By Daily Star Editorial
 

The euphoria over the killing of Osama bin Laden is winding to a close. Many commentators in the United States are talking about achieving “closure” over the Sept. 11 attacks, while others have turned their attention to whether the country can now achieve closure when it comes to a period known as the “war on terror.”
It is time for the United States and other countries interested in pursuing the so-called war on terror to turn over a new leaf, by formulating a new policy.

This new policy should not be created and carried out in unilateral fashion, or with the same small group of allied countries; it should be the result of a wider partnership. Just as the G-8 was too small to handle the complex global economy, the complex global phenomenon of terrorism requires a much more inclusive mix of nations.
Terror itself, as all of the experts point out, and as people across the world have experienced, is not confined to a single group of people, whether in terms of color, class or ideology.

As the White House and other decision-making centers must be aware by now, fighting terror by drone missile attacks and bombing isn’t the answer. These can kill people, but not a political movement.
The classification of various political groups, and the methods they employ, should be re-evaluated, and involve no double standards. As for practical measures, the U.S. and other countries seeking a resolution of the “terror” issue could do themselves a big favor by engaging pro-actively with the people in countries of concern.
If Washington and its friends employ a single standard of condemnation and accountability on this front, they will attract support instead of generating cynicism.

If they are serious about fighting terror, they must uphold the values that they constantly champion: democracy, freedom, human rights and reform, while ensuring that their own records can be scrutinized.
If they indulge certain Arab regimes, for example, while targeting others, the policy will certainly backfire, as the world has witnessed thus far during the “year of Arab revolutions.”
If Israel’s human-rights violations are a “no-fly zone” for criticism, they should not be surprised that their own “no-fly zones” for the enemy Arab regime of the moment will be questioned when protection for other populations is absent.

A worldwide effort to get at the roots of the terror phenomenon is needed, one that is focused on eliminating the grievances that eventually explode into political violence. There will always be conflict, but by minimizing its scope, and allowing for elections instead of bullets to decide matters, the toll on society can be kept to a minimum.
It will also be the best way to ensure that terror remains an alien entity in the world’s societies, and not the weapon of first choice.