TERROR HAS NO BORDERS
(By Sever Plotzker, "Yediot Ahronot", July 28, 1996, page 2)
The President of the Olympic Committee made no mention in his opening speech in Atlanta of the terror against the Israelis in the Olympics in Munich in 1972. But terror reminded him. A powerful bomb tore the air of the Olympic "Century Park" in the heart of Atlanta, early Saturday morning. A pipe bomb exploded on the site, killed two, wounded dozens. An act of terror, local or imported. Terror has no borders.
The experts caution, not to draw hasty conclusions from the explosion. It is likely that it is an act of madmen who are made in America, and not madmen who are made in Iran or Lybia or N. Ireland. But there is no substantial difference between the types of terror. With all the political and technical differences between the terror in Munich and the terror in Atlanta, or any other place, the principle that dictates its planning and execution is the same: to instill dread and fear on civilians, who are not involved in the issues for which the terror is brought about. To prove the destructive ability of extremist minority groups.
The question, therefore, is not whether to continue the Olympic Games after a fatal terrorist incident. The answer to that is unequivocal: yes, continue. Halting the Olympics in Atlanta like that would be a gift to the terrorists. Even cities in Israel did not close down in mourning when Hamas and Jihad suicide bombers blew themselves up around us, and the peace process was not halted. The question is whether the world's statesmen and their intelligence organizations are doing everything to trace the terror networks. In this case also the answer is unequivocal: no.
We all remember the photos of the heads of the delegations and Presidents convening in Sharm El Sheikh, foor the impressive international conference against terror. Shaking hands, signing declarations. Since then terror has not subsided. On the contrary, it has intensified. In particular terror against America: on 15 June a booby-trapped truck expoded in Dharan, Saudi Arabia, and killed 19 American soldiers. On 17 July a TWA jet exploded mid-air over Long Island and 230 passengers were killed. On 27 July a device exploded in Olympic "Century Park" in Atlanta. Terror has also returned to N. Ireland, also to Africa, also to So. Lebanon and also to Israel, in the form of the Hamas "gunfire cell".
The terror attack in Atlanta again demonstrates that terror has become the most significant threat to world peace, everywhere in the world.