Dr. M. S. HaqThe US navy yard shooting on the morning of 16 September 2013 in Washington DC left 13 people dead including the shooter – besides, a number of injured people – all, accompanied by, as appropriate though, renewed concerns among the people regarding their safety and security through future times. But having said that, there is no denying the US has been, in an average sense though, performing reasonably well in protecting the country and its people following the 9/11 in the presence of challenges, opportunities and other things – against the backdrop of the country’s continuing lone superpower status in the world, its global leadership in the war on terror, and its improving economy after the global economic melt down, to mention a few.
Factors such as and as appropriate: one, advancements of the US through an increasingly difficult path of progress and prosperity against the backdrop of developments, for example ramifications of universe renewals in the form of say climate change – cross-cutting intra and inter-disciplinary areas of survival, living, continuity, growth, and recycling at local, global and other levels at a variety of costs to countries, peoples and others, and through good and bad sides of global interdependencies; two, the present day inabilities of the US when it comes to help sustaining and promoting its own, as well as global stabilities for purposes say optimization of competitive, comparative and other advantages of the US and rest of the world for maximal mutual benefits; and three, rising jealousies, as well as anti-people motivations for putting for instance the US in harm’s way, affecting prospects for a change for better world to be built upon existing gains and capacities for purposes such as common good in the midst of scarcities of useful, as well as usable resources – are not only becoming instrumental in shaping and sizing vulnerabilities of the US but those of the world at large especially, when it comes to meeting challenges of world development to maximum per capita satisfaction of all people of all of the world at all time.
The bottom line is: the US should and should not work in isolation for striking the right balance between its own stabilities and stabilities of the world at large in overall pursuits of sustainable advancements of 21st century civilization to maximum satisfaction of all concerned.
The navy yard shooting and ramifications thereof have added an additional dimension to the need for say better housekeeping of the US for its own stabilities and stabilities of other countries concerned – in an affordable manner to maximum advantages and minimum disadvantages of above countries, as practicable though, against the backdrop of present day trends in global reintegration, and increasing uncertainties including those associated with terrorism, to mention a few. It implies, among other things, a holistic, fair, inter-disciplinary and meaningfully participatory enquiry – with hi-result-orientations of all concerned – into matters of the navy yard shooting (hereinafter: the shooting) would be critical to establish inter alia motive-s of the shooting, enabling for example the US to do more for keeping the country free of terrorism and ramifications thereof in a sustainable manner through the foreseeable future.
An initial and brief analysis of reported components of the shooting – up to and including 17 September 2013 – would reveal several things in favor of for example possible terror motives behind the shooting. A few of them, as of 18 September 2013, have been presented here – not in the order of priority and importance but they are relative to time, space and other variables.
I. The time of occurance and the place of occurance of the shooting nearly coincide – as appropriate though – with those of the 9/11. It may be mentioned here: the shooting took place at the time when the country was under active terror threat.
II. It has so far been observed by me, relevant incidents of fire or similar things – in countries such as Pakistan and India – have acted either as precursors of major terror attacks or end spurts of those attacks in those countries. The fire in a New Jersey area was one of the incidents that took place immediately prior to the shooting in Washington DC.
The incidents of fire and similar things could be a medium of communication and communication itself between and among terrorists and others concerned in the midst of opportunities such as incidents related media coverage – in possible pursuits of for example overcoming by them relevant ICT and related constraints and maximization of opportunities mentioned in their favor. Further, incidents mentioned could be part of efforts towards for example diverting human and organizational attentions, as well as resources from key target-s of terror attacks and from real time-s of terror attacks. One of the ultimate purposes could be – maximization of terror actions, as well as impacts on target-s via prolongation of inaction by relevant authorities as a result of for example delayed responses by those authorities to terror attacks. Recent flooding in one of the states of US prior to the shooting could also have acted, as proper though, as an object of detraction in relevant areas.
III. Terrorists and concerned others are increasingly attacking defense and security establishments, as well as installations in countries such as Pakistan. Pak Navy is not an exception to that. In the US, the shooting took place at navy yard in Washington DC. Six of the questions here are: is there any possibility, if so – as to what extent and how bilateral and multilateral military + security cooperation, as well as collaborations between and among the US and other countries concerned, and the present day internet insecurity (to mention a few) have been instrumental in inter alia transforming for example US Navy and Pak Navy into targets of terror attacks. How risky is for the US – the military and security arrangements in present formats under for example continuing terror climate? How about loyalty, accountability and commitments on the part of all concerned at organizational and other levels against the backdrop of constitutional obligations and national interest? To what extent and how terror infiltrations into for example national security and defense areas of the US are a reality? How about security clearances issued to Aaron Alexis against the backdrop of his reported criminal records? How about travel destinations, as well as details of late Aaron Alexis prior to and since the 9/11?
IV. A practicing Buddhist is not expected to kill for example human beings according to requirements of his or her religion. But exceptions are there – for example, the killing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar by Buddhist monks in the recent past. Late Alexis was reportedly a practicing Buddhist – how could he afford to kill, save and except the exceptions though, so many people on the day of the shooting? What was his real identity? Was he part of any sting operation?
V. The modus operandi of terror attacks has been changing. The size of attackers is getting smaller. Impacts of terror attack on targets are increasing particularly, when it comes to say resources-impacts ratio in pertinent areas. The developments are compatible with the shooting case wherein Alexis was apparently the lone attacker and magnitudes of say loss of human life were manifold. By the way, who are direct, indirect and other beneficiaries of the shooting?
The last word: liberate, as appropriate, state and other institutions from elements of terrorism. Initiate BMR (balancing, modernization and rehabilitation) of weak institutions. Stop spreading of terror ideology – starting from individual homes; fight the war on terror in a united and result-oriented fashion; ensure the right and affordable justice for all at all time; eliminate wastage; develop antidotes to terrorism and use them – all via say education and similar opportunities; work towards for example and as appropriate mutually reinforcing and productive defense-security-relations-development policies for sustenance and promotion of security, peace, progress and prosperity of the US and the world at large. Let us work towards that. Let us reactivate the UN as an influential and useful partner in eradication of terrorism from the world at soonest. God bless. (The author is inter alia Proponent of Gene mechanics. He wrote this piece from the US.)
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