Get to the root of terror after Paris attacks

France is in shock. Awash in blood and tears. We mourn the loss of life after a night of mayhem caused by bomb and gun attacks in the city and its suburbs. Europe is now the theatre of terrorist activities, and militant groups and their abettors are lurking in the shadows. This is the second terrorist attack in 10 months in the country, a grim reminder that efforts of the international community to eradicate terrorism are half-hearted at best.
The massacre of more than 120 people in Friday night will not only put more pressure on France to take a more rigid stance but also force other allies in the war on terrorism to analyse the situation objectively and launch a robust hot pursuit against Daesh and the likes worldwide. But the point of major concern here is that the presence of automatic weapons and suicide bombers in the heart of a major European city is a complete security failure. It means sleeper cells and extremist elements can strike at will in a major world capital. They have all the time on the earth to choose their targets and bleed ordinary people as and when they desire.
The situation has become more complex with the influx of refugees from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, and the war in Syria has brought the entire continent on its knees. This is where policy-makers will have to focus and dig deep into the causes and reasons for this rise in the sense of otherness in a heterogeneous continent like Europe, and how terror outfits are exploiting the opportunity to further their reach.
From Madrid to Bali and from New York to Kabul, it is the same nexus that is at work with the nefarious objective of spreading violence. A glance at their targets suggests that their intention is to derail the international community's plan to outlaw them and prevent them from moving in their safe havens. From Mumbai to Peshawar, the bloodbath is choreographed, the network widespread.
Paris, in this case, however, will have to do some soul-searching as to who the attackers were, and how they managed to organise and carry out these attacks and at whose behest? The point that the stadium where President Francois Hollande was watching a friendly match was targeted goes on to indicate the level of precision and planning that had gone into the plot. It has exposed the vulnerability of intelligence agencies and the ability to act against terror outfits in real time.
The most logical step to take after the attacks is to launch a merciless war against terror outfits and not to distinguish between them on the lines of race and religion. Europe too should cleanse itself of radical and xenophobic elements that have bred discontent all these years.
Last but not the least, the war in Syria should be reviewed and world leaders should find a way to bring peace to Damascus. A political solution to the dispute is the best way out of the chaos. At the same time every effort should be made to crush terror groups like Daesh and Al Qaeda operating across the length and breath of the Middle East. It is also important to find their backers and their source of funds.
The upcoming G-20 summit is an opportunity to flag a zero-tolerance policy towards terror and supplement it with an effective and achievable plan of action. France and its allies should take this attack as a resolve to finish the business of eradicating terror groups, and not stop halfway. Only then they can nail the culprits who plunged Paris into sorrow. This is a war to save the world. Countries must fight it with all their might in every corner of the planet.