HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 68701,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/68701/?format=api",
"text_counter": 132,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
"speaker_title": "The Prime Minister",
"speaker": {
"id": 195,
"legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
"slug": "raila-odinga"
},
"content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to make a Statement on the new dimensions of international terrorism. Mr. Speaker, Sir, our country suffered yet another act of terrorism last Monday. A Russian F1 hand grenade exploded while being carried by a passenger who was undergoing inspection while boarding a Kampala bound bus. The passenger in question is of Tanzanian nationality. He was killed by the explosion. The casualties included 22 Kenyans, five Ugandans, four Sudanese, six Burundians and one Tanzanian. Two victims remain unknown. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the threat of terrorism has been alive in our country since the early 1970s. Many lives have been lost, property destroyed and our economic growth adversely affected due to various acts of terrorism. While the patterns of terrorist destruction have remained the same, the techniques, targets, perpetrators, motivation, cross border networks and weapons of choice have changed tremendously. Terrorism is no longer a weapon limited to political liberation struggles. It is now a weapon for economic competition, cultural conflicts, narcotics trafficking and to some, a trade. Mr. Speaker, Sir, these new dimensions of terrorism pose a serious challenge to global peace and the internal stability of nations. The trans-boundary nature of terrorism requires concerted efforts of all nations in dealing with the problem. Terrorist networks cut across international borders. Terrorist attacks often involve the movement of weapons and perpetrators across various countries. The victims of terrorist attacks are often people of various nationalities. Many years ago, known acts of global terrorism involved bombing Western targets such as embassies, hotels, airlines, sporting events, military assets, et cetera. Today, the focus is on soft targets such as restaurants, music festivals, public transportation systems, schools, shopping malls and so on. The focus on soft targets exposes the most vulnerable members of the public to acts of terrorism. It directly affects the way of life of our people by curtailing their freedoms and limiting their choices. Perpetrators of terrorist acts are no longer trained soldiers, but now include male and female children below the legal age for criminal responsibility. The weapons used in acts of terrorism are no longer limited to conventional bombs, but now include improvised explosive devises, small enough to hide in small water bottles, shoes, vests and so on. Other weapons used in terrorist attacks include biological and chemical agents. Terrorist acts also include kidnapping and hostage taking. The terrorist groups operate global networks complete with intelligence, banking, training and mutual assistance systems. The theatre of terrorist attacks is no longer the battle fields where conventional conflicts of wars are fought. Terrorism is now part of global economic competition waged in boardrooms through several warfare and other forms of electronic attacks on economic assets."
}