Terrorists are opportunists

Now that terrorists have struck children, parents and teachers at a school in Beslan, Russia, have they reached the limits of craven depravity?

Sadly, no.

Hospitals, shopping centers and other easily accessible targets have long received attention from terrorist groups, including the al-Qaida network. Such targeting may not inflict severe military, economic or political damage, but it guarantees the widespread publicity that terrorists seek, as well as an intense psychological impact on survivors and observers. The effect multiplies when children join the victims, as scores did in Beslan.

Furthermore, because such attacks could happen anywhere, they contribute to a sense of collective vulnerability. Today, the burden falls upon President Vladimir Putin and other Russians. Tomorrow, terrorist-driven tragedy will befall another place, another people.

Many have expressed alarm at the callous disregard for suffering, anguish and life itself that the Beslan terrorists demonstrated. Others — who take note of Moscow’s brutal hand in the independence-minded region of Chechnya, a possible inspiration for the attack — say that one should expect unrestrained viciousness on the part of Chechens.

The situation in Chechnya is far too complicated for such generalizations; most Chechens do not embrace terrorism. Besides, many of the Beslan attackers reportedly were not even Chechen, which could suggest a connection to al-Qaida, a group infamous for its lack of self-restraint.

Last week’s bombing at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, provides another example. An al-Qaida-linked terrorist group, Jemaah Islamiyah, reportedly has claimed responsibility. Why? Because of the support that Australia has provided to the U.S.-led intervention in Iraq.

Of course, Americans have a much more tangible experience of their own in the periodic 9-11 remembrance. Each year, al-Qaida marks the anniversary by releasing a message, via audiotapes in years past and in a videotape this year. Predictably, the messages attempt to cast the efforts of the United States and its allies in a negative light, while inflating al-Qaida’s image and influence.

The latest message — delivered by Ayman al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden’s chief deputy — foretells the failure of the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq. For added impact and to lure new followers, al-Zawahri throws in the Palestinian question.

Simply put, al-Qaida is an opportunistic group that takes advantage of instability in various countries to further its interests. It couldn’t care less about individual Afghans, Iraqis or Palestinians. It has set its sights on ridding the Muslim world of influences — both internal and external — that conflict with its vision for a fundamentally changed realm in which it dominates. And should al-Qaida succeed, there is every reason to believe that it would seek more, thus placing the entire world at risk.

But some people who throng to al-Qaida’s side fail to perceive its devious, self-serving intentions. They fall for the group’s propaganda in part because al-Qaida leaders cloak themselves in a popular religion, Islam, however twisted and narrow the interpretation may be; in part because the network has positioned itself as a defender of Muslim countries; in part because they fear and loathe the United States and its policies; in part because they fear and loathe their own governments; and in part because they lack opportunities to improve their lives. That makes for a potent mix, and it helps explain the myriad dangers and challenges in fighting the war against terrorism.

Some analysts have attributed global terrorism to a clash of cultures. Others have chosen to focus on clashes within cultures. In truth, both contribute to the modern terrorism phenomenon.

The fact remains, however, that terrorists taken as a whole represent a tiny minority among practitioners of Islam and an even smaller portion of the global population. They enjoy disproportionate influence because of their zeal, visibility and risk-taking. Some have enhanced their strength and global reach by joining networks such as al-Qaida.

But it would be a mistake to assume that all terrorists have integrated into a single international monolith in a bid to take over the world. Many still have local motivations and concerns that the international community could resolve through diplomacy, economic development and other efforts.

Global terrorists, which pose the main danger, stand to gain only if the rest of the world abandons unfinished work in troubled nations, bends to terrorist demands or relents in pursuing the war against terrorism. Whether attacks occur in Russia, the United States, Indonesia, Australia or elsewhere, the international community should condemn them with one voice. A cause that steals the lives of innocent Beslan youngsters takes aim at children everywhere and ultimately imperils civilization as most define it.


John C. Bersia is an editorial writer for the Orlando Sentinel and the special assistant to the president for global perspectives.