CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

How can we spot let alone stop a suicide bomber?

Shenali Waduge

There are many who grumble over the present security check points where passengers & passerby’s are often subject to searches & requested to forward some form of identity. Have they ever thought how it must be like for the men & women of the Armed Forces & police who conduct the security checks through sun & rain? How close they are to death by a potential suicide bomber who is likely to set the bomb off no sooner she feels that she has been suspected? How many of us empathize with our armed forces?

The 90s found the LTTE targeting civilians in a bid to hit the economy of the country & affect the tourism as a result. Thereafter, their emphasis was more toward hitting their enemy – the leaders, the armed forces heads etc. The Nugegoda bombing could have then been something that could have been averted had the bomb disposal squads attended to the parcel instead of the constable who unfortunately met his death in examining the parcel found by the NO LIMIT staff. This incident however tragic does call for some sensible action on the part of the public too. A big NO to crowding round any suspicious looking object just to satisfy one’s curiosity. The repercussions are likely to be fatal & you are not likely to live to tell the tale. The Government in turn must immediately set up national programs & through informational networks in collaboration with the private TV & radio channels advise the public including the school going youth what to do in a scenario where they suspect a potential suicide bomber or see a suspicious parcel.

It would require tremendous nerve to know how to act in a situation where one suspects a potential suicide bomber. Even a whisper to someone next to you may invite the suicide bomber to take action. Yet, allowing her to proceed is likely to create a worse scenario in that she would be heading for her preferred target. The reality is that no one has any formula to spot or even stop a suicide bomber. She is a human bomb prepared to die while causing death & mayhem to scores of others – it may be any of us on the street. Lately the salwar has become their choice of dress, it is easy to conceal the bomb, but these murderous elements will soon think of another form of attire.

Another option that the Government should consider is relocating the offices of potential targets. Minister Douglas Devananda’s office is very close to Isipathana College. You can imagine the chaos it would have cause if the bomb had taken place during school opening or closing hours. It was extremely wise of the Education Minister to declare holiday for schools in the Western Province. With humanitarian agencies keeping to their diplomatic proclamations against the bombing, if any such incident had at all resulted in an attack on the Tamils down South it would have certainly made headlines & the entire world would have come down on the Government. However, these 18 or so innocent lives have just had to make do with the usual diplomatic statements saying that the Sri Lankan Government “suspects” the LTTE for the incident.

With the Xmas season round the corner, the public need to be quickly educated on handling such sensitive situations & the need for extra vigilance to avert any calamity that these murderers are planning to do.

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