The attacks of September 11th were a grievous wound inflicted upon the moral, and intellectual psyche of the United States, and its government. It was incumbent going forward, for the United States to take the fight to the terrorist. That meant preempting the threat of violent extremism before it foments into violence. This also meant bringing together communities, both here, and online, that these ideologies thrive in, as well as faith leaders, an order to prevent the radicalization process before it becomes a threat to the United States. Also recommended was the bringing together of friends and allies abroad to combat the threat of extremism no matter where it is, particularly in Western Europe.
On September 11th, 2001 Hijackers, under the direction of Osama Bin Laden, and his terrorist network of affiliates, known as Al-Qaeda, flew planes into the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon, in a deliberate act of terror. This attack, which is now known as 9/11, was one of the most brutal, and violent attacks in American history. This threat, which emanates from Afghanistan, but has its roots in the Middle East, is of the highest concern to the American Government, and has necessitated the actions below which were explicated in the 9/11 commission report to take place immediately following the attacks on our homeland.[1]
[1] Commission Report to Congress and the President of the United States of America Concerning the Events of 9/11, Senator George P. Keane, 9/11 Commission, Originally Published: July 22nd, 2004
An order to combat the rising tide of radicalism both here in the United States and abroad, it was required for the United States to have a robust response that synthesizes all facets of the United States Government, and includes cooperation, and contributions from our allies, both here and abroad.
The most pressing matter that was of concern immediately following the attacks of 9/11, was the securing of the homeland from threats both here and abroad. This meant reviewing National Security Agency wiretaps, and surveillance records for any possible plots which may exist here at home, and also any plots which are fomenting abroad. The next response was to make sure that Federal, State, and Local law enforcement had the resources to go after the people who perpetrated these attacks on the homeland. This meant that they needed to be able to train and recruit more law enforcement resources, and also be able to conduct surveillance activities on potential sleeper cells which may have existed here in the United States. This also meant that all vulnerable monuments and facilities needed to be fortified with existing law enforcement assets, and this also meant that Congress needed to pass legislation an order to provide the legal cover that these agencies needed an order to conduct surveillance and roving wiretaps on potential suspects both here, and abroad.
As for our friends and allies they needed to be able to likewise do the same, and in addition, be able to begin actively monitoring communities that may be hotbeds of radicalization, but also “soft targets”, as well as “hard targets” which may have been vulnerable to attack from individuals who seek to do harm to these countries. This pooling of resources, and coordination had to be done at the highest levels of American Government, as well as in friendly countries abroad, especially Western Europe.
The next thing which needed to be done is that we the American People had to take the fight to directly to the terrorist themselves, this meant, invariably that we anticipated military, as well geo-political actions which will necessitate the complete abolishment of the Taliban, and their theocratic government in Afghanistan. This attack, which was perpetrated on our country, and countrymen is regarded as one of the most violent events in American History, and it could not go unpunished.
The people who acted to do harm to this country before 9/11, must be brought to justice. That is why it was recommended to the President that he plan for, and prepare for the invasion of the country of Afghanistan. The mission critical was to defeat the Taliban, by driving them out of Kabul, the capital, and bringing the terrorist masterminds who executed this attack to justice.
As for communications on the internet and social media, it was necessary to monitor these lines of communication, with the assistance of these companies, and to bring those who would plot to do harm to our country to justice.[1]
[1] 9/11 Commission Report, 9/11 Commission, 2004, https://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf, Accessed On: 3/18/2023
Maintaining a strong line of communication with communities of faith in this country, particularly in vulnerable communities, and bringing them into the process of protecting this country was essential to the maintenance of peace, and prosperity throughout the entire world. It was also important for actors in the private sector to be onboard with these recommendations an order to ensure their continual support for the government’s actions as we prepared to take on a threat which knows no national boundaries, and has inflicted a grave wound on our moral, and national psyche. This we hoped to do in the coming months, and years of this international conflict.
