Terrorism has taken a strong grip on Saudi Arabia nowadays dragging mostly American civilians to pay the heavy price of American government’s hostile policy measures against Muslims in general detained at various US-led investigative cells like Guantanamo Bay & Abu-Ghuraib, where majority of Muslim detainees are either illegally kept facing modern version of mental and physical torture further elevating hatred against the land of opportunity.
In the latest wave of attacks, America losses one of its aviation engineer Paul Marshall Johnson 49, after the un-successful attempt for releasing Al-Qaeda’s jailed members and the expulsion of foreign "infidels" from Saudi soil. Paul’s beheaded corpse was shown at the website exposing & confirming severe threat against American civilians residing in Saudi-Arabia or many other Muslim Nations. As Paul Johnson was the third American in a row killed in Saudi Arabia in the last ten days also there’s no objection over the identity of kidnapper Abdulaziz al-Muqrin associate of Al- Muqrin’s group, which called itself al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula that claimed responsibility for killing the American.
Abdulaziz was later killed in a firefight with Saudi government forces finally closing the chapter of Paul Johnson and opening the new dimension of terrorism particularly against America to withdraw its forces from Muslim nations or to preview his existing diplomacies to revive or achieving the spirit of New world Order once declared by George Bush in 1990’s. Condemning the act of barbarism against his own people on oil-rich nation, US President George Bush vowed that "America will not retreat. America will not be intimidated by these kinds of extremist thugs". What is more surprising is his stand over War against Terrorism while refusing to accept the increment of Muslims intense hatred against America. Although it’s a fact that what kind of purpose War Against Terrorism had served in Afghanistan & Iraq.
Saudi Arabia, the oil rich Islamic state, is a hub of business opportunities with large scale foreign businesses are carried out each year. An estimated 8.8 million foreigner’s work among 17 million Saudis in the kingdom, mostly in the oil sector, banking and other high-level businesses, besides enormous financial opportunities to peaceful environment is the symbol of Saudi kingdom. Growing uneasiness over escalating terrorist attacks in its own country and concern over its public image in the United States, Saudi officials are paying hard services to ensure foreigners particularly US citizens environment to uplift economic advancements with promising living security besides tackling the ugly episode of Al-Qaeda’s militants. "We believe that one of the objectives of the terrorists is to drive people out of Saudi Arabia, and so as a consequence, we believe that calls for withdrawing people from Saudi Arabia could inadvertently play into the hands of the terrorists," said Al-Jubair.
Though announcing Johnson’s death, Saudi foreign affairs advisor to crown prince Abdullah, Adel al-Jubair calls Paul’s death as “brutal murder” or “gruesome death, while pretending terra incognita approach towards the reasons and repercussions behind carrying out frequent execution of terrorist attacks by Al-Qaeda supporter’s i.e. permanent removal of US backed influential cum personal political lobby towards Muslim Nations.
Paul Johnson is not the sole victim of militant attacks, before killing Paul Johnson, suspected militants killed two American named Robert Jacobs 62 a Jewish American and Kenneth Scroggs in the Saudi capital shooting him in the back as he parked in his home garage. However, one may not deny the fact that it was a direct approach for American citizens as well as for American government for driving them out from Saudi capital. This is absolutely quid pro quo approach to handle American forces inhuman activities over Iraqi prisoners detained at various camps in Iraq.
In Paul Marshall Johnson’s case one of the major reasons behind his tragic death is Johnson’s expertise in developing Apache helicopter systems. "Everybody knows that these helicopters are used by the Americans, their Zionist allies and the apostates to kill Muslims, terrorizing them and displacing them in Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq," claimed in a statement by the kidnappers before loosing their own lives in a firefight with Saudi government forces .
However, the efforts employed by Saudi government for the safety of foreigners are commendable. “This is an attack against humanity, an attack against decency, an attack against the innocent, and an attack against the universal values we all share as human beings" Stated Al-Jubair. U.S. Ambassador James C. Oberwetter, in a statement reacting to killings and other recent terrorist attacks, expressed his satisfaction over Saudi govt. contribution for eradicating terrorism in Saudi kingdom. He said "I applaud Saudi Arabia’s determination to bring an end to terrorism in the kingdom," he added.
