Proactive approach needed to stop terrorism
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Editor,
While soaking up some sun in Mesa, Ariz., I could not resist, given the situation in Libya, to once again express the great need for a well-planned, internationally coordinated effort to eliminate terrorism. I have written about ITEM a few times previously. ITEM stands for: International Terrorism Elimination Movement.
Terrorism is born of anger, fear, brutality, death and very vicious objectives. ITEM is born of organization, cooperation, diplomacy, education, compassion and neutralizing terrorist movements on the journey of establishing universal values of freedom and human rights.
Terrorism takes many forms. It can be a radical religious group, a radical political group, a drug-related movement, a brutal dictator or a radical ethnic group. And each form has its own characteristics which require careful and informed strategies through a coordinated work such as ITEM in order to effectively neutralize those diabolical movements.
ITEM requires strong international participation and cooperation. ITEM involves: infiltration, education, diplomacy, specialized military response teams, constant international focus and attention, effective financing and the leadership of uniquely qualified people who are given the responsibility and power to carry out the mission of ITEM. The recent events in Libya point so clearly to the great need we have in this world to be proactive instead of constantly having to be reactive. Imagine, for example, how much different Libya would be today if a movement like ITEM had been in place in just the last 20 years. Instead of a sudden and rather disorganized people’s revolt, there would have been effective and carefully orchestrated steps taken along the way which would have resulted in a change from the brutal dictatorship to a form of government commensurate with the will of the people.
The brutal and vicious characteristics of terrorism, in whatever form, are not going to prevail. That is a given. But how we deal with terrorism is a choice this world is going to have to make. The world can either be constantly on the tail end of things, reacting violently and in confusion to every vicious act that comes along, or it can be at the front end of things, neutralizing the viciousness at its genesis.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Bob McClellan
Polson
