World must resolve afresh to fight terror

Yesterday, September 11, brought back depressing and harrowing memories to many, of the tragic bloodletting and devastation unleashed on the US by the New York twin tower blasts and the attack on the Pentagon by terrorists, five years ago.

The West in particular is plunged into deep mourning as the anniversary of this horrendous tragedy comes along, although numerous peace loving persons outside the Western hemisphere too are moved profoundly by memories of the earth-shattering event.

In other words, the world mourns in unison for the victims of the September 11 bloody mayhem and are united by pangs of sorrow for the victims of the ineffably devastating act of terror. The dark event brought home to the world the overwhelmingly enormous human cost of political terrorism.

Looking back, the tragedy could be considered as having changed the complexion of international politics drastically. It was after this massive Massacre of the Innocents that the US launched its 'war on terror'.

Today the war has come very much close to home to us in Sri Lanka, with the Afghan theatre being a dramatic reminder of the sustained nature of this US - attempt to rid the face of the earth of the curse of terror.

However, long before the West awoke to the full horrors of terrorism, we in Sri Lanka were repeated victims of it. Beginning with the early Eighties, the LTTE spared no pains to drench the Lankan soil with innocent blood they took almost at will. Accordingly, it is easy for us in Sri Lanka to make common cause with the West on the issue of putting an end to political terrorism.

In fact, terrorism has been a relentlessly growing scourge in this region and the public disapproval which greets it is so great that most countries in this part of the world are cooperating with the US in its "war on terror".

If the US is firmly behind Sri Lanka today in its denunciation of LTTE terror, it is on account of this common bond that opposition to inhuman violence has spawned between the peoples of the US and those of Sri Lanka. This unflinching opposition of the US to LTTE terror needs to be warmly appreciated by the State and people of Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, while commemorating solemnly the grim and melancholy happenings of September 11, 2001, the civilized world needs to make a fresh resolve to unitedly oppose terrorism and put an end to it. The world community needs to strongly remind itself that violence and terror need to be staunchly opposed.

In fact, terror resorted to by groups operating outside the democratic framework needs to actively opposed by the civilized world.

Sri Lanka could be glad that more and more polities of the West are now opposing the maniacal terror of the LTTE.

We could be particularly glad that the EU has joined the group of states which have outlawed the LTTE. May this anti-LTTE tribe increase, is our wish.

So, we call on the international community to be continuously firm in its opposition to the LTTE, as long as the latter remains wedded to terror and advocates a violent solution to its problems. May the world unite to defeat terror.

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