A Protean Enemy: Terror Nexus in the New World Order

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
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THE PROTEAN ENEMY

Jessica Stern

WHAT'S NEXT FROM AL QAEDA?

HAVING SUFFERED the destruction of its sanctuary in Afghanistan two years ago, al Qaeda's already decentralized organization has become more decentralized still. The group's leaders have largely dispersed to Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, and elsewhere around the world (only a few still remain in Afghanistan's lawless border regions). And with many of the planet's intelligence agencies now focusing on destroying its network, al Qaeda's ability to carry out large-scale attacks has been degraded.

Yet despite these setbacks, al Qaeda and its affiliates remain among the most significant threats to U.S. national security today. In fact, according to George Tenet, the CIA's director, they will continue to be this dangerous for the next two to five years. An alleged al Qaeda spokesperson has warned that the group is planning another strike similar to those of September 11 On May 12, simultaneous bombings of three housing complexes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killed at least 29 people and injured over Zoo, many of them Westerners. Intelligence officials in the United States, Europe, and Africa report that al Qaeda has stepped up its recruitment drive in response to the war in Iraq. And the target audience for its recruitment has also changed. They are now younger, with an even more "menacing attitude," as France's top investigative judge on terrorism-related cases, Jean-Louis Bruguiere, describes them. More of them are converts to Islam. And more of them are women.

What accounts for al Qaeda's ongoing effectiveness in the face of an unprecedented onslaught? The answer lies in the organization's
remarkably protean nature. Over its life span, al Qaeda has constantly evolved and shown a surprising willingness to adapt its mission. This capacity for change has consistently made the group more appealing to recruits, attracted surprising new allies, and-most worrisome from a Western perspective-made it harder to detect and destroy. Unless Washington and its allies show a similar adaptability, the war on terrorism won't be won anytime soon, and the death toll is likely to mount.

MALLEABLE MISSIONS

Why Do religious terrorists kill? In interviews over the last five years, many terrorists and their supporters have suggested to me that people first join such groups to make the world a better place-at least for the particular populations they aim to serve. Over time, however, militants have told me, terrorism can become a career as much as a passion. Leaders harness humiliation and anomie and turn them into weapons. Jihad becomes addictive, militants report, and with some individuals or groups-the "professional" terrorists-grievances can evolve into greed: for money, political power, status, or attention.

In such "professional" terrorist groups, simply perpetuating their cadres becomes a central goal, and what started out as a moral crusade becomes a sophisticated organization. Ensuring the survival of the group demands flexibility in many areas, but especially in terms of mission. Objectives thus evolve in a variety of ways. Some groups find a new cause once their first one is achieved-much as the March of Dimes broadened its mission from finding a cure for polio to fighting birth defects after the Salk vaccine was developed. Other groups broaden their goals in order to attract a wider variety of recruits. Still other organizations transform themselves into profit-driven organized criminals, or form alliances with groups that have ideologies different from their own, forcing both to adapt. Some terrorist groups hold fast to their original missions. But only the spry survive.

Consider, for example, Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ). EIJ's original objective was to fight the oppressive, secular rulers of Egypt and turn the country into an Islamic state. But the group fell on hard times after its leader, Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, was imprisoned in the United States and other EIJ leaders were killed 0r forced into exile. Thus in the early 1990s, Ayman al-Zawahiri decided to shift the group's sights from its "near enemy"-the secular rulers of Egypt to the "far enemy," namely the United States and other Western countries. Switching goals in this way allowed the group to align itself with another terrorist aiming to attack the West and able to provide a significant influx of cash: Osama bin Laden. In return for bin Laden's financial assistance, Zawahiri provided some z00 loyal, disciplined, and well-trained followers, who became the core of al Qaeda's leadership.

A second group that has changed its mission over time to secure a more reliable source of funding is the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which, like EIJ, eventually joined forces with the Taliban and al Qaeda. The EMU's original mission was to topple Uzbekistan's corrupt and repressive post-Soviet dictator, Islam Karimov. Once the IMU formed an alliance with the Taliban's leader, Mullah Omar, however, it began promoting the Taliban's anti-American and anti-Western agenda, also condemning music, cigarettes, sex, and alcohol. This new puritanism reduced its appeal among its original, less-ideological supporters in Uzbekistan-one downside to switching missions.

Even Osama bin Laden himself has changed his objectives over time. The Saudi terrorist inherited an organization devoted to fighting Soviet forces in Afghanistan. But he turned it into a flexible group of ruthless warriors ready to fight 0n behalf of multiple causes. His first call to holy war, issued in 1992, urged believers to kill American soldiers in Saudi Arabia and the Horn of Africa but barely mentioned Palestine. The second, issued in 1996, was a 4o-page document listing atrocities and injustices committed against Muslims, mainly by Western powers. With the release of his third manifesto in February 1998, however, bin Laden began urging his followers to start deliberately targeting American civilians, rather than soldiers. (Some al Qaeda members were reportedly distressed by this shift to civilian target and left the group.) Although this third declaration mentioned the Palestinian struggle, it was still only one among a litany of grievances. Only in bin Laden's fourth call to arms-issued to the al Jazeera network 0n October 7, 2001, to coincide with the U.S. aerial bombardment of Afghanistan-did he emphasize Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands and the suffering of Iraqi children under UN sanctions, concerns
broadly shared in the Islamic world. By extending his appeal, bin Laden sought to turn the war on terrorism into a war between all of Islam and the West. The events of September 11, he charged, split the world into two camps-believers and infidels-and the time had come for "every Muslim to defend his religion."

