Boston Terror Attack Creates Difficult Problem for Obama

On the afternoon of April 15 in the U.S., multiple bombings occurred at the Boston Marathon’s finish line, causing three deaths and more than 100 injuries. After the tragedy happened, images of the sadness and confusion on-site quickly spread to all corners of the world through the Internet. The U.S. has already classified this as a terror attack. President Obama has given an emergency speech, and major cities such as New York and Washington have entered a state of emergency.

The incident is still under investigation, but its impact on American society is obvious. Whether the terror attack was carried out by a foreign terrorist organization or was a case of tragic cannibalism by Americans themselves, the incident has created a difficult problem for the Obama administration.

A Hole in the U.S.’ Local Counterterrorism Network

If the attacks were perpetrated by foreign terrorists such as al-Qaida, it would mean that there is a huge hole in the local counterterrorism network set up by President Bush Jr. and that the Americans’ efforts have been wasted. There were no voices of dissent in the U.S. against President Obama’s “burden reduction” strategy of pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan. This attack has provided the opposition with an excuse to attack Obama.

Before this, the world’s counterterrorism situation and the situation in the Middle East seemed to be developing in ways that would benefit the U.S. Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who was shot dead during Obama’s time in office, was considered the main instigator of the 9/11 attacks. This was an achievement in counterterrorism that Obama could be proud of. In addition, the Middle East was swept by a current of democracy, with wave after wave of street demonstrations. The Gadhafi regime in Libya was overthrown while the Syrian government, hated by the U.S., has been continuously harassed by the Western-backed rebels. Because of this, the U.S. turned its back on the Middle East and focused on Asia, which had been neglected due to the war on terror.

The Conflict between the U.S. and the Muslim World Not Over Yet

Everything can be explained dialectically. The Obama administration’s neglect of counterterrorism strategy would have caused terrorist forces to rally. The attack in September of last year, during which the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three diplomats were killed, can be interpreted as a sudden, sharp warning to the U.S.: See the error of your ways. Although the secretary of state at the time, Hillary Clinton, said that she was heartbroken by this incident, the hard truth shows that even after the revolution in Libya and the restructuring of Iraq by the U.S., Americans are still not safe in these areas. Broadly speaking, the confrontation between the two great civilizations is still present, and the real conflict between the U.S. and the Muslim world has not been appeased. Solving the problems left by Bush Jr.’s war on terror is not something that Obama can do in two terms.

If it is eventually proven that the Boston terror attack was carried out by Islamic extremists, it shows that the counterterrorism situation in the U.S. has devolved to a pre-9/11 state. The U.S. will face a security crisis on both domestic and foreign fronts, and the phenomenon of general anxiety and social panic similar to that after 9/11 will arise in the U.S. again. Obama will be facing heavy domestic pressure. At this time, no one will mention Obama’s success at eliminating the threat of bin Laden; people will only focus on Obama’s policy mistake of giving up on the war on terror. They may even yearn for the “good times” of the Bush Jr. administration.

U.S. Security May Be Criticized by the Public in Both Speech and Writing

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that the terror attack may have been carried out by U.S. citizens. This may ease the American public’s tension, but it will still cause strong dissatisfaction among the people whose country is already associated with numerous shooting sprees. They will then criticize the security situation during Obama’s time in office in both speech and writing. Obama will not be able to contain them and will remain in a difficult position.

The Boston terror attack will affect Americans’ view of security. Obama will be forced to reflect on his mistakes with regard to counterterrorism. Under the pressure of multiple domestic and economic issues, U.S. counterterrorism strategies cannot be as aggressive and enthusiastic as those of the Bush Jr. administration. The U.S. can only take a defensive approach, pulling back part of its strategic power and using it to guard against attacks on American soil.

As such, the U.S.’ leadership power in Asia will be decreased, creating a chain reaction that will affect China-U.S. relations and the entire area’s geopolitical situation.