A government’s first duty is the defence of the nation and protection of its people. That is clear enough. After the shock of the devastating Islamic terror attack in Manchester and the news that the perpetrator was known to the authorities, one has to ask whether the government has done enough. Our security and intelligence agencies haven’t failed us — they act within the law and within the resources they have been given. It is the government that is responsible for our protection and defence; most of the time, they get it right. But this time, they failed. This atrocity could have been prevented.
So far, this and previous British governments and security services have been very successful in calming the nation in the aftermath of terrorist attacks. One of the secondary issues the government faces after a terror incident is to prevent revenge attacks and here, they have succeeded in the most part — good news on the one hand, but it prevents robust debate about the bigger issue. Of course, there is a danger that heightened reaction and comment to events such as the Manchester bombing can be seen as unhelpful, short sighted and something “that the terrorists want us to do”. Indeed, the red mist of anger can blur judgment. The rather milder, “keep calm and carry on” approach by the government and associated institutions is taken in the vain hope that it will finally bring an end to Islamic terror. There’s just one problem: it won’t. Indeed, it may make the situation much worse.
Read the full article by Harry Fullerton at The Australian (subscription only).