Anti-terrorism - An Arduous, Long-term Task: Commentary

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, May 22, 2003

Anti-terrorism - An Arduous, Long-term Task: Commentary

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A series of incidents of large-scale terrorist attacks occurred in the week-long (May 12-18) period from Chechnya of Russian Federation to Saudi Arabia in the Gulf region, and from Morocco in north Africa to Palestine and Israel in the Middle East, causing heavy casualties and serious damages. This indicates that after lying low and becoming quiet for a fairly long period of time, organized, large-scale terrorist attacks are staging a comeback.

Terrorism is highly hazardous and posing tremendous threat to world peace, security and development, it has become a scourge of the international community. In the face of a new round of terrorist attacks, the international community has taken a clear-cut stand against any forms of terrorist activities.

International organizations including the United Nations and other countries concerned have denounced terrorist activities, condemning the crimes of terrorism for wantonly butchering humankind, expressing their determination to strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation and make joint efforts to defend the environment and order for national and international security and stability.

Consensus and cooperation of the international community are vitally important in the struggle against terrorism. This not only helps check the transnational spread of the terrorist pest, but also is the only way to jointly prevent and timely attack terrorist activities.

It should be noticed that certain results have been achieved in the international anti-terrorist struggle over the past two years, but social soil and international factors for the breeding of terrorism have far from being eradicated, once an appropriate climate appears in the international environment, terrorist organizations and activities of all descriptions, like dregs of society, will inevitably float up again.

From the perspective of geographical factors, the Iraq War of far-reaching influence has rapidly changed the Middle East political pattern and enormously stimulated international terrorist forces, particularly radical organizations in the Middle East region. As one of the many influences after the Iraq War, the recent incidents of terrorist attack, besides the motive of national revenge, there is a notable purposeful political color.

An analysis of the Middle East situation reveals that prompted by double standards, the use of force to overthrow the Saddam Hussein regime is not only difficult to eliminate the source of terrorism in the region, on the contrary, it has added new hatreds to old ones in Arab-Israeli disputes which are even more difficult to drop. The anti-West sentiment of the Arab and Islamic world will also erupt in a furious manner.

Signs have shown that relying merely on military means cannot capture people's minds and popular will, violence can only hasten the birth of extreme forces and lead to the repeat of violence. The opinions of Arab countries stress that without a fair solution to the issue of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli disputes, and without a correct approach to the Arab and Islamic national rights, it would be difficult to eradicate the source of international terrorism.

From the perspective of international factors, the old, irrational international political and economic order has provide a foundation for the breeding and growth of terrorism, terrorist organizations and activities mostly have a notable and radical political tendency.

With the "September 11" incident as the new starting point in 2001, international counter-terrorist cooperation has become closer in degree and in depth and breadth, thus opening up a new phase in the international anti-terrorist struggle. In the subsequent Afghanistan War, the Al-Qaeda network, though suffering heavy losses and scattering about, has not disappeared from the scene, on the contrary, it has seized any opportunities for infiltration and transfer and secretly "planted cells" in a planned way. Simultaneously with the Iraqi crisis and Iraqi warfare of world concern, The Al-Qaeda organization and other terrorist organizations won a breathing spell.

The recently occurred string of incidents of terrorist attacks, in appearance, were not only premeditated but also echoed each other. International terrorist forces seem to have changed from concealment into offensive, the international community must never lower its guard.

Striving for a peaceful, steady and secure social environment and international environment is the common wish of various countries around the world. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to untiringly persist in the anti-terrorist struggle.

It must be pointed out that to advance international anti-terrorist cooperation, it is essential to rely on bilateral and multilateral dialogs conducted on an equal footing, conscientiously strengthen study and consultation on the question regarding non-traditional security, engage in active exploration and exchange of experiences in this new field and treat the problem by looking into its symptoms and root cause, and eliminate the soil for the breeding of terrorism. As long as the international community works in close cooperation and always keeps high vigilance against terrorism, international terrorists will find it hard to do as they please.

By People's Daily Online

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