.. The Turkish government and their people must come to an agreement. Though the Turkish are hosts to these foreigners, they do not have the right to persecute them. This persecution will only lead to more violence.
Terrorist Acts in Turkey are in a way, civil rights movements like that of African Americans in our country. Only after riots and killings did America realize it was time for a change. It is time for Turkey to realize this too. Israel and the occupied territories are one of the main targets for terrorist acts in the Middle East. Many of the attacks in this region are anti Israeli attacks by extremists and a couple of groups. Early in 1996, on four different occasions, Palestinian extremists opposed to peace used suicide bombs in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to kill 65 civilians.
HAMAS is by far the most deadly group in Israel and its surrounding area. The group was founded in 1987 in the Gaza Strip and by 1988 was already being compared to its now rival, the PLO . The groups beliefs lye heavily on Islamic Nationalism. They are a very physical group which is what makes them so dangerous.
They prefer an all out assault rather than a negotiation. They recruit young men from the slums and the poorest neighborhoods who because of their living circumstances have grown hateful towards the government. HAMAS provides a harborage for them. When HAMAS stages a terrorist attack, it is usually a very deadly one.
On March 4th , a suicide bomber blew himself up outside of the largest shopping mall in Tel Aviv. Twenty were killed and 75 were wounded. HAMAS claimed responsibility for the deadly blast. On February 25th, another HAMAS suicide bombing killed 25 and injured 80. All of HAMASs attacks are rejections of the Israeli peace process (as most acts of terror in the region are).
Other Palestinian groups like the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) and Abu Musas Fatah-Intifada are beginning to make names for themselves. All of their attacks have been directly linked back to the Israeli-PLO peace process. The common link between all of the terrorist acts in Israel and its surrounding regions is that the persons or groups involved show no effort to negotiate. In this situation, force may be the only answer. Many people have dismissed force in response to terrorism saying that it will only cause more violence.
However, people, innocent civilians are dying NOW. There may not be any other choice. Force should not be the immediate response to a terrorist attack, but it should always be considered. The U.S. has used force successfully in response to terrorism on more than one occasion.
In 1986, the La Belle discotheque in West Berlin was bombed and two American service men were killed. President Ronald Regan took swift action and ordered an air-strike on a number of terrorist targets including the training facilities where the bombers of the La Belle discotheque were trained. After the air-strikes (which took place in Libya), Libya noticeably reduced its participation in international terrorist attacks. In June of 1993, it was verified that an assassination plot against President Bush was in the works. Upon hearing this information, President Clinton ordered a Tomahawk missile strike on the headquarters of the Iraqi Intelligence Service which was believed to be where the plans originated. After the missile strike, the I.I.S backed down.
These are just two examples of a country “fighting fire with fire”. Perhaps if the Israeli government did the same, the terrorists would be driven out. Another country in the Middle East which has had continuing problems with terrorist activity is Algeria. The problem in Algeria is security. Though security in Algeria is improving, it still is not enough. Between 1992 and 1996, at least 60,000 individuals were killed by terrorists.
These deaths can mostly be accounted for by a number of insurgent groups in the region, like the Armed Islamic Group (GIA). Their focus is civilian targets, namely women, children and journalists. This is what makes them so ruthless. They have no regard for human life. It takes a monster to kill a defenseless child.
The GIA is an entire organization full of monsters. In early 1996, they kidnapped and beheaded 7 French monks. This is what happens when people dont listen to the GIA. Security must be stepped up in Algeria. The main terrorist target in Algeria is foreigners.
Therefore, steps must be taken to better protect tourists and visiting diplomats and officials. This may mean having routine police patrols of tourist sites or 24 hour security at tourist sites if necessary. Force may also be a weapon against them because the GIA does not like lengthy negotiations. However, the GIA has no remorse so this may lead to more violence.
The situation in Algeria is a very fragile one. Algeria needs to set down some standards in fighting terrorism. Their current policy towards terrorism is very shaky and is not written in stone. They need to make a definite plan and they need to do it quickly. Terrorism in the future is leaning more towards “high-tech” than military assault.
Because the world becomes more and more diverse with every passing minute, there will be more ethnic and religious conflict which means more violence. The ability of explosives and the availability of weapons increases every day. Then theres always the ever present threat of nuclear terrorism. In the days in which we live, the smuggling of components for use in chemical and biological warfare is a high priced market that is open to anyone with half a brain. Also, moving to the fore-front slowly, is the threat of information warfare.
Some terrorist groups have recruited top-quality “hackers” to break into government systems and steal vital information. Once inside a governments system, one has the ability to access secret files on weapon storage and blueprints and is also able to shut down a system, disabling it and providing a window of opportunity for the terrorists to put a plan into action. The future holds a dangerous and somewhat predictable fate. Terrorism can only increase with the coming of the 21st century unless something is done now. In conclusion, terrorism can decrease if the proper measures are taken. Ignorance may very well be the key.
If we dont give them the attention they crave and we dont meet their demands, terrorists will move on. If all else fails, there is force. Governments and citizens as a whole must launch a concentrated effort against terrorism, on a domestic and international scale. If all of this is done, then by the middle of the 21st century, we may not have to worry about getting on a bus in a foreign land or boarding a plane. That will be a thing of the past.
