Obama on Anti-Terrorism and Bush

The surface of what happened on April 15, in regard to the bombings at the Boston Marathon in Massachusetts, has finally been broken. The police and the CIA have identified two suspects: the Chechnya-born Tamerlan Tsaernaev and Dzhokhar Tsaernaev. The former was killed in a confrontation with the police, and the latter was arrested after being found hiding on a boat. Their motives and, if any, behind-the-scenes guidance by others have yet to be revealed, but President Barack Obama has already made it clear that the attacks were indeed terrorist attacks.

For the U.S. and those abroad who have been following this news, this is noteworthy. After the 2001 attacks on 9/11, the term “anti-terrorism” became commonly used and was closely related to the internal affairs of the U.S., as well as its diplomatic and military behavior. The Patriot Act and a series of other measures were introduced at the expense of personal freedom and privacy in order to provide a more comprehensive grasp of intelligence information on terrorist attacks. This has included tightening borders and introducing airport security measures to the point where many people have had to adopt new travel habits. Outside of the U.S., anti-terrorism has been used against Iraq and Afghanistan, where there have been two long-running “wars on terror.”

It should be recognized that through the leadership of former President George W. Bush, the external and domestic ways of combating terrorism have had a significant effect on national security. Although the war on terror had significant costs and was very controversial in light of the falsehood of Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction, it has dealt a heavy blow to members of al-Qaida and the Taliban, which has increased anti-American sentiments in the region. The increased pressure and burden the U.S. has put on other countries has allowed its influence to reach a climax.

But this climax is based on high consumption and was achieved over a long period of time, even when times were more peaceful. When the financial crisis broke out, the heavily indebted U.S. became powerless. From the Bush Doctrine to the gold standard and negative equity, these issues caused a lot of resentment and many became "anti-Bush." With a commitment to end the war on terror, the dark horse, candidate Barack Obama, became Bush’s successor in the White House.

After coming into power, relying on the tactic of going in the opposite direction of the Bush Doctrine, Obama developed a timetable to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan and avoid interfering in Libya, Syria and other hot spots. With regard to strengthening the domestic anti-terrorism legislation, these actions did not appear so positive.

However, this is only looking at the situation from the surface. In actuality, during the Obama administration, U.S. counterterrorism actions have been incredibly successful. Osama bin Laden and other key terrorist figures have been targeted and killed, significantly affecting the activity of these extremist organizations. Large-scale use of unmanned aerial vehicles, drones, has resulted in fewer soldier casualties, and for many, Obama’s actions have actually helped implement measures to strengthen the protection of embassies, especially after the John Christopher Stevens incident.

Obama does not spend much time talking about anti-terrorism or the war on terror, which were key components of the Bush Doctrine, but his actions show that he still places great importance on anti-terrorism. For instance, his tactic of using drones bears resemblance to many qualities of the Bush Doctrine, although it does not bear the name. Granted, the investment of the U.S. in anti-terrorism has plummeted in the Obama era. However, this is not so much because of the end of "anti-terrorism," but because the economy and national strength no longer allows for it.

The Arab Spring has certainly helped deepen the development of anti-terrorism on the international front, while also making it very easy to help develop of the same kind of environment that led to the rise of bin Laden and the Taliban in the past. Since the Boston bombing suspects have been identified, is it not interesting to note that these two people are political refugees who were admitted to the U.S. not too long ago?

As the scars of 9/11 fade, the fear of terrorism and the fear for one’s own safety is gradually giving way to a focus on other things, like the economy, employment and personal freedom. Bush’s anti-terrorism tactics have gone from heroic to venomous to society. For this reason, Obama spent his two campaigns and terms trying to avoid talking about anti-terrorism, and especially the war on terror, as much as possible, despite still working on such policies. Now is the perfect time to talk about anti-terrorism: The Boston bombings have awoken the memories of 9/11 for many Americans, but even so, Obama will carefully keep his distance from directly addressing his stance on anti-terrorism and the Bush Doctrine.