Suicide Terrorism (ST)

Suicide Terrorism (ST)

picture taken from www.thesahara.net

A BRIEF REPORT:

Over the past two decades, suicide terrorism (ST) has become an ever-widening phenomenon. According to the presentation at the International Conference on Countering Suicide Terrorism (Feb 21, 2000), 15 different terrorist organizations in 12 different countries resorted to the use of suicide tactics against their enemies.

Suicide attacks are not new in the history of terrorism. Modern suicide terrorism aims at causing devastating physical damage and inflicting profound fear and anxiety. Its goal is to produce a negative psychological effect on an entire population. The attacks ensure full media coverage.

The current phenomenon of ST usually involves terrorists carrying explosive charges concealed on their bodies and carried by various vehicles, usually a car, truck or boat, etc.

The first attack of suicide terror was directed at the American embassy in Beirut, Lebanon (April 1983) by Hizbollah, followed by attacks on U.S. Marine headquarters and the French Multinational Force (October 1983). The aims of its suicide missions changed and developed over the course of time.

One of the groups that followed Hizbollah was Liberation Tamil Tigers Eelam (LTTE), the Tamil separatist group in Sri Lanka. Between July 1987 and February 2000 it carried out 168 suicide terror attacks in Sri Lanka and India.

In Israel, suicide terrorism started in 1993. The Hamas (Harkat el-Mukawma el Islamiya or "The Islamic Resistance Movement") and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) were also inspired and assisted by Hizbollah. Hamas and PJI focused their initial suicide attacks on military targets in the "territories" but quite rapidly shifted their attacks to civilians in central cities and crowded areas. Recently, regardless the persuasion by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to halt all attacks, both Hamas and PJI leaders insisted on its right to target Israelis soldiers and settlers in the West Bank.

Al-Qaeda headed by Osama bin Laden is the latest group to have resorted to suicide attacks. The organization grew out of the network of Arab volunteers who had gone to Afghanistan in 1980s to fight under the banner of Islam against Soviet Communism. It is thought to operate in 40 to 50 countries, not only in the Middle East and Asia but in North America and Europe.

It was reported that western officials believed that Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network was well established in Indonesia and has used the country as a base to launch terror attacks in the region, including the Oct. 12 (2002) nightclub bombings in Bali that killed 191 people. (LA Times, Dec 10 2002)

According to BBC News, the attacks attributed to Al-Qaeda are (May 16, 2003)

1993: World Trade Centre bombing

1996: Killing of 19 US soldiers in Saudi Arabia

1998: East African bombings

2000: Attacks on USS Cole in Yemen

2001: Suicide attacks on New York and Washington

2002: Attack on Israeli tourist in Mombasa

2003: Four simulataneous bomb attacks in Riyadh

Other radical groups that are believed to have links or affiliations with Al-Qaeda are the Egyptian Group Islamic Jihad, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekitan (IMU), the Abu Sayyaf group in the Philippines, the Armed Islamic group in Algeria and its radical offshoot known as Salafist group.

It is reported that the task to uproot these terrorist organizations has been highly complicated and frustrating.

In their efforts to counter the terrorism threat, the governments of Southeast Asia have set up the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter Terrorism. Based in Kuala Lumpur, the center is expected to begin operations on July 1. During the recent 36^th Asean ministerial meeting in Cambodia, the group expressed determination to combat terrorist activities with the international community (Star Online, June 25, 2003).

• God to expose the location and leaders of all terrorist networks. The support (especially financial) for terror and violence perpetuated by the networks will be cut off.

• Their operation will be crippled by effective government intelligentsia. Pray for the effectiveness of the various joint governments anti-terrorist efforts, e.g. Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter Terrorism.

• Governments of the world commit themselves whole-heartedly in cooperation to eradicate terrorist networks, such as restriction of the arms trade. These governments will not be driven by personal greed for resources and lust for power.

• The terrorists will begin to realize the utter futility and depravity of their actions in taking innocent lives. The fear of the God will come upon them regarding the sanctity of life that they repent of their actions.

• They "will be set free from deception". They have been under deception where rewards for their actions are concerned, for this is one of the greatest motivating forces.

• Disunity & confusion among the members that they give up the struggle and cause them to break ranks.

• Against violence and destruction in the land (Isaiah 60:18). Proclaim peace into their lives in place of hatred and anger; a revelation of God's love.

• God's intervention to prevent the potential suicide terrorists from carrying out the acts, that their eyes be opened to the truth and hearts be softened for conviction, they may reject religious extremism as a way to solve national and ethnic problems.

• Healing & forgiveness flow through victims' families.

• Reconciliation and healing of ethnic hatred and conflicts.