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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2015 10 News More bombs will push alienated European muslims towards jihadism 10 News WIN a set of the four books of To win answer the right question tick the right answer/answers? ❏ Arturo Caruana writing is known as Gothic literature ❏ Arturo Caruana is the pseudonym of Alessandro Manzoni ❏ Arturo Caruana is the pseudonym of Vittorio Alfieri ❏ Arturo Caruana's writing is known as Frame narrative Send your answers by 2 December to: MediaToday, WIN A BOOK FROM BDL, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann The winner of the book Drawwiet u Tifkiriet Josephine Grech from Hamrun, Sue Borg from St Julians, Carmen Camilleri from B'Bugia, Carmen Apap from Pieta, Joe & Lora Meilak from Qormi and J Sultana from Zurrieq published by BDL Arturo Caruana's Marta JURGEN BALZAN THE French government's immediate reaction to the Paris carnage was both predictable and to a certain extent natu- ral. "The sponsors of the attack in Paris must know that their crimes further strengthen the determination of France to fight and to destroy them. We must do more. Syria has become the largest factory of terrorists the world has ever known," President François Hollande said while French mil- itary forces intensified strikes against ISIS in Syria. The need to defuse the threat posed by ISIS in the Mid- dle East and the rest of the world is unquestionable, as is the need for greater security in Europe, but more bombs in a country devastated by a four-year civil war is hardly the answer. The Syrian conflict has forced some 12 million people to leave their home or flee the country altogether. Hundreds of thousands are trying to reach Europe as they escape from the Syrian regime's barrel bombs and the Islamic State's fas- cist utopia. Throwing more bombs at Syria could have the same results as that of building higher walls around Europe and exclud- ing whole communities on religious or ethnic basis. Declaring a war on ISIS is tantamount to legitimising their existence and their pretentions of being a fully-fledged state. It also galvanises their cause. This week, four former US air force service members wrote an open letter to US president Barack Obama warning that bombings in Iraq and Syria "fuelled the feelings of hatred that ignited terrorism and groups like Isis, while also serving as a fundamental recruitment tool similar to Guantanamo Bay." Bombs and exclusion have led some 3,000 Muslims from Europe to travel to the Middle East to participate in jihad. More bombs in the Middle East and more exclusion in Eu- rope will only push alienated and disadvantaged Europeans towards jihadism. Fomenting division between Muslims and non-Muslims or Westerners and non-westerners will only create new re- cruits for ISIS and galvanise their perverted cause. ISIS members have confirmed that one of the books in the organisation's curriculum is 'Management of Savagery', written by an anonymous jihadi ideologue who goes by the name of Abu Bakr Naji. In essence the book advocates the destruction of "apostate" Muslim regimes to make them fall into a state of "savagery", allowing them to be rebuilt under an Islamic caliphate. Clearly, defeating ISIS on a military level will not end vio- lent extremism but it is a necessary step in defeating jihadi terrorism. But the real alternative to waging yet another war is two-pronged. Provide greater security in Europe and sup- port governments and forces that are genuinely opposed to the Islamic group's ideology. Making Europe more secure is a priority but this should not come at the cost of privacy, inclusion and diversity. The fight against terrorism should not impinge on our freedoms and human rights. Beyond Europe's borders, the biggest military victories against ISIS have been scored by Kurdish fighters. Yet, instead of supporting the Kurds, who remain one of the most persecuted stateless people around the globe, the US and its European allies talk about waging war while cosy- ing up and selling weapons to the despotic regimes in Saudi Arabia and Turkey. In the convoluted power struggle in the region, ISIS suits the major players' interests. While Russia has entered the fray to eliminate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's enemies, who have nothing to do with ISIS, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is using the fight against the jihadists as an excuse to attack Kurdish forces. To add insult to injury, Turkey tacitly provides political, economic, and military support to ISIS in order to defeat As- sad. As does Saudi Arabia, ISIS's spiritual mentors. On a political level, France and the West must seize the moment and back countries such as Tuni- sia, who are the prime targets in ISIS's strategy of savagery. Otherwise, ISIS will become the only al- ternative to despotic and brutal regimes which feed the West's insatiable appetite for dollars and oil. What should we do about Islamic State? Armed Forces of Malta Troops Headquarters 296 Air Wing 175 Maritime Squadron 371 1 Regiment (A, B, C, D Company) 735 3 Regiment (Engineers, Bomb Disposal) 337 4 Regiment (Communications, Revenue Security, Training, Band, Catering) 416 Air Wing Fixed-wing aircraft 2 Helicopters 3 Maritime Squadron Patrol boats, offshore and inshore 7 Search and Rescue launches 2 Interceptor vessels 3 Defender boats 2 Small arms and support weapons Beretta 92FS handgun HK MP5 K/A4/A5 sub-machine gun AK47 Variant automatic rifle Accuracy International sniper rifle Browning .50 heavy machine gun FN MAG gen.purpose machine gun PK gen.purpose machine gun