This commentary was published in al-Hayat on 30/12/2010
When technology and violence come together, this simply leads to the formation of a cell of a kind officially described as “cyberterrorist” in Morocco. And although the advanced communication media revolution was meant to be at the service of civil society, as it shortens distances between worlds and brings closer the branches of knowledge and the features of civilized interaction between nations, what has been termed cybercrime today keeps sleepless all the societies that have been scorched by the transcontinental fire of terrorism.
Ever since civilian airplanes turned into missiles that raided the twin towers of the World Trade center in New York and destroyed them on that blood-drenched September 11, it seems that the scientific and technological inventions produced by the human mind in order to bring comfort, prosperity and fraternity have been swayed away from their humane purposes and used to suppress the mind and to spread terror and division.
However, ever since the suicide attacks in Casablanca in 2003, no terrorist cell has been successful in executing its plans, under the effect of the preemptive strikes which have achieved a record number of networks dismantled, some of them still in the planning phase and others on the verge of execution. Nevertheless, talk of using car bombs represents a precedent of copying methods that have been used in areas of high tension, increasing conflict and security breakdown. And between announcing the dismantling of terrorist cells that focused on recruiting volunteers to join the resistance in Iraq, strengthening the presence of Al-Qaeda in the coastal region south of the Sahara, Afghanistan and Somalia, or threatening Western interests in North Africa, the recognition that the methods used by these terrorist cells have evolved seems noteworthy – least of it being that most of the terrorist cells being prosecuted were using manual methods for building explosives and suicide-bombing equipment.
What reinforces such a belief is that it is not in the interest of Morocco, which wagers on tourism and the appearances of stability to attract foreign investments, to undermine this trend, if it wants to obtain dangerous information regarding the possibility of it being the target of attacks, or to get its hands on scenarios that reach carrying out terrorist attacks in inflamed areas. Yet its sensitivity regarding what is going on in the coastal stretch south of the Sahara seems more worrying, having increased in the absence of indicative regional coordination, in view of the repercussions of disputes over the Western Sahara issue.
It appears that the rift caused by this issue is on its way to affecting numerous other issues, most prominently that of dealing with the growth of the phenomenon of terrorism. And inasmuch as Morocco calls on the United States and France in particular to grant the security challenges on the coast the utmost concern, in light of the increase in kidnappings of foreign nationals, the countries neighboring the coastal region have focused their efforts on causing these disputes, the most prominent feature of this being not reaching an agreement over holding a security conference bringing together Northern and Southern Mediterranean countries, in addition to the US and the countries of the African coast, in order to formulate new mechanisms in the war on terror, one that would attract the attention and resolve of many towards it.
While Morocco is exposed to being targeted from several countries, according to the statements of volunteers in internet technology terrorist cells, this implicitly suggests coordinating efforts further, as it alone cannot confront plans the details of which are being developed beyond its borders. This is apart from the fact that the branches of such a terrorist cell would be directly linked to the “Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb”, because it is the closest to the area under threat, in addition to the fact that it represents the key to all the doors leading to high-tension zones in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen and the coast. And perhaps behind all of this lies its desire to proclaim that the need for regional coordination exceeds any political disagreement that stops at the obstacle of disputes.
Some misplaced rivalries will not be useful to resolve any issue or contain any problem. Yet when terrorism strikes with its full force, it does not distinguish between friend and foe – it is fierce as fire, destroying everything in its path.
And in the coastal region south of the Sahara, in order not to be exposed to further blazing spreads, the efforts of Arab, Islamic and African countries to agree over a bare minimum of consensus have failed, even while the issue regards imminent threats. Such a predicament is nearly more dangerous than any war left to chance, although choosing the timing, defining the goals and gathering efforts are irreplaceable elements in waging any battle.
When technology and violence come together, this simply leads to the formation of a cell of a kind officially described as “cyberterrorist” in Morocco. And although the advanced communication media revolution was meant to be at the service of civil society, as it shortens distances between worlds and brings closer the branches of knowledge and the features of civilized interaction between nations, what has been termed cybercrime today keeps sleepless all the societies that have been scorched by the transcontinental fire of terrorism.
Ever since civilian airplanes turned into missiles that raided the twin towers of the World Trade center in New York and destroyed them on that blood-drenched September 11, it seems that the scientific and technological inventions produced by the human mind in order to bring comfort, prosperity and fraternity have been swayed away from their humane purposes and used to suppress the mind and to spread terror and division.
However, ever since the suicide attacks in Casablanca in 2003, no terrorist cell has been successful in executing its plans, under the effect of the preemptive strikes which have achieved a record number of networks dismantled, some of them still in the planning phase and others on the verge of execution. Nevertheless, talk of using car bombs represents a precedent of copying methods that have been used in areas of high tension, increasing conflict and security breakdown. And between announcing the dismantling of terrorist cells that focused on recruiting volunteers to join the resistance in Iraq, strengthening the presence of Al-Qaeda in the coastal region south of the Sahara, Afghanistan and Somalia, or threatening Western interests in North Africa, the recognition that the methods used by these terrorist cells have evolved seems noteworthy – least of it being that most of the terrorist cells being prosecuted were using manual methods for building explosives and suicide-bombing equipment.
What reinforces such a belief is that it is not in the interest of Morocco, which wagers on tourism and the appearances of stability to attract foreign investments, to undermine this trend, if it wants to obtain dangerous information regarding the possibility of it being the target of attacks, or to get its hands on scenarios that reach carrying out terrorist attacks in inflamed areas. Yet its sensitivity regarding what is going on in the coastal stretch south of the Sahara seems more worrying, having increased in the absence of indicative regional coordination, in view of the repercussions of disputes over the Western Sahara issue.
It appears that the rift caused by this issue is on its way to affecting numerous other issues, most prominently that of dealing with the growth of the phenomenon of terrorism. And inasmuch as Morocco calls on the United States and France in particular to grant the security challenges on the coast the utmost concern, in light of the increase in kidnappings of foreign nationals, the countries neighboring the coastal region have focused their efforts on causing these disputes, the most prominent feature of this being not reaching an agreement over holding a security conference bringing together Northern and Southern Mediterranean countries, in addition to the US and the countries of the African coast, in order to formulate new mechanisms in the war on terror, one that would attract the attention and resolve of many towards it.
While Morocco is exposed to being targeted from several countries, according to the statements of volunteers in internet technology terrorist cells, this implicitly suggests coordinating efforts further, as it alone cannot confront plans the details of which are being developed beyond its borders. This is apart from the fact that the branches of such a terrorist cell would be directly linked to the “Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb”, because it is the closest to the area under threat, in addition to the fact that it represents the key to all the doors leading to high-tension zones in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen and the coast. And perhaps behind all of this lies its desire to proclaim that the need for regional coordination exceeds any political disagreement that stops at the obstacle of disputes.
Some misplaced rivalries will not be useful to resolve any issue or contain any problem. Yet when terrorism strikes with its full force, it does not distinguish between friend and foe – it is fierce as fire, destroying everything in its path.
And in the coastal region south of the Sahara, in order not to be exposed to further blazing spreads, the efforts of Arab, Islamic and African countries to agree over a bare minimum of consensus have failed, even while the issue regards imminent threats. Such a predicament is nearly more dangerous than any war left to chance, although choosing the timing, defining the goals and gathering efforts are irreplaceable elements in waging any battle.
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