Terrorism Resurgence

Nov 06, 2009 Editorial

Here we go again: terrorism hits Guyana. Terrorists, we should remember, are not the usual criminals that commit crimes for monetary or other gain, but do so to send a message to the state. In the latest upsurge there can be no doubt as to what is going on – there was not even the pretence of mercenary gain.
Once again police stations have been brazenly attacked by heavily armed gunmen; not just the exposed police outpost at East Ruimveldt, but the central Brickdam Station, that in the average Guyanese mind, epitomises the entire Guyana Police Force (GPF) and its mandate to maintain order on behalf of the state.
Two policemen were injured; forty-two 7.62 x 39 spent shells (used by AK-47s), five warheads and a 12 gauge cartridge were recovered by the police.
A grenade that fortunately did not explode was hurled at a police vehicle.
To reinforce the point that terrorism was the motivating factor, there was an attempt to torch the Registry, which is part of the High Court. The Judiciary, of course, complements the police in the execution of Law and Order on behalf of the state.
Chancellor Carl Singh correctly pointed out that the Court was a symbol of constitutional order and the rule of law.
Just in case anyone still missed the terroristic raison d’etre of the rampage, eight fires were set at the Richard Ishmael Secondary School in the north of the city in an obvious attempt to stretch the arms of the law.
The Commissioner of Police has claimed that two of the individuals involved in the latest terroristic attacks were positively identified as two who were charged with burning down the Ministry of Health building earlier this year.
There were some cynics that had suggested the arson might have been contrived, but the events of Wednesday morning have conclusively demonstrated that there is another terrorist cell operating in Guyana.
Guyanese do not need much to remind them of the previous terrorist cells and the mayhem they unleashed on our nation – the Taliban of Buxton, the five prison escapees and their cohorts, the Fine Man and Skinny gangs.
Dozens of policemen murdered, scores of men, women and children robbed, raped and murdered – a nation traumatised.
The Commissioner has correctly identified the threat – terrorism – and his GPF and the rest of the Joint Services will have to ensure that in this incarnation, the threat is nipped in the bud.
The goal of terrorists in attacking the state directly, or indirectly by creating mayhem in the rest of society, is always political: they wish to redistribute power outside of the constitutionally defined rules. In Guyana, there has been a persistent fringe that has maintained that the present power relations are “unfair” but rather than exercising their democratic responsibility and convincing the majority of their fellow citizens of their views through the ballot, they have resorted to terrorism.
Just as we have universally and correctly condemned the torture by rogue policemen on a murder suspect, we have to universally condemn the attacks by terrorists against the state: both actions go against civilised mores and ensure a “short, brutish and short” national life.
Just as condign action is being taken against the torturers of the murder suspect, we must all insist that just as swift and condign action will be taken against the terrorists who would torture the entire nation.
The Commissioner and other officials had earlier asserted that they had information to the effect that the intellectual authors (in addition to being the financial facilitators) of the Health Ministry arson were located in the US – with their inevitable local counterparts, of course.
The Commissioner noted, “We have seen the link between this matter and the first matter and therefore we maintain the link with those who may be in charge or involved overseas.”
In this matter we can only paraphrase General Colin Powell as he surveyed the criminality of Saddam Hussein: Our strategy in going after this terrorist cabal should be very simple.
First cut it off, and then kill it.

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