Consequences of U.S. attacks on Afghanistan will be wide-ranging and hard to preduct, says USU professor
While the effects of the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan are bound to be wide-ranging and influence attitudes worldwide, it’s not easy to foresee what consequences the attacks will bring, said Veronica Ward, a professor of international politics.
“It’s very difficult to predict right now. We don’t know what will happen once the bombing ends,” Ward said.
One immediate effect is that the military action may change other countries’ perceptions of the United States as a country victimized by terrorism since we have become the aggressor, she said.
“The bombing has had a negative effect on attitudes toward the United States,” Ward said. “It seems that the theme of many of the reports is that sympathy seems to be slowly disappearing.”
This shift in attitudes may cause problems because it could potentially strain relations with other governments. And if attitudes become increasingly negative “you add more individuals who are willing to fight against the United States,” Ward said.
The response of Muslims to the U.S. attacks is one of the most obvious and visible effects of the bombing campaign. Ward said it is critical the U.S. government communicates the message “this is not a war against Islam.”
This has led to a campaign to provide information about the attacks and deal with issues of public opinion – an effort almost equally significant as the military action, he said.
“I think the propaganda war is terribly important,” Ward said. “If you can define a situation in your terms, it gives you a great deal of support.”
Bob Wendzel, a visiting professor in the political science department, said the events of the past six weeks have made many U.S. citizens uneasy.
“The terror attacks have obviously put people on edge. Folks have had to deal with terrorism in other places, but it’s a shock to us here.”
Wendzel agreed it is too early to predict any long-range effects the military campaign in Afghanistan might have, and said Americans will continue to recover from the attacks and move forward.
“We’re a tough people. We’re resilient. We’ll come back,” Wendzel said.