The Faces of Terror

The faces of today’s terrorists can no longer be stereotyped as having thick beards and dark, piercing eyes. The latest round of suicide bombings in the Middle East involved not combat-trained militants but young (barely out of their teens), sometimes clean-cut and innocent looking men–and women. One of the two women in this latest chapter of the intifadeh was but 16 years old and set to be married in the summer. The other woman, who was 28 years old and the first female to strike inside Israel last January, was quickly compared by the Palestinians to Joan of Arc.

According to former U.S. Ambassador and now Asia Society president Nicholas Platt, there is a big difference between Middle Eastern terrorists and those in the Philippines. While the former are fanatics more than willing to lose their lives–maybe even eager to do so, seeing it as the express route into the presence of Allah, with or without the promise of 72 virgins–in carrying out their mission, Pinoy "terrorists" want to "get the job done and then go home and watch basketball". Pinoys don’t strap explosives onto their persons and detonate the charges in crowded places. They study their target for schedules, routines, etc. in order to plan a clean strike and a quick get-away. They have no desire to get into a firefight or any messy encounter; hence a strong show of force like a large, heavily-armed security detail is a good and effective deterrent.

Mr. Platt, of course, survived his four-year (1987-91) tour of duty in the Philippines without a scratch–from terrorists, at least–and with his wry humor intact. But his country did lose its bases in the Philippines when the Senate passed Resolution 141 in 1991 that led to the withdrawal of American forces the following year.

Mr. Platt spoke recently at an Asia Society Philippines forum on RP-US relations after September 11. Mr. Platt shared insights on post 9-11 global dynamics, and he did so with a unique perspective since he also served as ambassador to Pakistan after his stint in Manila.

While we were all consumed with the death of Rico Yan and his yes-or-no relationship with Claudine Barretto, the tinderbox that is the West Bank caught a spark and is now raging, practically beyond anyone’s control. Whether the sweeping Israeli operation will indeed weed out all potential suicide bombers and other terrorists is a big question, especially since the face of terror can now look like the plumber come to fix a leak or the student on her way to school.