Tesis ini membahas berbagai kebijakan luar negeri Amerika Serikat (AS) menyangkut terorisme sejak serangan 11 September 2011. Jika dibandingkan dengan perlakuan AS terhadap Irish Republican Army (IRA), kelompok terorisme asal Irlandia yang telah jauh lebih lama merajalela dan masih termasuk yang terbahaya, perlakuan AS terhadap apapun yang dicurigai berhubungan dengan Al-Qaeda (termasuk negara, organisasi, bahkan warga Muslim di AS sendiri) bisa dibilang tidak manusiawi. IRA bahkan secara terbuka didukung oleh para pejabat pemerintah dan organisiasi-organisasi yang diduga menyumbang dana bagi serangan-serangan terorisme IRA tetap berjalan dengan tenang. Tesis ini menjelaskan bahwa rasisme atau nosi etnisitas adalah satu-satunya alasan mengapa AS memihak IRA, meski seperti Al-Qaeda ia juga merupakan kelompok teroris, dan bukannya perdagangan bebas serta keinginan untuk mendominasi.

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This thesis covers USA's different treatments on Irish Republican Army (IRA) and anything that is suspected to have relations with Al-Qaeda, including Muslim countries or countries with most Muslims, Muslim organizations and even Muslims in USA itself. Like Al-Qaeda, IRA is also a terrorist group, hailing from Ireland, which has been around far longer than Al-Qaeda. Like Al-Qaeda as well, IRA has conducted terrorist attacks worldwide, mostly in Ireland, Northern Ireland, The UK and UK colonies all over the world. Yet IRA is openly supported by many American high officials and organizations suspected to channel funds to IRA still operate to date. This thesis offers that the only explanation why The US is far less harsh to IRA than Al-Qaeda is notion of ethnicity or racism, instead of free trade or desire to dominate.