Lead Editorial
Gaza:
a counter terrorist
perspective
by Philip Baum
egardless as to the rights and the general public blame the authorities brethren. Instances of racism amongst our
R
wrongs of the conflict itself, when mistakes are made by those whose screeners must be investigated and culprits
only the most insensitive of task it is to safeguard our society; the media disciplined, but we must remember that it is
individuals could fail to be stirs up public opinion and conveniently the exceptional cases that hit the headlines.
touched by the images forgets those who are truly responsible. In So, where does this leave us vis-à-vis Gaza?
emerging from Gaza. The the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings in Most of the western world regards Hamas as a
deaths of hundreds of innocent individuals London, the Metropolitan Police accidentally terrorist organisation. That same western
and the plight of a traumatised population shot and killed an innocent Brazilian world bears some responsibility for bringing
make for hard viewing. Those with an axe individual whom they believed to be a Hamas to power, given its push for a western-
to grind will try to justify the need for terrorist. Of course it was a tragedy and an style democratic process that resulted in
conflict. On the Israeli side of the equation, enquiry (we all learn from our mistakes) had Hamas’s election. As typical of many a terrorist
the relentless launching of missiles from to be launched, but there was a sense that organisation, Hamas has made the calculated
Gaza against the citizens of southern Israel the police officers responsible were guilty of decision that its own women and children
and the resulting traumatising impact was a crime against humanity, rather than being could be sacrificed for the sake of their cause;
justification for their “defensive offensive”; individuals capable of making a mistake in many western observers forget that, in the
from a Hamas perspective, the stifling difficult times and who, in all likelihood, are same way suicide bombers become martyrs
blockade Israel placed on Gaza justified devastated by the results of their actions. and find true tranquillity in the after-life, there
the termination of the cease-fire We have forgotten that those who are truly is a belief that passive, unwitting martyrs killed
agreement and a return to armed conflict. responsible for Jean Charles de Menezes’ in conflict are also destined for a better place.
Wherever your sympathies lie, innocent death were the 7/7 bombers themselves Consequently, whilst the moderate world
people died. Such is the nature of war… rather than the police. views such deaths with abject horror, Hamas
Wars have to be fought when negotiations The aviation security community has to leaders privately revel in the losses. Why?
fail. There are those who feel that there is stomach incessant complaints about its Because it turns their enemy, in this case
always time for more dialogue and, in an procedures whilst the screeners on the Israel, into the beast. Mission accomplished…
ideal world, we would. But we do not live in front line have to withstand abuse from There are bound to have been individual
a utopia and difficult strategic decisions passengers, airport and airline personnel instances of excessive, unacceptable,
have to be taken by brave individuals (on and the media. Many of the whinging immoral acts perpetrated by Israeli soldiers.
either side of any argument) that may result masses have lost sight of the fact that the One would hope that the Israel Defence
in short-term loss of lives for the long-term security services, whether they are Force will investigate every such incident
betterment of society and the preservation employed by a government or private and take appropriate action against those
of life and common decency. The bombing entity, are actually just trying to prevent the guilty. In the same way that the Allies were
of Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that next terrorist atrocity. If you want to blame disgusted by the images of abuse of power
contributed to the end of World War II, were somebody, blame the terrorists. by members of the American military at Abu
cases in point. Whilst I oppose racial profiling as a Ghraib, the de-humanising effects of war
The international media has debated tactical security solution, it is an exist in every conflict.
issues emanating from the Gaza conflict understandable phenomenon; there is There is, however, a huge difference
and some of the topics are worthy of going to be greater suspicion of Muslim between individual instances of crimes
consideration by the counter terrorist passengers when the vast majority of against humanity and state-sponsored
community as its strategy and responses recent outrages have been perpetrated by genocide. The governments of the United
evolve to meet future threats. What Islamic fundamentalists, especially when States, the United Kingdom and their
constitutes a proportional response to acts one considers the calibre of staff deployed allies, take no pleasure in the civilian death
of terror is, arguably, question number one. at airports. Accordingly, it is the toll in Iraq; the Israeli government neither
Terrorists succeed when they manage to fundamentalists that should be blamed for relishes nor gains from the deaths of
vilify their enemy. It is amazing how quickly the impact that this has had on their fellow Palestinian children. They are not in the
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www.asi-mag.com February 2009 Aviationsecurityinternational
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