Fight terrorism with the herbal medicine therapy approach

The Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law expires on November 1. In the Indian Ocean, members of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force have been engaged in refueling operations of naval warships from the United States, Pakistan and other countries under this law. The question is now being asked if this refueling assistance should be continued or brought to a close. The government and opposition parties are fiercely divided on the issue, with spirited debate raging on.

The two key words of “Indian Ocean” and “Self-Defense Force” have been played up heavily in newspaper, television and other media reports. This has generated the impression that these refueling operations comprise the entirety of the anti-terrorism measures available to Japan. In fact, however, this is definitely not the case.

The September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, in which nearly 3,000 persons perished, remain fresh in mind as arguably the worst single act of terrorism in human history. The United States quickly declared the “war on terror” against Al-Qaeda, the radical group that used Afghanistan as the launching pad for its espoused anti-America struggle, adopting a policy of military force to stamp out that largely clandestine organization.

Japan’s refueling operations in the Indian Ocean have been carried out as one phase of cooperation with Washington in the “war on terror.” The activities there effectively comprise logistical support for the offshore strategy of monitoring the movements of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations in the vicinity of Afghanistan.

However, this declared “war” has failed to bear the fruits that were hoped for. Besides the obvious quagmire in Iraq, terrorism has also become an everyday reality in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well, where the situations can truly be described as out of control. What’s more, terrorist bombings are also occurring with far greater frequency than ever before in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and other countries of Southeast Asia - a corner of the world that is far closer to Japan.

Against the backdrop of globalization in movements of people, goods and money, the globalization of terrorist organizations is also picking up steam. Al-Qaeda, originally formed in Afghanistan by the Saudi Arabian born Osama bin Ladin, has expanded its network worldwide. There is no doubt that the three-pronged approach of dispatching operatives, supplying weapons and channeling funds has been a key factor in accelerating the globalization of terrorist organizations.

Islamic extremists in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia cultivated a sense of brotherhood through the Afghanistan war fought during the Cold War years. Now, backed by full-fledged capital assistance from Al-Qaeda sources, they have succeeded in forging genuine international terrorist networks. In this sense, one of the reasons for the increase in terrorism around the globe lies in the formation of such international networks by terrorist groups.

This leads to the question of whether such networks, which have proved difficult to eradicate even with the massive military might boasted by the U.S., can in fact be cut off. Although it will require some time, I believe that there is a means to progressively weaken those organizations. This approach should be particularly possible in Southeast, a region in which the symptoms of the terrorist plague are still lighter than in the Middle East and the surrounding environs.

One pillar of this process consists of bringing reasonable improvements to poverty, social inequality and other hotbeds for the breeding of terrorism. Another is to beef up the security forces in the various countries fighting to crack down on terrorist groups, thereby adopting a more aggressive stance to blocking the international flow of terrorist capital, halting the smuggling of small arms and taking other potent steps. Governing capability in Southeast or East Asia is not sufficient, with the weakness of the local security and police forces making it difficult for many countries in that region to effectively lower the boom on the terrorists.

Taking this into consideration, Japan is already cooperating with the countries in this region in anti-terrorism measures.

For example, to fight maritime terrorist activity, the Japan Coast Guard engages in joint drills with countries bordering the Malacca Strait. The National Police Agency, meanwhile, has dispatched experts to Indonesia to help improve the security capability in that nation. Also targeting Indonesia, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has sent expert staffers to Mark, Aceh and other regions where religious and regional conflicts have fueled prolonged social disorder, to explore means of peacemaking on the frontlines of the stricken areas. On Mindanao Island in the Philippines, assistance activities aimed at fighting poverty and bringing peace are getting off the ground.

The problem, however, lies in the fact that these support efforts cannot be described as adequate either in terms of their quantity or quality. Even with the efforts in Indonesia, which are most numerous among those targeting Southeast Asia, the grant aid carried out by Japan in this field totals somewhat over 1.4 billion yen (figures for fiscal 2005). In contrast, the financial burden of the refueling operations in the Indian Ocean (consisting of the price of the fuel and SDF activity costs) had climbed to over 56 billion yen at the end of this June. While simplistic comparisons may not be viable, this is an astronomical disparity all the same.

The origins behind the rise of terrorists vary widely by the specific countries and regions involved. There is a need for levelheaded analysis of each case, based on ample intelligence gathering on the spot. This is because errors in pinpointing the reasons can lead to mistakes in mounting effective terrorism countermeasures as well.

Our government stresses that the SDF refueling operations in the Indian Ocean are deeply appreciated by the coalition of willing countries led by the U.S. in that region. While it is tough to render proper assessments based on figures alone, it is most likely true that these activities are making a contribution in terms of supporting surveillance of terrorist organizations. In my opinion, however, what the countries involved in this struggle would really like to see from Japan is assistance more sustained and steadfast in content.

For instance, taking a good hard look at the health of a certain nation, and then treating the sickly parts. Although this lacks the immediate effects of surgical operations, the care will serve to steadily improve the social fabric and cut away the breeding grounds for terrorist activity. Such logistical support, which in some ways resembles herbal medicine therapy, is an avenue for fighting terrorism that can also be labeled a special forte of Japan. It is such strategic patience, in fact, that Japan can claim as a source of great national pride and joy.