Urban residents must learn to live with terrorism
- Source: Global Times
- [22:11 March 31 2010]
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Illustration: Liu Rui
By Ding Gang
On Monday morning, two explosions occurred in close succession on the Moscow metro, killing at least 39 people. The Russian government announced on the same day that it had been a terrorist attack.
It is not the first time terrorists have chosen the Moscow metro as a target. On August 31, 2004, a terrorist explosion occurred near the Riga station in Moscow, killing 10 and injuring 51. On February 6, 2004, a Moscow subway train exploded in operation, killing nearly 50 people and injuring more than 130.
In recent years, terrorists have chosen public places in major cities, especially some landmark buildings and transportation hubs, as targets. The main purpose is to create a greater sense of terror.
It is impossible for terrorists to destroy a whole city. However, after destroying or attacking landmarks or public transport, there will be a dramatic psychological impact. The whole city, or even the whole country, will share the pain and fear.
The 9/11 attacks set a very dangerous example, giving terrorists or other extremists a demonstration of the power of attacking public landmarks. Since then, terrorists around the world have set psychological pressure as a primary goal and started to select some landmark buildings and public transport systems as their targets.
It is a major challenge to almost all modern cities. Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit has said that these events might happen in any city and no one is exempt.
From the terrorist attacks in Moscow, we again see the seriousness of this challenge. When a city becomes the major target of terrorist attacks, the residents' lives are also changed. How to respond to terrorist attacks has become basic common sense for urban residents.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, New York residents were so terrified that someone immediately reported a taxi driver to the FBI after hearing him speak in favor of Osama bin Laden. Some people living in high buildings even bought parachutes in case of jumping off.
One New York-based British journalist laughed at New Yorkers because they had a delayed understanding of city life. The Britain had been facing the threat of IRA attacks on the English mainland since the 1980s, including numerous bombings. They were long used to terrorist attacks.
A year later, however, New Yorkers started to change. At that time, my interviewees often said "Life will go on." This shows that New Yorkers have learned to adapt to changes, or were forced to.
After 9/11, major cities, including New York, London and Paris, have avoided large-scale terrorist attacks in part because their residents have had a significant anti-terrorism awareness.
