Statistics Aren't Enough

Submitted by Sam Lahiri (United States), May 28, 2002 at 20:44

I think a clear distinction should be made between 'Islamic terrorism' and 'terrorism' in general. 'Terrorism' is bad no doubt, but 'Islamic terrorism' is one particular form in its potential for destruction, which September 11 has proven beyond doubt.

There should be focus groups and think tanks that should be concentrating only on 'Islamic terrorism' and the ways and means to root it out.

It is indeed sad to note that most of the acts of terrorism like suicide bombings, kidnappings and killing of kidnapping victims by Islamic fundamentalist militants do not even count in the State Department's list of terrorist activities because they do not pass the threshold of the severity level in terms of loss of lives or property. We had turned a blind eye to Pakistan and its henchmen Taliban when they rampaged Afghanistan and allowed Bin Laden to operate his international terror organization from there. We made a big mistake and paid an even a bigger price for it.

It is time to wake up to real threats now. If we have to believe in the State department's report on terrorism, 'Saudi Arabia' will get an 'A+' on being the most peaceful nation on earth, and the most charitable too, perhaps, since they 'donate' millions of dollars to open and run madrassas around the world such as in Pakistan, to promote Quranic knowledge. But, again, fifteen among the nineteen hijackers were Saudis. Were there any statistics, which could have figured that out pre September the 11th? Don't look at dry statistics, it cannot substitute intelligence.

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