The psychological profile of terrorists

Our Lord Jesus would often remind His Apostles: The "children of this world" is wiser than the "children of the light". The "children of this world" refers to those who create terror, confusion and persist in destabilizing humanity. Communism as a source of terror has been back-staged for the moment by another ideology – the religious ideologies.

The Abu Sayyaf menace is the new millennium version of the century-old Moro conflict in Mindanao. Actually, similar evil in different forms have been occurring all over the world. However, the September 11, 2001 air-attacks on the New York Twin Towers and the Pentagon accompanied by the Anthrax virus scare demonstrated the boldness of the evil ones for mass destruction, specially when distraught America, the world’s great power, was visualized hourly on world television.

The ultimate act, just like the horomentado killers of Mindanao and the Japanese Kamikaze (suicide) pilots of World War II, are the suicide terrorists – men and women who strap their bodies with dynamites, then mingle unnoticed in public places.

Indonesian Minister speaks: When societies fail, terrorism steps in

Last October 12, the Bali bombing in the famous Indonesian isle resort confirmed 169 tourists (mostly Australians) and locals dead with hundreds injured. Indonesian Foreign Minister N. Hassan Wirajuda contributed his analysis of the bombing to the International Herald Tribune: "When societies fail, terrorism steps in. The Indonesian police are making progress in investigating the Bali terrorist bombings. They have now been provided with the legal powers that allow them to act decisively. A well-coordinated national intelligence and police effort to fight terrorism is on track."

"The global threat of terrorism and the vigorous measures being taken to combat it were the focus of the 9th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit Meeting in Phnom Penh two weeks ago. Long before the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center in September 2001, ASEAN had a program against terrorism and other transnational crimes, which is being enlarged and intensified to match the new stakes.

"ASEAN IS TAKING EXTRA MEASURES TO CHOKE THE FLOW OF TERRORISM FUNDS WHILE PROTECTING THE FREE FLOW OF GOODS AND PEOPLE – THE LIFEBLOOD OF GLOBAL ECONOMY. CAMBODIA AND THAILAND JOINED THE TREATY BETWEEN MALAYSIA, THE PHILIPPINES AND INDONESIA TO SHARE INTELLIGENCE AND WORK TOGETHER ON BORDER CONTROL."

We are not fighting a rational and visible adversary

DESPITE INTELLIGENCE AND POLITICAL MEASURES HOWEVER, THERE WILL NEVER BE AN ABSOLUTE GUARANTEE THAT THE GUNS AND BOMBS OF TERROR WILL BE SILENCED FOREVER. WE ARE NOT FIGHTING A RATIONAL AND VISIBLE ADVERSARY. THIS ENEMY DOES BATTLE BY STEALTH, TREACHERY AND RUTHLESSNESS. IT RELISHES HORRIFIC ATTACKS ON WHAT IT CONSIDERS ‘SOFT" TARGETS – INNOCENT PEOPLE GOING ABOUT THEIR DAILY LIVES.

If the war on terror is carried out only through military action and police work, the best that can be achieved is a deadlock. We will round up a few terrorists but never enough. More innocent people will die. But, if the root cause can be achieved, there is a good chance of ending terrorism.

OF COURSE, TERRORISM MAY HAVE MANY FORMS. YET, THEY ARE ALL DREADFUL OFFSPRINGS OF THE SAME SEEDS. TERRORISM ARISES FROM IGNORANCE AND PREJUDICE, FROM INJUSTICE AND ALIENATION. IT IS HATRED BORNE OF HELPLESSNESS AND DESPAIR. TERRORISM FEEDS ON IGNORANCE. THEREFORE, ITS ULTIMATE DEFEAT IS LINKED TO THE CONQUEST OF IGNORANCE. To conquer ignorance is to help people help themselves through information and skills training.

Terrorists are by no means poor but they exploit ignorance

It is true that many terrorists are by no means POOR. Osama Bin Laden is neither a pauper nor illiterate, but all the money in the world could not have bought him a rabid following if he had not been able to exploit ignorance, prejudice and despair, setting himself and terrorist warriors as the avenger of grievances. (The bin Ladens own one of the largest if not the wealthiest construction company in Saudi Arabia).

If imagined, the grievances that built his following have causes, which can be changed. They can be exorcised by education. If they are real, they can be redressed with social justice. Such remedies, though are possible only in societies where there is a robust process of political, social and economic development.

TERRORISTS LIKE NOTHING BETTER THAN GOVERNMENTS THAT FAIL TO DELIVER SOCIAL SERVICES AND FAIL TO NURTURE ECONOMY THAT PROVIDE JOBS. TERRORIST ORGANIZERS STEP INTO THE VACUUM OF FAILURE WITH BLANDISHMENTS OR PROMISES OF UTOPIA TO BUILD ON RUINS OF THE STATUS QUO.