Initially terrorists avoid killing Muslims in Saudia while targeting mainly foreignersbut the death of several Muslims and Arabs in a November compound attack in Riyadh horrified many Muslims changing the Saudi expert’s pattern of perception that the rising terror is just restricted to US or other foreign nationals and not against the Muslims.
As it is clear by now that Paul Johnson may not be the last victim of terror attack because of the extended scope of militants in Saudi Arabia, where two Americans had already lost their lives. But there are certain questions that need dire attention for securing thousands of US and other western nationals living across the globe. Questions like; who killed Paul Johnson? What was the prime objective of the culprits involved in killing Paul? Were the kidnaper’s aware regarding Saudi government’s strong stand over not to release al-Qaeda’s baked prisoners?
Terror breads terror and that simple philosophy is out of mind as well as out of sight to many high-ups involved in drafting provisions of War against terrorism. If we analyze the situation after September 11 terror attacks in America, invasion of Afghanistan and later Iraq had not reduced the terrorist spirit in fact it had added the immense hatred among Muslims towards American. I personally believe that to eliminate terrorism west must analyses the root causes actively engaged in spreading terrorism.
Until and unless we do not accept the reality engaged behind the kidnapping, killing beheading or suicide bombing in Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq and now in Saudi Arabia, we may not successfully eradicate terrorism or rather eliminate terrorist attacks.
West must not conceal the truth that if Iraqis were in need of liberation from Saddam’s regime or Afghanis from Taliban the so-called Islamic extremists, the same liberation is also demanded by the Palestinians for the possession of their actual, legal & judicious right over Palestinian territories. And if America is sincere to implement road map for the Middle East peace process, why it is not carried out yet? If not, Why not? Why the US is not paying heed to this desperate situation, like the way they closed the chapter of Taliban and Saddam?
Paul Marshall Johnson is the victim of both offenders as well as the defenders of terrorism. As Al-Qaeda had repeatedly warned America or other western nations not o support Israel in human policies against Palestinians or not to impose its financial, geo-political supremacy over Muslim nations. On the contrary US policy makers while ignoring the demand of Al-Qaeda remain adamant to explore the war against Terrorism by killing hundreds of thousands of Afghanis to capture Osama and again repeating this brutal activity in Iraq to coup d’etat saddam’s regime.
Another highly important aspect in Johnson’s murder which cannot be ignored at any cost is the modus operandi adopted by the kidnappers to manslaughter Paul in order to release or achieve their demand was not only an inhuman act but highly prohibited in Islam. Therefore, the act of beheading human in barbaric way is beyond the Islamic code of conducts. So to relate this kind of barbarism with jihad or retaliation is totally un-acceptable. What west need in this whole scenario, is to understand the real nature of Islam i.e. who ever conduct illegitimate activities be fanatic or refuses to follow human rights existence is not Muslim or related to Islam on the contrary Muslims obligations include safeguard of others lives. In Islam, there is no concept of distinct treatment towards non-Muslims as every human is equally treated and receive his/her due share under banner of Islam.
To get something one has to serve something. What US foreign policy makers forgot to serve while using Saddam and Osama Bin Laden as symbol of dictatorial aristocracy, the real need n wants Iraqi’s, Afghani’s and economically backward Muslim nation’s demanded i.e. the economic sovereignty, democratic set up of government, existence of human rights at large? Although now Iraq & Afghanistan has its own governmental setup recovered after loosing millions of innocent civilians with demolished cultural and religious heritage in the tug of war as a independence gift by the American government. But Muslims may not forget the modus operandi adopted to topple the Saddam govt. where innocent lives were taken for granted. How lack of medical and food aid had raised the funerals? And later the same withheld aid was showered just to favor the slogans of liberalism & independence.
Lawrence Pintak in his book “Seeds of hate” regarding violence in Beirut gave a rare view of west and east violent attitude, he said “Attack, retaliation. Retaliation, attack. The cycle was endless. Blind terror was the usual goal. Let one side strike, the other struck back. Each atrocity had to be worse than the one before.” However, there is an end to this ever increased political cum military escalation from both the US govt. & militant’s side, if they justify or contemplate where the actual terrorism is going on and how to tackle it diplomatically & democratically.