The Threats Tamil Tigers Represent to U.S, Essay Example

Abstract

The presence of Tamil tigers has long term threats that it posses to various interests that the United States of America has. The economic, social and political interests have been hampered to a great extent by this group. This research paper will look at the how the interests of the USA have been affected by the group. The paper will also examine at various strategies that are used to eliminate these infamous threats.

U.S Interest in South Asia

The region of south Asia represents one of the areas that United States of America has so much interest. India and Pakistan are two countries that USA has great interests. USA has interest in security due to the presence of conflict which involves two nuclear powers, in economics the country has interest in the region represent as this is one of the region that is experiencing expanding industrial growth and also in humanitarian issues due to the kind of oppression and high levels of poverty that people in the region have. USA has made great progress in the past in engaging Pakistan and India in serving its interest in the region. In order for its interest to be safe guarded well in both countries there is need more cultivated negotiated settlement to the conflicts in the region. The country also should establish a more balance bilateral relation in the two countries (Markuz, 2000).

In order to be in a position to succeed in its strategies the country needs to address the various threats in the region. There is a need for examination of its strategies, its objectives, and the means it has to face these threats and reflect on the past failures it has come across with in the past strategies. By examining this, USA is supposed to consider every course of actions it takes. The best way that the country will be able to succeed in its interest in the region, amongst the presence of the Tamil tigers, is by trying to concentrate more on negotiations; have balanced support and also engage in the region in a more sustainable way (Markuz, 2000).

Threats Posed by Tamil Tigers   

Tamil tigers is one group that offers USA with great threats in this region. The threats are caused by the group engagement in include, drug trade, terrorism, weapon smuggling and piracy. All these threats make the options that USA has regarding the region more complicated in the region.  America has great interest in both India and Pakistan. The two countries are potential market for United States products. They have Resources which USA has been trying to take advantage of in the international market. However, these two countries have internal terrorism. This has been caused by the Tamil tigers rebels who found refuge in India in the 1980s. The presence of this group presents destabilizing influence (Hoffman, 2006). This makes it difficult for USA to venture well in the countries as the terrorist group targets the interest of USA. They have formed themselves as a terrorist group which is affiliated, to Al Qaeda. They always remain to be a threat to any activity that USA tries to make in the region. This has hampered the economic integration of USA and those countries.

Tamil tiger is also known to be among the great dealer of illicit drugs. This is a threat not only to USA, but to the whole world community. They have a large cartel of business in these products. They are also engaged in money laundering. These activities have been hampering the fight against drugs that USA has been engaged in for many years both inside the country and world wide. Most of these drugs are also sold to the western market. All these illegal activities make the region be unconducive for any country to engage in legitimate trade with countries in that region. This also enhances more criminal activities in the region (Congressional hearing, 2002).

Another aspect of the Tamil tigers is that they command great international support network. They get a lot of revenues from other activities that they engage in. Some of the activities that they obtain revenues include sea piracy, human smuggling and gun running. Sea piracy has become a real threat to most of the USA operations especially in transportation of exports to many countries. This is because of the increased cases of pirates highjacking ships destined to other countries. Most of these pirates are recruited by terror groups Tamil tigers included. All these activities are against most of the USA interest in the whole world as they hamper its political, economical and social expansion strategies (Congressional hearing, 2002)

The group engages in weapon smuggling and also in explosives business. This is done through secretive international operations where these weapons are sold to other terror groups in other countries. Most of group members go through training on how to carry out the operations. This has affected the war against terrorism, which is spearheaded by USA in a great way. These are some of the hindrances that are working against these wars on terror groups due to their skilled techniques in carrying out their operations (Hoffman, 2006).

USA has a long history of engaging in the fight against human rights abuse in many countries. The country has been in the forefront in campaigning for all countries to enter in to an agreement   on the issue of human rights protection. However, this has been hampered by the existence of the militia groups in many countries allover the world. The Tamil tigers recruit children into their army. Young male are recruited and forced to engage in terrorist activities, or they are sent to war with the government. They also recruit children soldiers to fight on their behalf. The Tamil tigers commit abuse to the civilians. They detain civilians and force them to fight the government. In the year 2008, they increased their recruitments where they even used civilians as their shield in the war. This is not only a threat to long engagement of USA to human rights campaigns but also to the United Nation Convention on human rights.

USA terrorism Elimination Strategies

Counterterrorism strategies that USA has used have been effective. Some of the strategies that have been effective and which should be used to fight terror include the policy that the terror groups must get justice for their acts. The other strategic policy is the sanctions against countries that support terrorists. These countries are isolated and given pressure in order to change. The other strategy that has worked is capacity building which USA has done to countries which need assistance in fighting the terror groups and also to its allies in counterterrorism fights. This has been used in eliminating Tamil tiger where USA has collaborated with India and Pakistan in trying to eliminate the Tamil Tigers rebels who hide in those countries (Bobbit, 2009).

Another strategy that USA is employing in fighting terror groups is military invincibility strategy. This is where human resource based technology that is not destructive is employed. In this case the military power becomes invincible. This makes USA military who are concerned in fighting terror to construct a positive relation with the terror groups. USA should form a preventive military wing who should be concerned with utilization of the invincibility ideal goal. The wing should consist about 4 % of the military. The others should carry on with the normal military duties. This strategy would work well in terrorism elimination. It also works effectively in reducing social stress, which leads to rise of many terror groups including the Tamil tigers.  Over fifty studies that have been conducted regarding this strategy have shown that it worked in reduction of most civil wars and in the elimination of terror groups in the 1990’s. This would reduce terrorism acts by terrorist groups such as the Tamil tigers.

Conclusion

As noted in this paper the threats posed by Tamil tigers are no only a problem to USA by to the whole world. This is because even if other countries are not affected directly they are indirectly affected. This is the time that all nations should join hands and try to fight these terror groups because they hamper development of many countries.

References

Bobbit, P. (2009). Terror and Consent: The Wars of the Twenty-First Century. Australia: Anchor Books.

Hoffman, B. (2006). Inside terrorism, 2^nd edition. Washington D.C: Columbia University Press.

Markuz, A. (2000).The balance of power in South Asia. Emirates: Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research.

McCollum, B. (2002). Congressional hearing. Threat Posed by the Convergence of Organized Crime, Drug Trafficking, and Terrorism. Darby – Pennsylvania, PA – USA:  DIANE Publishing.