THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS now sounding the warning trumpet. Even though they are blowing it to forewarn their citizens traveling abroad to our country and other places, they are, in a way, warning Liberians and other nationals, too, about any possible or imminent terroristic threats to their lives.
LIKE GOD COMMENDED THE Prophet Ezekiel in the Bible book of Ezekiel chapter 33 verse 6 to do, so has the Britons done to help their nationals and to help us, too.
“BUT IF THE WATCHMAN sees the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword comes, and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.”
LIBERIA’S SECURITY NETWORK is not as sophisticated as can be compared to the likes of Great Britain or the United States of America or Germany or most of our regional members, including Ghana and Nigeria. So, our security apparatuses might not be able to easily detect any imminent danger without the explicit help of our international friends, especially the United States of America Government.
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT alarms that a terrorist threat is not far from happening in Liberia. Let’s bring up to speed some of our readers, who didn’t follow what the British government’s warning is to their citizens.
THE CURRENT ALERT POSTED on the official site of the British government warns: “Terrorist attacks in Liberia can’t be ruled out. As seen in Mali, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso, terrorist groups continue to mount attacks on beach resorts, hotels, cafés and restaurants visited by foreigners. You should be vigilant in these locations and avoid any crowded places and public gatherings or events. There’s a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally against UK interests and British nationals from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria. You should be vigilant at this time.”
THIS WARNING FROM OUR UK friends comes at least three months after President Donald Trump’s administration hit six people and seven businesses linked to Hezbollah with terror sanctions. The sanctions are aimed at squeezing Hezbollah financier Adham Tabaja, who is already designated by the U.S. as a global terrorist, by freezing out a network of companies in Lebanon, Ghana, Liberia and elsewhere.
HEZBOLLAH, LITERALLY meaning “Party of Allah” or “Party of God,” is a Shi’a Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon. The group is considered a terrorist organization by the governments of the United States, Israel, Canada, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, along with its military/security wing by the United Kingdom, Australia and the European Union.
IN APRIL THIS YEAR, Maj. Gen. Marcus Hicks, a very senior US military officer, speaking from Niger to the Cable News Network (CNN), warned of the growing influence of ISIS and al Qaeda in West Africa of which Liberia is inclusive.
AIR FORCE MAJOR GENERAL Hicks had warned that al Qaeda, which has had a longer presence in this region than ISIS, represents the biggest threats or concern due to its ability to plan for a longer time.
MOST LIBERIANS AND those outside this country who follow the international news are still aware of what happened in neighboring La Côte d’Ivoire in March 2016.
THE ISLAMIST TERRORISTS barbarically gunned down 16 peaceful citizens, who had visited a beach resort in Grand Bassam, southern La Côte d’Ivoire.
THE RESORT IS POPULAR with both locals and foreigners. Four of the dead were Westerners, including a French and a German national, officials say. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed it had launched the attack.
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S warning should not be treated with laissez-faire by the Liberian government like was done in 2014 with the deadly Ebola virus disease during the early part of the outbreak in March.
THE LIBERIAN GOVERNMENT security agencies responsible to man our border entrances need to be very vigilant. It is through those border posts that the bad people are going to pass, if not caught, to enter the country and carry out their Mephistophelian acts.
ORDINARY LIBERIANS, THEMSELVES need to join their government to be vigilant, serving as watchmen on the wall. No one, especially the Liberian government, should pay deaf ears to this warning.