It is not the first time that terrorists have struck Indonesia. Over the past three years the island nation has been hit at least five times. In October 2002 two simultaneous blasts at Laila restaurant wiped out 202 lives, mostly foreign tourists. A few more explosions rocked an American fast food joint at another tourist center in December the same year. Yet another attack close to the Marriott Hotel in the capital city Jakarta claimed 12 lives and injured 1500 persons. In another terrorist attack outside the Australian Embassy a car exploded killing 11 and injuring 100.
It is mostly the foreign tourists and their favorite spots (Bali in Indonesia was hit twice) that have been targeted by the terrorists. In the recent violent events in Taba and Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt it was again the tourist centers that were chosen by the attackers. This may give the impression that the terrorists aim at breaking the flourishing tourism industry in these countries. It is only a false impression.
Several factors create a ground conducive to terrorism. Most important is the failure of the international community to agree on a common strategy to weed out the terrorists and the situations that create them. American obstinacy plays a large part in this failure. The world summit in New York last month ended without adopting any effective strategy to fight terrorism and address the issues that promote its growth. The eradication of the menace is not an impossible task. It only requires a collective will and positive steps, the absence of which is the only stumbling block in the way of saving the world.
First, a conference of the heads of state with the active participation of all the countries in the world should be held. Unilateral decisions by a superpower and imposing them on other countries will, apparently, not produce the desired results.
Secondly, the term international terrorism should be redefined in a fair manner. Any act of self-defense or the struggle by a national group for freedom from occupation and colonizers should not be labeled terrorism. Resistance against occupation is the right of any people in the world. Such efforts are lauded as the struggle for freedom and those who die in such acts are honored as martyrs. There were several resistance groups against the Nazi occupation in Europe. Their violent activities were never described as terrorism. The American struggle against British colonization was counted as a heroic chapter in history.
Thirdly, a thorough and unbiased search to find the real causes that lead to the emergence of terrorist organizations would reveal that poverty, denial of human rights and ethnic clashes are the three major factors that help the terrorism strike root amidst the youth. The strategies of the old colonial powers in the Third World to retain their influence and continue their exploitation even after their physical departure have an undeniable influence on the spread of the terrorist thinking in several countries. Further, the economic exploitation by the advanced countries of the poor countries have shattered the economic dreams of the people and drove them to terrorism as a weapon in the absence of other means to get back their rights. The failure to crack down organized crimes and the narcotic trade has also been a catalyst in the escalation of terrorist activities.
Fourthly, the state-sponsored terrorism against civilians also promotes a climate of blind attacks against anything that is linked to the terrorist state. The best example is the Palestinian reaction against Israeli occupation and suppression of the Palestinians. The role of several intelligence agencies that collude with gangs of organized crime and terrorist outfits is also a factor that helps the growth of terrorism on global levels. A study of these factors by the participants of an international summit will no doubt lead to concrete suggestions to curb terrorism and save the world.
The United Nations, which has steadily been losing its hold and ability to maintain a peaceful world order, should reassert itself and take the lead in convening a world summit against terrorism. If it succeeds in formulating an effective strategy, the summit can take appropriate action and any country that stands against the summit decisions could be punished. Whatever combined efforts the international conference may take, the flushing out of the terrorist elements would take several years of hard work.
If the world community is serious about protecting the world from wars, every nation works for peace and decides to solve its differences in a peaceful manner it would not be an impossible task to combat terrorism and guarantee peace and security to every individual and family on earth.
