Suicide Terrorism - Articles

How to Combat Car Suicide Bombings in Iraq?

Suicide car bombings are increasing in troubled spots and most frequently in Iraq. In July 2004, one such bombing near a police recruiting center in Baqouba killed 70 and wounded at least 56. Six similar car bombs blew up in Baghdad and Mosul churches, killing at least 11 and wounding 50. In September 2004, another car bomb exploded outside a police headquarters in Baghdad, killing 47 and wounding 114. Early in October, separate car bomb attacks accounted for at least 38 dead.

In other countries also , car suicide bombings occur, but on a less frequent scale. In September 2004, an attack was carried out at the Australian embassy in Jarkarta, killing 11 and injuring 184. Car bombs exploded outside mosques in Pakistan, killing at least 40 and wounding 100 in this month. In Egypt, suicide car bombs killed 34 and injuring 105 and in the hotel and holiday resorts along the Sinai coast.

Indonesia, Spain, Pakistan and Egypt did not have to deal with bombing incidents, or other large scale terrorist attacks practically everyday. The state authorities were thus able to respond well, conducting rescue operations and providing adequate emergency medical services to the civilians injured. Subsequent investigations and inquires and eventual arrests of the perpetrators and culprits helped deter or convince terrorists of the futility of making future attacks of a similar nature. In short, the state government's capability to cope with emergency situations, in itself, helps prevent terrorism.

It is not so for Baghdad. A fledgling Iraqi government was put in place only three months ago, which is still struggling to consolidate its control. Institutions and service organizations are either non existent because of the war, or in their infant stages. The terrorists would do their utmost to disrupt security and prevent the new Iraqi government from establishing a stable regime. Insurgents would prefer the anarchic situation with the presence of foreign troops as a focus of hate propaganda, as presided by the now dissolved Iraqi Governing Council before June.

Thus far, the majority of successful insurgent attacks were aimed at hitting local Iraqi security forces and civilians. Suicide bombings utilizing explosive laden cars or other vehicles which could be driven to the targeted place to be rammed or detonated stationary, had proven to be very effective. The sites of attacks are usually crowded urban centers with optimum effects causing maximum casualties. The terrorists' message was clear: Even in the cities, you are not safe. The terrorists are intimidating foreigners to quit Iraq and leave the country to its own devices.

Iraq is left with no choice but to speed up its rearmament policy of its security forces, recruiting ex-Baathist members, if necessary. Its medical services were already over stretched, even if augmented with a miscellaneous collection of medical teams from other countries. Hospitals are not enough to cope with frequent influxes of casualties from almost daily bomb attacks and violent incidents that break out all over Iraq. The terrorists know this fact as a major weakness, and will continue to exploit it.

Coalition state authorities and the Iraqi government must realize that the easy availability of weapons ? rifles, bombs and mortars ? left over from the Iraq War provide the means of armed resistance from insurgents. Until all weapons owned by the civilian population are rounded up and accounted for, the terrorist problem would still persist.

Strict administrative measures such as vehicle and residents' address registration must be imposed.  12 October 2004 is the designated date when the Iraqi interim government would conduct a nationwide census of the population, spending from US $ 60 million (S$103 million) to US $ 100 million (S$163 million) to do so. This is merely the first step to implement law and order on a national scale.

Tight border controls to prevent smuggling and entry of illegal aliens are also necessary if foreign militancy is to be prevented from influencing the local insurgent movements in Iraq. Within Iraq itself, the restoration of a healthy market economy can only proceed if  price-control of necessary commodities is introduced to destroy the thriving black market. A similar version of the capital control introduced by Malaysia in 1998 could be repeated in Iraq until the market stabilizes.

Iraq cannot depend on foreign intervention and help forever. Neither can it allow state security and the terrorist problem to remain at the top of its agenda for too long. Iraq, with 112 billion barrels of oil, the world's 2nd largest oil reserve, rightly deserves to have a stable political situation if it is to play a part in the restoration of the world economy. And it is to the interests of other countries not to ignore the contemporary debacle in Iraq.