The extraordinary linkage between death and politics is a distinct feature of this new warfare, which is pursued more for ideological reasons than for any territorial gains. Since the perpetrators happen to be Muslims, it has stigmatized Islam and sullied the image of its followers, putting them apart from other nations and communities. In fact, the world has come to perceive Muslims, as the key players in all forms of violence and terror, be it suicide bombings, sectarian clashes or guerilla wars (for liberation). Both Muslims and western countries have to take wide-ranging measures at the national and global levels to get to grips with the roots of the problem. Terrorism cannot be eradicated by taking pre-emptive military actions alone as it has several dimensions. Since it largely reflects, and is a product of, the prevailing social, political and economic realities, it can only be fought in the same arena by redressing social inequalities and not particularly on the military front.”1 Talat Masood The Paris and Other Bombings
According to Wikipedia which is a free encyclopedia, the GIA Islamist militant group staged a series of attacks against the French public. This attacks which took place in 1995 targeted public transportation. As a result, eight were killed and more than a hundred injured. The attacks were generally perceived as an extension of the civil war which was active in the former French colony of Algeria.2
Likewise, on July 25, 1995, a gas bottle exploded in a station called Saint Michel of line B of the RER (Paris regional train network). During this blast, eight were killed and 80 wounded. On August 17, a bomb at the Arc de Triomphe wounded 17 people. On August 26, a huge bomb was found on the railroad tracks of a high-speed rail line near Lyons. On September 3, a bomb malfunctioned in a square in Paris, wounding four. On September 7, a car bomb at a Jewish school in Lyons wounded fourteen.
Subsequently, the leader of the group, Khaled Kelkal, was identified through fingerprints left on unexploded bombs. He was killed on September 29 by members of the French EPIGN gendarmerie unit when he allegedly resisted arrest in hills near Lyon. 3
Nevertheless, the attacks on French targets have continued. For instance, on October 6, a gas bottle exploded in a station called Maison Blanche of the Paris Métro, wounding 13. Similarly, on October 17, another gas bottle exploded in the Orsay station of RER Line B, wounding 29.
Various members of the groups have since been prosecuted for different charges. Subsequently, a number of suspects were said to have fled to the United Kingdom.4
According to the New-York Times and Le Figaro, the United Kingdom has declined to extradite suspect Rachid Ramda, citing possible mistreatment of informants and an alleged impossibility for a Muslim suspect to obtain a fair trial in France. It is also widely alleged outside of the United Kingdom that this reluctance to extradite terror suspects and the toleration of radical islamist cells on British soil was meant to avoid acts of terror on British soil itself. Unfortunately, this did not help the UK very much as it did not prevent the London blasts of July 7 and the aborted bombings of July 21, 2005. Hence, it is still unclear as to how the recent bombing incidents will affect the course of action of the British Government.5
The London Bombings
A series of coordinated bomb attacks towards the end of the morning rush hour cause devastation on London's transport network. Bombs explode on three Tube trains just outside Liverpool Street, Edgware Road and King's Cross-stations.
Another explosion went off on a packed number 30 double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. The known death toll is 56 with more than 700 injured. At the time the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said that the bombings had “the hallmarks of an al-Qaeda-related attack.”6
Likewise, Sir Ian Blair said there is "absolutely nothing" to suggest the attacks were the work of a suicide bomber or "to rule it out.” In the same manner, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner said police have an "implacable resolve" to track down those responsible for the bombings.7
According to the police, the three Tube train bombs exploded within 50 seconds of each other, at about 0850 British Standard Time (BST). It was also revealed that the bus bombing took place at 0947 BST. Immediately after, Police appealed to the public to hand over mobile phone images or photographs taken after the attacks. Sixty-five people were hospitalized for loss of limbs and burns.8
According to the detectives of London, the bombings were carried out by four British-born men in what are possibly the country's first suicide attacks. Besides, security sources said at least three of the men were dead as their belongings were found at the scenes.
Two of the bombers were named by the police as Shehzad Tanweer, 22 from Beeston, Leeds, and Hasib Mir Hussain, 18 also from Leeds. Tanweer is thought to be responsible for the Liverpool Street blast and Hussain for the Tavistock Square. A third, Mohammed Sidique Khan, 30, also from Beeston, was linked to the Edgware Road attack. The fourth bomber's identity was not known.9
The London transport network was again plunged into chaos with stations cleared after attempted bombings on Tube trains at Oval, Warren Street and Shepherd's Bush Underground stations and on a number 26 bus in Bethnal Green. The devices only partially exploded, but Metropolitan Police Sir Ian Blair said they were designed to kill.
