1. THE PUBLIC THE STRONGEST FORCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
Each and every time we hear of any explosion whether in Algeria, Iran or Syria we
think that it is another security breach, yea it is but also it is a major shortfall on the
part of the general public. This is both ways: The public and the security agencies
would make a strong team against terrorism. The public need to take responsibility in
the preservation and protection of the facilities in our environs as much as the security
organizations. I don’t even know why the public has been neutral; in part this has led
to the sustenance of terrorism groups for decades.
The public are in constant contact with the street buildings, the roads, the hospitals,
the mosque, the church, the street lamps, the security camera, all these were created
to serve the people in one way or another. They see those who walk on our roads,
they are the first to observe suspicious moves and even the culprits of terrorism are
equally known by some members of the society. But still they do nothing, only watch
the news and mock. There can never be any significant campaign against terrorism
without a public awareness and a resultant change of attitudes towards our environs
that will eventually leaving no hiding place or vantage over our communities.
The explosion that was targeted at the Algerian Military troop in ’95 have shown that
the terrorist were watching them jog every time with that apparent fixation so that
the military troop were spied to know the actual time to reach Baugara Dam, so that
they planted an improvised explosive close to Baugara and ten kilometers from the
military headquarters and twelve kilometers from a gas station.
Why would the terrorists plant the IED 12km from a gas station and 10km from the
military base? This is because the gas station would serve for a secondary explosion
and burn towards the military camp in the west of it. The reason for the closeness is
probably because they acknowledge that even if they miss them during the jogging
that after the blast they would swam into action and the gas station would eventually
explode perhaps bring down the military base. Terrorists think they would have more
access to destroy our surroundings without military so they try to keep them out of
the equation.
Who were the eventual victims of blast? The public of course. The blast took off at
exactly eleven thirty when the troop had fortunately passed to their camp. This blast
claimed the lives of thirteen people and leaving twenty one injured persons.
This is my clarion call to the public to stop under utilizing their powers. Let us secure
our environs and keep terrorism out of it.