One of the masterminds of the September 11 attacks, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, later described violence as "the tax" that Muslims must pay "for gaining authority on earth." This comment points to yet another way that al Qaeda's ends have mutated over the years. In his putative autobiography, Zawahiri calls the "New World Order" a source of humiliation for Muslims. It is better, he says, for the youth of Islam to carry arms and defend their religion with pride and dignity than to submit to this humiliation. One of al Qaeda's aims in fighting the West, in other words, has become to restore the dignity of humiliated young Muslims. This idea is similar to the anticolonialist theoretician Frantz Fanon's notion that violence is a "cleansing force" that frees oppressed youth from "inferiority complexes," "despair," and "inaction," making them fearless and restoring their self-respect. The real target audience of violent attacks is therefore not necessarily the victims and their sympathizers, but the perpetrators and their sympathizers. Violence becomes a way to bolster support for the organization and the movement it represents. Hence, among the justifications for "special operations" listed in al Qaeda's terrorist manual are "bringing new members to the organization's ranks" and "boosting Islamic morale and lowering that of the enemy." The United States may have become al Qaeda's principal enemy, but raising the morale of Islamist fighters and their sympathizers is now one of its principal goals.

FRIENDS OF CONVENIENCE

APART F R O M the flexibility of its mission, another explanation for al Qaeda's remarkable staying power is its willingness to forge broad and sometimes unlikely-alliances. In an effort to expand his network, bin Laden created the International Islamic Front for Jihad Against the Jews and Crusaders IIF) in February 1998. In addition to bin Laden and EIJ's Zawahiri, members included the head of Egypt's Gama'a al Islamiya, the secretary-general of the Pakistani religious party known as the Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Islam Oui), and the head of Bangladesh's Jihad Movement. Later, the IIF was expanded to include the Pakistani jihadi organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, the last an anti-Shi'a sectarian party. Senior al Qaeda lieutenant Abu Zubaydah was captured at a Lashkar-e-Taiba safe house in Faisalabad in March 2002, suggesting that some of Lashkar-e-Taiba's members are facilitating and assisting the movement of al Qaeda members in Pakistan. And Indian sources claim that Lashkar-e-Taiba is now trying to play a role similar to that once played by al Qaeda itself, coordinating and in some cases funding pro-bin Laden networks, especially in Southeast Asia and the Persian Gulf.

In addition to its formal alliances through the IIF, bin Laden's organization has also nurtured ties and now works closely with a variety of still other groups around the world, including Ansar al Islam, based mainly in Iraq and Europe; Jemaah Islamiah in Southeast Asia; Abu Sayyaf and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the Philippines; and many Pakistani jihadi groups. In some cases, al Qaeda has provided these allies with funding and direction. In others, the groups have shared camps, operatives, and logistics. Some "franchise groups," such as Jemaah Islamiah, have raised money for joint operations with al Qaeda.

Perhaps most surprising (and alarming) is the increasing evidence that al Qaeda, a Sunni organization, is now cooperating with the Shi'a group Hezbollah, considered to be the most sophisticated terrorist group in the world. Hezbollah, which enjoys backing from Syria and Iran, is based in southern Lebanon and in the lawless "triborder" region of South America, where Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina meet. The group has also maintained a fundraising presence in the United States since the 1980s. According to the CIA's Tenet, however, the group has lately stepped up its U.S. activities and was recently spotted "casing and surveilling American facilities." Although low-level cooperation between al Qaeda and Hezbollah has been evident for some time their logistical cooperation was revealed in the trial of al Qaeda operatives involved in the 1.998 embassy bombing attacks in east Africa-the two groups have formed a much closer relationship since al Qaeda was evicted from its base in Afghanistan. Representatives of the two groups have lately met up in Lebanon, Paraguay, and an unidentified African country. According to a report in Israel's Ha aretz newspaper, Imad Mughniyah, who directs Hezbollah in the triborder area, has also been appointed by Iran to coordinate the group's activities with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The triborder region of South America has become the world's new Libya, a place where terrorists with widely disparate ideologies Marxist Colombian rebels, American white supremacists, Hamas, Hezbollah, and others-meet to swap tradecraft. Authorities now worry that the more sophisticated groups will invite the American radicals to help them. Moneys raised for terrorist organizations in the United States are often funneled through Latin America, which has also become an important stopover point for operatives entering the United States. Reports that Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is allowing Colombian rebels and militant Islamist groups to operate in his country are meanwhile becoming more credible, as are claims that Venezuela's Margarita Island has become a terrorist haven.

As these developments suggest and Tenet confirms, "mixing and matching of capabilities, swapping of training, and the use of common facilities" have become the hallmark of professional terrorists today. This fact has been borne out by the leader of a Pakistani jihadi group affiliated with al Qaeda, who recently told me that informal contacts between his group and Hezbollah, Hamas, and others have become common. Operatives with particular skills loan themselves out to different groups, with expenses being covered by the charities that formed to fund the fight against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the Bush administration's claims that al Qaeda cooperated with the "infidel" (read: secular) Saddam Hussein while he was still in office are now also gaining support, and from a surprising source. Hamid Mir, bin Laden's "official biographer" and an analyst for al Jazeera, spent two weeks filming in Iraq during the war. Unlike most reporters, Mir wandered the country freely and was not embedded with U. S. troops. He reports that he has "personal knowledge" that one of Saddam's intelligence operatives, Farooq Hijazi, tried to contact bin Laden in Afghanistan as early as 1998. At that time, bin Laden was publicly still quite critical of the Iraqi leader, but he had become far more circumspect by November Z001, when Mir interviewed him for the third time. Mir also reports that he met a number of Hezbollah operatives while in Iraq and was taken to a recruitment center there.

