Realism:Failure of 'Power'

Alarab London-This book is the most important research work as it introduces and applies the new theory of "Invisible Balance of Power" to the "different war" that still continues between the US-led states and the Islamic militants on global and regional level in one way or the other. While elaborating various developments in the world such as invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, responded by organized stiff resistance of the Islamic radicals through bombasts and suicide attacks--including almost same pattern of conflict in one or the other way as found in Palestine, Uzbekistan, Philippines, Yemen, Saudi Arabia etc., the author has logically proved that the non-state actors like Islamic radicals are checking the hegemony of the United States in the unipolar word, though in a different way but like the balance-of-power system of the past.

While showing an interaction between "group terrorism" and "state terrorism" led by the Al Queda-related Islamic militants and America respectively in wake of the present "different war" between the US-led sovereign entities and non-sovereign entities, the book draws attention towards the fact that despite their weak position, the Islamic militants have counterbalanced the most powerful state on the earth in another way--by posing a check to the United States. Judging in this sense, disparity between both the adversaries does not matter so much as ground realities particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan have displayed the power of the sub-national militant groups
to be equal to that of Washington though in anther way.


In the book, Sajjad Shaukat has explained with a number of examples and references of the political philosophers that the balance of power keeps on changing with a change in international circumstances. No major power or state actor except the non-state Islamic militants have challenged Washington's claim of being the sole superpower since the end of the Cold War when power vacuum was created in the world due to the disintegration of the former Soviet Union. However, the Muslim activists successfully started filing the power vacuum to check the dominance of the United States and the system of balance of power was replaced by the "invisible balance of power".

Author has pointed out that there is no difference between group terrorism and state terrorism except employment of tactics. Practitioners of the "invisible balance of power" are fighting without international rules of the game. They kill each other through various forms of terrorism In this regard, he indicates that American and Jehadi factions are engaged both with overt and covert operations. While citing various events of ambush attacks and suicide missions led by the Muslim radical fighters and special military operations by the US allies of war on terror in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, including arrests of the suspected persons in these states and western countries, the book logically prove that as compared to the visible balance-of-power conflicts, the modern one is mostly seen to be fightable by invisible strategies and tactics.

The book elaborates that balance-of-power term has many meanings and can be used by various nations or states in accordance with their own interests. Just as Americans call the present conflict as a "different war", the author has also called it a different balance of power. Nevertheless, the multiple application of the concept justifies the usage of this term--"invisible balance of power".

Most interesting aspect of the book is that the author has discussed the two warring parties on parallel lines. In this respect, he provides evidence as to how extremism has taken origin in the Muslims and Americans from peculiar historical, cultural and political backgrounds and their national character--playing a key role in moulding the public opinion and decision-making process. As regards the Muslims, it may be a sense of deprivation or inferiority and in case of Americans, this may be a sense of special status or superiority. When radicalism is found in Americans and the Islamic Jihadi organizations, the ultimate result is that the same finds expression in group or state terrorism.

The book is the most significant research work as it has discussed new ideas about the issues related to the present world such as Islamic ideology, Jehad, liberalism, globalization, civilizations, terrorism, causes of suicide attacks etc. In this connection, the author has pointed out the real cause of the suicide attacks as noted in Iraq, Israel, Afghanistan, Kashmir and elsewhere in the world. He explains that it is due to the heavy bombardment or ground shelling of the US and its allies in the occupied territories that even a coward person becomes fearless when his brothers and sisters are killed by various forms of state terrorism. In this condition, that person becomes ready to commit suicide.

Shaukat claims with sound reasons that majority of the Muslims are broadminded and liberal--there are prospects of their liberalization, but it is because of some injustices and excessive use of force by the US-led states that even moderate Muslims are showing a sense of sympathy with the Islamic activists. While, analyzing the causes of the ongoing different war--conflict of interests that takes origin from the privileged and the unprivileged status quo, rooted in the political and economic injustices, he has taken cognizance of the United States and the West on the same lines alongwith the Muslims. In this context, he applies the phenomena of the French Revolution to that of the ongoing world, maintaining that class distinction was one of the major causes of that Revolution--as now the Islamic radicals are fighting against the US-dominated status quo which is based upon a number of injustices. On the other hand, Washington and other pro-American developed states, entailing US-supported governments are determined to protect the world's present status quo.

The book explains thoroughly important elements of general war and terrorism in connection with the prevalent "different war". While citing examples particularly from Iraq, the author has given evident proof that a "moral force" of Muslim militants has rendered the regular and superior "physical force" of the US troopers obsolete because the holy warriors take a minimum amount of physical force to convert it to maximum amount of power due to its psychological impact such as causing fear and demoralization. Besides, "fear inducement" and use of "abnormal force" by the two warring parties are important characteristics of the ongoing war.

The aim of the book is also theoretical and empirical to analyze and compare the realist's state strategies of important sovereign actors with those of the Islamic militancy. In this regard, realism, power factor and Terrorism are of special focus. The author has analyzed in detail the new aspects of international relations, elaborating-- almost all realists and neo-realists agree that the states live in an anarchic situation in the world where there is no central authority and this situation gives leverage to the powerful states for using power against other small states or to subdue the weaker.

Some examples are the occupation of Afghanistan by the USA and its coalition partners who also ventured to capture Iraq. On the other side, emergence of the Muslim radical militants as a different power or force against the US and its allies is also because of this anarchic situation.

