anotherlook

Just seven short months after the Mambai, India hotel bombings, Jakarta Indonesia was hit by suicide bombers early this morning. When will the violence end? Just yesterday, I watched a disturbing video on the news of terrorist indoctrinating elementary aged children to the concepts and justifications of suicide bombings and terrorist acts. Some videos even used a character like Mickey Mouse to brainwash these children.

These recent bombings took place in the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta, a popular place for Westerners to stay when in the city. While there have been no group who has claimed these bombings, the consensus seems to be that a group of Southeast Asian Islamic militants called the Jemaah Islamiyah, with ties to al-Qaeda, may be responsible.

On the other hand, the investigation into the attacks on the hotels is in the preliminary stages and there may be other reasons, such as the recent elections in that area, that could have been motivation for the attacks, the fact remains and the concept driven home that terrorist, for whatever reason can strike at any given moment. This is a very disturbing component of these acts of terrorism.

Whoever was responsible sent a strong message as to the very real threat of terrorism that should be acknowledged daily. While the world “condemns” such actions, these condemnations do nothing to erase the fact that this violence can take place at any given time, in any given country disrupting and negatively impacting the lives of many with the shear surprise of the attacks.

Because Indonesia has a history of being attacked in these violent ways, security precautions are enforced in most major hotels which include, checking vehicles and visitors passing through metal detectors. However, the suspected suicide bombers of today’s incidence were actually registered guests at the hotel with a checkout slated for today. While they did “check out” it was not in the normal manner of check out and they caused the involuntary act of checking out for at least nine (9) other people.

According to initial reports, several American citizens were among the injured. The total number of injured at this time is set at 50. All though there has been an intense crack-down on the terrorist group assumed responsible for these acts, sources say the group is still a “very capable terrorist organization.”

The war on terrorist continues in Afghanistan, Iraq as well as other locations around the world but it appears that it is a losing battle. The question becomes how do you stop what is growing in leaps and bounds with the recruitment of ever younger participants? What is this showing others who may be discontent with whatever is happening in their life at any given moment?

When violence, water-boarding, murder and arrests do not curtail the violence perpetrated by terrorist, what is “Plan B” in the war on terrorism; what is “Plan B” in putting a halt to this ugliness? It’s time to face the facts, war is not the answer but for lack of another means, war is what we got – wars that will go on indefinitely with no definitive “winner or loser” it appears; just the constant awareness of the possibility that you may be the next victim in this very real bit of insanity.

And that’s the way I see it!!!

Red and White Sympathy Tribute - (R.I.P. all who lost their life)