THE PRESS SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1985. Countering airborne terror

Press, 22 June 1985, Page 18

THE PRESS SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1985. Countering airborne terror

The hijacking of innocent passengers, subjecting them to the ordeal that has been the lot of those on board the T.W.A. aircraft since it was seized between Athens and Rome more than a week ago, is criminal violence against people who are not at war. The watching world has been appalled by the murder of one passenger and the beating of another. The one fortunate feature of the week’s events has been the release of many passengers unharmed, though this seems to have made even more vulnerable the continuing safety of the 40 American hostages still detained by the fanatical Shi’ite gunmen. President Reagan took the hard decision to tell the terrorists that the United States will never give in to terrorist demands, which was not good news for the hostages. What is said publicly and what is done behind the scenes often differ, but President Reagan’s warning to “the assassins in Beirut and their accomplices” is plain enough. Making concessions to terrorists, he said, would only invite more terrorism. However harsh this stand might appear — and however cheerless its implied message for the remaining hostages — the decision has to be reckoned the inescapable one.

In return, the hostages have provided wise counsel when they asked President Reagan to refrain from any military or violent attempt, “no matter how noble or heroic,” to secure their freedom. The enormous pressures from the American people to look after their own, not to mention President Reagan’s own instincts and commitments, might tempt him to try something — but what? It is pointless to appeal to the humanity of people who think

nothing of killing unoffending travellers to gain their own political ends. President Carter’s unhappy sally into Iran to rescue the American Embassy hostages should be a warning that sending in the cavalry is best left to B-grade westerns. The world must hope that reason can be brought to be bear to avert the global implications of this particular incident — and must intensify efforts to prevent its recurrence. In these days of sophisticated electronic surveillance of passengers, and when so many hijackings and attempted hijackings should have put even the dullest wits on guard, the wonder is how it can still be possible for terrorists to board a civilian aircraft in such numbers, armed with a veritable arsenal of hand grenades, pistols, knives, and what one hijacker boasted of as “the fastest machine-gun in the world.” Airport security against hijackers must be improved and pressure can be applied to countries which encourage or are soft on such terrorism. International co-operation is probably the most effective weapon against terrorism and air piracy. In 1978, seven Western countries whose airlines fly on most international routes signed an accord to deny spare aircraft parts to countries that accommodate hijackers. This move is reported to have borne fruit. Much more in the way of international co-operation and access could be denied countries that endorse or support the activities of terrorists. Terrorists and their apologists are at war with the whole of decent society; there can be no respite in the struggle to make air travel safe from the common enemy.