London bombing: A critical analysis

But a deep critical analysis and also soul searching is required by the western nations as well as the world community to find out the root cause of such bombing by young fanatics who are sacrificing their lives at their budding youth. Modern fire power, use of force and employing huge number of armed personnel will never be able to eradicate such terrorists from the scene.

That the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq is one of the causes has been put up by many British and American analysts. On 20 July Mayor of London gave his views: "British and American intervention in the oil rich Middle East motivated the London bombers". Mayor Ken Livingstone told BBC news he had no sympathy with the bombers and opposed all violence. But he argued that the attacks would not have happened had western powers left nations free to decide their own affair after World War-1. Instead they had often supported unsavoury governments in the region.

While answering a question from BBC radio Mr. Livingstone said "I think you have just had 80 years' western intervention into predominantly Arab lands because of the western need for oil. We have propped up unsavoury government .We have overthrown ones we did not consider sympathetic." He also added "And I think the particular problem we have at the moment is that in the 1980s....the Americans recruited and trained Osama bin Laden, taught him how to kill, to make bombs and set him off to kill the Russians and drive them out of Afghanistan. Americans did not give a thought to the fact that once he has done that he may turn on his creator."

Mr. Livingstone said, "The western governments had been so terrified of losing their fuel supplies that they had been intervening in the Middle East." He argued, " If at the end of the First World War we had done what we promised the Arabs, which was to let them be free and have their own government, and kept out of Arab affairs, and just bought their oil, rather than feeling we had to control the flow of oil, I suspect that would not have arisen." He attacked double standard by Western nations, such as the initial welcome given when Saddam Hussein came to power in Iraq. There was also the "running sore" of the Palestinian /Israeli conflict. "Lot of young people see the double standards, they see what happens in Guantanamao Bay, and they just think that there is not a just foreign policy". said Mr. Livingstone. He further said about the Palestine, "…under Israeli occupation denied the right to vote, denied to run their own affairs, often denied the right to work for three generations, I suspect that if it had happened here in England, we would have produced a lot of suicide bombers ourselves".

Besides what has rightly been said by Mr. Livingstone about the Middle East issue, I would further emphasise about Anglo American invasion of Iraq is the central issue of rapid growth of suicide bombers. Initially suicide bombers were confined to Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. The invasion with the Anglo-American military and lethal weapons deployed in Iraq are being treated by many Arabs as implanting cancer cells in Iraq by US to engulf whole of Middle East region. All the Arab countries particularly the people are very much apprehensive and feeling insecure. There is even a feeling that US with its allies will invade the other countries sooner or later. As such Syria and Iran said to be the first targets. Even some militant groups from Saudi Arabia and other countries are joining the guerilla forces in Iraq to oust the Anglo-US and allied forces.

Western military strategists have assessed that every month more than thousand in the name of guerillas are being organised in Iraq and carrying out raids/ambush etc. The situation is getting bad to worst day by day. The latest report on Iraq said that 37 percent casualties was caused by US forces and 7 percent by Iraqi guerillas. These reports produced by western world are having a very serious bearing on motivation factors of suicide bombers.

The Muslim Councils of Britain called for the government to recognise the role that "the Iraq war is playing in radicalising the young Muslims, in the wake of London bombing. Iraq is an important factor in the disenchantment that we have seen among some Muslim youths. As such government must acknowledge the Iraqi factor. In that there are other factors to do with -- unemployment, underachievement in education, religious discrimination -- a feeling that their faith is demonised continuously".

A US congressman reportedly suggested the United States might consider bombing Muslim holy sites. Republican Tom Tancredo made the comment on July 14, 2005. It is like operating a cancer cell which is in its full blown stage. You put a scissor it spreads in the body at the fastest speed. We need to know the causes of suicide bombers particularly in London which was not carried out earlier by Muslims but only by IRA. Such a rhetoric by a responsible congressman is going to motivate further the potential suicide bombers to take harder lines. Very utterance of such views could be disastrous as these are very dangerous statements made against the faith of one billion followers.

Every one knows that hatred begets hatred and violence begets violence. In the modern world violence anywhere at any stage has no place. Before any one, great nations of the world should understand that. In their greed for oil they do not hesitate violating international law to invade. UN had not sanctioned war against Iraq but Anglo-US forces attacked Iraq. Their excuse of finding weapons of mass destruction failed and now they talk about regime changes and democracy etc. Can one overthrow the government of another country? It is never permitted by international law. When we do something wrong we always invoke some legitimating ideology be it religion or some political values like freedom and democracy.

Use of muscle and other means may not work at all at this stage. Best decision on the part of British government is to pull out of Iraq as soon as possible. Spanish troops were withdrawn from Iraq after the bomb blast. Government got changed in election and total withdrawal was said to be an appropriate decision to overcome the danger of further terrorist attack. At the same time Mr. Tony Blare should advice Mr. Bush how to get out of Iraq quagmire. I feel the earlier the Anglo American forces pull out of Iraq the sooner the world will see the peace. Other Muslim nations will be in a position to bring pressure on the people and the government to clamp down on the terrorists.

Lately administration of US President George Bush has unveiled a new vision of its war on terror casting it as "War of Ideas" comparable to the fight against Nazism and communism rather than hunt for network of radical "evil doers". The team of National Security Advisors headed by Stephen Hedley and Frances Fragos put up their views saying that, "radical Islam is determined to destroy our way of life and substitute it for a fanatical vision of dictatorial and theocratic rule." The officials acknowledged that the ideological contest at hand "can be long and difficult one" however they insisted a successful war on terror will require force of arms as well as strong allies in the Muslim world.

More than 99 percent Muslims believe in peace as Islam means peace. Antagonising through coercion, intimidation and arm twisting will not work in today's world. Respect for every one's belief and religion, culture and values must be respected in this 21st century, whatever may be the cultural identity or economic status of those people. The most powerful nation/government should not dictate what to think and how to run a government. Present day world is more educated, informed and well disposed to plan its own destiny.

In modern world violence could be very obnoxious. Science and technology has provided us with highly dangerous weapons. It is only motivation for love and peace that can sustain humanity in this world in future days. It is because of tolerance and preaching peace prophet Mohammad (SM) has been the most successful messenger of Almighty God.

Brig Gen (retd) Chowdhury has served as Director Military Operations and also as ambassador in many countries.