SHOULD A 'DEMOCRATIC' STATE RESORT TO THE TACTICS OF THE 'TERRORIST'? Part 1.

Following the deadly terrorist attack in the Belgium capital of Brussels this week, which resulted in the deaths of at least 31 innocent people and over 250 others being injured, and the later disclosure on Face Book of an Israeli soldier shooting an immobile alleged Palestinian knife attacker,  someone has posed the question: Should Europe take a page out of Israel's method of dealing with terrorism?

Similarly, the president of Turkey, Erdogan, has also sought to capitalize on the tragedy, by restating that, in effect, 'a terrorist' is a 'terrorist', and that there should be no distinction. In putting forward his expedient argument, Mr Erdogan will doubtlessly have in mind his renewed vicious war with the PKK and its supporters; a war in which the Turkish state is showing no hesitancy in ruthlessly prosecuting against both the PKK fighters and their supporters all along the spectrum. 

President Erdogan, he put forward his argument, will also have in mind the fact that the Americans have not yet reached the point where they are willing to classify the PKK as 'terrorists' as yet, considering that Mr Erdogan wants to apply this categorization to the YPG fighters who are helping the anti-Isis/Daesh coalition to prosecute the war against Isis and other Islamic 'extremist groups.'

It is a testament to the constantly evolution of the process of how states, at various periods in their history, respond when confronted with terrorism and acts of rebellion that we should now be seeing countries such as Turkey, which, just a few years ago, was presenting itself as a staunch supporter of the Palestinian people in their struggle against Israel, should now be adopting some of its 'scorched earth' tactics and strategies.  Compare Israel's last invasion of Gaza with Turkey's military action in  Kurdish regions such as Cizre, parts of which is left devastated, but with little of the publicity given to the destruction wrought upon Gaza. 

Now, this is the same Turkish Government which intervened in Syria, a sovereign and conflicted country, to purportedly protect Turkoman from being attacked by the Syrian Government, and, in the process, downing a Russian plane.  Extremely complex situation, especially if we were to imagine the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq, intervening in the Turkish war against the PKK, with the purported intention of doing so to protect Turkish Kurds. The 'politics of 'terrorism' can be just as problematic as its impact on the people subjected to it.

This brings me back to the question I am addressing; that of whether a purportedly 'democratic state should resort to the tactics and strategies of the 'terrorist'?

So, what are the tactics and strategies of the 'terrorists', and what do they, the 'terrorist' expect to achieve by them?

By definition, the acts of the 'terrorist' could be described as terrorism, usually with the the purpose of realizing some political objective. The 'terrorist' will, at times, target specific individuals or sections of the population, as well as, at other times, being totally indiscriminate in whom they use their violence against. For example, it they want to create ethnic or religious strife, they might target people of different ethnicity or religion from them, in the hope that that section of the community will then retaliate against the community from whence the 'terrorists' are presumed or known to come from. 

A response which would or could make life more onerous for the latter, and motivate them to 'fight back.' In my view, we can see something like this happening in the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, with 'radical' Palestinian organizations, ever so often, stoking the on-going strife, by taking certain military and other actions against Israel, knowing well that it cannot end well for the Palestinians, militarily and economically, but edging their on the belief that it will keep the flame of Palestinian anger, and hope of a free Palestinian state burning. Yes, I believe it really is like that, with the ordinary people being politically manipulated and being caused to sacrifice their lives, often times, unnecessarily.

We can also see this transpiring in Europe and America, as well as elsewhere, as a result of terrorist incidents carried out by Al Queda, Daesh/Isis, et al, with the predominantly white and Christian populations becoming increasingly fearful, and - probably naturally- indulging in some kind of Muslim-profiling, and, less understandably, attacks on Muslims. The Islamic extremists then closes the circle when this retaliation against Muslims make them become more fearful, disaffected and susceptible to the Islamic extremists' political-religious progaganda. 

To be continued

OWOHROD