First it was GWOT (Global War On Terror). Then for a time it became SAVE (Strategy Against Violent Extremism). Later on, it became CONTEST (Counter Terrorism Strategy) with the 4 P’s of “Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare.”
Now, albeit unofficially, it’s OCO (Overseas Contingency Operations). When it comes to counter-terrorism, there has been no shortage of acronyms popping up in the bureaucracies of the security and intelligence communities in the United States and the United Kingdom.
GWOT first sprang up immediately after September 11, 2001, when President George W. Bush pronounced his famous “you’re either with us or with the terrorists” rallying call, understandable under the circumstances following the devastating attacks in New York and Washington at the time. To the credit of Jacques Chirac, who was the first foreign head of government to visit President Bush less than two weeks after 9/11, the French president expressed reservation over the choice of the word “war”.
Chirac understood the dangers of using the expression “war on terror”, and that it would elicit the notion of the war of the Christian “crusaders” against Islamic “jihadists” among France’s Muslim community, the largest in Western Europe. It would play into Al Qaida’s strategy of provoking tension between the “Christian West” and the “Muslim East”.
But GWOT became a popular rallying cry among right-wing and hard-line “security first” politicians in North America and Western Europe. It captured the imagination of bureaucrats who pushed for tighter domestic security policies against “potential” Muslim “sleepers” or “Trojan horse” subversives.
SAVE came into fashion around 2005-2006, when the “global war” pursued in Iraq, Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan persuaded politicians in the US and UK that a successful long-term strategy against Muslim terrorism had to go right to “cultural roots of the problem” in a particular country in the Middle East or South Asia. Kinetic-based counter-terrorist actions, including the use of special forces and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) operated from Nevada often inadvertently targeted innocent civilians suspected of being involved in terrorist acts in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Over the past decade, intelligence chiefs throughout South East Asia have exchanged notes in facing radical groups who often manipulated Islamic notions of “jihad” by home grown, region-based as well as international-linked terrorist groups. Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia undertook “re-integration programs” in which suspected terrorists or those convicted of violent acts are provided with “remedial programs” incorporating welfare related schemes as well as provide rehabilitation sessions guiding them to the true path of Muslim toleration.
The Indonesian Defense Force, particularly the Army, has discretely but effectively recalibrated its role to launch effective Territorial Capacity Buiding (TCB) programs. Its twin track schemes provide governance capacity building for village, local and township management as well as supporting economic development delivery systems. Reinforcing governance capacity and providing economic support (repair of irrigation canals, bridges, rehabilitating houses of worship in previously sectarian-strife areas, teaching arithmetic and Bahasa Indonesia in isolated areas) create a positive environment of “nation-building” and “nation replenishing” at the grass roots level.
This is the other side of GWOT, SAVE and OCO. The real issue is that of matching satellite-based and air launched technology of war should be calibrated with the ground-level anthropology challenge of graduated winning hearts and minds. GWOT, SAVE and OCO can only succeed if these ground level social, economic and cultural issues are resolved at the scope and speed willingly undertaken by local leaders.
“GWOT, SAVE and OCO can only succeed if these ground level social, economic and cultural issues are resolved at the scope and speed willingly undertaken by local leaders”
Really agree with the statement, how can we raise up the local leaders sir?
Waiting for the next brilliant post.
Morning sir, this is the first time I visited.
I interested in the words: “GWOT, OCO and SAVE can only succeed if these ground-level social, economic and cultural issues are resolved at the scope and speed willingly undertaken by local leaders.” Who is as a local leader?
thank u
cu…
Yth. Bpk. Juwono Sudarsono
Saya sebagai anak bangsa kahir-kahir ini merasa sangat prihatin dengan kondisi negara Republik Indonesia tercinta ini. Negara ini sama sekali tidak mempunyai wibawa baik di negeri sendiri apa lagi di mata negara lain. Teroris dengan mudah berulang kali meledakkan bom, Malaisyia puluhan kali melanggar batas perairan RI di ambalat, Pesawat-pesawat Tempur Australia sering melintas wilayah udara Indonesia bagian timur, Warga Negara Indonesia yang bekerja di luar negeri banyak yang mendapat perlakuan yang tidak mausiawi dan masih banyak kasus lagi yang semua membuktikan bahwa NKRI tidak dihargai oleh negara-negara asing.
Semua hal tersebut terjadi karena NKRI tidak memiliki alat pertahanan yang kuat atau tidak memiliki alat “penggentar” sehingga negara lain sangat meremehkan kita.
Anehnya Pemerintah kita (dalam hal ini Dephan yang bapak pimpin) sepertinya tidak tanggap dengan kondisi tersebut. Kecil sekali kemamuan pemerintah untuk memperkuat alat pertahanan negara tercinta ini.
Anggaran pertahanan yang sangat minim, pengadaan alutsista yang lamban dan berbelit-belit, betul-betul sangat memprihatinkan. Terakhir pengunduran pengadaan kapal selam sampai tahun 2011 membuktikan bahwa pemerintah tidak serius mengurus negara Republik Indonesia ini.
Bapak Juwono yang saya hormati, mohon dengan sangat agar bapak sebagai Menteri Pertahanan betul-betul berjuang untuk meningkatkan kemampuan pertahanan semaksimal mungkin. Naikan anggaran pertahanan, perkuat intelejen, beli alutsista baru yang canggih. Sehingga NKRI tidak lagi diremehkan oleh negara-negara asing dan teroris enggan beroperasi di negara kita.
Saya selaku warga negara Indonesia yang taat membayar pajak sangat berharap agar pajak yang saya bayarkan dapat dipakai untuk memperkuat alat pertahanan negara RI sehingga NKRI menjadi negara yang disegani dan dihormati.
Its twin track schemes provide governance capacity building for village, local and township management as well as supporting economic development delivery systems. Reinforcing governance capacity and providing economic support (repair of irrigation canals, bridges, rehabilitating houses of worship in previously sectarian-strife areas, teaching arithmetic and Bahasa Indonesia in isolated areas) create a positive environment of “nation-building” and “nation replenishing” at the grass roots level.
An excellent use of military resources. I’m most grateful that we have you as our Defense minister.
Personally I don’t really care about provocations from other countries, mass media, and other provocators. We all knows that anyone dares to actually land on Indonesian soil and running amok here will be obliterated by our Territorial Army. Our corps are among the best in the world with numerous praises and awards.
We are ready to greet anyone who dares messing on our land. That’s what truly matters.
Please continue these positive developments and utilization of our military resources. I can only hope that your predecessors will also choose to follow your excellent examples.
Thank you.
Mungkin studi perbandingan mengenai strategi counter terorisme negara-negara bukan barat (seperti Cina dan India) bisa membantu memberikan “insight” mengenai perang lokal terhadap trend terorisme “global”. Pendekatan Timur mungkin bisa lebih diaplikasikan di Indonesia (atau bahkan strategi yang dilakukan Indoesia dalam menghadapi teror bisa berkontribusi buat negara-negara Timur/Asia).
Dear my lovely Professor, my idea to reduce the terrorism is:
1. How to understand the mind of terroism why they becom a terrorist
2. Reduce the poverity from all poeple in our nation
3. Make a better education
i hope my idea become good solution thanks so much.
Arip Nurahman