TERRORIST acts in the UK, France and Belgium have demonstrated that traditional approaches for rehabilitating and de-radicalising terrorists, militants, and extremists are no longer effective. Usman Khan and Sudesh Amman, for example, totally subscribe to the erroneous ideology and, in reality, had refused to reform.
These hard-core, extremist individuals,
in my opinion, are immune to rehabilitation and reform. There are no
comprehensive rehabilitation programmes available to completely transform such
people. This harsh reality must be accepted by security and intelligence
services.
As a result, there is no
definitive anti-terrorist solution. Terrorists are evolving and finding new
means to conduct acts of violence, therefore intelligence and security
personnel must be vigilant and proactive in their response.
One extreme approach is to
establish a designated gathering location for hardcore followers, sympathisers
and terrorists where they can be completely watched. They must also be secluded
from general society, with family members having limited access or interaction.
They must also be examined by third-party experts. Authorities should not
consider releasing these individuals into society unless significant progress
has been made with them. This may appear to be cruel and in violation of a
person’s fundamental rights, but the peace and security of a nation should take
precedence.
Artificial intelligence (AI)
is another counter-terrorism strategy that can be useful. Terrorists are
adept at using the internet, particularly social media, to broadcast propaganda
for recruiting and financing. As a result, intelligence services can create and
employ AI to detect, monitor and fight such actions. AI can also be used to
track down members of sleeper cells who may pose a concern in the future.
Security and intelligence
organisations must exercise continuous monitoring to thwart terrorist groups
and individuals. This will limit their mobility and may deter them from
wrecking important infrastructure facilities in the country if more effective
border security measures are in place, backed by well-trained officials along
susceptible borders such as Perlis to Kelantan and Sabah. Frontline police at
ports of entry play a critical role in identifying and preventing terrorists
from entering the country easily.
Bioterrorism concerns
Terrorists must also be
prevented from obtaining materials such as biological weapons such as viruses,
bacteria, fungi, or other poisons that are potentially hazardous and can be
utilised in an assault. The COVId-19 pandemic, for example, can be viewed as a
potentially devastating consequence that may incite terrorist groups to adopt
bio-terrorism as an alternative to traditional methods of attack in the future.
In a nutshell, terrorism is
not a religious issue. Recruiters have frequently brainwashed terrorists in the
name of religion and philosophy. As a result, rather than focusing on a tiny
number of people who are misled by incorrect ideas and distortion of religious
texts, I am pushing the relevant agencies to enhance their efforts to defend
the people and nation as a whole.
The UK is becoming a hotbed
for terrorists to launch strikes within its borders, with the increased
involvement of new converts and asylum seekers providing additional proof that
assaults are impending.
This is a continuous process,
and these agencies, whether in Malaysia or elsewhere, cannot be overconfident
in the current success record in preventing terrorist strikes. They must
constantly seek new ways and methods, including the use of evolving technology,
such as AI, to better identify not only terrorists, but also their sympathisers
and supporters, while also strengthening existing terrorism legislation to
prevent future terrorist attacks.
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