Though the pen may be thought mightier than the sword, in the war against terrorism it is becoming an increasingly dulled weapon. In any war the three main groups whose involvement brings to them suffering and death are the soldiers, civilians and journalists. The first group, depending on a number of issues such as enforced conscription and the ideology of the combatant regime is still trained to a degree, compensated financially to an extent, and provided with the means to defend as well as attack. The second group has no such luxury - caught in the crosshairs of geopolitical conflict, civilians of nations upon whose territory warfare is conducted have little recourse against what the generals and presidents have decided. The fifth estate is drawn to warfare like flies to dreck - pain and suffering sells newspapers and brings Pulitzers for reporters. Compensated in fact, added to the hope of awards, the reality of danger is an occupational hazard.

Terrorism has always focused on the civilians first, journalists second, for neither are armed. And no one is ever able to defend against the element of surprise and shock. The capture and torture of soldiers is nothing new - but international agreements such as the Geneva Convention have been drawn, granted only in the last century, to ensure that some humanity is retained in dealing with the captured. Captured civilians are more often than not executed - just look at Rwanda, the Balkans, Somalia and Sudan to mention events of the last 15 years alone.

These days we can add a new sub-category - civilians from outside the warring region. As attempts to rebuild Afghanistan and Iraq are being carried out foreigners from countries participating in the economic windfall that this brings are also being captured, beheaded, or as was the recent case with a Philippine subject, used as a negotiating tool to have troops from that country removed from stabilizing operations in Iraq.

While media attention in the West is being focused on the Lyndie England show trial, where the US soldier is being charged with mistreating and torturing Iraqi POW's, torment captured on film and distributed by money-hungry media for the entire world to see, little is shown of the plight of the common Iraqi civilians subject to terror's senseless scythe.

Perhaps it is because historically the region has known the worst that armed conflict can dole out. Military historian John Keegan has in A History of Warfare identified the ancient Sumerians, whose kingdom at its peak encompassed modern Iraq, as being the first to use long-distance warfare, terror and to see a need to establish rules defining the lines between soldier and civilian. The saga of Gilgamesh provides plenty of proof of the development of unspoken rules of conduct. Still, with bellicose individuals like the Akkadian king Sargon, continuing to fight war after war, empire building was more important than codes of civilization - shades of today's reality in the region.

In the 21st century we are still unable to prevent the Saddams from gaining power and the Bushes, father and son, from removing them without innocent casualty. And, more tellingly, while our disgust with the principals grows the international community is unable to do little more than chastise and chatter from afar, issue stern condemnations and sign statements. Little changes, even with good intentions at play.

As is well known the smaller nations involved in Operation Freedom and the present attempts at stabilizing the region are aware have suffered casualties - Estonia and Latvia have lost a soldier, Poles have lost soldiers and two journalists, the list is long. Many wonder what may happen, should Iraq and its future prove to be more than a significant chess-piece in the US presidential election game.

The Estonian government has now joined the Multinational Force Iraq Statement, (text at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/34926.htm ) which condemns the intensifying terrorism in Iraq. There's that condemnation word again - but beyond eradicating terrorism with the sword, that is the best the pen can do. This statement points out the obvious. Terrorists and former ruling Iraqi regime elements have intensified their campaign of kidnappings and executions aimed at weakening the resolve of the international community.

The signatories, participating in the Multinational Forare united " in their resolve to make no concessions to terrorists nor succumb to terrorist threats." This coincides with not only this week's alleged discovery of a terrorist plot in the US aimed at New York's financial infrastructure, but the leak of documents in Europe saying that Al Qaeda will take their bloody campaign further on to European soil. Estonia and Latvia, while hardly the first obvious targets, cannot presume to be immune from such threats.

The statement declares intent to treat terrorists unlike the way the craven are dealing with civilians - in a democratically accepted fair and legal manner. This is a commitment, if you will, to make sure that perpetrators of terrorist acts against their citizens and soldiers are brought to justice. In a veiled reference to Spain and the Philippines, the statement suggests that conceding to terrorists will endanger all members of the Multinational Force.

If a bomb explodes in Riga or Tallinn - will that change events? Will it weaken present resolve? No document can protect innocents from harm, no piece of paper has ever shown to be an effective shield. And while this statement is designed to affirm the commitment of the US led coalition to allow Iraqis establish a democratic government, to enable them to attain their aspirations for a new future, it seems that it is more a gesture intended to keep those civilians yet untouched from weakening the coalition from within by the type of protest and reaction now being strongly seen domestically in the States.

Sargon of Akkadia would hardly have deigned to take the time to decipher the hieroglyphics written in opposition by those he wished to conquer, and it is highly likely that the terrorists will not give this statement even a cursory glance. Yet, the attempt must be made - even at a time where the media is more interested in show trials rather than doing their bit to work against the blackmail of terrorism against innocent civilians, worldwide.

Arvamus

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