Dad
... What's A Terrorist?
By David Campbell
24 April, 2004
The Age
Dad ... what's
a terrorist?
Well, according
to the Oxford dictionary a terrorist is "a person who uses violence
and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims". Which means
that terrorists are very bad men and women who frighten ordinary people
like us, and sometimes even kill them.
Why do they kill
them?
Because they hate
them or their country. It's hard to explain ... it's just the way things
are. For many different reasons a lot of people in our world are full
of hate.
Like the ones in
Iraq who are capturing people and saying that they'll kill them if all
the soldiers don't leave?
Exactly! That's
an evil thing called "blackmail". Those innocent people are
hostages, and the terrorists are saying that if governments don't do
what they want the hostages will be killed.
So was it blackmail
when we said we'd attack Iraq and kill innocent people unless they told
us where all their weapons were?
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No! Well ... yes, I suppose. In a way. But that was an "ultimatum"
... call it "good blackmail.
Good blackmail?
What's that?
That's when it's
done for good reasons. Those weapons were very dangerous and could have
hurt a lot of people all over the world. It was very important to find
them and destroy them.
But Dad ... there
weren't any weapons.
True. We know that
now. But we didn't at the time. We thought there were.
So was killing all
those innocent people in Iraq a mistake?
No. It was a tragedy,
but we also saved a lot of lives. You see, we had to stop a very cruel
man called Saddam Hussein from killing a great many ordinary Iraqi people.
Saddam Hussein stayed in power by giving orders that meant thousands
of people died or were horribly injured. Mothers and fathers. Even children.
Like that boy I
saw on TV? The one who had his arms blown off by a bomb?
Yes ... just like
him.
But we did that.
Does that mean our leaders are terrorists?
Good heavens, no!
Whatever gave you that idea? That was just an accident. Unfortunately,
innocent people get hurt in a war. You can't expect anything else when
you drop bombs on cities. Nobody wants it to happen ... it's just the
way things are.
So in a war only
soldiers are supposed to get killed?
Well, soldiers are
trained to fight for their country. It's their job, and they're very
brave. They know that war is dangerous and that they might be killed.
As soon as they put on a uniform they become a target.
What uniforms do
terrorists wear?
That's just the
problem ... they don't! We can't tell them apart from the civilians.
We don't know who we're fighting. And that's why so many innocent people
are getting killed ... the terrorists don't follow the rules of war.
War has rules?
Oh, yes. Soldiers
must wear uniforms. And you can't just suddenly attack someone unless
they do something to you first. Then you can defend yourself.
So that's why we
attacked Iraq? Because Iraq attacked us first and we were just defending
ourselves?
Not exactly. Iraq
didn't attack us ... but it might have. We decided to get in first.
Just in case Iraq used those weapons we were talking about.
The ones they didn't
have? So we broke the rules of war?
Technically speaking,
yes. But ...
So if we broke the
rules first, why isn't it OK for those people in Iraq who aren't wearing
uniforms to break the rules?
Well, that's different.
We were doing the right thing when we broke the rules.
But Dad ... how
do we know we were doing the right thing?
Our leaders ...
Bush and Blair and Howard ... they told us it was the right thing. And
if they don't know, who does? They say that something had to be done
to make Iraq a better place.
Is it a better place?
I suppose so, but
I don't know for sure. Innocent people are still being killed and these
kidnappings are terrible things. I feel very sorry for the families
of those poor hostages, but we simply can't give in to terrorists. We
must stand firm.
Would you say that
if I was captured by terrorists?
Uh ... yes ... no
... I mean, it's very difficult ...
So you'd let me
be killed? Don't you love me?
Of course! I love
you very much. It's just that it's a very complicated issue and I don't
know what I'd do ...
Well, if somebody
attacked us and bombed our house and killed you and Mum and Jamie I
know what I'd do.
What?
I'd find out who
did it and kill them. Any way I could. I'd hate them for ever and ever.
And then I'd get in a plane and bomb their cities.
But ... but ...
you'd kill a lot of innocent people.
I know. But it's
war, Dad. And that's just the way things are. Remember?
David Campbell is
a Melbourne writer.