Living With Terror !

It was a very normal early summer Saturday night in London and the city was packed with people doing the things they enjoy on a weekend.  The clubs and restaurants were doing a roaring trade and the friendly pubs were often the meeting place before groups went on to the theatres.

Without warning a Transit van driving over London bridge swerved onto the footpath and mowed down pedestrians, moving on a few hundred yards before crashing.  Three men jumped out, armed with knives and immediately began to stab and slash innocent people.  The police response was swift.  In just eight minutes all three terrorists were shot dead.

The outcome was seven dead and dozens with severe wounds.  Fleets of ambulances quickly arrived and the police escorted survivors to safety.  This was the response to calls by Islamic State for its supporters to kill and main in western cities.   In the past the method chosen had been explosives packed with shrapnel.   This was the response to an IS appeal for attackers to use whatever weapons were available.

It seems that the war with IS has entered a new stage.  IS encounters difficulties smuggling a bomb maker into the country and obtaining explosives, but vehicles and knives are available to ordinary citizens.  IS propaganda urges its followers to strike without warning,  Clearly, the British have developed an effective armed response. The scattering of armed officers throughout the city enabled this attack to be quickly smothered with limited casualties.

In is also interesting to gauge public reaction.  This follows an IS attack in a theatre in Manchester just a few days earlier and warnings that other attacks were expected.  If IS thought the people would be cowed and stay off the streets they were badly mistaken.  The " herd instinct " kicks in and individuals discount the danger that may accrue to them as individuals.   They will certainly seek shelter when trouble eventuates nearby - but they will not change their lifestyle.

There is also a subtle outcome that does not seem to occur to IS.  The Muslim religion is deeply enmeshed in the western world.   When they order an attack on a theatre or to bring death to people in the street there is a very good chance that they will be killing fellow Muslims.   It seems to be part of their twisted logic that if Muslims are living in a western society then they are probably as morally   impure as infidels.   Hardly an attitude likely to attract support from Mosque attending Muslim families who have chosen a western lifestyle.

Unfortunately, this IS phenomenon is likely to persist for a long period of time.  It had its foundation in a Wahabist school of thinking that originated in Saudi Arabia and this was promulgated by Osama bin Laden when he formed al Quaeda.   IS has simply extended that thinking to include the formation of a world caliphate.

IS gains are being rolled back in the Middle East but the return of its fighters to their home countries will probably bring more attacks - until their numbers are eliminated.  Such has been the history whenever one form of religion has sought to force itself on others by way of violence.