It’s difficult to gauge the mental state of Osama Bin Laden. Is he, as the president claims, actually on the run, or is he in his natural element planning his next attack, waiting for the right time to exploit the vulnerabilities that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has still yet to address?Two things remain sure. Bin Laden remains defiant as he declares to the world today that he will not be taken alive (as broadcasted by a militant website), and his operatives continue to survey our country’s most susceptible targets.
Prior to 9/11, the intelligence community knew the gravity of the threat al-Qaeda posed to the country but failed to convince Washington policymakers to share the same sentiment. The 9/11 Report informed us that Clinton's Defense Secretary, William Cohen and Joint Chiefs of Staff head General Hugh Shelton took al-Qaeda lightly. When a cruise missile retaliation against al-Qaeda for the embassy bombings in Africa was proposed, both Cohen and Shelton dismissed the proposal believing it was a waste of million-dollar weapons to hit only “jungle gym” equipment, to use Shelton's words.
Since then, policymakers, with the creation of DHS, are finally getting on the same page with intelligence officials. As for the American public, I fear that four and a half years of calm since 9/11 have made us less cognizant of al-Qaeda—their sophistication and capabilities. Below, I outline some misconceptions that I hope will give the reader a better understanding of who our enemies truly are and what they are capable of doing.
Al-Qaeda suicide bombers are uneducated and come from poor economic backgrounds.
Untrue. In fact, most of the suicide bombers that carried out the attacks on 9/11 came from well-to-do families who were then radicalized by extreme Islamic clerics to adopt anti-western sentiments. For example, the head of the Hamburg contingent, Mohammad Atta, who flew American Airlines Flight 11 into the World trade Center, was an Egyptian who grew up in a middle-class family and received a degree in architectural engineering. Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, came from a religious family from Kuwait and was educated in the United States.
Al-Qaeda operatives are immigrants.
False. In fact there is a growing trend that al-Qaeda operatives are recruiting more and more U.S. citizens, primarily in prisons where criminals are being exposed to radical Islam. An example is Jose Padilla. A U.S. citizen born in Puerto Rico, Padilla converted to Islam after his last jail sentence and was radicalized by al-Qaeda operatives shortly after his release.
Al-Qaeda is an unsophisticated enemy.
Nothing could be more false. The 9/11 attacks proved that al-Qaeda was sophisticated enough to use technology such as the Internet and cell phones to advance communiqués. We learned that al-Qaeda was thorough in their planning and surveillance, capable of forging passports and other sensitive documents. According to a high ranking DHS official, al-Qaeda uses similar assessments used by DHS to determine how they could exploit potential targets.
In order for ordinary Americans to remain vigilant, it is important to understand who the enemy is, how they think and operate. Today they continue to plan and conduct surveillances in the United States as evidenced by the father and son tandem of Umer and Hamid Hayet (the former is a U.S. citizen) who were arrested by the FBI in Lodi, California accused of conducting terrorist (jihadist) activity. According to a high ranking DHS official, the Hayets are not an exception. In fact, we know that terror cells continue to operate in our country and they know where our vulnerabilities lie. A camera tape DHS recently recovered showed a wide angle shot of the Hollywood sign which then zoomed to a vital communications tower directly behind it. This is evidence enough to show that terrorists know our weaknesses.
Bin Laden makes no secret that he defeated the former Soviet Union in Afghanistan by draining blood and treasure. Today, he attempts to do the same with our country. In the end, it is important that the American people recognize al-Qaeda as a sophisticated and confident enemy that should not be underestimated. I hope this post serves as a reminder that we, as citizens, should continue to remain vigilant; aware of our surroundings and keen to report any suspicious activity. It is in this confidence and trust that we find in each other that will help to keep our country secure.
Technorati Tags:
Al-Qaeda
Osama Bin Laden
No comments:
Post a Comment