http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,201035,00.html?
S'poreans aware of threats
As terrorists expand targets, poll shows locals not complacent
By Andre Yeo
May 06, 2009
ON GUARD: A poll of 100 people on how concerned they are about terrorist attacks. TNP GRAPHICS: CELESTINO GULAPA
SPORTSMEN, by their very nature, always aim to be on top of the rankings.
But there is one ranking system that they should be wary of: The hit list of the terrorist.
In recent months, sportsmen have become fair game for terrorists, alongside usual victims like tourists and hapless civilians.
And some experts say this could be demonstrating a shift in the aims of some terrorist groups.
Dr John Harrison, assistant professor at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, gave an insight into the thinking of a terrorist to The New Paper.
He said: 'All terrorists go through a process where they prefer to attack some targets instead of others. It depends on the potential of the target.'
Asst Prof Harrison is an expert on aviation and maritime security, homeland security, political violence and terrorism, at the school's International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research.
He said sportsmen like the Sri Lankan cricketers, were picked as targets due to their high profile.
He said the recent attack on them in Lahore was aimed at causing huge embarrassment to the Pakistani government and to show that it was not in control.
And because cricket has such a hold on the country's consciousness, the terrorists knew that the attack would have great impact on its population, he added.
He said the choice of the target would also depend on the terrorists' ideology and the statement they were trying to make.
For example, if they were against foreigners in that country, they would probably attack tourists, instead of locals, as they might feel tourists didn't belong there.
Asst Prof Harrison added that terrorists, regardless of the organisation they belonged to, had limited resources and would try to maximise the impact of these limited resources.
He said the target of the operation was not the victim. Rather, it was wider society itself.
According to a poll done by The New Paper, many Singaporeans are concerned that an attack could happen anywhere in the world, including Singapore.
On 15 Apr, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister, Mr Wong Kan Seng, delivered a speech on how terrorism had evolved.
Fair game
He said, today, even hospitals, sporting teams and tourists find themselves appearing on the terrorists' hit list and 'everything and everyone is fair game'.
He then reminded Singaporeans not to be complacent about their security and to assume that high-profile events, like the Formula One race, could be attacked by terrorists.
So, are Singaporeans complacent?
A poll of 100 people done by The New Paper, seemed to show that ordinary Singaporeans were all too aware that they could be caught in a terrorist attack.
Dr Alvin Chew, 35, research fellow at the Rajaratnam School, told The New Paper that although Singaporeans had not experienced any major threats yet, they were aware of the security threats around them.
He said: 'There is this awareness instilled in them by the Government who have done a good job (of it). And Singaporeans don't take their security for granted even though we are living in a very different world now.'
Madam Jariah Ismail, 55, a retiree, said: 'Singapore is a safe country and our level of security is high but no matter how safe we are, we shouldn't rule out that a terrorist attack can happen here in Singapore.'
Mr Nick Lie, 22, an undergraduate at the Singapore Management University, was aware that terrorists, if they had failed once before, would try and try again until they succeeded.
He cited how Singapore had a close shave with terrorism a few years ago with the Yishun MRT bomb threat. An attack, he added, can happen.
The most famous example was the World Trade Centre in New York, which had been car bombed but not destroyed on 26 Feb, 1993, a month after Mr Bill Clinton was sworn in as president.
It only took another eight years for terrorists to bring the twin towers down, on 11 Sep 2001.
But undergraduate Ivan Yeo, 25, felt Singapore was secure, and the level of security checks had increased significantly since Mas Selamat's escape.
He said: 'Even the MRT nowadays is well-guarded. I think Singapore on the whole is more vigilant.'
Additional reporting by Kay Tan, Shea Driscoll, Jovita Chua, Geraldine Yeo, Audrey Tan, Pearly Tan, Ervina Mohamed Jamil, Han Yongming and Naveen Kanagalingam.
S'poreans aware of threats
As terrorists expand targets, poll shows locals not complacent
By Andre Yeo
May 06, 2009
ON GUARD: A poll of 100 people on how concerned they are about terrorist attacks. TNP GRAPHICS: CELESTINO GULAPA
SPORTSMEN, by their very nature, always aim to be on top of the rankings.
But there is one ranking system that they should be wary of: The hit list of the terrorist.
In recent months, sportsmen have become fair game for terrorists, alongside usual victims like tourists and hapless civilians.
And some experts say this could be demonstrating a shift in the aims of some terrorist groups.
Dr John Harrison, assistant professor at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, gave an insight into the thinking of a terrorist to The New Paper.
He said: 'All terrorists go through a process where they prefer to attack some targets instead of others. It depends on the potential of the target.'
Asst Prof Harrison is an expert on aviation and maritime security, homeland security, political violence and terrorism, at the school's International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research.
He said sportsmen like the Sri Lankan cricketers, were picked as targets due to their high profile.
He said the recent attack on them in Lahore was aimed at causing huge embarrassment to the Pakistani government and to show that it was not in control.
And because cricket has such a hold on the country's consciousness, the terrorists knew that the attack would have great impact on its population, he added.
He said the choice of the target would also depend on the terrorists' ideology and the statement they were trying to make.
For example, if they were against foreigners in that country, they would probably attack tourists, instead of locals, as they might feel tourists didn't belong there.
Asst Prof Harrison added that terrorists, regardless of the organisation they belonged to, had limited resources and would try to maximise the impact of these limited resources.
He said the target of the operation was not the victim. Rather, it was wider society itself.
According to a poll done by The New Paper, many Singaporeans are concerned that an attack could happen anywhere in the world, including Singapore.
On 15 Apr, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister, Mr Wong Kan Seng, delivered a speech on how terrorism had evolved.
Fair game
He said, today, even hospitals, sporting teams and tourists find themselves appearing on the terrorists' hit list and 'everything and everyone is fair game'.
He then reminded Singaporeans not to be complacent about their security and to assume that high-profile events, like the Formula One race, could be attacked by terrorists.
So, are Singaporeans complacent?
A poll of 100 people done by The New Paper, seemed to show that ordinary Singaporeans were all too aware that they could be caught in a terrorist attack.
Dr Alvin Chew, 35, research fellow at the Rajaratnam School, told The New Paper that although Singaporeans had not experienced any major threats yet, they were aware of the security threats around them.
He said: 'There is this awareness instilled in them by the Government who have done a good job (of it). And Singaporeans don't take their security for granted even though we are living in a very different world now.'
Madam Jariah Ismail, 55, a retiree, said: 'Singapore is a safe country and our level of security is high but no matter how safe we are, we shouldn't rule out that a terrorist attack can happen here in Singapore.'
Mr Nick Lie, 22, an undergraduate at the Singapore Management University, was aware that terrorists, if they had failed once before, would try and try again until they succeeded.
He cited how Singapore had a close shave with terrorism a few years ago with the Yishun MRT bomb threat. An attack, he added, can happen.
The most famous example was the World Trade Centre in New York, which had been car bombed but not destroyed on 26 Feb, 1993, a month after Mr Bill Clinton was sworn in as president.
It only took another eight years for terrorists to bring the twin towers down, on 11 Sep 2001.
But undergraduate Ivan Yeo, 25, felt Singapore was secure, and the level of security checks had increased significantly since Mas Selamat's escape.
He said: 'Even the MRT nowadays is well-guarded. I think Singapore on the whole is more vigilant.'
Additional reporting by Kay Tan, Shea Driscoll, Jovita Chua, Geraldine Yeo, Audrey Tan, Pearly Tan, Ervina Mohamed Jamil, Han Yongming and Naveen Kanagalingam.