NEW-STYLE NETWORKS

AL QAEDA SEEMS to have learned that in order to evade detection in the West, it must adopt some of the qualities of a "virtual network": a style of organization used by American right-wing extremists for operating in environments (such as the United States) that have effective law enforcement agencies. American antigovernment groups refer to this style as "leaderless resistance." The idea was popularized by Louis Beam, the self-described ambassador-at-large, staff propagandist, and "computer terrorist to the Chosen" for Aryan Nations, an American Neo-Nazi group. Beam writes that hierarchical organization is extremely dangerous for insurgents, especially in "technologically advanced societies where electronic surveillance can often penetrate the structure, revealing its chain of command." In leaderless organizations, however, "individuals and groups operate independently of each other, and never report to a central headquarters or single leader for direction or instruction, as would those who belong to a typical pyramid organization." Leaders do not issue orders or pay operatives; instead, they inspire small cells or individuals to take action on their own initiative.

Lone-wolf terrorists typically act out of a mixture of ideology and personal grievances. For example, Mir Aimal Kansi, the Pakistani national who shot several CIA employees in 1993, described his actions as "between jihad and tribal revenge" jihad against America for its support of Israel and revenge against the CIA, which he apparently felt had mistreated his father during Afghanistan's war against the Soviets. Meanwhile, John Allen Muhammad, one of the alleged "Washington snipers," reportedly told a friend that he endorsed the September 11 attacks and disapproved of U.S. policy toward Muslim states, but he appears to have been principally motivated by anger at his ex-wife for keeping him from seeing their children, and some of his victims seem to have been personal enemies. As increasingly powerful weapons become more and more available, lone wolves, who face few political constraints, will become more of a threat, whatever their primary motivation.

The Internet has also greatly facilitated the spread of "virtual" subcultures and has substantially increased the capacity of loosely networked terrorist organizations. For example, Beam's essay on the virtues of "leaderless resistance" has long been available on the Web and, according to researcher Michael Reynolds, has been highlighted by radical Muslim sites. Islamist Web sites also offer on-line training courses in the production of explosives and urge visitors to take action on their own. The "encyclopedia of jihad," parts of which are available on-line, provides instructions for creating "clandestine activity cells," with units for intelligence, supply, planning and preparation, and implementation.

The obstacles these Web sites pose for Western law enforcement are obvious. In one article on the "culture of jihad" available on-line, a Saudi Islamist urges bin Laden's sympathizers to take action without waiting for instructions. "I do not need to meet the Sheikh and ask his permission to carry out some operation," he writes, "the same as I do not need permission to pray, or to think about killing the Jews and the Crusaders that gather on our lands." Nor does it make any difference whether bin Laden is alive or dead: "There are a thousand bin Laden' in this nation. We should not abandon our way, which the Sheikh has paved for you, regardless of the existence of the Sheikh or his absence." And according to U.S. government officials, al Qaeda now uses chat rooms to recruit Latino Muslims with U.S. passports, in the belief that they will arouse less suspicion as operatives than would Arab-Americans. Finally, as the late neo-Nazi William Pierce once told me, using the Web to recruit "leaderless resisters" offers still another advantage: it attracts better-educated young people than do more traditional methods, such as radio programs.

Already the effects of these leaderless cells have been felt. In February 2002, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the British national who was recently sentenced to death for his involvement in the abduction and murder of Wall Street journal reporter Daniel Pearl, warned his Pakistani interrogators that they would soon confront the threat of small cells, working independently of the known organizations that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf had vowed to shut down. Sure enough, soon after Omar Sheikh made this threat, unidentified terrorists killed 5 people in an Islamabad church known to be frequented by U. S. embassy personnel, and another group killed 11 French military personnel in Karachi in May. And in July, still other unidentified terrorists detonated a truck bomb at the entrance of the U.S. consulate in Karachi, killing i2 Pakistanis.

JOINING THE FAMILY

VIRTUAL LINKS are only part of the problem; terrorists, including members of bin Laden's IIF, have also started to forge ties with traditional organized crime groups, especially in India. One particularly troubling example is the relationship established between Omar Sheikh and an ambitious Indian gangster named Aftab Ansari. Asif Reza Khan, the "chief executive" for Ansari's Indian operations, told interrogators that he received military training at a camp in Khost, Afghanistan, belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba, and that "leaders of different militant outfits in Pakistan were trying to use his network for the purpose of jihad, whereas [Ansari] was trying to use the militants' networks for underworld operations."

Khan told his interrogators that the don provided money and hideouts to his new partners, in one case transferring Sl00,000 to Omar Sheikh-money that Omar Sheikh, in turn, wired to Muhammad Atta, the lead hijacker in the September 11 attacks. According to Khan, Ansari viewed the $100,000 gift as an "investment" in a valuable relationship.

Still another set of unlikely links has sprung up in American prisons, where Saudi charities now fund organizations that preach radical Islam. According to Warith Deen Umar, who hired most of the Muslim chaplains currently active in New York State prisons, prisoners who are recent Muslim converts are natural recruits for Islamist organizations. Umar, incidentally, told The Wall Street Journal that the September 11 hijackers should be honored as martyrs, and he traveled to Saudi Arabia twice as part of an outreach program designed to spread Salafism (a radical Muslim movement) in U.S. prisons.

Another organization now active in U.S. prisons is Jamaat ul-Fuqra, a terrorist group committed to purifying Islam through violence. (Daniel Pearl was abducted and murdered in Pakistan while attempting to interview the group's leader, Sheikh Gilani, to investigate the claim that Richard Reid-who attempted to blow up an international flight with explosives hidden in his shoes-was acting under Gilani's orders.) The group functions much like a cult in the United States; members live in poverty in compounds, some of which are heavily armed. Its members have been convicted of fraud, murder, and several bombings, but s0 far, most of their crimes have been relatively small scale. Clement Rodney Hampton-El, however, convicted of participating with Omar Abdel Rahman in a 1993 plot to blow up New York City landmarks, was linked to the group, and U. S. law enforcement authorities worry that the Fuqra has since come under the influence of al Qaeda.

