Terrorism in all its avatars has made the world a less safe place. Terrorists have the advantage of executing sharp, surgical strikes at the most vulnerable spaces, thanks to their ingenuity in mastering complex security systems and being one up on the state forces that try to preempt such strikes. The terror bombings in Brussels the Belgian capital and the heart of the European Union is a crude reminder that eternal vigilance and a sophisticated level of preparedness which involves a convergence of the global security system is perhaps what is required at this juncture.
Islam fundamentalism which has reared its ugly head and manifests itself through acts of horrendous brutality is now a clear and present global threat. The fundamentalists have sent a signal to the world that if one of their operatives is arrested they will kill at random. Hence the arrest of the accused in the Paris bombing incident – Salah Abdesalam – from the terrorist organisation Daesh (Islamic State), in Brussels a few days ago has led to the serial bombings in the Belgian capital. France has taken the Paris bombings of November 2015 as a direct affront on its citizens and wants Abdesalam to be extradited to stand trial in France. This could turn out to be a lengthy process and would further delay the trial. It would be in order therefore for countries to now think of an international court to try cases of terrorism specifically, along the lines of the International Court of Justice at the Hague which tries war criminals. This collaboration is imperative as it would lead to speedy justice and ensure that terrorists do not get away due to lacunae in the legal systems of some countries.
For now, Brussels has all but shut down and it is expected that the impact will be felt in all of Europe. Needless to say anti-terror mechanisms would now be put in place which will inconvenience travelers to an extent but prevent is any time better than cure. And the loss of thirty four lives is not trivial for countries that place a premium on human lives.