Force alone cannot eradicate terrorism

Prof Sam Makinda is right when he says Socio- economic barriers and inequalities are to be removed. But why is it in the case of Muslims that it always happens that they take to violence and over and above the suicide attacks involving 16 years and even younger kids. I am perplexed by the arguments that so many people put forward but have not bee able to convince myself. Business daily africa columns
Sam Makinda
Sam Makinda 
By Sam Makinda 
Posted Friday, July 24 2009 at 00:00
The suicide terrorist bombings in Jakarta, Indonesia, last week were partly designed to remind security forces in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, including Kenya, of their inability to protect all soft targets all the time.
The attacks left at least eight people dead and hundreds injured, but their effect on Indonesia’s tourism industry, economy, level of employment, fledgling democracy, and its image abroad are not easy to calculate.
One of the places targeted, the Marriot Hotel, had been bombed on 5 August 2003, during which time 12 people were killed and more than 150 injured.
Most Kenyans would recall that this was just two days before the fifth anniversary of the attack on the American embassy in Nairobi in August 1998, which left about 290 Kenyans dead and more than 5000 injured.
In the past seven years, Indonesia has witnessed five serious terrorist attacks. The first one, which was carried out by an Islamist organisation called Jemaah Islamiyah, took place in Bali on the 12 October 2002, and left 202 dead and more than 350 injured.
Jemaah Islamiyah, which has links with Al Qaeda, carried out three other terrorist attacks, that included the bombing of the Australian embassy in September 2004 in which at least 11 people were killed, and the second Bali bombing on 1 October 2005, which left at least 20 people dead.
Several analysts have asked whether the Indonesian security forces could have prevented this latest attack.
This is a legitimate question, but it is premised on the assumption that the use of intelligence and security agencies to disrupt or foil particular terrorist plots can provide lasting peace and security.
Save lives
Strategies that focus primarily on detecting and disrupting terrorist activities may save some lives and lead to the expansion of intelligence and security resources, but in the majority of cases they have a short shelf-life.
As I have stated in this column on previous occasions, effective counter-terrorism measures, whether they are pursued in Asia, Africa, Europe or North America, should aim at providing social justice and removing the political, economic, social and cultural conditions that give rise to political violence and terrorism.
Sustainable efforts to combat terrorism should aim at reducing poverty, providing education, empowering the people to manage their own social, economic and political affairs within the law, and engaging in what has been described as the “battle of ideas”.
Such strategies may take a long time to bear fruit. Indeed, Indonesia has tried, and is still trying, some of these strategies, and if it persists, it will reduce the chances of large-scale terrorist attacks recurring.
Those who believe that terrorism can be eliminated mainly through military force may need a lot of convincing to accept the development-oriented non-military route being suggested here. Similarly, those who are interested in indoctrinating and recruiting suicide bombers may dismiss these strategies.
Nonetheless, containing or undermining the political, social, economic or religious bases of terrorism through dialogue and other peaceful means is the surest way to attain order and security.
Prof Makinda teaches at Murdoch University, Australia.

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