A series of terrorist bombings in London, the capital of United Kingdom, has killed or injured close to 1,000 people. There has been a warning that other countries with forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, like Italy, will suffer similar attacks. Armed Al Qaeda elements in Iraq have kidnapped and killed an Egyptian diplomat. The situation is an extraordinary one.
Attacks on unarmed civilians are intolerable for any reason. All the more so in this case, when unspecified people were targeted on a large scale. Even if you say that terrorism is the final option for someone who is in a weak position, that does not change the situation. Killing innocent civilians does not even help someone achieve his political goal. All that does is make the people of the world angrier.
On the other hand, the answer is not to have countries devoting themselves to terror-fighting measures, since it is because of deep-rooted political and historical reasons there are similar acts of terror. This time, just as the terrorism that has occurred in the last few years, the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq is at the background of what happened. Terrorism on a large scale is largely a roundabout strategy for responding to the overwhelming military strength of the US, rather than being something unique to armed Islamic elements. It is no coincidence that international opinion holds that the world has become more dangerous since the invasion of Iraq. The suffering of the Iraqi people is not decreasing, either.
Therefore, instead of responding to individual acts of terrorism the problem must be fundamentally resolved through a political and diplomatic approach. It should go without saying that the most important part of that would be for the US to withdraw from Iraq. As long as believers in Islam think that the US is trying to use its strength to dominate the Arab world, the vicious cycle will not end. The US and the West must of course implement diverse policies that improve relations with the Arab world.
The United Kingdom has the second largest number of troops in Iraq, so there is no reason that Korea, the country with the third largest number of troops, would be safe. The government is even more pathetic for wanting to expand the role of Korean troops in Iraq. Having troops there was already unjustified and never had practical benefit. It would be right to consider withdrawing them.
The Hankyoreh, 9 July 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] End the Vicious Cycle of Terror |
