In The Jakarta Post, May 31, Harsh V. Pant asserts that
\n\"democracy will not reduce the threat of terrorism.\"
\nHe suggests that America's occupation of Iraq will spur
\nterrorism. This may be true, but it does not substantiate his
\nargument since the invasion of Iraq was never designed to bring
\ndemocracy.<\/p>\n
He also says that democracies are more prone to terrorist
\nattacks than non-democracies. This claim depends on the arbitrary
\ndefinition of \"terrorism\", which refers to attacks on people in
\nstable societies, or, to attacks on Americans and their allies,
\nbut not to attacks on people in unstable societies, or, to
\nattacks by Americans and their allies.<\/p>\n
For example, no one uses the word \"terrorism\" for the campaign
\nby American-backed rebels against the Nicaraguan government in
\nthe 1980s, or for massacres by factions in the recent war in the
\nDemocratic Republic of Congo, even though these killed far more
\ncivilians than all the attacks by all the terrorist
\norganizations, mentioned in Pant's article, put together.<\/p>\n
His claim that \"democracies are more tempting targets for
\nterrorists\" is not borne out by al-Qaeda-linked attacks in
\ncountries as diverse as the USA, Kenya, Spain, Yemen, Saudi
\nArabia, Afghanistan and Indonesia. What is clear is that al-Qaeda
\ndeveloped mainly in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, two countries
\nwhere the U.S. backed Islamic extremists.<\/p>\n
It may be tempting to blame democracy for terrorism in
\nIndonesia. Plainly, the fall of Soeharto allowed Jamaah Islamiyah
\nleaders to return to Indonesia. It also led to the struggle to
\noust president Abdurrahman Wahid and the sectarian conflicts in
\nAmbon and Poso, which allowed Jamaah Islamiyah to grow
\nundisturbed by security forces until they switched targets from
\nIndonesian Christians to foreigners.<\/p>\n
But, democracy is not the real cause. Under a democratic
\ngovernment, radical exile groups might never have grown in the
\nfirst place. The struggle against president Wahid reflected the
\nweak institutional mechanisms bequeathed by Soeharto. The Ambon
\nand Poso conflicts had roots deep in the past. The mentality of
\nsecurity forces, which is more concerned about people writing
\nabout terrorists than about the terrorists themselves, is another
\nlegacy from the New Order.<\/p>\n
More democracy, not more repression, is the only way to move
\nbeyond these problems.<\/p>\n
JOHN HARGREAVES
\nJakarta<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/in-ithe-jakarta-posti-may-31-harsh-v-pant-asserts-that-1447899208",
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