Radical Islam is a form of Islam which has its roots in the Wahhabist faith. Though the Rulers of Saudi Arabia, the house of Saud, follow its core tenants, they have sworn off any terrorist financing, or terror activity. This does not extend however to their charitable activities that seek to promote Wahhabism around the World through the building of Mosque, and Madrassas or Religious Schools. Al-Qaeda is an offshoot of this Wahhabist school of thought in Islam, and seeks to remove irreligious Arab governments, as well as what it views as the Great Satan (e.g., Israel, and The United States) from Arab Lands through a Jihad, or Holy War. Individuals are radicalized for certain reasons, and each one is different. These individuals often come from marginalized parts of society, and often preach adherence to Islam, but conduct themselves in a way which is antithetical to the teachings of Islam. There is no way to look at someone and tell that they are a terrorist or not. The most successful terrorist often come from wealthy, and privileged backgrounds that are usually not in keeping with traditional Islamic Teachings.
The Radical Islamic Ideology that we know today as Islamic Fundamentalism has its roots in the sayings and teachings of Radical Saudi Arabian Scholars who were concerned with what they saw as encroachments on Arab Lands, and holy sites by Foreign Invaders, and later by what was considered by them an illegitimate Jewish state in Arab, and Palestinian lands. This conscious, and radical viewpoint has its roots in the Wahhabist teachings of 17th century custodians of the holy sites in and around what is today known as Saudi Arabia.
The rise of this non-secular Islamic sect of Islam, can be traced almost precisely with the house of Saud, and its eventual establishment of a monarchy on the Arabian Peninsula in the early 20th century. The house of Saud, its rise, and establishment therefore, cannot be divorced from the Wahhabist clerics whom they swept into power with up to this date. This arrangement, of the House of Saud adhering to the Wahhabist faith, and being the chief custodians of the Kabbah, the holy sites in Mecca, and Medina, and overlords of the secular parts of society, while the clerics maintain a monopoly on religious life, was established almost at the beginning of the House of Saud’s families founding in the 17th century.
So, while the house of Saud is tied to a fanatical religious cult, its behavior is not fully in lockstep with the teachings of some of the more modern fanatical preachers in the Wahhabist faith. Though the Rulers of Saudi Arabia, the house of Saud, follow its core tenants, they have sworn off any terrorist financing, or terror activity. This does not extend however to their charitable activities that seek to promote Wahhabism around the World through the building of Mosque, and Madrassas or Religious Schools.
This divorce from the reality of the Saudi Royal Families lifestyle, and the Wahhabist religion that they claim to practice, goes back for at least the last 60 years, when the Founder of Saudi Arabia, King Saud, declared his family as the only legitimate custodians of the Kabbah, the holy mosque in Medina, and the other spiritual, and Islamic Holy Sites in and around Mecca, and the rest of Saudi Arabia.
Al-Qaeda on the other hand finds its philosophical roots in an even more virulent strain of Wahhabism by a preacher that advocated for the destruction of all infidels, and their strong holds around the World called Qutbism. Qutbism which would be co-opted by Al Qaeda’s (Literally “The Base”) leader, and 9/11 mastermind Usama Bin Laden. Bin Laden who was a Freedom Fighter during the Afghanistan War in the 1980’s, along with Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri was almost entirely responsible for the creation of Al-Qaeda, from a Freedom Fighter recruitment, and fundraising apparatus, to one of the most successful terrorist organizations in the history of man.
This duopoly which did not always exist peacefully, Dr. Zawahiri, and Usama Bin Laden, played to the strengths of both men. Where Usama could be shy and reserved, yet charismatic, preferring rather to fund raise, and carry out attacks, while inspiring the masses with critiques of Arab Governments, and calling for the destruction of Israel; Zawahiri could be reserved to, but was easily regarded as the philosophical underpinnings of the organization, and one of the most inspiring terrorist leaders to come out of the Muslim Brotherhood, and its existential protest against the Al-Mubarak regime. This Al-Qaeda did with a tight leadership structure which rarely changed, and a gift for disrupting world events with opportune strikes on what Usama Bin Laden would refer to as the weapons of Satan (Israel) and the Infidels.
