London hit: A sign of shift in terror tactics?

The Parsons Green underground train station attack in southwest London on Friday, in which 30 persons were hurt but fortunately no one died, was not seen globally as a major terrorist strike, although from the start the British authorities treated it as an act of terrorism. It appeared the police might have been exercising abundant caution, considering Britain has been targeted five times by terrorists this year. But the investigations so far seem to suggest possible signs of a change in the modus operandi of international Islamist outfits like Daesh (Islamic State), which faces an existential crisis in its home base in Iraq and Syria.

One of the two young men arrested in Britain was picked up from the departure area of Dover port and may have been fleeing to France. It is not known if there is a wide network with links in Europe. The real point is that cadres of disaffected young people have entrenched themselves in Europe and elsewhere. The Parsons Green operation makes it clear this was not a suicide bombing, for which Islamists are known. Is this a change of tactic, and if so what does it indicate? These are complex issues to figure out.

The past two decades, since the global spread of Islamist terrorism and extremist thought to the far corners of the world, have revealed the Islamist strain to be a serious politico-psychological issue which has shaken up the world’s military and security establishment as well as the political grid in certain countries.

In light of this it was amateurish, reckless, and revealing of a shocking disregard of leadership qualities on the part of US President Donald Trump to say in tweets that the British police had known the identity of the Parsons Green attackers but was found wanting in its counter-terrorism abilities. Can such a leader be trusted to make key decisions that impact the entire world?

In case Mr Trump tweeted against Scotland Yard in order to win back his nativist, redneck constituency back home in America, which some think may have been getting disenchanted since the US leader’s hobnobbing with Democrats in the past week or so to get past key political hurdles in the US Congress, he was being completely irresponsible and cynical.

In his tweets, besides criticising the UK police, Mr Trump renewed his call for restricting immigration from certain Muslim countries. This is likely to feed the communal narrative in a nation like India and also drive passions among communal, sectarian, extremist outfits in Islamic countries and Muslim communities everywhere. If extremism and terrorist tendencies in Islamic countries have to be curbed, the need is to douse passions and gain the social support of Muslims everywhere with appropriate policy actions, and not inflame passions as Mr Trump has done.