The Jakarta attack

This refers to the editorial, ‘The Jakarta attack’ (January 16). The editorial has rightly pointed out that “Isis wants to open a new front in South East Asia”. But what are its motives? There are reports that Iraqi forces are on the verge of wrestling the control of Ramadi away from the terrorist group and at the same time Isis has seen large desertions. To open another front seems to be a tactical move by Isis to show that it is capable of striking anywhere in the world despite these setbacks.

The Jakarta assault showed motivations and patterns particular to Indonesia. It was likely carried out in response to specific conditions in Indonesia, and cannot be understood outside the context of Indonesia’s history of home-grown extremism – as well as the government’s violent campaign against it. The Jakarta attack has aptly demonstrated the complexity of dealing with the religiously-inspired terror attacks. The biggest reason behind the frequent occurrence of terror attacks is the absence of a strong security plan that transcends national boundaries and has the pan-Islamic support.

Sabia Sabzal

Kech