Still another surprising source of al Qaeda recruits is Tablighi Jamaat (TJ), a revivalist organization that aims at creating better Muslims through "spiritual jihad": good deeds, contemplation, and proselytizing. According to the historian Barbara Metcalf, TJ has traditionally functioned as a self-help group, much like Alcoholics Anonymous, and most specialists claim that it is no more prone to violence than are the Seventh-Day Adventists, with whom TJ is frequently compared. But several Americans known to have trained in al Qaeda camps were brought to Southwest Asia by TJ and appear to have been recruited into jihadi organizations while traveling under TJ auspices. For example, Jose Padilla (an American now being held as an "enemy combatant" for planning to set off a "dirty" radiological bomb in the United States) was a member of TJ, as were Richard Reid and John Walker Lindh (the so-called American Taliban). According to prosecutors, the "Lackawanna Six" group (an alleged al Qaeda sleeper cell from a Buffalo, New York, suburb) similarly first went to Pakistan to receive TJ religious training before proceeding to the al Farooq training camp in Afghanistan. A Pakistani TJ member told me that jihadi groups openly recruit at the organization's central headquarters in Raiwind, Pakistan, including at the mosque. And TJ members in Boston say that a lot of Muslims end up treating the group, which is now active in American inner cities and prisons, as a gateway to jihadi organizations.

As such evidence suggests, although it may have been founded to create better individuals, TJ has produced offshoots that have evolved into more militant outfits. In October 1995, Pakistani authorities uncovered a military plot to assassinate Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and establish a theocracy. Most of the officers involved in the attempted coup were members of TJ. The group is said to have been strongly influenced by retired Lieutenant General Javed Nasir, who served as Pakistan's intelligence chief from 199o to 1993 but was sacked under pressure from the United States for his support of militant Islamists around the world.

Totalitarian Islamist revivalism has become the ideology of the dystopian new world order. In an earlier era, radicals might have described their grievances through other ideological lenses, perhaps anarchism, Marxism, or Nazism. Today they choose extreme Islamism.

Radical transnational Islam, divorced from its countries of origin, appeals to some jobless youths in depressed parts of Europe and the United States. As the French scholar Olivier Roy points out, leaders of radical Islamic groups often come from the middle classes, many of them having trained in technical fields, but their followers tend be working-class dropouts.

Focusing on economic and social alienation may help explain why such a surprising array of groups has proved willing to join forces with al Qaeda. Some white Supremacists and extremist Christians applaud al Qaeda's rejectionist goals and may eventually contribute to al Qaeda missions. Already a Swiss neo-Nazi named Albert Huber has called for his followers to join forces with Islamists. Indeed, Huber sat on the board of directors of the Bank al Taqwa, which the U.S. government accuses of being a major donor to al Qaeda. Meanwhile, Matt Hale, leader of the white-supremacist World Church of the Creator, has published a book indicting Jews and Israelis as the real culprits behind the attacks of September 11. These groups, along with Horst Mahler (a founder of the radical leftist German group the Red Army Faction), view the September 11 attacks as the first shot in a war against globalization, a phenomenon that they fear will exterminate national cultures. Leaderless resisters drawn from the ranks of white supremacists or other groups are not currently capable of carrying out massive attacks on their own, but they may be if they join forces with al Qaeda.

MODERN METHODOLOGY

AL QAEDA Has lately adopted innovative tactics as well as new alliances. Two new approaches are particularly alarming to intelligence officials: efforts to use surface-to-air missiles to shoot down aircraft and attempts to acquire chemical, nuclear, or biological weapons.

In November 2002, terrorists launched two shoulder-fired SA-7 missiles at an Israeli passenger jet taking off from Mombassa, Kenya, with 271 passengers on board. Investigators Say that the missiles came from the same batch as those used in an earlier, also unsuccessful attack on a U.S. military jet in Saudi Arabia. And intelligence officials believe that Hezbollah contacts were used to smuggle the missiles into Kenya from Somalia.

Meanwhile, according to Barton Gellman of The Washington Post, documents seized in Pakistan in March 2003 reveal that al Qaeda has acquired the necessary materials for producing outline and salmonella toxins and the chemical agent cyanide-and is close to developing a workable plan for producing anthrax, a far more lethal agent. Even more worrisome is the possibility that al Qaeda, perhaps working with Hezbollah or other terrorist groups, will recruit scientists with access to sophisticated nuclear or biological weapons programs, possibly, but not necessarily, ones that are state-run.

To fight such dangerous tactics, Western governments will also need to adapt. In addition to military, intelligence, and law enforcement responses, Washington should start thinking about how U.S. policies are perceived by potential recruits to terrorist organizations. The United States too often ignores the unintended consequences of its actions, disregarding, for example, the negative message sent by Washington's ongoing neglect of Afghanistan and of the chaos in postwar Iraq. If the United States allows Iraq to become another failed state, groups both inside and outside the country that support al Qaeda's goals will benefit.

Terrorists, after all, depend on the broader population for support, and the right U.S. policies could do much to diminish the appeal of rejectionist groups. It does not make sense in such an atmosphere to keep U.S. markets closed to Pakistani textiles or to insist on protecting intellectual property with regard to drugs that needy populations in developing countries cannot hope to afford.

In countries where extremist religious schools promote terrorism, Washington should help develop alternative schools rather than attempt to persuade the local government to shut down radical madrasahs. In Pakistan, many children end up at extremist schools because their parents cannot afford the alternatives; better funding for secular education could therefore make a positive difference.

The appeal of radical Islam to alienated youth living in the West is perhaps an even more difficult problem to address. Uneasiness with liberal values, discomfort with uncertain identities, and resentment of the privileged are perennial problems in modern societies. What is new today is that radical leaders are using the tools of globalization to construct new, transnational identities based on death cults, turning grievances and alienation into powerful weapons. To fight these tactics will require getting the input not just of moderate Muslims, but of radical Islamist revivalists who oppose violence.

