Terrorists act like a cooperative company
An interview with Mohamad Ebrahim Taherian, the former Iranian ambassador to Pakistan
The recent terrorist attacks in India showed the very liveliness of terrorism phenomenon in the world. It was not the first terrorist attack on India, but it embodied such great aspects that experts compared it to 9/11.
Mohamad Ebrahim Taherian, the former Iranian ambassador to Pakistan believes that the decision making room for all the terrorists and extremists is the same. Here is Iranian Diplomacy’s interview with Taherian.
Why did the Mumbai attacks happen?
The history of extremism in that region goes back to more than two years ago. But the series of events unfolding in the region paved the way for the extremists to show off. The most recent regional events happening prior to Mumbai were the events unfolding in Afghanistan’s Musa Qal’eh and Pakistan’s red mosque. So the manifestations of the attacks were on the eastern and southern fronts of Afghanistan.
All through these events, different regional and Arab and western states thought they would be able to achieve their short-term interests out of the mess. But they were all wrong.
I believe that the Mumbai attacks were somehow the evolution of the same trend. So if there is no convergence among regional states to fight this trend, it would come out again in some other place and time.
Some experts believe that the Mumbai attacks are a continuation of 9/11. According to their theory, the terrorists are no longer able to execute their plans in the US; and that is why they are choosing their targets on Asian countries like India, Afghanistan and even Iraq. Do you think so?
The nature of the attacks can be the same with that of 9/11. This terrorist trend first showed off in the US in 2001; and is now remaking itself in other parts of the world; be it in Iraq or in Europe. It has also established itself in Pakistan and Afghanistan; and the Mumbai attacks can be the outcome of their comprehensive activities in the region.
I believe that the policies of some countries in analyzing and confronting such a trend have been wrong. All these countries have sought their own interest in dealing with this trend.
The events happening in Islamabad Marriott Hotel or just in front of the Indian embassy in Kabul were of the same sort. The decision making room for all these attacks are the same but their planning and execution are different. What happened in Mumbai was not similar to the attacks emanating from tribal or ethnic conflicts of India. So the decision making room which planned 9/11 could be planning for Mumbai attacks as well.
So you believe the Mumbai attacks had nothing to do with Kashmir conflict?
Terrorists work as a cooperative company. So I can not reject that idea. The decision making room for all these extremist movements is the same. We can not totally separate the events unfolding in African horn, or in the US or Europe. The terrorists have reached a point where their strategy contains all the radical movements and asks for their cooperation.
The western and regional countries have been designing strategies to counter terrorism. Still, the terrorists are gradually gaining more power. Is there a policy to make the counter-terrorism measures successful?
The extremists have reached a convergence of decision and act. So the regional countries which want to limit the terrorists’ actions should also have a convergence of decision and act. No country has the power to do it alone. But this needed convergence does not exist now. The events happening in Musa Qal’eh in Afghanistan were somehow blamed on the European countries; because they were falsely thinking the problem would be solved in their own hands. Even the Afghan officials have recently been acting as though they have the power to go it alone and tackle the problems associated with terrorism. The truth is that no counter- terrorism measure can be a short-term one. It would be fruitless. So apart from being convergent, the regional states should have a great deal of analysis and research on the events unfolding around them. In this way, the regional public opinion would reach a common understanding and would be able to act according to that.
Anyhow, it seems that the presence of NATO and western countries in Afghanistan is intensifying and developing the extremists’ trend. So it is clear that something is wrong; whether in decision making or in interpretation of events. Only a regional, convergent approach can stop the growth of he terrorism trend.