The continuing terror tactic: Not a post-Iraq war syndrome
BENNINGTON, VT — As world leaders were meeting in Scotland with a renewed vigor to help the world’s poor, especially in Africa — Islamic terrorists played their macabre cards in the streets and subways of London. Coordinated bomb attacks in the British capital jolted the Gleneagles Summit agenda from pro-active action to cautious reaction and damage control. When the smoke had settled, the terrorists had regained center stage. But contrary to the plans of the bombers, the concerns of the poor were not pushed off stage.
Terror in London — killing 50 people and injuring 700 more-- proved a poignant counterpoint to the global economic summit in Scotland which had focused on economic assistance for Africa. Once again the white heat hatreds of Islamic fundamentalists jolted the Summit’s painstakingly planned agenda.
As President George W. Bush stated, “On the one hand you've got people here who are working to alleviate poverty and to help rid the world of the pandemic of Aids…and on the other hand you have people killing innocent people.” He added, “The contrast couldn't be clearer between the intentions and the hearts of those of us who care deeply about human rights and human liberty and those who kill.”
London itself has faced a myriad of mixed emotions — the joy winning the Olympic Bid, followed by the horrific shock of the Al Qaida terrorist attacks in the space of one day. Clearly the attacks took advantage of London as a media and financial center, and major tourist hub. They aimed to punish Britain for its support of America in the war on terror.
Al Qaida is focused on inflicting economic and psychological damage while reaping wall to wall media coverage. The plan is to hit high profile targets such as New York and Washington DC on September 11th 2001, and now London.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair stated defiantly “We will not be intimidated!”
This is not simply a reaction to the war in Iraq — it’s a symptom of a much larger problem. The issue quite simply and starkly remains a profound hatred held by the Islamic fundamentalists for Western society. Its modern roots go back to the triumph of the fanaticism of the Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran in 1979, the churning and nurturing of fundamentalism in places from Afghanistan to Algeria to Pakistan. And yes, also in New York, London, Paris, and Hamburg among home-grown Islamic extremists. Moreover the Al Qaida terror cells exist throughout Europe.
As Britain’s respected Daily Telegraph newspaper editorializes “Despite the attacks on America, Spain and now Britain, the main targets of Islamist terrorists are moderate Muslim governments, whether those elected democratically in Iraq last January, or General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan or the Saudi royal family.”
So there two edges to the fundamentalist scimitar — intimidate and frighten the West and equally attack and prepare for the toppling of moderates in the Middle East as to pave the way for a fundamentalist path. This evokes both Samuel Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations” as well as a internecine battle in the Muslim world.
To rationalize that we would not face such threats if it were not for the war in Iraq, totally misses the bigger point.
The Algerian terrorist blast on a Paris train a decade ago, regular Chechen Islamic attacks in Russia — especially on the Moscow Metro, near perpetual terrorism in Israel, bombings of American embassies in the 1990’s, the September 11th attacks on America, the bombing of the British Consulate in Istanbul, and the train attacks in Madrid on 11th March 2004 etc., etc., are part of a wider web. But contrary to Spain which sadly buckled before the Islamic terror, Blair’s Britain will not bend.
Surely in a few days many will say or hint that the attacks, while barbaric, were the result of British government’s steadfast support for America in the war on terror. Others will opine smugly that if it were not for the Iraq war, Britain would not be a target. Crackpots will intone that the CIA was secretly behind this as to refocus the world on terrorism and away from African poverty.
On the other hand the horrific lessons of London hopefully will dampen some of the sophomoric anti-Americanism which has flourished in the post Iraq war period.
This was an attack on Britain. It’s part of a larger onslaught on Europe and America.
A statement from the G8 called the blasts "an attack not on one nation but on all nations and civilized people". And sadly not the last.
John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense
issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.  |
