The Palestinian Authority has purged itself, at least temporarily, of the influence of Hamas. Hamas, for those of you JUsers out there who don't know, is a terrorist organization funded largely by Syrian, Lebanese, and Iranian interests against Israel. From Australia's The Age : Whatever one's perception of Hamas and its activities, it has risen as a credible alternative to the secular Palestine Liberation Organisation, which led the Palestinian nationalist movement from the middle o...
Why hasn't Al Qaeda attempted an large CBRN attack, given the group's M.O of "spectacular" mass casualty attacks against symbolic targets? I have my ideas, but they are speculative. Could be any one of a number of factors: 1) They can't get one into a strategic location. Since 9/11, security around high-value American targets has increased many-fold. Metal detectors are almost ubiquitous in Washington DC these days. I've never felt safer riding the Metro. Even airliners transiting...
What are the most significant technical constraints, political constraints, and psychological inhibitory constraints against CBRN use by terrorist networks? How might these be enhanced? So, what's stopping the terrorists? Holding them back from doing the unthinkable, the devastating, the inevitable? The biggest factor is the damage caused. CBRN weapons inflict mass casualties upon a large area, and the psychological damage is even more widespread. CBRN give a huge payoff with minim...
What role did ideology play in Iran's support for terrorism in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution? What, if anything, has changed since then with respect to ideology? The success of the Islamic Revolution caused a kind of manifest destiny for the new Iranian clerical elite. Their ultimate desire was to export Islam until the entire world was one mighty caliphate. Iran, unfortunately, was a weakling at the playground; in addition to the other more secular Arab nations, there was a...
Should Hezbollah be considered a terrorist organization in that it provides services to the public and participates in electoral politics? The words: "Absolutely!" spring quickly to mind. And here's why... With apologies to Forrest Gump, Terrorist is as terrorist does. The bombings of the Marine barracks in Beirut was attributed to them, along with a decades-long campaign against the West and Israel (Bynam 84-5). So despite the fluffy niceties of political correctness and t...
I do believe that the longer people just accept that this is the way the 'east' thinks...and this is the way the 'west' thinks...then we are in for even more milennia of stuck in the mud progress. But it's so much easier to pigeonhole one culture (especially the opposing culture in a war) as being beyond (or beneath) reason. If we truly believe that the Muslim people of the world are bitter and irreconcilable, then we better just kill them all off and poof! No more threat. But to enga...
Evaluate the assertions by Ehrlich and Liu that differential population growth rates between Israelis and Palestinians “may exacerbate the conditions that breed terrorism.” What information do they provide that supports their contention that the different rates do actually contribute to terrorism? Potential terrorists are predominantly young adult males (Ehrlich & Liu 2002). Ehrlich and Liu cite that with poverty, a general lack of responsibility, and general indifference towards mor...
The effective use of power matters more in international relations than sheer wealth of a nation. Despite the cliche that money makes the world go around, the promise of wealth (or the withholding thereof) cannot influence hearts and minds as successfully as power can. Both can be helpful, but power can be used more effectively than wealth when it comes to international relations. In considering which is more effective in diplomatic circles, there is a lot to be said for wealth. The pro...
As a campaign adviser to one candidate seeking nomination for the 2008 Presidential election, you have been asked to write a brief position paper on the question of whether the United States should redouble its efforts to negotiate a consensus definition of terrorism. What should the US position be and why? In creating a comprehensive, workable look forward for the United States’ (US) counterterrorism effort, it is vital that the US take the lead. It is in America’s best interest to help...
In recent days (and months... and years...) there has been a lot of speculation and judgment regarding accountability for 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other events which were either fueled by or were a result of "faulty" intelligence. "9/11 happened because the President ignored valuable intelligence!" "Colin Powell and George Bush lied to the American people about WMD in Iraq!" "Why haven't we gotten Osama?" The constant speculation as to "What did you know and when did you know it?"...
The Border Patrol's job is no longer to stop people from sneaking across the border. Its exclusive role is to fight terrorism rather than stopping illegal immigration and the flow of narcotics. Carlos X. Carillo, Chief Patrol Agent of the Laredo Sector for the US Border Patrol, said this in a Laredo town hall meeting. From the Laredo Morning Times : "The Border Patrol is not equipped to stop illegal immigrants," Carrillo said, noting that illegal narcotics are also not on the agents p...
The preconception regarding terrorism is that it is a poor man’s last hope – that only the dispossessed and desperate cling to violence. However, the demographics of the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 tell a different story: modern, intelligent, educated, and well-off members of society who were attracted to jihad. These men felt such violence was justified because this was part of a larger campaign against the US and the West in the name of Allah. They had been...
What are the prospects for increasing international cooperation against terrorism? The only way to increase international commitment against terrorism is to understand international needs regarding terror. Since 9/11, America has felt it is sole owner of the moral yardstick for terrorism -- since 9/11 happened to us, we assume (wrongly) that we feel the devastation of terrorism more than anywhere else. That makes our needs seem more important than any other nation's, including those na...
How important is Russia to the global effort to coordinate anti-terror policies and programs? Russia is a key ally in the counter-terror (CT) effort. Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's statements declaring his nation's allegiance with American CT, Russian actions since the events of 11 September have shown that nation's true colors. From the beginning of his presidency in January 2000, Putin pushed the idea of a concerted campaign against terrorism with American and European...
Reports may be premature, but Osama bin Laden might be dead of typhoid. Pakistani intelligence is reporting this as fact, but the truth remains to be seen. From FirstPost from the UK : Osama bin Laden, charismatic founder of al-Qaeda, died of typhoid earlier this month in Pakistan, according to a highly classified intelligence brief given to the King of Saudi Arabia and President Chirac this week, and leaked to the French newspaper L'Est Republicain. The chief of the terror...