One is amazed by the kind of trite comments coming from the proliferating community of terrorism analysts after every major terrorist strike.
"Terrorists are now aiming at soft targets," say some. In the history of terrorism, have you ever heard of a terrorist group which has not aimed at soft targets? The very definition of terrorism is indiscriminate and targeted killing of innocent civilians. Can any target be softer than an innocent civilian?
"Terrorists are now aiming at public transport," say others. Which terrorist group had not aimed at public transport in the past? Haven't they heard of the series of explosions in Indian trains in December,1993? Have they forgotten that Japan's Aum Shinrikiyo targeted the Tokyo Metro for its attack in 1995?
"Multiple, well-synchronised explosions, which require considerable expertise. So, it has to be Al Qaeda," say some others. They have apparently not heard of the Mumbai blasts (10 well-synchronised explosions) of March, 1993 or of the Coimbatore blasts (14 equally well-synchronised ones) ofFebruary,1998. Neither of them was the handiwork of the Al Qaeda or the International Islamic Front (IIF). A group of angry Muslim youth got together and organised the explosions. At least, the perpetrators of the Mumbai blasts were trained by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The perpetrators of the Coimbatore blasts were self-taught.
Unfortunately, the debate on terrorism and counter-terrorism has been distorted by a group of analysts in governmental and non-governmental circles, who have very little understanding of terrorism. They have managed to project themselves as having the last word on terrorism.
Since 9/11, there has hardly been a week when there has not been a seminar or a conference or a workshop on terrorism somewhere or the other. What kind of subjects have they discussed? How many of them are relevant to the professional nuts and bolts aspects of counter-terrorism?
Dozens of seminars have been held and millions of dollars spent on how to deny access to terrorists to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) material. How many seminars have been held and how much money has been spent on devising ways to prevent the proliferation of conventional explosives to terrorists? If one can tighten the laws relating to explosives and their implementation and act firmly againststates which supply conventional explosives to terrorists and other non-state actors, one can reduce suicide terrorism by 80 per cent. Instead of doing this, attention and money are being spent onthe psychological aspects of suicide terrorism, and other such, which will not lead us anywhere.
Mobile telephones have become a lethal tool in the hands of terrorists for communication purposes as well as for the remote-controlled activation of explosive devices. One does not as yet know how the London blasts were activated, but there is a possibility that mobile phones were used, as was done by the terrorists in Madrid. How many conferences and seminars have been held and how much money has been spent on devising ways of preventing the misuse of mobile phones for committing acts of terrorism?
The Internet has become another lethal tool in the hands of terrorists. The very mention of it brings the liberal elite on you like a ton of bricks. You are branded a dinosaur, a reactionary,anti-globalist and much else besides. The rude reality is unless you pay attention to this and find an answer, jihadi terrorism will continue to haunt the international community.
Millions of dollars have been spent, innumerable conferences held and laws and international conventions passed on strengthening physical security for air and sea based public transport. Very little attention has been paid to measures for strengthening the physical security of land-based transport.
It is time one starts paying attention to these professional basics of counter-terrorism.
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B. Raman is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Distinguished Fellow and Convenor, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Chennai Chapter.
