Nine years after 9/11

By Pramod DE SILVA

Ground Zero

Terrorism takes many forms, but at its core, the goal is nearly always the same. Terrorism subverts our liberties, our values and our way of life. We in Sri Lanka have experienced the worst atrocities that can be committed by terrorists in the name of 'liberation'. Terrorists often claim to be fighting for freedom, but that is the very thing that they take away.

What exactly is terrorism? There is no single accepted definition of terrorism. There are more than 100 definitions of the word, the first use of which was recorded in 1795 in the London Times. The US Federal Bureau of Investigations defines terrorism as "the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives".

As the reference to 1795 shows, terrorism is not altogether a new phenomenon. But the world lacked a collective will to fight terrorism in all its manifestations until nine years ago, when, in one defining moment, it became clear that it must be fought firmly and decisively. That moment is forever etched in history - and our minds.

More than 3,000 people perished when 19 terrorists crashed airliners into the World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York bringing both towers down and into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. A fourth airliner, now famously known as United 93, crashed after passengers overpowered the hijackers and thwarted their plan, apparently to attack the White House.

That was (and remains) the single biggest act of terrorism on US soil and even worldwide, it is one of the biggest attacks ever. It spurred a chain of events, some good, some bad, but the overall effect was a heightened awareness that terrorism everywhere should be crushed.

Just one month earlier, in July 2001, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had staged an attack on the country's only international airport. Not many countries listened to Lanka's woes then, other than a cursory condemnation of the attack. But 9/11 changed all that! Terrorists were exposed for what they are: bloodthirsty criminals masquerading as ideological or freedom fighters. Thus, the events of 9/11, though happening on the other side of the world, had an immediacy that we could easily identify with. When many New Yorkers experienced terror for the first time, we knew how they felt: We had been there.

New York Times front page on September 12, 2001

The immediate reaction of the US after 9/11 was to declare a 'War on Terror'. Though this was aimed mainly at al-Qaeda, it gave an impetus to campaigns by other countries to crush terrorism. Sri Lanka was one of the beneficiaries of this approach, as many countries which previously turned a blind eye to the activities of the LTTE on their soil began to tighten the noose around that organisation. It also became evident that terrorist groups learn from and collaborate with, each other. The events of 9/11 propelled the world to cooperate with regard to fighting terrorism within and beyond their borders. Suddenly, terrorism in one country could not be treated as an isolated chain of events. The world community realised that all countries could be affected and the UN passed several resolutions to contain acts of terrorism.

Renewed vigour

With just one year to go for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attack, there is renewed vigour to pursue terrorists all over the globe. In the meantime, Sri Lanka has become the only country to actually defeat a terrorist group described by the FBI as the 'worst in the world', even ahead of 9/11 perpetrators al-Qaeda. The defeat of the LTTE in May 2009 marked a watershed in anti-terror operations and many countries are keen to learn from the Sri Lankan experience.

But the world has still not come to terms with some of the issues that arose from 9/11. Nowhere is this more visible than in the current debate about Islam and al-Qaeda. The US was grappling with several controversial issues as the anniversary loomed, including the plan to build a Muslim religious centre near Ground Zero, the site of the WTC and the plan by a little-known church in Florida to burn copies of the Holy Koran on September 11.

By attempting to prevent the construction of the religious centre or by going ahead with a Koran burning, they are doing just what the terrorists want - foment religious discord and dissension. This is a time to act prudently without giving into emotions. Indeed, many harsh decisions were made in the years following 9/11, including the situations that developed in Iraq and Afghanistan. These theatres have now become breeding grounds for terrorists who respect no borders and who have been responsible for some of the worst post-9/11 attacks.

Justifiably, September 11 saw an intensification of the battle against al-Qaeda and its chief Osama bin Laden, who remains elusive. Unfortunately, thousands of civilians have died in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan in attacks that were primarily aimed at terrorists. Despite a worldwide effort to crack down on terror, there had been many tragedies that could have been prevented if more intelligence was available. The July 5, 2005 attacks in London, the Madrid train bombings and 26/11 Mumbai attacks are just a few of them.