Fortunately, no one was injured in the incidents but they caused disruption on three Tube lines and around stations across the capital. Immediately, a massive hunt began for the bombers who fled when their bombs failed to explode properly.
A Brazilian man was mistakenly shot down by armed officers at Stockwell Tube station as police continued to hunt four would-be bombers. Passengers were evacuated from the Northern Line station in south London.10
Police also carried out a controlled explosion on the suspicious package found in Little Wormwood Scrubs. Meanwhile, the police were granted extra time to question two men who were arrested in Stockwell and they revealed that they had arrested a third man under the Terrorism Act, in Tulse Hill, south London.
At the same time, Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir Ian Blair apologized to the family of the Brazilian man, Mr. Menezes, who was wrongly shot down. Like wise, Home Secretary Charles Clarke expressed his regret.
Among the Suspects of the failed 21 July bombing, Yassin Hassan Omar, was charged with conspiracy to murder London transport passengers and for possession of explosive substances. Mr. Omar, who was accused of trying to blow up a train between Oxford Circus and Warren Street, was also charged with attempting to murder passengers and conspiracy to cause explosions on July 21.11 Observations on the French, UK, USA and Other Global Terrorist AttacksThe London blasts which were described as the 7/7 bombings, once again reminded the international community, particularly the major powers how vulnerable their countries still are. The bombings in France, the US, Indonesia, Spain, Saudi Arabia and more recently in London are reminders of the fact that the war on terror is still on. Besides, more battles will have yet to be fought and more global issues to be addressed before terrorism is defeated. Writing about the London and previous bombings that took place in Paris, Madrid, New York, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and other places, in an article entitled “Extremism: Causes and Consequences,” Talat Masood has made the following observation: The terrible bomb blasts in London, now described as 7/7, coming in the wake of 9/11, the Bali carnage and Madrid bombings, have once again brought into focus the hard fact that terrorism today is the single most important threat to peace and stability of nations around the world. It signifies the changing nature of conflict, whereby small clandestine terror cells, motivated by their own warped worldview, can challenge a state and compel it to respond by deploying large forces.”12
As noted in the introductory excerpt which is also quoted below, Talat Masood further added:
The extraordinary linkage between death and politics is a distinct feature of this new warfare, which is pursued more for ideological reasons than for any territorial gains. Since the perpetrators happen to be Muslims, it has stigmatized Islam and sullied the image of its followers, putting them apart from other nations and communities. In fact, the world has come to perceive Muslims, as the key players in all forms of violence and terror, be it suicide bombings, sectarian clashes or guerilla wars (for liberation).13
Quoting Hatington on the real causes of terrorism Talat Masood added, “Moreover, as Huntington has remarked, Muslims are not only fighting the non-Muslims but also killing fellow Muslims more than the followers of any other religion. The reality is that the focus of the West, after the end of the Cold War has shifted from fighting communism to combating Islamic terrorism.”14
Further, he had the following to say on the role which Muslims should play by way of deterring terrorism:
Finally, as observed in the introductory excerpt which is also cited below, Masood had the following to add on what roles the West as well as Muslims should play on the way forward: “Both Muslims and western countries have to take wide-ranging measures at the national and global levels to get to grips with the roots of the problem. Terrorism cannot be eradicated by taking pre-emptive military actions alone as it has several dimensions. Since it largely reflects, and is a product of, the prevailing social, political and economic realities, it can only be fought in the same arena by redressing social inequalities and not particularly on the military front.”16 FOOTNOTES 1Talat Masood, Extremism: Causes and Consequences, www.ureader.co.uk. 2Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, www.wikipedia.org. 3-5Ibid. 6BBC News, July 7, 2005. 7Ibid., July 8, 2005. 8Ibid., July 9 and July 10, 2005. 9Ibid., July 12 and July 13, 2005. 10Ibid., July 21 and July 23, 2005. 11Ibid., July 24 and July 25, 2005. 12-13Talat Masood, ibid. 14-16Ibid. |