To prevent terrorists from acquiring new weapons, meanwhile, Western governments must make it harder for radicals to get their hands on them. Especially important is the need to continue upgrading security at vulnerable nuclear sites, many of which, in Russia and other former Soviet states, are still vulnerable to theft. The global system of disease monitoring-a system sorely tested during the SARS epidemic-should also be upgraded, since biological attacks may be difficult to distinguish from natural outbreaks. Only by matching the radical innovation shown by professional terrorists such as al Qaeda-and by showing a similar willingness to adapt and adopt new methods and new ways of thinking-can the United States and its allies make themselves safe from the ongoing threat of terrorist attack

 

LunarRay

Diamond Member
Mar 2, 2003
9,993
1
76
Moonbeam,

I had this dream...
Aunt Em was there and You were there and lots were there..

The sixth infantry division poured out there bowels on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from Halliburton to render assistance.

And I saw coming out of the mouth of the President and out of the mouth of the Vice President and out of the mouth of the false prophet, Rumsfeld, three unclean spirits like lies;

for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of Bush, the almighty.

Bush is deceiving the leaders of the world, preparing them for the New World Order, which as we read in The New Republic is also called "the war of the great day of Bush the almighty."

"For I will cause to be gathered all the nations against us to battle, and their cities will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of each city will be given to The US Businesses who were contracted to rebuild the nations." Bush the emancipator said.

This reference can not be construed to mean the fall of Liberty for in this time, all the inhabitants of all the conquered nations were either killed or deported out of our new lands. The context is obviously at the time when our Generals return to this region as Demi Kings.

Then the President will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle in Congress.

In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Victory, which is in front of Baghdad on the east; and the Mount of Victory will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. Showing the world the power of our WMD.


Then I awoke... and I saw my dream unfold..
 

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
17,134
38
91
Originally posted by: HJD1
Moonbeam,

I had this dream...
Aunt Em was there and You were there and lots were there..

The sixth infantry division poured out there bowels on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from Halliburton to render assistance.

And I saw coming out of the mouth of the President and out of the mouth of the Vice President and out of the mouth of the false prophet, Rumsfeld, three unclean spirits like lies;

for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of Bush, the almighty.

Bush is deceiving the leaders of the world, preparing them for the New World Order, which as we read in The New Republic is also called "the war of the great day of Bush the almighty."

"For I will cause to be gathered all the nations against us to battle, and their cities will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of each city will be given to The US Businesses who were contracted to rebuild the nations." Bush the emancipator said.

This reference can not be construed to mean the fall of Liberty for in this time, all the inhabitants of all the conquered nations were either killed or deported out of our new lands. The context is obviously at the time when our Generals return to this region as Demi Kings.

Then the President will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle in Congress.

In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Victory, which is in front of Baghdad on the east; and the Mount of Victory will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. Showing the world the power of our WMD.


Then I awoke... and I saw my dream unfold..


where do you people come from? and why have you stopped taking your medicine?
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
4,265
126
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: HJD1
Moonbeam,

I had this dream...
Aunt Em was there and You were there and lots were there..

The sixth infantry division poured out there bowels on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from Halliburton to render assistance.

And I saw coming out of the mouth of the President and out of the mouth of the Vice President and out of the mouth of the false prophet, Rumsfeld, three unclean spirits like lies;

for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of Bush, the almighty.

Bush is deceiving the leaders of the world, preparing them for the New World Order, which as we read in The New Republic is also called "the war of the great day of Bush the almighty."

"For I will cause to be gathered all the nations against us to battle, and their cities will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of each city will be given to The US Businesses who were contracted to rebuild the nations." Bush the emancipator said.

This reference can not be construed to mean the fall of Liberty for in this time, all the inhabitants of all the conquered nations were either killed or deported out of our new lands. The context is obviously at the time when our Generals return to this region as Demi Kings.

Then the President will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle in Congress.

In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Victory, which is in front of Baghdad on the east; and the Mount of Victory will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. Showing the world the power of our WMD.


Then I awoke... and I saw my dream unfold..


where do you people come from? and why have you stopped taking your medicine?

I am reminded of the original Star Trek episode where Harry Mudd tricked Kirk and crew into beaming onto a planet of perfect androids controlled by one named Norman. I recall how Kirk defeated Norman. :D
 

LunarRay

Diamond Member
Mar 2, 2003
9,993
1
76
Hay,
Quote:
I am reminded of the original Star Trek episode where Harry Mudd tricked Kirk and crew into beaming onto a planet of perfect androids controlled by one named Norman. I recall how Kirk defeated Norman.

:D

I loved Star Trek... and the next generation... and the one where Data was captured by the collector of prized items... a psychotic... I think.;)

Moonbeam,
Quote:
HJ, I see you couldn't read all that crap Dari posted either.

Well... The Federation is in deep doo doo if the Vorta can't get the Klingon's to side with them against the Romulins.. That white stuff the Gemhidar like has run out and they have no love for the Founders... As the NeoCon shape shifters like to call themselves, So unless Q shows up to rid the universe of Good it will be Evil that wins the day... and the reptile Gull Rumsfeld will insure the united quadrent will survive the onslaught of Tribbles..
 

LunarRay

Diamond Member
Mar 2, 2003
9,993
1
76
Dari
Quote,
where do you people come from? and why have you stopped taking your medicine?

Well ok .... for my part...

Insightfull of you to recognize my accent... I come from NYC.. manhatten and brooklyn and staten island.. My mother comes from Ireland and then the Boston Area.. My Father comes from Ireland and the Boston area too.. They both liked peaches and cream and chocolate milk shakes... what about you... where do you come from? BTW I figured you've stopped taking yours so... lets rejoice...

