Terrorist Strike Marriot: IT To Root-Out Terrorism

The Marriott Hotel bomb blast on September 20, 2008 once again shows that the Governments despite all their strong security measures, still not able to protect the citizens from the growing terrorist violence!

However this terrorism can be completely eliminated by an extraordinary way! The key is to KEEP the “INFORMATION” records of all money transaction (purchase/payment) and produce it as the concrete evidence or proof of a persons past activities when needed by the investigation so to prove or disprove the persons involvement in a particular crime.

Fortunately, the Information Technology (IT) today provides to the worlds Governments with electronic technologies that can completely root-out terrorism. Here are the two extraordinary monetary securities IT measures in the following:

1). Make it compulsory that all money transactions (purchase/payment) above a give amount should be made electronically conducted through the bank to bank account. Credit Card money is its most common form. When made compulsory it can be called as; “Mandatory Electronic (credit card) Money Transaction” (MEMT) as a whole.

2). Bring in biometric identity in all those bank accounts. I call it as; Mandatory Biometric Identity (MBID).It is mainly to make every bank account holders identity absolutely indubitable and secure mainly to prevent anyone from opening fake or bogus bank accounts. Every one of these bank accounts should have a unique name or number code to identify that account holder from every credit card or E-Money payment they make around.

Let me briefly explain it in a simple way, how this MEMT/MEMT monetary security measure can completely root-Out crime specially the terrorism. Money is very important for people to make a living in today’s world this includes the terrorist. They may live in seclusion a separate cell life; however they need money for whole lot of purposes to accomplish their terrorist attack. Money to hire or rent a separate place to stay also to plan, assemble and carry out their terrorist activities. Money to buy food, necessary things, essential services, travel and transport. Most important above they need a money income source that most likely coming from a terrorist finance to support all these activity! Apart from money, the phone contact number remains most essential for the terrorist to successfully run their operations.

Now, in a MBID/MEMT monetary security system all money transactions, (except very small amounts) needs to be conducted through the bank to bank accounts having biometric identity. Not to mention, all bank money deposits (salaries for example) and withdrawals (payments) conducted electronically by E-money directly from the bank to the bank account. In case any one wants to make a CASH deposit or withdrawal above a given amount in the banks, it would be subjected to thorough enquiry about all its sources accounts and receipts. In this system Although a small amount of cash money transaction is allowed without question, nevertheless all the traders or shoppers encouraged to conduct all their selling and buying even of small amounts by the E-money, credit card specially when it comes to strangers so to make it secure.

Here I should most importantly mention, money and phone are the two most important life lines that sustains terrorist network. Therefore every phone number (which includes buying the phone, its SIM card, its recharge payment etc.) in this system needs to have its owners bank account number code mentioned in its phone company records as well the phone number in the bank account, which brought that phone. Also the public records like, school document, certificates, licenses, ownership registration, of valuable property, buying of sensitive materials all should necessarily have the person’s bank account number code along with the name and addresses in the records.

So in the event of a crime, the government law enforcement agencies
suspecting any peoples involvement in that crime, can now easily get those peoples bank account number code and the phone number(s) from any of the purchases they have made from their credit card or the E-money transaction or from the public records. This can start with any of the houses or places they hired or rented by its landowners bank account. Also from the neighboring shopper’s trader’s bank accounts where they purchased things services using their credit cards. Also the public records. Not to mention the purchases of incriminating things, explosive devises, etc left behind the terrorist attack scene which in this system linked to its bank account payment.

Once the investigation agencies finds out the suspects bank account number code from any one of the E-money transaction in any of the corners landowners, shoppers, public records etc., it would become very easy for them having proper legal (court) order to go into the suspects bank account and check in all the past (days, weeks, months even years) money transaction. That records can concretely point out the persons past every days activity, where he stayed the places he traveled, shops from where he/she purchased things materials. Even the absence of money transaction up to a length of period can reveal many things to the investigators by tallying it with the person’s day to day needs and requirements!

In this entire investigation process it is possible to keep the suspect completely out and away from knowing about he is being suspected and investigated! This on the one hand saves the person and his near and dear once from the unnecessary emotional upset, mental trauma if he is innocent. Most important of all is that it allows the unsuspecting person to continue with money transaction that would help the investigators tremendously in many ways to determine the person’s innocence or the guilt! If their suspicion confirmed it would enable them to gather more concrete evidences by keeping complete watch over the person’s daily activity movement all the contacts that he/she comes across. The phone numbers he/she talks to and most importantly the bank account that send money (terrorist finance) to his bank account. All these information collectively can finally succeed in uncovering the entire terrorist network! All this time the agencies need not talk to the suspect let alone taking him into custody for degrading interrogation, narco-test and the torture to that needs to be totally banned!


Now let me apply this to the concrete case of the Marriott Hotel bomb blast. The authorities probably as usual have hundreds of names, places and things of the suspects. Now, if there was a MEMT/MBID monetary security economic system in place then the investigation agencies would have easily found out all the suspected persons bank account (Credit Card) number code, also their phone numbers callers details and all its contact numbers all such details by any single E-money transaction they have made anywhere around by the way that I explained earlier. Thereby obviously (with proper legal authorization) they have checked the suspects all the past money transaction records in all the banks in which they have accounts. It would concretely point out all the houses, hotels, rooms where they stayed, places they traveled, the shops where they purchased those explosive materials, the gas station where they bought petrol to the vehicle finally used in that suicide bomb attack.

Now one may argue that criminals particularly the terrorists would not use or mostly avoid the E-Money Transaction or the credit card payment, so leave no concrete evidence of their past main activities, getting recorded in it. However in a MEMT/MEMT monetary system it will become most difficult for an adult person to hide or cover up their past by not using their credit card E-money transaction. Any absence of such money transaction in and adult persons bank account in itself could provide some strong evidence something seriously wrong! The absence of it obviously proves that there must be some one else paying the entire expense of this person. Food, travel, essential services and other necessary items. The main reason could be this person seriously ill! If not then obviously the other person also comes under the suspicion and their bank account money transaction checked to see if there is any corroborating evidences.

Today the government very much uses the Information Technology security features in all electronic communication fields. Cell phone, computer internet all have them. As a result the investigation agencies able to find out the records of phone calls, email post of the suspected people. Electronic surveillance CC cameras installed in every important sensitive places so the one can recover back the recorded images and the suspected persons in the event of crime. The public accepts these electronic security measures as providing people with the social security and safety. Now the Information Technology (IT) today in the form of this MEMT/MBID monetary measures provides to the worlds Governments with this opportunity to completely root-out terrorism. What really needed is the political will to get it done.

However to bring in a fully pledged MEMT/MBID system would be a very difficult for any government. Therefore in the preliminary stages I urge the governments first to bring Mandatory Biometric Identity (MBID) in all bank accounts and make E-Money obligatory in the payment/receipts of important sensitive things services like, phone, valuable assets, weapons, gas, large sums of money deposits and withdrawals in the bank etc. It is the first and foremost important IT anticorruption monetary measure and capable of of significantly reducing corruption, money laundering and with it breaking down the backbone of the terrorist and specially their financing network. This MBID is far more easier for any governments to adopt. The limited space of this article does not allow me to go into its details. However I have explained it in details in my principle document titled; “IT To Root-Out Corruption”. and its related documents in this weblog also in many places in the World Wide Web specially in <www.anticorruption-it.info .

Finally, My heartfelt condolences go with all of them and with their family members, the close near and dear once. I dedicate this debut antiterrorism article to all of them.

Valerian Texeira
St. Joseph Nagar, Jeppu
Mangalore – 575002 INDIA.