To fight terror

Witnesses describing the scene of the monstrous terror attack in Madrid told of the ceaseless ringing of cellphones, many presumably chiming a happy tune, as families desperately tried to ascertain whether their loved ones still lived. Not all calls were answered.

If the attack on Madrid was indeed carried out by Islamic fundamentalists, as seems likely, then it presumably was an act of retaliation for Spain’s involvement in the invasion of Iraq ironically a war which many Spaniards, perhaps most, opposed.

Ideology is blinding. The terrorists who hit Madrid blithely disregarded the dimension of human suffering they were causing.

Likewise, Spain’s governing Popular Party blindly accused the Basque terrorist movement ETA for the outrage, going as far as placing that guilt beyond doubt. (Alas, the bishops of Spain made a similar premature and injudicious public statement). For its statements, seen by many as cynical, the Popular Party lost Spain’s general election, held just days after the terror attack.

The big winner in the election, Socialist Party leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, linked the attack to Spain’s involvement in Iraq: “Wars such as those which have occurred in Iraq only allow hatred, violence and terror to proliferate.”

Mr Zapatero’s words reflect the reservations to the war expressed by the Holy See and many bishops’ conferences, including Southern Africa’s.

Muslim fundamentalists tend to present the US-led invasion of Iraq as an assault on Islam by the West. It may be argued that Iraq represents merely a point of reference for militant Islamic anger. After all, Muslim fundamentalists were at odds with Saddam Hussein’s regime, too. Nonetheless, by invading Iraq, the US and its allies have provided al Qaeda and its associates with potent propaganda.

It is a lethal irony that the invasion of Iraq was conducted under President George W Bush’s banner of “war on terror”, but has in itself aided terrorism by swelling militancy among young Muslims especially.

While the pursuit of international terrorists is legitimate, it will not win the “war on terror” on its own. The real weapon in the fight against terrorism involves a willingness to restrict al Qaeda and other such networks in their capacity to recruit new members and maintain public support.

Chief among these is the question of Israel and Palestine. The plight of the Palestinians has long been the central rallying cry for al Qaeda. Its jihad against the West would not attract huge numbers of supporters, active or passive, on account of its culture war ideology alone. Its support is sustained by the injustices suffered by Palestinians, and by reckless martial interventions in mainly Muslim regions.

The fight against terror must place a priority on finding ways to end the escalation of violence in the Holy Land, and to find an equitable and lasting solution to the political impasse there. This requires political will, diplomatic skill, and not a little courage.

The West’s response to al Qaeda’s terrorism has exacerbated, not addressed, the problem of terrorism. By invading Iraq, the US and its allies have surrendered moral high ground. They must now seek to reclaim it in honour of the victims of Madrid, Bali, Washington and New York.