A general view of the scene outside a restaurant following the attack in Paris. PHOTO: REUTERS
While Britain is going over all the steps that could deter ‘the malicious use of hire vehicles’ and is trying to find out how rental companies could play a bigger role towards that effort, Australia has appealed to developers to introduce improved safety features into their projects to prevent militant attacks with vehicles and other weapons. Police in the United Kingdom believe it is difficult to prevent attacks launched from hire vehicles – and hence they feel the need for a more robust response. Since terrorist groups are increasingly turning to fresh tactics to achieve their goals, it would be wise if counter-terrorism strategists carried out a review of their own pre-emptive measures and work out better plans to neutralise terrorism. Such an evolving strategy would be quite handy in Pakistan as well as other countries that are currently bearing the brunt of terror attacks. For its part, the UK has increased the number of barriers at bridges and in certain locations in city centres in a bid to thwart such attacks.
Australia devised a national strategy to protect crowded places after a militant drove a truck into crowds in the French city of Nice last year. It has also drawn up a plan to stop attacks with vehicles as well as with guns, knives, bombs or chemical devices. But rather than rely on this alone, Canberra is keen to constantly improve and update its counter-terrorism strategy. In the long run it may be impossible to root out global terrorism but it is encouraging to note that serious efforts are being made in some parts of the world.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2017.
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