Should Al-Qaeda scare everyone?

Terrorism has become the main threat to world peace in view of the deadly attacks in countries like UK, Spain, and Indonesia. What is dangerous is that such groups can make their explosives, which remains a permanent threat to peace. Suicide bombers can be stripped with explosives that don’t cost much to make. In Casablanca, in Morocco, five suicide bombers blew themselves last April. The explosives they used didn’t cost more than $US 20 dollars. So for Al-Qaeda, it doesn’t need a big military budget to carry its attacks, it only needs volunteers, ready to blow themselves up with the erroneous idea that their soul will immediately fly into paradise. It also needs to compose fiery messages to win the heart and minds, especially of the desperate for whom life and death are the same.

In the last days, the alert level has been increased in Morocco to maximum. Al-Zawahiri, who established North Africa A-Qaeda, in one of his latest messages threatened to hit Morocco. For this, Moroccan authorities have intensified their cooperation against terrorism, mainly with neighbouring countries, Spain and Algeria as well as with France and the USA. Also the authorities in Morocco asked businessmen and big commercial institutions to raise their security measures, mainly through additional security staff.

Al-Qaeda has become one of the main threats to the stability of numerous countries in every continent. Ironically, it created rapprochement at the security level between countries with divergent views like Morocco and Algeria. Up to now, they have a common enemy they should fight before they settle their other deep differences, especially the ones concerning the Western Sahara.

While the public can choose to ignore the threats of Al-Qaeda by leading its ways of life, the public authorities are much concerned, as they have to keep on maximum alert.

The question to ask if terrorism can be defeated easily. The situation in Iraq proves that terrorism is still invincible despite the heavy military presence in troubled spots. Without local, national and international security coordination, terrorists will find new havens, behind which they lurk before new assaults. This in itself is a global psychological war because one never knows where the cells are hiding or what they are preparing.