And more questions
Friday’s London Tube explosion was the fifth terrorist attack in Britain this year and, even though nobody got seriously hurt, it immediately accomplished most of its core objectives. One, it spread panic throughout Europe, which has come under attack repeatedly this year. Two, it will make the Brits more xenophobic. And pushing out immigrants will cause resentment, likely swelling terrorist ranks. And three, it has reignited debate about the outreach of ISIS just when the so called caliphate is meeting its death in the battlefields of the Levant.
Clearly terrorists are responding to increased security by resorting to soft, home made weapons and stabbings and driving over people. While smuggling components of sophisticated bombs, or material for high-grade biological warfare, into Europe might have become near impossible, it has also prompted a rethink in the approach of the global terrorist. And, as it turns out, it is much harder to preempt the kind of terrorism that comes from inspiration drawn from the internet and basic homework done at home than the al Qaeda, Taliban type.
Hopefully this incident will not push Britain into embracing the kind of paranoia that pushed Trump to the presidency in America. Prime Minister May will, no doubt, come under intense pressure. There were two terrorist attacks during her election campaign, and she promised going as far as changing human rights laws if needed. Now, hardliners will demand she puts her muscle where her mouth is. IS – if really responsible for the attack – may not have killed anybody in London on Friday, but the attack has already caused a lot of damage.
