Terrorism Rising ?

Terrorism is increasingly becoming a way of life in most parts of the world. Given the unjust economic order and ever widening gap between rich and poor, thanks to globalisation, terrorism has come to stay as a permanent feature of polity in most third world countires. The recent attack on an American navy destroyer in far off Yemen only illustrates the depth of terrorist network. The Aden bombing on the uss Cole may be related to escalation of violence in Palestine but the hard fact is that Americans have no respite from being haunted by the Afghan syndrome of their own creation. While suicide bombers belonging to dozens of religious fundamentalist groups based in the middle east are ready to go to any length to carry on holy war — jihad — America and Israel are really in trouble because their sophisticated fire-power proves useless in face of ideologically motivated onslaught. What is happening in Sri Lanka is a case in point. Washington’s self-professed role as an ‘impartial’ broker in the middle east peace process is in jeopardy as both Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak are not in a position to oblige Uncle Sam because of internal political compulsions. The one-month-old violent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops are likely to continue for a longer period as both sides blame each other for the crisis situation.

Israelis will do whatever they take for their nation to survive in a tough neighbourhood. According to the Oslo agreement, Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were meant to be behind bars but it did not happen. The Israeli administration holds the Palestinian Authority responsible for their reluctance to protect Israelis in Palestine. Yasir Arafat failed to deliver the goods.

In reality Palestinians are the worst sufferers in the recent spate of violence. Violence has dealt a heavy blow to the fragile Palestinian economy. More than 100,000 Palestinians work in Israel and tens of thousands of them have been unable

to reach their jobs. The Palestinians too have their own argument to pass the buck on the Israeli authority. The Israeli Army’s secret plan, code named ‘field of thorns’ to reoccupy large parts of Palestinian controlled territory, seems to have triggered the whole round of violence, albeit American peace brokers won’t duel on it.

Not all Arabs have reconciled to the bitter truth that Israel cannot be erased from the map of the globe. And so long as they refuse to accept the existence of Israel as natural as anything else, jihadists will flourish.

But violence begets violence. Terrorism produces counter terrorism — it’s an endless game.

If they had any permanent answer to terrorism, they could have wiped it from Ireland long ago. They have been discussing the Palestinian question for the last 52 years only to see violent riots erupt in a cyclic order. If terrorism is a global phenomenon today, it is because Americans initially pampered it to further their political and economic interests. That the lone super power is threatened by religious terrorism is a unique development. No national liberation movement is around us. Imperialism does not face challenge from traditional anti-imperialist forces. Communists, ruling or non-ruling, are in no mood, as it seems, to confront imperialism in any part of the world. Not that Middle East is the only region where religious fundamentalism is in direct conflict with imperialism though their anti-imperialist agenda is devoid of popular content. After each bout of terrorist onslaught against American establishments, the Pentagon declares its resolve to punish the guilty. And each time bin Laden figures prominently in American anti-terrorist strategy. Indications are that Washington may attack some terrorist bases in Afghanistan as the other day Pakistan said it would not allow the USA to cross its airspace to attack  Afghanisthan-based Osama bin Laden, the Saudi  militant accused of attacking us targets. All things considered the possibility of South Asia becoming a flash-point any time soon is very much real.