|
Panic of Terrorism Watertight Vigilance Ought to Be Maintained | ||||
![]() |
As dreaded, the nation has become a target of terrorism as the notorious terrorist organization al-Qaida Friday urged Muslims to attack the United States and its seven allies _ South Korea, Britain, Japan, France, Australia, Norway and Poland. The threat, which was aired by the Arab television network Al-Jazeera, placed the government on high alert on Saturday, forcing it to convene an emergency meeting to thwart the possible attacks. In the meantime, the U.S. military stationed here has ordered its soldiers and their dependents not to go out after nine o’clock at night since Sept. 24, according to a Los Angles Times’ report. Even though the authenticity of the recorded tape was not verified, it was enough to compel the government to tighten national security as the nation has sent the third largest number of soldiers to Iraq, just behind the United States and Britain. The government recently deployed some 2,800 servicemen in Iraq, overriding strong protests from civic activists and many members of the ruling party as well. They are among 3,600 soldiers whom the government promised to dispatch to terror-stricken Iraq this year. In the emergency meeting convened by the National Security Council under direct control of the presidential office, the government instructed our foreign missions to strengthen security to avert possible terrorist attacks. Immigration procedures at airports and seaports will be tightened to prevent suspected terrorists from entering the country. Controls on illegal foreign workers here will also be beefed up out of concern that they might collaborate with the international terrorist network. Although it is recommendable for the government to promptly take countermeasures to cope with terrorist attacks, it needs to enhance the protection of Korean communities in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hard-line Islamic countries. Our people there will become more vulnerable to terrorism due to the warning by al-Qaida. Maintaining maximum security within the Korean communities abroad is the only way to prevent the recurrences of a tragic incident like the brutal murder of Kim Sun-il by a group of Iraqi insurgents in June. No matter how the steps against terrorist attacks are managed, it will be impossible to realize the aim without cooperation from the general public. Most of all, businessmen and tourists should shun visiting Iraq and other dangerous countries where they will be easy targets of terrorists. All in all, the government should maintain water-tight vigilance so as to keep the nation safe and prevent the economy from slipping further due to security problems. |