Orlando throws up huge security challenges

The deadly Orlando incident,once again, sheds light on genuine challenges lone wolf terrorists, who act in isolation from the main mastermind, pose to security agencies around the world. At certain points, the law enforcement authorities find it difficult to pursue suspects without sufficient evidence out of fear they would infringe on civil rights. Yet, Orlando demonstrates beyond reasonable doubt that terrorism is not limited to a single region but ubiquitous.
Sunday’s killing spree at the dance club was a ghastly act of terrorism committed by 20-year-old Omer Mateen. The incident has put the US anti-terror strategy again under fresh scrutiny as the gunman was previously cleared of extremist ties.
Mateen, a US citizen, declared allegiance to Daesh group in the hours before the largest mass shooting in the nation’s history.
Born in New York to Afghan parents, suspect had been an employee at G4S Plc, a British security firm. The company is cooperating with the FBI over the issue.
Prominent US Muslim figures, Pope Francis and world leaders condemned the attack, which is being treated as the worst act of terror on US soil since
September 11, 2001.
US President Barrack Obama expressed solidarity with the families of the victims. He said law enforcement so far has “no definitive judgment on the precise motivations of the killer”. Obama seized the opportunity to reiterate his call for gun control — a call that frequently receives a short shrift from the Republican-controlled Congress.
The incident that has jolted the US would have far reaching impact on the election campaign trail as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump traded barbs and moved to refocus their campaign messages towards an atrocity apparently motivated by both hate and an allegiance to terrorism.
Clinton quickly cancelled a joint campaign appearance with President Obama scheduled for Wednesday in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Instead, she will refocus on plan to combat Daesh and keep the country safe.Like Obama, Clinton also urged tougher gun laws, reigniting a national debate.
Meanwhile, Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, will change the theme of a speech that had been focus on Hillary and Bill Clinton to national security. Trump called off a rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
As usual, Trump blamed Sunday’s massacre on “weak” political leadership. “I said this was going to happen — and it is only going to get worse,” he said. “We cannot afford to be politically correct any more.”
In fact, Trump hasn’t yet launched a clear-cut strategy to combat terrorism except a hate speech that angered the top brass of his party.
Orlando will surely give the US presidential campaign a new turn. But as the White House hopefuls fight the big battle, they should not take their eyes off the reality. The US, and for that matter the world, has to stand united to combat the monster of extremism.
The truth is that no single state can defeat terrorism how mighty it is. It would be defeated through sharing intelligence, liquidating financing source and incriminating the hate speech worldwide.
Dealing with a lone wolf, such as Mateen, remains a challenge that the world has to grapple with. Disruption of lone terrorists would need refocus and greater cooperation among the law enforcement agencies.