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Editorial: The Moscow carnage
Coming from a country that has had its share of terrorist attacks, Indonesians fully understand the dilemma facing Russians in trying to carry on with their lives without letting their guard down
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oming from a country that has had its share of terrorist attacks, Indonesians fully understand the dilemma facing Russians in trying to carry on with their lives without letting their guard down. Monday’s suicide bombing at the busy Domodedovo airport near Moscow, which killed 35 and left more than 100 injured, was a sad reminder that Russians will have to put up with the inconvenience of bag searches, metal detectors, and other security checks for the foreseeable future.
Our condolences to the victims and the relatives left behind. The target, an international airport, was clearly picked to draw maximum publicity. The victims were not only Russians but also international travelers. Whoever was behind this carnage and whatever their motives were, they are getting widespread international condemnation for their cowardice in killing innocent people.
Russia has been the target of terrorist attacks in the past, conducted by ethnic groups seeking independence from Moscow control. The last major attack came 14 months ago when bombs derailed a luxury train, killing commuters on the Moscow subway. Russia is no stranger to terrorism, and the authorities should have been more alert. No wonder Russian President Dmitry Medvedev came out strong, saying that the attack showed there were clear lapses in airport security.
The trouble in dealing with terrorist organizations is that they choose their targets and timing randomly. They can lay low for months or even years before their next attack. Usually, the longer the time, the less guarded the authorities and the people become. We have seen this in Indonesia between the two devastating bombings in Bali, and several in Jakarta.
The authorities in Jakarta and Moscow would do well to share information with the public — without being alarmists — about the changing levels of terrorist threats. The US, in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, used color designations that people have become familiar with.
The Indonesian police have busted terrorist networks, most recently on Tuesday with the arrest of seven people in the Central Java towns of Klaten and Sukoharjo for possession of explosives, but we have no idea how successful they have been in defusing the threat of terrorist attacks. We can’t help noticing though, and presumably terrorists do too, that the security checks have been relaxed at the airports, hotels and busy areas.
The Moscow bombings remind us that we should not let our guard down. Life goes on for sure, but we must keep our vigilance for a little longer.