The worst that can happen to a terrorist is to be deprived of their cause

The worst that can happen to terrorists is not arrest or even death, for they believe that will bring them martyrdom and paradise hereafter. The worst thing is to be deprived of their cause, to be disrobed of their moral pretensions, to become irrelevant to the lives of those whom they claim to champion.

THAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN PEOPLE ARE CONFIDENT ENOUGH OF THEIR FUTURE (AND HAVE NO USE FOR UTOPIAN PROMISES) – WHEN THEY CAN HELP THEMSELVES. IT WILL HAPPEN WHEN GOVERNMENTS DELIVER AN EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AS WELL AS SOCIAL SERVICES (FOR THOSE MARGINALIZED IN SOCIETY), HONEST COURTS REDRESS GRIEVANCES, WHEN BUSINESSES CREATE JOBS, AND PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEIR CHILDREN WILL HAVE A FAIR CHANCE FOR A BETTER LIFE.

Tracking weapons of man’s destruction in Iraq

The new UN inspection team UNMOVIC (UN Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission) led by Hans Blix is the new James Bond team of the century: Can they do the job?

There is a good chance that the inspectors will be able to disarm Saddam Hussein, but only if the United Nations gives them the resources they need. Iraq is roughly the size of Spain. UNMOVIC must be ready to cover this huge area with maximum effectiveness from the outset. To do so, the chief inspector Hans Blix should supplement his team of new investigators with experts from the previous efforts. They have irreplaceable, on-the-ground experience.

Josephine Cirincione, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of Deadly Arsenals: Tracking Weapons of Mass Destruction contributed the following comments to the International Herald Tribune: "The beefed-up teams must… focus first on the outstanding issues left over from the inspections terminated in 1998 – in particular, the production of VX nerve agent, the alleged Iraqi disposal of missile warheads and the extent of the country’s biological weapons program."

Iraq is likely to be most cooperative earlier in the inspection process and all efforts should be made to address these outstanding issues as soon as possible.

We should not nickel and dime these teams

Iraq has had four unimpeded years to construct new underground sites, build mobile facilities and alter records. To overcome the advantage, the inspectors must be equipped with the full range of reconnaissance, surveillance, listening, encryption and photo interpretation capabilities.

Ms. Cirincione added, "We should not nickel and dime these times but give them the best available equipment including helicopters, planes, unmanned aerial vehicles, U-2s and access to satellite imagery. Any Iraqi interference with these flights must be seen as a material breach of the resolution."

The United States and other nations are free to provide the inspectors with intelligence data. They should begin doing so immediately. More than 30 governments provided the previous inspectors with intelligence data. Inspectors need information not available from open sources or commercial satellites and prompt access to defectors. These confidential exchanges would be best managed by someone with an intelligence background who is trusted by those governments that provide the bulk of the intelligence. Inspectors must be protected on the ground by intelligence and security experts who can secure their offices and living quarters from Iraqi eavesdropping and harassments.

The new resolution will send UN security forces in to guard the inspectors but the force should be bigger and more robust than the previous paltry efforts.

Learning from the Old UNSCOM Team

The previous inspection system UNSCOM was from the beginning, subject to aggressive Iraqi efforts against operations in New York and inspectors in the field. UNMOVIC and the International Atomic Energy Agency must have the necessary technology and management structure to ensure the security of information and communications. Cirincione concluded, "The Security Council must regard any evidence of such interference as a direct breach of Iraqi obligations."

The inspectors must also be able to track procurement efforts both inside and outside Iraq, including at Iraqi embassies abroad. This is how in early 1995 inspectors cracked open the secret biological weapons program, months before information from defectors. UNSCOM achieved a remarkable success with weak technological assets, a small budget and restricted authority. Everything it lacked should be corrected before UNMOVIC returns.

THE MORE ROBUST THE INSPECTION REGIME THE GREATER WILL BE ITS CHANCES OF SUCCESS. THE TOUGHER THE INITIAL CONDITIONS PLACED ON IRAQ, THE GREATER IS THE LIKELIHOOD THAT WAR CAN BE AVOIDED.

The 21st Century ASEAN Agenda

The ultimate antidote to terrorism is the inner transformation of mankind. The UNESCO Preamble cites the means of igniting this inner spiritual flame within man: "… wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed." A necessary complement is for men’s hearts to soar with faith and love to help one another and transcend this evil.

So, while the ASEAN Agenda does not relent its fight against terrorist networks and cells, neither must it falter in the pursuit of quality educational system and economic integrity within the region and wider integration with its partner economies. Integration is important to bring about real economic benefits. ASEAN must not stop fighting terrorism but neither must it stop fighting ignorance to seek a better life for its citizens.

(For more information please e-mail at exec@obmontessori.edu.ph)