 

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
17,134
38
91
Originally posted by: Moonbeam
HJ, I see you couldn't read all that crap Dari posted either.

this research article is not crap. it is talking about the state of world terrorism. by calling it crap, you choose to ignore its importance. Like I've said before, you are the universal critic.
 

sMiLeYz

Platinum Member
Feb 3, 2003
2,696
0
76
An alleged al Qaeda spokesperson has warned that the group is planning another strike similar to those of September 11 On May 12, simultaneous bombings of three housing complexes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killed at least 29 people and injured over Zoo, many of them Westerners. Intelligence officials in the United States, Europe, and Africa report that al Qaeda has stepped up its recruitment drive in response to the war in Iraq

What's that? You mean the war in Iraq didnt make us safer?!?!? :Q
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
72,333
6,040
126
Ah yes the notorious universal critic. You'll pardon me, Dari, but I don't read the cockeyed screed that has infected your mind so I have no idea as to the signifigance of this horrible charge. Is it anything like the anti-Christ? If it's anything like the Energizer Bunny, that would be more like you.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
72,333
6,040
126
I loved Star Trek... and the next generation... and the one where Data was captured by the collector of prized items... a psychotic... I think.

Moonbeam,
Quote:
HJ, I see you couldn't read all that crap Dari posted either.

Well... The Federation is in deep doo doo if the Vorta can't get the Klingon's to side with them against the Romulins.. That white stuff the Gemhidar like has run out and they have no love for the Founders... As the NeoCon shape shifters like to call themselves, So unless Q shows up to rid the universe of Good it will be Evil that wins the day... and the reptile Gull Rumsfeld will insure the united quadrent will survive the onslaught of Tribbles..
----------------------------
Oh my God. :D
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
72,333
6,040
126
Prot and all things protean relate to my friend from K-Pax, I thought. He was a realist.
 

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
17,134
38
91
Sadly, I did not expect a lot of responses on this topic, either because most americans don't understand the nature of terrorism or they've resign to the fact that it can only happen in big cities like New York and Washington. Those that post inane remarks see this as an utter joke or some conspiracy, further degrading its importance. Well, it not a joke and, as the article mentions, the internet and other advancement in technology is making the terrorists share resources. All this is unprecedented in human history. Those that think we can leave the United Nations, or any other international institution, to the dustbin of history are sadly mistaken. If anything, we have to reform these organizations and bring about new international laws that can make these institutions catch up with the times. Global terrorism is pitting humanist against religious fanatics; large governments against outlaw groups that are bent on their destructions. Since the United States is the obvious leader in this global war, we have to be careful how we act. We cannot cower in the face of an ever shifting enemy. We have to support globalization so that the poor can have a sense of ownership and representation in this world. We have to support democracy among our enemies and friends so that everyone feels that their opinion matter. This is an ongoing matter that won't abate anytime soon. As Iraq, Afghanistan, and troubled Africa are showing, it is in America's interest to use both hard and soft power and to work with her allies to make the world a better place.
 

LunarRay

Diamond Member
Mar 2, 2003
9,993
1
76
Dari,

Sadly, I did not expect a lot of responses on this topic

********

Perhaps a more creative approach to the presentation of so important a subject would have been in order... I sometimes attempt to understand the audience...you may need to tweek the presentation one way or another.. I might have selected a few juicy lines and only posted that with some comment... given who was likely to be in this forum when the posting by you was made..:)
Then as the lure entices the little fishey to the objective bam!!! ya throw a whole paragraph at em..

Although the content of the message may be important .... it is the GAME that gets played....
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
72,333
6,040
126
You offer isms, Dari, in your case one of such rarity and perfection it can't be presented to the masses in pure form but only subtlely shaded as to please. The truth is something that can't be spoken, codified, or presented as ideals. If it is it is already dead. We create what we fear and you fear terror. You have externalized you quest. The terror is within. You are a rat that has not yet come to the end of the maze. There is no exit. Only in realizing that can you get free.
 

JellyBaby

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
9,159
1
81
Terrorism exists because governments abuse their power, because some wrongful acts of competition deprive people of rights or marginalize their future, because of injustice, and because of oppression.

Until these root causes are addressed we're stuck in a cyclical limbo. The War on Terror must, then, create more terror because all it does is seek to eliminate the symptoms.

The sickness is within as Beamer said. But government, power and money are without and therein lies the problem. The ultimate solution will stem not from planes, bombs and troops but from realization, empathy and compassion. I wish I knew how to get there.
 

Bowfinger

Lifer
Nov 17, 2002
15,776
392
126
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: Moonbeam
HJ, I see you couldn't read all that crap Dari posted either.

this research article is not crap. it is talking about the state of world terrorism. by calling it crap, you choose to ignore its importance. Like I've said before, you are the universal critic.
I'll bite. What is its importance? It appears to be a term paper on terrorism, written by an author unfamiliar to me, and whose credentials are unknown. She also does not cite sources or provide references, so it is difficult to judge the accuracy of her work.

The paper offers broad information about terrorist groups around the world, and is vaguely critical of the United States. It is probably an interesting read for someone who wants to learn more about terrorists. It does not seem to have a specific focus; there isn't really an introduction or a conclusion to explain what the author wants us to learn or conclude. This is a significant omission given the length of the paper.

If your goal was to convince us that the world is still in danger from terrorists, that's fine. I think we all knew that already, however. If there is something more, or something more specific you wanted us to see, I think you need to state it.
 

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
17,134
38
91
Originally posted by: Bowfinger
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: Moonbeam
HJ, I see you couldn't read all that crap Dari posted either.

this research article is not crap. it is talking about the state of world terrorism. by calling it crap, you choose to ignore its importance. Like I've said before, you are the universal critic.
I'll bite. What is its importance? It appears to be a term paper on terrorism, written by an author unfamiliar to me, and whose credentials are unknown. She also does not cite sources or provide references, so it is difficult to judge the accuracy of her work.

