Act against terrorism

September 11, 2014 marked the 13th anniversary of one of the most dastardly terrorist attacks ever on a totally civilian target – the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, one of the most iconic buildings in the world. More than 3,000 people perished in the attack, including those who were in the two hijacked planes. September 11 or 9/11 as it is better known will forever be associated with this horrendous episode of pure terror.

In the intervening 13 years, perhaps the only country that totally defeated terrorism is Sri Lanka, where the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were annihilated by the Security Forces.

This was a landmark achievement, given that the FBI had classified the LTTE as the most dreaded terrorist organisation in the world, even ahead of al-Qaeda which was behind the 9/11 attack. The former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was also killed in an operation by US Navy Seals a few years ago.

But the biggest threat to world peace that has emerged in recent times is the terror network known as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Active mostly in Iraq and Syria, but trying to spread to other countries in the region, ISIS is an extremely barbaric terror group that should have no place in the modern world and modern civilisation.

So horrendous are its methods that even other terrorist groups have dissociated themselves from the group, which recently beheaded two American journalists while holding a British aid worker hostage. The ISIS has threatened to behead him as well “if the UK continues to act against their outfit”. It is not surprising that US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the terror group is “beyond anything that we’ve seen.”

Challenge

Confronting the ISIS has become an urgent challenge for the world community. No country is safe from their brand of extremism and terrorism. Their ideology, if it can be called as such, is diametrically opposite to that of Islam and Islamic clerics the world over have condemned the group unequivocally.

The biggest concern is that many foreign Jihadists have joined the ISIS - indeed, the man who beheaded the American journalists, now called Jihadi John, is believed to be from the UK. The group probably wanted someone who could speak fluent English to get their blood-splattered message across in the most revolting way possible.

The most dangerous factor is that these foreign fighters and/or home-grown terrorists could return to their home countries and cause more mayhem. This was amply demonstrated when a terrorist killed a British soldier on UK soil last year.

Thirteen years after 9/11, it is apparent that the world is again coming together to confront the ISIS, despite differences among the broad array of coalition partners. On Wednesday night, President Barack Obama in a nationally and globally televised speech stressed the need to combat IS in a variety of ways to preserve and protect the fundamental freedoms enjoyed by citizens in the civilised world.

He said the US and allies would target the ISIS “wherever they exist”. This is a welcome move, as countries ranging from Iran to UK have vowed to take the group head-on. “Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIS through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy,” Obama said during the prime-time address to the nation.

There will be a debate on exactly how the ISIS can be contained. There already are plans to increase air strikes against the ISIS, but many question whether that alone will be effective without having any “boots on the ground” i.e. a considerable military presence. It will probably be a combination of several methods that will finally succeed, along with the establishment of peace and stability in the affected regions. That will minimise the ability of terrorist groups to tear apart the social fabric and disrupt the lives of innocent civilians.

Conflicts

Intelligence agencies around the world must work together to tackle ISIS and other terror groups. These groups are behind most conflicts in the world and intelligence networks can share information on the latest developments. All countries should keep an eye on individuals who may have a tendency to join foreign terror groups.

The media, both traditional and new (Internet based), too must act with caution and restraint at this hour.

All terrorists seek an outlet to get publicity for their activities and causes and the ISIS is no different. Fears have been expressed that certain videos released to the Internet on the horrific exploits of ISIS may have served to glorify the group in the eyes of certain vulnerable and gullible youth. Social media operators too must act very cautiously lest the group(s) gain undue publicity.

ISIS poses a challenge to the very core of humanity and all countries must join efforts to end its present dominance.