Now That The Capitol Building Fire Incident Is An Arson Attack : Could This Be The Beginning of Domestic Terrorism?

By David K. Dahn

Point of Departure
On December 18, 2024, the nation awoke to the news that the Capitol Building was in flames. The nation stood still in disbelief as that was the first of its kind to see one of the nation’s symbols of democracy under threat. The incident occurred following a Tuesday, December 17 public demonstration carried out in favor resolving the intra-crisis at the level of the House of Representatives. There were divided blocs constituting the majority, who were opting for the removal of Speaker Fonati Koffa and the minority who stood in defense of Speaker Koffa.

According to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Country, Cllr Oswald Tweh, preliminary investigations into the fire have concluded that the incident was an arson attack, a first-degree felony under Liberian law. The Attorney General then points out that anyone found to have played a role in the Capitol Building fire, whether a Lawmaker or not, will face the full weight of the law. I bowed my head in shame when my fourteen year-old grandson asked me, “Daddy, so what made the people vex to burn that big building?” Guess my answer to the young chap-“My son I have no answer”.

What is Arson?
The Oxford dictionary defines arson as the intentional and malicious act of starting a fire to damage or destroy property. So with the conclusive report that the Capitol Building fire was an arson attack satisfies this definition, The fire was not accidental but intentional. And the fact that it was intentional, it then supports the argument that it was done out of malice and the result was to see the building(Capitol) completely destroyed or charred.

What Motivates an Arson Attack ?
Well, the police may sooner or later unveil the mystery surrounding the reason but research points out that there are motivations that lead arsonists into committing the act of arson. This includes, inter alia, revenge- it is possible that an arsonist may be seeking a revenge against someone. In our case, the Capitol Building being an embodiment of the democratic will of the Liberian people, an attack on the building is an attack against the popular will of the nation. When the dust settles those behind such act will forever go down in history and their generations made to remember them as destroyers of a national symbol. Another motivation for an arsonous attack is profit- there are instances, it has been established that an arsonist may set fire to their own property to collect insurance money. But unlike insurance money in our case, it is with high probability that an arsonist may set a property at blaze due to financial inducement. Remember, ‘one who pays the piper calls the tune.’ Knowing that this is a world of possibility, probability and predictability, it is just well possible that one motivating factor for engaging in an arson attack is for money. Another motivating factor is social protest- an arsonist may set fire to a property as part of a riot or protest. A perfect coincidence affirms this assertion in Liberia. A protest was held in Monrovia before the Capitol Building on Tuesday, December 17, 2024 and on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, the “Building” is on fire at dawn. Is there a probable link between the protest and the arson attack? Well, all that can be said now, void of any trace of speculation is let’s watch out for the conclusive report from the police.

The Accompanying Consequences of The Capitol Building
The attack on the Capitol Building was an unprecedented historical event that took the ‘genuine innocent’ population by surprise and landed them into national grief. Liberians who ran to the scene stood and wept grievously and one elderly woman believed to be in her sixties was heard loudly wailing saying “All the time we were young girls in this city here, we never saw this kind of thing before with Law Makers everyday fighting among themselves and some of them saying they will burn this building and here it is, the building is burning so their hearts are now satisfied ”

As part of the consequences of the action of the arsonist(s) the nation will incur financial losses, from investigations through renovations and refurnishing. But more importantly, this incident will be historically remembered as an emotional trauma for the Liberian people who are the collective victims of this attack on them.

Are The Writings Visible That Arson Attack Signals Creeping Terrorism?
Outraged by the arson attack on one of Liberia’s symbol of democracy, emphasis here is lifted not to lump up the terms ‘common criminal’ and ‘terrorist’ in the same category. A “common criminal” is an ordinary criminal with nothing special(https://www.italki.com) . As pointed out by Bruce Hoffman (2006, p.38), a terrorist is a violent intellectual, prepared to use, and committed to using force in the attainment of his goal. If the goal of burning the Capitol Building was to stop the “majority Bloc” from meeting in the joint chamber or once Fonati Koffa cannot retain his speakership then there will never be a sitting Legislature then it satisfies Hoffman’s definition of a terrorist. Some characteristics specific to terrorists is that they do not function in the open, they do not engage in mass political mobilization efforts, they believe that they are serving the ‘good cause’ of someone, etc.

In spite of speculations of threat, it is the submission of this authorship that the LNP is experienced and therefore cannot be influenced regarding what it ought to go after and do. But as an outraged citizen, it is my view that the writings on the walls suggest that the arson attack on the Capitol Building points to a creeping domestic terrorism in our society. And that should not be taken lightly. This is why on the conviction of the law, the perpetrators must be exposed and made to pay for their action which has brought so much grief to this nation in peace time.

Domestic terrorism is a violent criminal act that is committed within a country’s borders to further ideological goals. The identifiable goals of those who attacked the Capitol Building by fire may in time be established, but what can be said generally at least for now is that “the goal of domestic terrorism is to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence governmental action or affect government conduct”(https://www.gao.gov).

Searching through another open source(Wikipedia), it describes domestic terrorism as a form of terrorism in which victims “within a country are targeted by a perpetrator with the same citizenship.” The victims of the arson attack are citizens of the Republic of Liberia. And by the report which has so far emanated from the police, points to the available culprits as belonging to the same Liberian citizenship. With such an indicator, it is highly uncontestable that the arson attack on the Capitol Building should be elevated to domestic terrorism and dealt with both cautiously and professionally. The caveat is that the proceedings into this elevation of the matter from arson to domestic terrorism must be done not by agitation but within the ambit of the law.

Searching the Legal Remit of Expected Actions
The fire incident at the Capitol Building as now established by law enforcement institution(LNP) was an arson attack. It is therefore both intentional and malicious. This is why in the settled consideration of this authorship, it must be elevated to the level of domestic terrorism and those found culpable must face the full weight of their action within the limits of the law. Research has revealed that Liberian laws regarding terrorism include the Criminal Code, the Penal Law, and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism. Hear what these legal instruments say in précis:

Criminal Code: It states in part that terrorist offenses are punishable under the criminal code; that there is no statute of limitation for serious terrorist offense; that before 2022, the death penalty was the maximum penalty for terrorist offenses but that was rescinded to life imprisonment after 2022.

Penal Law: As expressedly laid out in Section 15.34, people convicted of terrorism face a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, with the proviso that the court can impose a longer sentence based on the circumstance of the case.

Anti-Money Laundering And Countering Financing of Terrorism Act
This act includes provisions for reporting suspicious transaction and terrorist-related transaction to the Financial Intelligence Agency of Liberia. Was the arsonist paid to act and who funded such action? If it is established as such, choosing to be deliberately rhetorical, are there probabilities that the concept of terrorist funding may apply?

Criminal Procedure Law: Permits law enforcement officers to investigate terrorist offenses and make arrest.

Conclusion
In different parts of a sub-region that is contending with threats such as terrorism, violent extremism and organized crimes, nothing should be left to chance. The awareness must be created that an arson attack on the Capitol Building, is an ill omen that signifies the beginning of further attack on the collective will of the Liberian people. Using all critical lenses of caution the intentional burning of the capitol is not a common crime but an action that should be elevated at the level of a terrorist attack. Therefore, the nation, through the rudiments of the law must deal with it with future deterrence in sight. The lesson to be learned from the burning concerns the security and vulnerability of all of our critical institutions. As the former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs of the United States, Joseph Samuel Nye, Jr., puts it, ”Security is like oxygen: you tend not to notice it until you lose it!”