Events in Mumbai put the world on notice that new methods will be necessary to confront wanton political violence, writes Ammar Ali Hassan* Many of you may remember the way US President George W Bush promised the world to eradicate terrorism. Many may remember his exact words about "smoking out" the terrorists from their hiding places. This was years ago. Now Bush is leaving the White House without a sign that his war on terror is achieving any of its objectives. Our world is not safer than before. If anything, things got worse after 9/11. Bombings have taken place in Spain, Britain, Indonesia, Australia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, and Uganda. Pakistan is caught up in a vicious cycle of violence. And there is no end in sight to the nightmare in Iraq. Somalia, meanwhile, is hopeless. And Lebanon stood repeatedly on the verge of civil war. Palestinians, developing a major rift, are farther than ever from just and lasting peace. In India, terrorists pushed the boundaries of carnage yet again. They didn't plant bombs and run, as they once did in London and Madrid. They didn't send suicide attackers in cars to slam into buildings, as they did in Taba and Sharm El-Sheikh. They didn't send people wearing explosive belts to blast themselves near police stations and army barracks, as they did repeatedly in Algeria and Morocco. And they didn't fire rockets from afar, as they did in Aqaba, Jordan. Those who carried out the Mumbai attacks made a point of dazzling the world with their gory virtuosity. They planned with daring precision, hit with unimaginable confidence, and stretched the horror for as many hours as they could. With 150 or more killed and hundreds wounded, with flames shooting from luxury hotels, their images captured the attention of the world media, embarrassed India's authorities, and wreaked havoc on the Indian economy. The Mumbai attacks coincided with bombings in Kabul, with operations in the tribal areas in Pakistan, and with suicide bombings in Iraq. But there was something new, something that experts may remember for years to come. We have just crossed a watershed in the history of terrorism. Just as 9/11 was a remarkable day in the course of terrorism, something about the Mumbai attacks will live on. The terrorists attacked by land and sea. They hit two large hotels, a cinema theatre, a Jewish temple, a bus station and a harbour. Having caused incredible mayhem, they went on to take hostages, burn hotel floors, and barricade themselves in. They held out for hours in a confrontation with police and army forces, their purpose being to keep the media riveted for as long as possible. They wanted to embarrass the authorities. They wanted to flex their muscles. They wanted to put the world on notice. The regional and international reaction to Mumbai shows that the message was not unnoticed. Now major powers, including the US, will have to rethink their approach to terror. They have to ponder whether military measures and security precautions are enough to stop terrorists. So far several countries expressed their willingness to cooperate with India in fighting "terrorism". India, you may recall, was a major force in the fight against terror. It cooperated in the international drive to remove the Taliban from power. Its close ties with the Northern Alliance were instrumental in regaining control over Afghanistan. India also has a strong military presence in Kashmir and a history of confronting pro-Pakistani Islamic militants. Successful confrontation with terror would require a new approach to terror. Not just in India but also across Southeast Asia, radical Islamic groups are experiencing a revival. From Kashmir to the Caucasus, radicals are waiting to strike again. Terrorism is changing and the reaction to it should change as well. The focus in the fight against terror should shift to the social and cultural front. If we're really serious about fighting terror, we have to look into its causes. For example, it is inadvisable for major countries to continue siding with countries that have a history of provoking Muslims, such as India and Israel. Also, governments in our part of the world should reform their despotic methods, clamp down on corruption, and strive to narrow the gap between rich and poor. * The writer is director of the Middle East Studies and Research Centre, Cairo.
