EDITORIAL - Who’s minding the terror front?

While security officials are busy appearing at the simultaneous investigations into the July 27 putsch and government forces are busy mopping up remnants of the mutineers, is anyone minding the anti-terror front?

A research company has warned that among 186 countries, the Philippines is the fifth most likely to be the target of a major terrorist attack within the next 12 months. Among the 186, only Colombia, Israel, Pakistan and the United States are at greater risk than the Philippines, according to the World Markets Research Center. The company, whose World Terrorism Index is provided to 500 public and private clients including the European Commission, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and Microsoft, ranked the Philippines ahead of even Afghanistan, Indonesia and Iraq in terms of terror risk.

The terrorism index was issued as US authorities continued to question the No. 2 man of Jemaah Islamiyah, Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali. The terrorist, believed to have direct links to al-Qaeda, was nabbed in Thailand by agents of the US Central Intelligence Agency in coordination with Thai authorities. The arrest of Hambali has been a major blow to JI, but experts warn that the threat to Southeast Asia remains high. The Islamist movement continues to attract fanatical adherents across the region. As the recent suicide bombing of a five-star hotel in Jakarta has shown, some of the zealots are willing to die for their cause.

Fighting such dangerous extremists requires the full attention of security officials. This is a threat that will persist no matter which political party is in power. To face this threat the nation must pull itself together. We have seen what terrorists can do in this country. Mutineers set up booby-traps to scare; when terrorists plant bombs, the devices are meant to explode and kill.

In fighting terrorism, one minor slip-up or omission can have grievous consequences. This is a threat that cannot be faced by a nation torn apart by endless power play and bickering.