An Introduction: The United Kingdom
United Kingdom is under siege. Last Saturday in London, seven people were killed and more than 45 people were injured in two incidents which occurred on London Bridge and Borough Market. According to the security forces, three suspected terrorists were shot dead. These attacks are very much similar to the attack which happened in London last March. They used a van and knifes as the weapon for these attacks. This paradigm of such attacks is worrying because it’s become unpredictable for intelligence and security forces to prevent it. Therefore, now, the world become more dangerous to live on. A terrorist can launch any attacks anywhere and whenever he wishes. The timing and target of place where this terrorist attack happened in very much similar with Paris attacks last year.
Last Month in Manchester, a lone suicide bomber, Salman Abedi killed more than 20 people including children and injured 110 others. The British-born terrorist whose parents are from Libya was reported recently that he had returned from there. The countries like Libya, Somalia, Syria and Iraq are considered as incubators or hot spots for terrorist recruitment. Apart from these countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Philippines also use by terrorists as training grounds.
Interestingly Salman does not raised any alarm or come within the radar of the intelligence and security forces in United Kingdom. Further his profile does fit for the current characteristic of terrorists globally. He is young, son of the immigrants parents, drop out from his studies, involved with crimes and associated with extremist groups. Further he is from Manchester and well versed with area within. ISIS has praised him as the solider of the caliphate after the attack. This is a most recent deadliest attack in UK’s soil after the London bombings in 2005.
Last March in London, a terrorist attack was executed by a lone wolf. Five people were killed including a police officer, and injured more than 45 others. Khalid Masood is a middle aged man with kids who has involved with crime previously. He converted to Islam more than a decade ago. By using a hired SUV and a knife he is able to accomplish this lethal terrorist attack and it’s captured the world attention.
The UK intelligence and security forces are flabbergasted because it’s took them in surprise. The current terrorist patterns are changing so drastically. There is no longer required a group of people with weapons or bombs to unveiling a terrorist attack like the September 11th atrocities. Nowadays, an attack can be launched at anytime and anywhere with minimum financial assistance and it’s can be devastating effect to the security and peace of a particular nation like in United Kingdom or in France.
With current situation in Iraq and Syria where ISIS is under austere attacks by coalition forces, they need to stay relevant with their supporters and sympathizers by launching attacks throughout the world. The repercussion is, since 2015, ISIS has launched attacks globally especially in Europe. Even though, Europe is still their focal target but Africa, Oceania and Asia become more imperative for its causes now.
The Questions
The biggest question is how could this happened?
With current intelligence network and latest technology to track down and to eliminate terrorists, they are still elusive. How this could be possible?
What motivate these terrorists to conduct such attacks even though their companions were constantly killed by the security forces?
The Analysis
In my view the ISIS propaganda tools are so effective. With the ‘Hollywood’ style of videos which are so convincing are able to recruit the potential terrorists with ease. The footages that glorifying its causes make these videos so attractive. The visual effects that they used like the beheading of captives and burning alive the prisoners actually stimulating the young minds who wants to be part of this group.
Unfortunately, I believe until this point, the relevant authorities around the world do not possessed right tools to counter these videos. These videos are like ‘factories’ that manufacturing the potential terrorists continuously even though the existing terrorists got injured or killed. Therefore its need to be stopped with all costs. After the London attack, the UK Prime Minister Theresa May blamed the inability of high-tech companies to prevent these terrorists who are using these companies' platforms for terrorist activities. The high-tech firms must play their role by eliminating or blocking these videos from their platforms for the sake of global peace and security. If they fail to comply then the international organization like the United Nations must step in to declare such firms as the rogue firms and to impose trade embargo on these firms.
Although the technology and intelligence network play the operational role to capture and eliminate the terrorists but the attacks still ensued. Unlike Al Qaeda, ISIS is an unstructured organization or a pact. From Boko Haram in Africa to Islamic State in Philippines, ISIS has the widespread influence. In the most recent attacks, the terrorists are unknown to the intelligence agencies as well. They are using soft weapons like vehicles and knifes which not creating any suspicious to the said agencies.
Now, these tools became so effective because it’s undetectable. Further, the most recent attacks are self-funded. This shows that the terrorists become much smarter than the intelligence agencies. The militants feel that they are formidable. This is a dangerous precedent.
In my opinion, the intelligence approaches on ISIS need to be revised. The current attacks evidenced that the present strategies are ineffectual. Even though the technology has plays a significant role but the effectiveness only visible after such attacks. Therefore it’s time for the intelligence and security agencies to draw up a new comprehensive approach to counter this lethal threat.
The Radical Hate Preachers
The current UK security debacle is started many years ago. The influx of foreign radical hate preachers who are allowed to stay and continue their ‘noble’ activities in UK is the primary cause of the current problem. The people who sanctioned these hate preachers to be in UK probably never anticipated such atrocities which took placed in London or in Manchester. Most of them are policymakers who have no knowledge on security matters. In addition, they decide such delicate matters on the basis of human rights which is wrong approach to take on. These radical hate preachers like termites. They can destroy a nation with help of people within.
Omar Bakri Muhammad and Mustafa Kamel Mustafa also known as Abu Hamza had been convicted for radicalizing British born young Muslims and the new converts. Further they also play a crucial role to groom another local radical hate preacher, Anjem Choudary who is a former solicitor to continue their cause to radicalize Muslims in UK. Further, with the help of Omar, Anjem founded al-Muhajiroun. This organization was banned under the UK Terrorism Act 2000 because of its terrorist related activities. The Woolwich attacker, Michael Adebolajo and Khuram Butt, the London Bridge terrorist are associated with al-Muhajiroun.
All the current attacks that happened in UK directly or indirectly are connected to these people. Therefore another such attacks are imminent in UK. These radical hate preachers probably have created sleeper cells throughout UK and future attacks can happen anywhere and anytime.
Even though in past the UK security forces arrested and prosecuted successfully these terrorists but the attacks still occurred because of the influence of people like Omar, Abu Hamza and Anjem in UK. Therefore the intelligence and security forces in UK need to play a proactive role by comprising all the stakeholders of Muslim community of UK. The cooperation from this community is vital to counter this threat in UK and they should not demonized this community with all means.
Conclusion
With explicitly Malaysia is not far from the UK’s security situation. The Malaysia security forces have captured the suspected terrorists of ISIS but in my opinion, the threat pose by the harden Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) will be more lethal compare to these ‘inexperienced’ terrorists. The influx of veteran FTFs from battlefields in Syria and Iraq to this region including Malaysia will be noxious because they are good in funding, planning or executing terrorist attacks.
Further the self-radicalized terrorists who are influence by the hate radical preachers in Malaysia can pose a security threat in near future similar to the current situation in UK. Even though this possibility is not so visible now but the potential is still there.
In a nutshell, the security and intelligence agencies have a huge task ahead. They need to constantly ahead with terrorists to counter any attacks. The agencies cannot and should not allow or tolerate anyone who pose a threat to national security even though such person enjoys considerable support with the influential people in this country. If any attacks happen in future, the intelligence and security agencies will be blamed first. The security and peace of this nation is paramount. These agencies must stand shoulder to shoulder to resist and defeat this dark force will all means for the sake this beloved nation.
Kuala Lumpur.
Published
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/uk-under-siege-the-root-causes-of-current-terrorist-attacks/ - The Malaysian Times 6/6/17
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