The Fight Against Terror: Singapore’S Defence Will No Longer Work
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TheThe Fight Fight Against Against Terror Terror SINGAPORE’S NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY SINGAPORE’S NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY © 2004 National Security Coordination Centre ISBN: 981-05-1539-1 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Conceptualised, Produced, Published and Distributed by: NATIONAL SECURITY COORDINATION CENTRE MINDEF Building 303 Gombak Drive, #04-26 Singapore 669645 Design Concept, Layout, Colour Separation and Printing by: ATLAS ASSOCIATES PTE LTD 33A Lorong 11 Geylang Singapore 388725 To the people of Singapore CONTENTS Preface A NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY FOR SINGAPORE 6 Chapter One CONFRONTING TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM 10 Chapter Two SINGAPORE’S EXPERIENCE WITH TERRORISM 18 Chapter Three THE NEW SECURITY ENVIRONMENT 26 Chapter Four SINGAPORE’S NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHITECTURE 34 Chapter Five IMPLEMENTING OUR STRATEGY 42 Chapter Six NATIONAL SECURITY: A NATIONAL EFFORT 58 PREFACE A NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY FOR SINGAPORE PREFACE [A NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY FOR SINGAPORE] ONE [CONFRONTING TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM] TWO [SINGAPORE’S EXPERIENCE WITH TERRORISM] THREE [THE NEW SECURITY ENVIRONMENT] FOUR [SINGAPORE’S NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHITECTURE] FIVE [IMPLEMENTING OUR STRATEGY] SIX [NATIONAL SECURITY: A NATIONAL EFFORT] Dear Fellow Singaporeans, ransnational terrorism poses a serious Tand prolonged threat to Singapore’s national security. Because of the strong stand we have taken against terrorism in Singapore and in the region, and because of the part we have played in the global effort against terrorism, Singapore will remain a prime target for terrorists. Therefore, we have to prepare for a long- drawn campaign against terrorism, and we need to learn to live with the real prospect that a terrorist attack could occur in this country. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam Deputy Prime Minister We have met the short-term objective of hardening Coordinating Minister for Security and Defence Singapore by implementing various measures to safeguard our homefront security. However, we are not dealing with isolated or episodic events, but with the potential for organized, deliberate and prolonged terrorist action against Singapore. We thus need a total approach to the problem, as the impact of terrorism will be felt across many areas. We have to find creative solutions for these unprecedented challenges. 7 Given our geo-strategic circumstances and the evolving inter-agency network. Given that transnational nature of transnational terrorism, we should take an terrorism’s centre of gravity lies outside Singapore, a evolutionary approach to developing our national stove-piped approach to internal security and external security strategy. The Fight Against Terror: Singapore’s defence will no longer work. We need to implement a National Security Strategy lays out a useful foundation. suitable structure that will prevail over the traditional We now have a better understanding of the threat and boundaries of the various policy, intelligence and of how we can counter it. The key ideas behind this operations agencies. At its core, our national security strategy should be disseminated widely to create strategy should aim to enhance coordination among awareness and enlist support. the different ministries and national security agencies in Singapore. We need to get our starting point right, and it entails a correct understanding of the problems and threats that We need, furthermore, to strengthen our national Singapore is up against. In this regard, we must have a resilience. We have to encourage Singaporeans to stay consensus on the definition and characteristics of calm and work together in the face of adversity. We transnational terrorism. The threat is strategic. It is need to take both collective action and individual different from the terrorism we experienced in the responsibility for our security. We have committed past. Transnational terrorism is not a passing menace. ourselves to the global campaign against terrorism. In It is a long-term peril. It has deep ideological roots. It this, we must not waiver. We may face setbacks, but has a global reach, and terrorists are prepared to go to terrorism cannot defeat us unless we allow it to. I am extreme lengths to realize their aims. Terrorist groups confident Singaporeans will rise to the challenge. are also capable of strategic calculations. A case in point is the recent train bombings in Madrid, where a tragic incident led to domestic political changes with foreign policy implications. Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam Deputy Prime Minister We must develop the appropriate strategy to combat Coordinating Minister for Security and Defence transnational terrorism. The cornerstone of Singapore’s strategy is a stronger and more robust August 2004 8 CHAPTER ONE CONFRONTING TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM PREFACE [A NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY FOR SINGAPORE] ONE [CONFRONTING TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM] TWO [SINGAPORE’S EXPERIENCE WITH TERRORISM] THREE [THE NEW SECURITY ENVIRONMENT] FOUR [SINGAPORE’S NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHITECTURE] FIVE [IMPLEMENTING OUR STRATEGY] SIX [NATIONAL SECURITY: A NATIONAL EFFORT] f there is any doubt as to the intent of We are not alone in the struggle against terrorism. Iterrorists today, we need only recollect Yet, we must realize that we are ultimately the events of September 11, 2001. The responsible for our own security. Terrorism is certainly not new to Singapore. It can be understood attacks against the United States claimed as the mounting of tactical operations aimed at the lives of nearly 3,000 people from some achieving certain political goals. In terrorism, 85 countries, underscoring the relatively little effort may be required to produce catastrophic nature of militant devastating results. It capitalizes on the element of surprise, but works over long time frames. Even if transnational terrorism. Closer to home, disrupted, terror organizations may regenerate developments such as the Bali bombings themselves, and wait years before pursuing their in October 2002 which killed 202 people objectives again. showed that South-east Asia is also vulnerable to attacks. Singapore is high on the list of targets for terrorist action. It is important that we recognize this stark reality. The extremist regional network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which is intent on subverting governments in the region, has targeted us before. Those plots were foiled, but we can anticipate that there will be more attempts to attack us. Besides JI, we may face action from other extremist groups as well. Osama bin Laden, leader of Worldwide, Al-Qaeda elements remain active, planning the Al-Qaeda global terror future action against American and other interests. network. 11 What is new in what we are facing, however, is the to fortify Singapore by implementing a number of lethal combination of several especially extreme measures to safeguard our homefront. factors. The current trend of transnational terrorism is strategic in nature. It demonstrates a clear global We have raised Singapore’s security standards in reach, employs particularly sophisticated methods, and crucial areas such as aviation security, maritime exhibits catastrophic outcomes. In particular, the Al- security, land transport security, border control, and Qaeda-inspired movement also springs from a radical critical infrastructure protection. and dangerous ideology based upon distortions of Islam, devoid of any moral restraint. What we are In the past three years, we have also introduced new witnessing currently is, in essence, an immense structures and enhanced existing organizations in the contest between those who seek peace and security policy, intelligence and operations domains. For and a ruthless fanaticism that must have no place in instance, we formed new agencies such as the the modern world. Homefront Security Office and the Joint Counter Terrorism Centre, while also reinvigorating existing Singapore is part of this fight. We cannot simply opt units such as the National Security Secretariat, to give a out of it. We have to prepare for it, and meet it head stronger focus to inter-agency coordination and on. To do this, we need new policies, structures and integration. Together, these agencies have contributed capabilities. What is our goal? There is no silver bullet greatly to anticipating threats, and in organizing and available. Our goal is to minimize the country’s building up Singapore’s defences against terrorism. vulnerability by deploying the strongest possible defences against terror attacks. We cannot guard every Although the Government has done much to protect installation or scan every visitor. What we can do is Singapore against terrorism, the threat has by no reduce the threat to a tolerable level, so that terrorism means been eliminated. The arrests of terrorists like does not have a significant impact on our society and Mas Selamat Kastari and Hambali may have disrupted economy. JI’s operations in the region, but other key WHY DO WE leaders are still at large. “. no one can guarantee that a terrorist JI’s regenerative NEED A NATIONAL attack will not happen here. Our approach potential has not been SECURITY must be to make it extremely difficult for curtailed, as there will STRATEGY? terrorists to carry out their evil deeds while be those who will at the same time, be well prepared and continue to be misled by We have