Its telling to note that Al-Qaeda under the leadership of Usama and Zawahiri throughout the early years of the Islamic terrorist organizations founding, never struck in Europe, or European Capitals, instead deciding to focus their energies on what they saw as the main threats to Arab domination of Middle Eastern lands, Israel, and the United States. This they did to great effect with several bombings; at the World Trade Center, USS Cole, Kenya, and Tanzania, as well as the bombings at Oklahoma City, and the events of and leading up to 9/11. It’s been said that Osama Bin Laden is one of the most prolific mass murderers in all of history, for his execution of the attacks on 9/11, and that these attacks, form the core teachings and ideology of Al-Qaeda, this is almost certainly true, and as an outsider should help you to understand exactly what the motivations of the group, namely the exclusion, domination, dismemberment of any non-Arab country, which seeks to impinge upon Arab lands, and their sacred sites.
This belief that no non-Arab should use Arab lands to attack other Arab countries emanates from the period immediately after the end of the Cold War, and the United States basing of troops in Saudi Arabia, an order to remove Saddam Hussein from Kuwait during what is known as the First Gulf War. After this successful “incursion” on Arab lands Osama issued what is known as a fatwa, or religious decree, which expressly prohibited the Saudi Royal Family from participating in the Hajj pilgrimage that year, and called for the destruction of the Saudi Royal Family, Israel, and the United States.
This Fatwa was widely received in the Middle East, and directly led to the successful creation of Al-Qaeda as a terrorist organization, and network.
As for the radicalizing of individuals, it is not known precisely what circumstances lead to the radicalization of individuals. For those who come from Majority Muslim countries, it could be something as simple as the family that you come from, or your adherence to a certain teaching within your faith. But for others, and especially Westerners, the radicalization process can take many paths. Sometimes a crisis of culture within the individual, and the realization of these radical teachings can inspire them to do tremendous damage to their own society or another, as quote “Lone Wolves”, or to travel to a battlefield to fight with a Holy Army as a Martyr. Other times, it depends on the type of friends they have and sometimes crucially how much money they have.
But there is no one set prototypical persona, or type of person that you should be looking out for. All the features that they require often times cannot be seen with the naked eye. Often times these individuals are outcast in a segment of society, or just society in general, and they have nothing better to do, or as stated earlier, fall into the wrong crowd and are radicalized by their friends.
Since the attacks of 9/11, the death of Osama Bin Laden, the ongoing war with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or simply ISIS, the threat of Islamic Extremism continues to emanate primarily from the Middle East, Near East, Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Maghreb, and South Asia, though not without evidence of western plots and cells. The most pressing threat which emanates from these lands, is of course the threat which is still being eradicated in ISIS, but also a number of philosophical offshoots, and even sister organizations, which have taken the name of the Caliphate, but have chosen altogether more prolific, and productive means of recruitment, and dynamism.
This of course means that the aforementioned policies, and tactics which the western intelligence agencies, as well as law enforcement sources, have taken, will be tested in new, and often times original ways, which have never been seen, or confronted before. And while I don’t have the ability to discern precisely what may be attempted. Needless to say, the ways in which they will try to exploit the very links, and couplings which make the modern world go round, will indeed be ingenious.
Therefore, I submit that the most pressing plots that will become the most strenuous to our systems of checks and balances, will revolve around the use of airborne, or even seaborne transportation, an order to defeat our security mechanisms, and protocols. This will include a replay of the Richard Reid shoe bomber attacks, as well as the inkjet cartridges that are becoming more superfluous. It could include the use of planted doubles that will expedite the defeating of the security, as well as the use of social media, and influencer personalities, as a decoy, or disguise.
This state of affairs may be attenuated, depending on the degree of severity with which it is able to be pulled off with. Nevertheless, the appropriate law enforcement sources, should remain diligent, and ready to apprehend any, and all subjects. And intelligence sources should be fully exploited, including signals intelligence over the internet, and CB, and Ham Radios, which are becoming increasingly popular with a younger generation.
The use of children, or even unassuming, and conformist bystanders, and individuals who may even belong to the same radical sect, or segment of society. Whatever the case may be, the proper authorities should be prepared to deal with whatever may come, and the funding, and maintenance, of these strands of intelligence collection, and human intelligence cannot be overstated.
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