Lone wolf attacks need smart response

Source:Global Times Published: 2015-3-27 23:43:01

As French authorities reveal more details of the investigation into the fatal airliner crash that killed all 150 people on board, speculations are also all over the media. Did the co-pilot deliberately crash the Germanwings flight? Did he suffer from depression?

The possibility of an organized terrorist attack is shrinking. It is getting clearer that the co-pilot locked the pilot out of the cockpit and single-handedly directed the fatal crash on Wednesday.

If eventually proved to be true, what we feel is not only shock, but a deep sense of helplessness in the face of such "lone wolf attacks."

Since the September 11 terrorist attack in the US a decade ago, civil aviation authorities have improved security measures, including beefing up the security of a plane's cockpit so that pilots can lock themselves in from any outside disturbance. It is ironic that the security measure contributed to the French air crash.

Many countries have mobilized massive resources to prevent terrorist attacks. However, attacks staged by individuals or small groups also occur from time to time, though we cannot call them terrorist attacks.

Terrorist attacks may be motivated by ideological or political purposes. But "lone wolf attacks" are often random or arise from some emotional or mental problems, triggered by chance factors.

Because of the political motives involved in terrorist attacks, such attacks are easier to identify. However, non-terrorist "lone wolf attacks" are difficult to avoid, as they have no certain pattern, and they are often undetectable.

To avoid similar tragedy, Germanwings will have to enforce stricter screening measures to ban unfit pilots from flying. But the cost could be enormous.

In a time of technological advancement, humanity is more powerful and at the same time more vulnerable than ever. A single individual can possess unprecedented destructive power.

The large-scale media coverage of such lone wolf attacks has magnified the social impact of the attacks, and could inspire or encourage potential criminals to stage similar attacks.

Of course, it is not impossible to curb such trends. Paying more attention to people in need may help those who are troubled by certain issues and avoid going extreme. For people who work at special posts, a regular system of consoling and intervention should be established.

This is not an easy job. It requires wide public participation, and the results are hard to quantify.

The Germanwings disaster has again sounded a warning to the world. Such destructive actions rarely share the same pattern.

We have to draw the lessons from this incident, while taking actions to prevent more from happening.



Posted in: Editorial

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