Coordinating needed to fight terrorism

Coordinating needed to fight terrorism

Philips Jusario Vermonte, Researcher, Department of
International Relations, Centre for Strategic and
International Studies, (CSIS), Jakarta

Two years have elapsed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in
New York and Washington D.C. During that time, several measures
have been adopted in a concerted global attempt to combat
international terrorism.

The Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Terrorism that
took place in Bali last week, during which President Megawati
called for a better international coordination mechanism in
fighting terrorism, is just another example (The Jakarta
Post, Feb. 5, 2004).

Although some positive achievements have been attained in
limiting the room for any international terrorist group to
maneuver, we continue to witness tragic occurrences in many parts
of the world.

Recent developments in international politics also pose new
consequences for the war against terrorism. The war against Iraq
-- which was undertaken by the United States without sufficient
authorization from the United Nations -- put some countries in an
awkward position as while they were previously supportive of the
war, the majority of their citizens opposed it.

The war was generally perceived as proof of the U.S.' tendency
to act unilaterally, which in turn enhanced resentment toward the
U.S. Such a perception could endanger efforts to confront the
basic motive as frequently stated by terrorist groups such as al-
Qaeda, namely that their mission was to end injustice caused by
the only superpower.

There are some encouraging developments in the war against
terrorism in the region. Security authorities in some countries
in Southeast Asia continue to root out terrorist cells operating
within their borders.

For example, within a relatively short period of time, the
Indonesian police, with assistance from various countries,
especially from the Australian Federal Police, was able to
uncover the perpetrators behind the shocking Bali bombings that
occurred in October 2002 as well as the bombing of the JW
Marriott Hotel in Jakarta in 2003. Almost all actors behind the
bombings have been detained and trials for these suspects have
almost finished. In the Philippines, more alleged members of
terrorist network have also been arrested.

It is true that there have been some declarations at the
regional level urging for better coordination and stronger
commitment in a concerted effort to fight terrorism. It must be
noted, however, the realization of these commitments has been
very slow. In fact, cooperation between one particular member of
ASEAN, for example, with extra regional states or agencies took
place in a more concrete way.

At least, it could be seen from the cooperation between the
Indonesian police with several international agencies following
the Bali bombings. Bilateral cooperation between the Philippines
and the U.S. in regard to the Moro issue is just another example.
The main reason that can be identified to explain this slow
progress is that intra-state coordination is very weak so that it
becomes difficult for the countries within the region to
implement their agreements.

Also, there is the problem of institutional capacity building
in combating terrorism. In this regard, lack of funding as well
as lack of political will are two pertinent issues that need to
be addressed. Another issue is that states within the region need
to ratify all relevant international conventions so that the
difficulty in harmonizing the legal instruments of its members in
combating terrorism can be dealt with.

There is certainly a fresh new opportunity to enhance
cooperation in combating terrorism within the Asia Pacific region
coming from the last Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on
Terrorism in Bali. However, one point needs to be seriously
discussed.

The war on terror must cover two aspects. One is the "search
and destroy" aspect that mainly focuses on the use of legitimate
force and security and political cooperation, which have been
given necessary attention in many declarations and conferences
globally. The second aspect is "winning the hearts and minds" of
the people, which seems not to have received sufficient attention
so far.

In fact, several studies have concluded that social and
economic developmental assistance can be utilized in confronting
the root cause of terrorism. A study conducted by the Rand
Corporation recently suggested that developmental assistance
could be useful in at least two important ways. First, it could
weaken local support or reduce the number of constituents for
terrorist activities. Second, it could discourage new recruits
for terrorist networks.

In this field, developed countries of the Asia Pacific region
can play an important role by allocating specific funds aimed
directly at antiterrorism. Development agencies should be
encouraged to work cooperatively in channeling their assistance
to some specific activities.

To date, only USAID and AusAid provide funds specifically
designed for antiterrorist activities. However, development
itself may not eliminate terrorism. Therefore, any developmental
program must be incorporated into the larger strategy of
combating terrorism.