Terrorists never tire of killing people. The regularity with which they bomb, kill and maim people continues to shock the world. Turkey has recently been witnessing a spate of bombings by the Islamic State and the terrorists struck at the heart of Europe yesterday. Attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train in the Belgian capital killed at least 30 people. The blasts occurred four days after the arrest in Brussels of a suspected participant in the Paris attacks. Police in both capitals had been on alert for post-arrest reprisals.
The world has always shown unity against terrorism and exchange of intelligence and information between countries has helped thwart scores of potential attacks. But terrorists have still succeeded while countries scramble for new ways of preventing attacks. But they rarely focus on finding solutions to the multiple crises in the Middle East which are feeding terrorists.
Even as Europe shivered at the ferocity of the terrorist attacks, Syria’s peace talks remained at an impasse yesterday. The Brussels attacks highlight the urgency of ending the brutal conflict in Syria which is breeding terrorism. Islamic State terrorists which are fleeing wars in the Middle East are targeting Europe and the rest of the world in desperation. The UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura highlight the link between Syria and terrorism. “The tragedy in Brussels ... reminds us that ... we have no time to lose. We need to extinguish the fire of war in Syria,” he said, insisting that “to fight terrorism, the best formula is to find a solution for political transition in Syria,” ,” Staffan told reporters in Geneva.
The attacks must harden the world’s resolve to defeat the Islamic State which has claimed responsibility for the attacks. There is a need for better coordination between countries and a more rigorous action against terrorists, including military operations. The financial resources of the Islamic State must be targeted and wiped out.
The Brussels blasts threaten to push Europe and the Western world deeper into the whirlpool of Islamophobia and racism, which is what the Islamic State wants. The conservative and right-wing parties across Europe will yell louder against Muslims and immigrants. For example, Republican presidential candidates in the US have seized on the bombings to demand that Muslim refugees be kept out of the US.
Security is being stepped up across Europe due to fears of more attacks. The British security agencies worry that Islamic State is plotting large-scale terrorist attacks in the country as Isis propaganda videos have frequently identified the UK as a major target. France too will beef up security as the country is yet recover from the shocks of Paris attacks.
Terrorists never tire of killing people. The regularity with which they bomb, kill and maim people continues to shock the world. Turkey has recently been witnessing a spate of bombings by the Islamic State and the terrorists struck at the heart of Europe yesterday. Attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train in the Belgian capital killed at least 30 people. The blasts occurred four days after the arrest in Brussels of a suspected participant in the Paris attacks. Police in both capitals had been on alert for post-arrest reprisals.
The world has always shown unity against terrorism and exchange of intelligence and information between countries has helped thwart scores of potential attacks. But terrorists have still succeeded while countries scramble for new ways of preventing attacks. But they rarely focus on finding solutions to the multiple crises in the Middle East which are feeding terrorists.
Even as Europe shivered at the ferocity of the terrorist attacks, Syria’s peace talks remained at an impasse yesterday. The Brussels attacks highlight the urgency of ending the brutal conflict in Syria which is breeding terrorism. Islamic State terrorists which are fleeing wars in the Middle East are targeting Europe and the rest of the world in desperation. The UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura highlight the link between Syria and terrorism. “The tragedy in Brussels ... reminds us that ... we have no time to lose. We need to extinguish the fire of war in Syria,” he said, insisting that “to fight terrorism, the best formula is to find a solution for political transition in Syria,” ,” Staffan told reporters in Geneva.
The attacks must harden the world’s resolve to defeat the Islamic State which has claimed responsibility for the attacks. There is a need for better coordination between countries and a more rigorous action against terrorists, including military operations. The financial resources of the Islamic State must be targeted and wiped out.
The Brussels blasts threaten to push Europe and the Western world deeper into the whirlpool of Islamophobia and racism, which is what the Islamic State wants. The conservative and right-wing parties across Europe will yell louder against Muslims and immigrants. For example, Republican presidential candidates in the US have seized on the bombings to demand that Muslim refugees be kept out of the US.
Security is being stepped up across Europe due to fears of more attacks. The British security agencies worry that Islamic State is plotting large-scale terrorist attacks in the country as Isis propaganda videos have frequently identified the UK as a major target. France too will beef up security as the country is yet recover from the shocks of Paris attacks.