The paper offers broad information about terrorist groups around the world, and is vaguely critical of the United States. It is probably an interesting read for someone who wants to learn more about terrorists. It does not seem to have a specific focus; there isn't really an introduction or a conclusion to explain what the author wants us to learn or conclude. This is a significant omission given the length of the paper.

If your goal was to convince us that the world is still in danger from terrorists, that's fine. I think we all knew that already, however. If there is something more, or something more specific you wanted us to see, I think you need to state it.

the proof is in the pudding, my friend.

her credentials are in the link. Foreign Affairs is a bi-monthly magazine (more like a very thick book) of articles from the Council on Foreign Relations, the preeminent think-tank on American foreign policy.

Jessica Stern is Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the author of The Ultimate Terrorists and the forthcoming Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill.
 

Bowfinger

Lifer
Nov 17, 2002
15,776
392
126
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: Bowfinger
I'll bite. What is its importance? It appears to be a term paper on terrorism, written by an author unfamiliar to me, and whose credentials are unknown. She also does not cite sources or provide references, so it is difficult to judge the accuracy of her work.

The paper offers broad information about terrorist groups around the world, and is vaguely critical of the United States. It is probably an interesting read for someone who wants to learn more about terrorists. It does not seem to have a specific focus; there isn't really an introduction or a conclusion to explain what the author wants us to learn or conclude. This is a significant omission given the length of the paper.

If your goal was to convince us that the world is still in danger from terrorists, that's fine. I think we all knew that already, however. If there is something more, or something more specific you wanted us to see, I think you need to state it.

the proof is in the pudding, my friend.

her credentials are in the link. Foreign Affairs is a bi-monthly magazine (more like a very thick book) of articles from the Council on Foreign Relations, the preeminent think-tank on American foreign policy.

Jessica Stern is Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the author of The Ultimate Terrorists and the forthcoming Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill.
OK, I'll accept that she is well-qualified. That doesn't answer my questions. Did you post this just because it was interesting, or is there something in particular you want us to learn/believe?
 

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
17,134
38
91
Originally posted by: Bowfinger
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: Bowfinger
I'll bite. What is its importance? It appears to be a term paper on terrorism, written by an author unfamiliar to me, and whose credentials are unknown. She also does not cite sources or provide references, so it is difficult to judge the accuracy of her work.

The paper offers broad information about terrorist groups around the world, and is vaguely critical of the United States. It is probably an interesting read for someone who wants to learn more about terrorists. It does not seem to have a specific focus; there isn't really an introduction or a conclusion to explain what the author wants us to learn or conclude. This is a significant omission given the length of the paper.

If your goal was to convince us that the world is still in danger from terrorists, that's fine. I think we all knew that already, however. If there is something more, or something more specific you wanted us to see, I think you need to state it.

the proof is in the pudding, my friend.

her credentials are in the link. Foreign Affairs is a bi-monthly magazine (more like a very thick book) of articles from the Council on Foreign Relations, the preeminent think-tank on American foreign policy.

Jessica Stern is Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the author of The Ultimate Terrorists and the forthcoming Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill.
OK, I'll accept that she is well-qualified. That doesn't answer my questions. Did you post this just because it was interesting, or is there something in particular you want us to learn/believe?


I posted it so that everyone could understand how highly organized the terrorists are. so that everyone could see that they're working together. Those that were critical of the Bush administration's accusation of terrorists working hand-in-hand with states should understand that this is indeed the case. What's worse is that it goes far beyond Iraq. the refusal of the european union to outlaw hamas and freeze its assets is disturbing. the refusal of lebanon to outlaw hezbullah is also disturbing. my question is, what are these countries waiting for, another september 11? if the US went after hezbullah now (in lebanon, there would be little justification, just as there was little for going after al-qaeda in afghanistan before 9/11. pre-emptive strikes may piss of alot of people, but it is better to kill the cancer before it spreads. the article does a fine job of describing the hard work the terrorists are doing to evade law enforcement. civilized countries have to work together before another 9/11 occurs. there should be no compromise when it comes to our national security. if they refuse to act, they should remember that, just as afghanistan was warned in july of 2001, they will be held fully accountable if a terrorist based in their country is responsible for atrocious acts on US citizens.
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
4,265
126
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: Bowfinger
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: Bowfinger
I'll bite. What is its importance? It appears to be a term paper on terrorism, written by an author unfamiliar to me, and whose credentials are unknown. She also does not cite sources or provide references, so it is difficult to judge the accuracy of her work.

The paper offers broad information about terrorist groups around the world, and is vaguely critical of the United States. It is probably an interesting read for someone who wants to learn more about terrorists. It does not seem to have a specific focus; there isn't really an introduction or a conclusion to explain what the author wants us to learn or conclude. This is a significant omission given the length of the paper.

If your goal was to convince us that the world is still in danger from terrorists, that's fine. I think we all knew that already, however. If there is something more, or something more specific you wanted us to see, I think you need to state it.

the proof is in the pudding, my friend.

her credentials are in the link. Foreign Affairs is a bi-monthly magazine (more like a very thick book) of articles from the Council on Foreign Relations, the preeminent think-tank on American foreign policy.

Jessica Stern is Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the author of The Ultimate Terrorists and the forthcoming Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill.
OK, I'll accept that she is well-qualified. That doesn't answer my questions. Did you post this just because it was interesting, or is there something in particular you want us to learn/believe?