No matter what happens, it is important not to give in to terrorism. The Americans were resilient following 9/11 and resolved not to let their nation be haunted by the tragedy, although it was an unspeakable horror. Sri Lankans too had always stood up to terrorism as one through countless killings and bombings, which is one reason why the LTTE could be defeated in the end. Indians, Pakistanis, Afghans, Filipinos and Indonesians, among others, are showing the world that terrorism cannot take their freedom away, even if lives can be snuffed out. The world must help those nations and people’s who have been affected by the scars of terrorism.

World without terror

This is why it is important to remember 9/11 every year. The ground where the WTC stood is a site that reminds us that no matter how gruesome terrorists can become, they cannot hold us to ransom. It is a site that pays homage not only to the memories of 3,000 people, but also to the hopes of people the world over for a world without terror. The site still resonates with the embers of the last moments of life of those who were on the planes and those in the buildings, even as a new 'Freedom Tower' rises from the ashes. It tells of the courage of fire fighters and volunteers who risked their lives to save others. It is a testimony to the determination of New Yorkers - and Americans - to stand up to terror. Terrorism can destroy lives and buildings, but not the collective will of a people to fight terror. It is a place worth visiting, if only to reflect on the futility of terror.

As we close in on 2011, the inevitable fallout of 9/11 has been a restriction of personal liberties which had been taken for granted. Yes, these measures can sometimes be humiliating, but they are also necessary. It might not always be possible to balance security and liberty concerns while battling terrorism. There were other aberrations of the War on Terror, exemplified by the horrors of Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib.

The second passenger plane approaches the towers

There is also a raging debate as to whether global terrorism can be defeated in its entirety. One school of thought is that constructive engagement or negotiations must be the basis for resolving terrorism.

Post 9/11, there are instances where terrorist groups have given up arms and entered the democratic mainstream. Aceh and Nepal are two examples. But what if a terrorist group spurns talks and literally sticks to its guns?

That was the case in Sri Lanka, where several rounds of peace talks had been held with the LTTE. But it chose to reply with bullets. Sri Lanka has indeed shown that terrorism can be defeated militarily.

Separatism still seems to be the cause of most terrorist groups, as it was in the case of the LTTE. But there are other causes espoused through violent means. Groups such as al-Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf and JI have distorted religious edicts to wage a 'war' against the West and Western interests.

Elusive terror groups

It is also difficult to battle elusive terror groups who have no 'territory' so to speak. They cross porous borders with ease and usually blend into the civilian populations to evade capture. It may not be possible to launch conventional war tactics against these groups except for air strikes against possible hideouts, which comes with the possibility of collateral damage. It is also not quite possible to offer so-called 'political solutions' to groups which have no 'demands' in the conventional sense, but only hazy objectives shrouded in religious or ethnic garb.

Almost all terror groups aspire for some sort of 'liberation' though it is not always clear who is to be liberated and from whom. But as the years go by, they usually lose sight of such goals and become the sole vehicle for fulfilling power-hungry objectives of their leaders, leading to the suppression of the very communities they are supposed to 'liberate'.

Despite the best efforts of many countries, al-Qaeda and many other terror groups are still active and pose a threat to humanity. There should be greater international cooperation to share intelligence and fight terrorism. Even certain countries which sympathised with, if not supported, terrorist movements have realised that terrorism has no place in the modern world. September 11, 2001 had changed the world in more ways than one. It hardened the attitudes of many governments around the world towards terrorism. Many saw 'freedom fighters' for what they really are.

Thus there should be no pauses in the campaign against terrorism. As the saying goes, "Governments have to be lucky all the time, whereas terrorists have to be lucky only once." Eternal vigilance is the only answer. Terrorists must not be allowed to destroy our democratic and moral values, even if they succeed in destroying our mortal lives. They must not be allowed to destroy our societies and our future. Nine years after 9/11, the world must resolve to make terrorism a thing of the past.