However, while presenting realist view of state strategies, Shaukat's particular emphasis is on philosophical debate in context of anarchy, insecurity, bargaining, distribution of power, revision of the status quo, dangerous shift in balance of power etc., in connection with the US-led nations and the Muslim extremists. 'Power approach' of realism, its failure, and rising power of non-state actors are of special consideration as they have affected the world politics, global security and the foreign policy of the sole-superpower including that of other countries.

A thorough study of the book shows that the main purpose of this published research work is to analyze and criticize the normative theories, propounded by realists and neo-realists that have encouraged state terrorism (and power factor) in world politics whose reaction is emergence of group terrorism and a new style conflict between the state actors and the non-state actors which are posing a countercheck to the United States in another way--displaying a dangerous shift in International Relations. On the one hand, the new idea of invisible balance of power is a response to the power school of thought responsible for political and economic injustices in the world--are hindrance in the way of world peace in the 21st century, while on the other, its core aim is to reconcile the privileged status quo of the major powers with the unprivileged status quo of the weak states especially the Muslim nations.

As mentioned in the book, the role of force has become obsolete in the different conflict of history, especially noted in case of Iraq and Afghanistan. Even this cannot be used as leverage of political power against the Muslim fighters including some states. This situation is likely to thwart American geo-political and economic interests in the world. A prolonged war with the Muslim radicals including the US cost of war could ultimately result into the downfall of the United States. In this context, the author has also suggested economic development in the poor states prior to political reforms instead of rapid political changes. Shaukat suggests that the Islamic states (or The Third World) need a systematic strategy followed by gradual reforms to stabilize civil societies, as the same are likely to fulfill the goals of democracy and human rights. As their societies change and strengthen, the character and behavior of these countries will also change.

While giving a number of other suggestions, the author has advised that this is the right hour that the United States must change its external policy by rectifying its weaknesses. Otherwise, a prolonged conflict with the Muslim militants might result in overall disorder and instability in the world. This situation is likely to distort the US influence in the Islamic countries and the whole world--and in other areas, such as trade policies. In this sense, he has explained optimistically as to how the issue of terrorism or Islamic militancy could be reconciled and resolved by seeking the solutions of global issues--based upon liberal thinking as suggested by the President Willson's idealism.

However, "invisible balance of power", insisting upon the growing importance of the non-state actors and their drastic impact on international politics emphasizes upon the world community to choose an alternative paradigm of world peace by reconciling realism and idealism, which is essential for both the big and the small states.

The book also entails a number of other topics especially dangers of weapons of mass destruction with reference to terrorism. While pointing out the future horrors, the author has coined a new term of "invisible deterrence" and has predicted that the group terrorists can use weapons of mass destruction and can especially lay their hands on nuclear arms, upsetting the global status quo. In response, the United States can also use atomic power. Such a phenomenon amounts to a balance of terror created by both the sides. It is because of the present (Failure of state power) and future dangers that the old formula of hegemony is no longer applicable to the world and the "invisible balance of power" makes it necessary for world leadership to make adjustments among conflicting interests. Otherwise, the invisible balance of war may transform the global order into an era of violence in its most dangerous form if the concept of force in the sense of realism alone rules.

The book was published in fact in June 2005 when I bought it, though ISBN indicates its date as January 2005 when the same was allotted. However, with the passage of time, future assessments, made by the author in this book, such as stiff resistance of Iraqis, the Taliban, more suicide attacks and particularly failure of the "power factor" by the United States and its allies in coping with this new brand of militancy have proved true in the long run. Even Shaukat's prediction in relation to London Plane Plot (use of chemical weapons in liquid forms) of 2006 while discussing the future threat of "weapons of mass destructions" also proved true. In this context, he also introduced a new idea of "intermixing of races" for multi-cultural societies in relation to terrorism and its threat to the US and other Western countries.

So far as the ongoing conflict of sovereign and non-sovereign entities is concerned, the book has probed, explained and analyzed various aspects of modern International Relations and Political Science in new perspectives. In this regard, the book is intended as a guide for the concerned faculty students or research scholars and policy makers.

As regards this book, I, myself, have been greatly impressed by author's deep approach and farsightedness as he had written an article titled-Invisible Balance of Power, published in Pakistan's English daily "The Nation" on October 10, 2001 in which he had already mentioned that terrorism or Islamic militancy could not be eliminated through "power factor". This article which was published one month after the September 11 tragedy was the basic idea of his research work. However, now majority of the political experts and think-tanks realize that power or force has failed in coping with the new brand of militancy.

I had also gone through an article of Ms. Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of the State, published in "The Washington Post" on December 11, 2005 in which she had expressed almost the similar opinion about terrorism-non state actors, balance of power, status quo etc., indirectly, which the author had already analyzed in detail in this book.

On the whole, various normative approaches, current world politics and various related issues such as terrorism, non-state actors, status quo, and feelings of the Muslim and Western worlds could be better comprehended through this book.


Title Us vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in
International Relations

Main Title Invisible Balance of Power
Author Sajjad Shaukat

ISBN,9690019589
Pages 245 Publication year 2005
Publisher Ferozsons, 60 Shahrah-i-Quaid-i-Azam, Lahore, Pakistan

It is review of my own book, published on January 31, 2008 in Al-arab English Online, London.

Sajjad Shaukat

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com