I posted it so that everyone could understand how highly organized the terrorists are. so that everyone could see that they're working together. Those that were critical of the Bush administration's accusation of terrorists working hand-in-hand with states should understand that this is indeed the case. What's worse is that it goes far beyond Iraq. the refusal of the european union to outlaw hamas and freeze its assets is disturbing. the refusal of lebanon to outlaw hezbullah is also disturbing. my question is, what are these countries waiting for, another september 11? if the US went after hezbullah now (in lebanon, there would be little justification, just as there was little for going after al-qaeda in afghanistan before 9/11. pre-emptive strikes may piss of alot of people, but it is better to kill the cancer before it spreads. the article does a fine job of describing the hard work the terrorists are doing to evade law enforcement. civilized countries have to work together before another 9/11 occurs. there should be no compromise when it comes to our national security. if they refuse to act, they should remember that, just as afghanistan was warned in july of 2001, they will be held fully accountable if a terrorist based in their country is responsible for atrocious acts on US citizens.

So, what limits would you put on the use of US military power?
 

Tripleshot

Elite Member
Jan 29, 2000
7,218
1
0
Originally posted by: Dari
Sadly, I did not expect a lot of responses on this topic, either because most americans don't understand the nature of terrorism or they've resign to the fact that it can only happen in big cities like New York and Washington. Those that post inane remarks see this as an utter joke or some conspiracy, further degrading its importance. Well, it not a joke and, as the article mentions, the internet and other advancement in technology is making the terrorists share resources. All this is unprecedented in human history. Those that think we can leave the United Nations, or any other international institution, to the dustbin of history are sadly mistaken. If anything, we have to reform these organizations and bring about new international laws that can make these institutions catch up with the times. Global terrorism is pitting humanist against religious fanatics; large governments against outlaw groups that are bent on their destructions. Since the United States is the obvious leader in this global war, we have to be careful how we act. We cannot cower in the face of an ever shifting enemy. We have to support globalization so that the poor can have a sense of ownership and representation in this world. We have to support democracy among our enemies and friends so that everyone feels that their opinion matter. This is an ongoing matter that won't abate anytime soon. As Iraq, Afghanistan, and troubled Africa are showing, it is in America's interest to use both hard and soft power and to work with her allies to make the world a better place.


Screw terrorism and the horse it rode in on. These are murdering criminals,nothing more, nothing less. They should be caught and punished for their actions as criminals. They are not martyrs. they are not soldiers in a holy army. THEY ARE CRIMINALS!

Don't even try to dignify this trash from this think tank. They are half the problem, because they DO dignify these groups as so called martyrs for their cause. Pure garbage. Every one of these A-holes needs to be rounded up and put out of society. THEY ARE CRIMINALS.

 

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
17,134
38
91
Originally posted by: Hayabusarider
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: Bowfinger
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: Bowfinger
I'll bite. What is its importance? It appears to be a term paper on terrorism, written by an author unfamiliar to me, and whose credentials are unknown. She also does not cite sources or provide references, so it is difficult to judge the accuracy of her work.

The paper offers broad information about terrorist groups around the world, and is vaguely critical of the United States. It is probably an interesting read for someone who wants to learn more about terrorists. It does not seem to have a specific focus; there isn't really an introduction or a conclusion to explain what the author wants us to learn or conclude. This is a significant omission given the length of the paper.

If your goal was to convince us that the world is still in danger from terrorists, that's fine. I think we all knew that already, however. If there is something more, or something more specific you wanted us to see, I think you need to state it.

the proof is in the pudding, my friend.

her credentials are in the link. Foreign Affairs is a bi-monthly magazine (more like a very thick book) of articles from the Council on Foreign Relations, the preeminent think-tank on American foreign policy.

Jessica Stern is Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the author of The Ultimate Terrorists and the forthcoming Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill.
OK, I'll accept that she is well-qualified. That doesn't answer my questions. Did you post this just because it was interesting, or is there something in particular you want us to learn/believe?


I posted it so that everyone could understand how highly organized the terrorists are. so that everyone could see that they're working together. Those that were critical of the Bush administration's accusation of terrorists working hand-in-hand with states should understand that this is indeed the case. What's worse is that it goes far beyond Iraq. the refusal of the european union to outlaw hamas and freeze its assets is disturbing. the refusal of lebanon to outlaw hezbullah is also disturbing. my question is, what are these countries waiting for, another september 11? if the US went after hezbullah now (in lebanon, there would be little justification, just as there was little for going after al-qaeda in afghanistan before 9/11. pre-emptive strikes may piss of alot of people, but it is better to kill the cancer before it spreads. the article does a fine job of describing the hard work the terrorists are doing to evade law enforcement. civilized countries have to work together before another 9/11 occurs. there should be no compromise when it comes to our national security. if they refuse to act, they should remember that, just as afghanistan was warned in july of 2001, they will be held fully accountable if a terrorist based in their country is responsible for atrocious acts on US citizens.

So, what limits would you put on the use of US military power?

the limit is set by the litmus test. the litmus test is called diplomacy: how far a countries willing to go to help us eradicate this cancer? are they willing to only pay lip-service or go a step further and destroy the camps and teachings that sprout these terrorists. I will admit that the bush administration has been somewhat heavy-handed in certain cases when it comes to diplomacy. but it feels like we are in a race against time. and other countries, that didn't experience 9/11, seem to think it's a far-away problem. the current administration is anxious to get rid of this problem. unfortunately, it will take more soft power (i.e. diplomacy) to convice others of the importance of confronting this cancer. countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia are finally getting the message. But laws have to be changed and the international community has to be more vigorous in destroying the problem. some people might think it's another topic all-together, but politics goes hand-in-hand with economics. We must spread globalization to spread the success of a free-market system.

 

LunarRay

Diamond Member
Mar 2, 2003
9,993
1
76
Why is 9/11 the focus... ?

PanAm 103 was a terrorist issue..

If those planes hit NY harbor instead of the buildings or never got off the ground would this issue be the same?


Someone is using the fact that folks died to pust an agenda... that may not be doable with out the tragic events... but, again if they never got off the runway would it be the same today....

 

Martin

Lifer
Jan 15, 2000
29,178
1
81
That was an interesting article that gives some great insight into terrorist organizations.

Thanks for the good read.