The world has been left with a sense of vulnerability and
insecurity since the terrorist attacks in the United States five
years ago today.
September 11 has become a remembrance day for not only the
victims in America, but also the people who were killed in Madrid,
Moscow, Bali, Jakarta, Beslan and London. The massive and tragic
sideshows in Afghanistan and Iraq, however, are left in
oblivion.
Over the past five years the world has still not found an answer
to the big question posed by the September 11 attacks. Or to be
more precise, it has come up with many answers, contradictory to
such an extent that they create confusion, instead of clarity.
Seemingly, the United States and its allies have had successes.
The Taliban regime in Afghanistan, where al-Qaida operatives were
being trained, is no longer in power. Osama bin Laden is in hiding,
and the hunt for him goes on. Saddam Hussein is in custody and a
new Iraqi Government has replaced his regime in Iraq. Meanwhile,
the White House latest report that clears Saddam's connection with
the perpetrators of the September 11 terrorist attacks has reduced
one of the ruses for invading Iraq.
But terrorism, as demonstrated by attacks in Russia, Indonesia,
Spain, India and Britain, remains a great and growing global
menace.
Terrorism carries no name-tag of ideology and nationality. In
fact, the stretch of the definition on terrorism with ideological
and national labels is questionable and dangerous.
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Today, in Afghanistan, hostages are being taken, and attacks
continue throughout Iraq.
A war was waged on terrorism five years ago today. Fighting
terrorism has turned out to be the first and foremost trying to
resolve the problems exploited by the terrorists.
Terrorism as a threat or justified violence when used against a
civilian population to advance political ends goes to unbearable
extremes and is incompatible with the most basic concepts of
civilization.
However, the international community should not reduce
international affairs to the war on international terrorism. Fear
should not be made a political motivating force. It should not play
into the hands of the politicians that keep some parts of the world
busy with unfathomable ups and downs on the terror threat color
scheme.
Given the way things stand, global terrorism cannot be defeated
with even the most sophisticated weapons.
The world remains guessing how exactly the war is supposed to
have made the globe safer.
The answer to terrorism, the biggest problem facing the world
today, will be given only if the root causes are found and
eradicated.
Five years ago today was a black day for humanity. It is even
more tragic that some have not learnt a lesson from this
tragedy.
(China Daily September 11, 2006)
