Exporting Terror (It Works!)

By Ari Bussel

Pakistani Military Headquarters in Islamabad attacked, the guard post at one of the entrances was breached and both civilians and officers were taken hostage. After a standoff, commandos were able to rescue most alive. This major security lapse and embarrassment is being investigated.

A breach of security in Iraq allowed car bombs to be set off moments apart near the Ministry of Justice and the Baghdad Provincial Council, killing more than 150. An investigation began.

A homicide bomber blew himself at a meeting in South East Iran, killing 42 people, including the Revolutionary Guard's deputy commander. Hailed as the deadliest bombing in more than 20 years and the highest military death toll since the end of the Iraq War, the attack almost precipitated an Iranian attack on Pakistan. [Iran immediately blamed the USA and the UK, and American President Hussein Obama equally as quickly professed no involvement. Eventually it will surface that the Israeli Mossad was involved.]

Car bombings, homicide bombings, courageous attacks on military installations and landmarks, compete disregard to human life - is there a pattern or a commonality?

Terrorism works. It was improved over many repeated trial attempts against Israel, the laboratory where Jewish blood was readily available to be wasted. Now it is being exported the world over. Interestingly, those who helped finance and perfect it are now up in arms when the very same methodology comes to haunt them. It is laughable when Iran, the greatest exporter of terror, is offended by its use against the Iranians.

In 1939 it was a radio station. On August 31st, seventy years ago, a group of German soldiers took over a Polish radio station and broadcasted an anti-German message.

This "provocation" necessitated a response. What a better way to "teach the Poles a lesson," than to invade Poland?

Learning from history, one was immediately on the alert: Was Iran intending to use the homicide bombing as an excuse to overtake Pakistan? Iran assigns no value on the life of its people, and commanders in the revolutionary guard are ready to give their lives for sake of Iran's grand plans of expansion - an illusion of a global caliphate. Thus the scenario was quite likely.

But let us return to highlights of this month's incidents around the world. Iran's "outrage" that her own methods work equally as effectively against her as against Israel and America reminds us that an explosive belt, a car bomb or a rocket is easy to assemble from materials which are readily available.

In the West, we have long been entangled in an attempt to justify such behavior: "Freedom fighters," "militants," "out of desperation," "legitimate resistance." We have also grown accustomed to hear that the real culprit is the Jewish State, the Zionists and all things Israeli (from the "occupation" to the "siege," from the "Palestinian Plight" to their national aspirations quashed by the imperialist Jews). Since Israel is the root-cause of all evil, no one should assume any responsibility anyway. Just blame the Jews. Even American presidents like Carter have called terrorism against Israel justifiable.

Dozens or hundreds of dead are not impressive any more. We do not relate to those critically or even moderately wounded. It all happens in another part of the world, to people who actually deserve it. The further we are from September 11th, 2001, in time or geography, so are the sights and sounds becoming dull and mute. Mankind is becoming far too accepting of evil's existence and willing to tolerate the killings.

So where does it end? It will not. These are just "trials and errors," constant calibration and improvements of methods. The weapons get more sophisticated and the West's readiness diminishes. Instead of fighting terrorism, we are too busy showing who is at the helm - those that the King likes are invited and empowered, others are rejected and kept at bay.

It becomes scarier as each day passes, since the next weapon will be a bomb, the likes of which brought Japan to its knees, never to be attempted again. Alas, the lure of deterrence has dissipated, the strength increased multiple folds and the best is that a bomb can be used without holding any nation state responsible. This, at last, is the true strength and the honest truth of exporting terrorism. Against whom does one react?

Maybe it is time for the US to leave Iraq and Afghanistan. Give the locals their victory, but let our sons and daughters, young mothers and fathers, the defenders of Democracy, come back home. Why sacrifice the lives of Americans when no one cares? Why hold God and country as ideals when the only ones who believe are those on the front line, not even our own Commander in Chief?

So there will be only one fort left standing, also under constant attacks. Israel has undergone, alone, all the pre-trials and has survived, and miraculously she will also withstand future attacks. That is her legacy.

But Israel must be ready for an upcoming event, shown recently at a different theater far from here: General Headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces are in Tel Aviv, at the very center near the three main Azrieli skyscrapers (whose footprints are a circle, a square and a triangle). What happened in Pakistan can easily happen in one of the gates to GHQ: an attack, followed by civilians and officers taken hostage, followed by an elite commando unit freeing the hostages and killing the hostage takers.

Now is the time to practice to prevent such an attack from succeeding. Now is the time to ensure that Israeli military does not become the laughing stock of the world. What works in Pakistan will also work in Israel.

The converse is also true, what works in Israel, works well in Jordan, Iraq, Iran and elsewhere around the world and may soon be playing at a theatre near you.

In the series "Postcards from Israel," Ari Bussel and Norma Zager invite readers throughout the world to join them as they present reports from Israel as seen by two sets of eyes: Bussel's on the ground, Zager's counter-point from home. Israel and the United States are inter-related - the two countries we hold dearest to our hearts - and so is this "point - counter-point" presentation that has, since 2008, become part of our lives.

© Postcards from Home, October, 2009

Contact: aribussel@gmail.com