Strategy against terrorism needs to be reconsidered

Sunday was not just the day for remembering those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept 11, 2001, it also brought into focus how much more needs to be done in the war against terror.

The 9/11 attacks were a watershed in the history of the United States and the world at large, as it is no exaggeration to say that they heralded the era of cross-border and pan-national terrorism and the worldwide fight against terrorists.

However, the efforts of the international community to fight terrorism and the money spent in this regard since then have not paid off. Statistics show that the number of terrorist attacks has risen considerably since the 9/11 attacks, especially after the war the United States launched against Iraq in 2003. What is even more worrying and terrifying is the fact that the majority of terrorist attacks are targeted at ordinary people with the aim of provoking fear and division.