Controlling and monitoring dangerous materials

The 17th July Jakarta bombings that have claimed 8 lives so far reminded everyone in the region that the JI is still alive and terrorising the region. What was most surprising for me was that the bombs were assembled in room 1808 of the JW Marriott prior to the suicide attacks.

This brings to mind the unspoken and unnoticed rule (is it a law?) on the sale of industrial glue. In case you don’t know, if you attempt to buy industrial glue (the good stuff that comes in tin cans like paint) from any neighbourhood or carpentry shop, the shop owner needs to verify the age of the buyer. If you’re underaged the shopkeep can’t sell it to you. This is apparently to curb glue-sniffing, but is an example of the control of “contraband” or “dangerous materials” and the management of minds of the gatekeepers of such materials, the shopkeeps.

The same must be done for other materials of the bomb-making kind in Singapore, to prevent a JW Marriott-style attack. Is ammonium nitrate, a popular bomb component, easily and readily available? Is the sale and import of it heavily regulated and monitored? What about other materials crucial to bomb-making? Certainly things like phones and circuitry needed for bomb triggers can’t really be that well controlled since they have a broader application spectrum, but certainly materials that can be used for making bombs would have a much narrower application and therefore easier to keep tabs on?

Perhaps such controls are already in place to curb such insidious attacks. One thing’s for sure, perimeter checks and border controls can be great on paper but ultimately human beings will segue into complacency. Add on the fact that people will bitch and moan about draconian procedures like bag and body checks especially by those who consider themselves the elevated and privileged, humans will inadvertently start to profile people and skip procedures. From the recent past our history included you only need to be complacent at the exact wrong moment to let the shit hit the fan. It is also fatal to believe that bomb-making knowledge is hard to come by, what with the Internet replete with instructions and videos.

That nothing untoward has happened so far, should not lead us to believe all is in order. The same was probably in the minds of people in the region up until 17th July 2009.

Thumbs up for totalitarianism

On 28th Nov 2008, global terrorism claimed its first Singaporean victim, in the Mumbai attacks that have claimed 195 lives and many more injured. As nearly every Singaporean should know by now, Ms Lo Hwei Yen was brutally shot and killed in the Oberoi Trident Hotel, together with many others who were held hostage by terrorists. Every media front is covering this extensively and European newspapers are awash with more indepth reports of the events unfolding including new intelligence gained from the aftermath, including seized credit cards from Malaysia and accomplices from Mumbai locals.

Thailand is fast spiraling out of control, with Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports at a virtual standstill with PAD anti-government protesters sieging the airports. Thailand has lost millions in travel and import/export with the lack of airport access. Thousands flee by road, rail and air (if possible) back to Malaysia, Singapore and beyond.

I truly pity the Thai national in Mumbai who flees from one chaos only to be in another.

It is times like these that I grudgingly tip my hat off to the Singapore government and its police forces for managing to keep its promise of “No More Violence” ever since the heady period of Singapore domestic violence courtesy of the Hock Lee bus riots and Maria Hertogh racial riots, among others. Domestic violence does nobody any favours and it is certainly not doing any for Thailand and India. While it is in the best interests of psychotic terrorists to make citizens succumb to the climate of fear, one cannot help but fear and it is that fear that paralyzes a vibrant city like Mumbai or Bangkok.

Or Singapore for that matter. For a country that has 60c of every dollar flowing out due to a heavily export and international business centric economy, domestic chaos is the Damocles Sword of Singapore’s very survival in the global economy. MSK’s escape aside, Singapore has done exceedingly well in its job to prevent anything untoward from happening to her. From stamping out racial and domestic riots, to the nipping of the JI bud, to close ties with its neighbours.

However the spectre of MSK’s haunting presense (or lack of?) continue to prick. Can or will something similar to Mumbai happen to Singapore? As P N Balji puts it, is anyone safe? Singapore’s intelligence agencies must work doubly hard from now on.

Different strokes for different folks Down Under?

Australian authorities finally dropped all charges against Dr. Mohammed Haneef, who stood accused of being part of the terror plot to blow up parts of London and Glasgow airport. In a series of gaffes and false statements, Dr. Haneef was remanded in prison without rights since July 2, but was released due to lack of evidence.

Even more shocking were were the Australian government and authorities’ lack of sympathy and refusal to apologise to Dr. Haneef. Add to that, that Dr. Haneef is losing his Australian visa and that the revocation will stand.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/27/europe/terror.php

In what I can only describe as a series of Inspector Clouseau finesse, melted SIM cards had mysteriously appeared elsewhere and police statements were changed. It struck me as draconian that up till now the Australian government and authorities stand firm on what could be viewed as “a terrorist getting away with it” than an innocent man wrongfully charged.

Looking back at Australia’s anti-terror efforts post-9/11, it wouldn’t be a far stretch to say that Australia is trying very hard to have its London bust or big anti-terrorism break, to supposedly justify its anti-terror overspending. Indeed looking at its past record of wrong convictions and thrown out charges, Australia is trying too hard.

Or is it more of different strokes for different folks? When they are bearded muslim men, they are accorded no justice compared to others? To wit, David Hicks, who was arrested and convicted of terrorism charges by the US. However, pending his trial and subsequent conviction, Australia kicked up a fuss and even jumped through hoops to get Hicks cleared of charges and failing that to be out of Guantanamo Bay and into an Australian prison. Since John Howard’s refusal to denounce Pauline Hanson’s racist platform, Howard’s government has officially joined the ranks of George W Bush in the club of the criminally stupid.

When Australia interferes with our local politics, civil rights frothing from the braying mouths, against our own convictions against convicted criminals, one wonders why would anyone bother to listen to them. Indeed why should we?

http://www.newsintercom.org/index.php?itemid=541