. Berkeley and
the author of numerous books.