The arrest of
three terrorists in Germany brings to mind the question, is al-Qaida's tactic changing to utilize more native-born converts to Islam rather than Middle Easterners?
The heightened scrutiny of people of middle-eastern appearance probably put a kink in future terror activities, but we've already seen several examples of American and European converts being used in (thus far) foiled plots.
How can we address this, without further curtailing legitimate freedoms?
I don't think that it can be done.
Terrorists and terrorism are not new. The Red Army Faction had a ca. 30 year run in Europe, Shin Fein has a longer run in Northern Ireland and La Cosa Nostra and even longer run in the US. al Queda didn't invent terrorism. The chief difference between al Qaeda and it's antecedents appears to be the willingness on the part of some members to commit suicide as part of the commission of the crime.
The answer seems to be good police work and persistence. I see no evidence that al Qaeda is ultimately any different than other terror networks.
The chief difference between al Qaeda and it's antecedents appears to be the willingness on the part of some members to commit suicide as part of the commission of the crime.
To me, it seems that the more significant difference is that it's neither localized (as in Sinn Fein) nor targeted (la Cosa Nostra). Al Qaida targets everyone non-Islamic, anywhere in the world.
I don't think that it can be done.
Except that it must be done. I agree that this is no different than other terrorist activity and I am not willing to give up my freedoms. It is clear that the efforts in this administration are both ineffective and unamerican so the sooner we can get some new folks in place willing to stand up to the challenge while maintaining some perspective, the happier I will be.
"Al Qaida targets everyone non-Islamic, anywhere in the world."
That's nonsense, of course. Name the Scandanavian countries that have been targeted by al Qaida. I can't think of any al Qaida attacks in Switzerland, Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia. Any attacks in Panama, Costa Rica or Uraguay? I could go on and on.
One problem is that there is al Qaida and there are al Qaida wannabees. This is compounded by the US Administration that seems to see the hand of al Qaida in everything. Most of the violence in Iraq, for example, has nothing to do with al Qaida, yet the Administration wants us to believe we are fighting terrorism by occupying Iraq.
The answer to al Qaida is to stop being terrorized by them and to start understanding how they work, what they do and what their goals are (hint: it isn't because they "hate us for our freedoms"). We've made great progress in marginalizing al Qaida by identifying and cutting off revenue and monitoring internet traffic and cell phone signals. This involves international police work, not childishly pissing on our European allies because they won't join us in blowing up stuff.
The answer to al Qaida is to stop being terrorized by them and to start understanding how they work, what they do and what their goals are (hint: it isn't because they "hate us for our freedoms").
So what exactly are their goals, as you see it?
...the sooner we can get some new folks in place willing to stand up to the challenge while maintaining some perspective, the happier I will be.
Which folks do you think are better able (simple willingness doesn't count) to stand up to the challenge while maintaining some perspective? I've heard a lot of critique of what's been done, but not much in the way of better ideas. Maybe I've just missed something big, so if you can point me to it, please do.
"So what exactly are their goals, as you see it?"
The stated goals (and these appear consistent with their activities) are:
1. to get non-islamic nations out of the ME. This means western military forces and non-islamic residents (e.g., Jews, Christians, Baha'is, etc);
2. to establish sharia law in the muslim nations of the middle east.
...the sooner we can get some new folks in place willing to stand up to the challenge while maintaining some perspective, the happier I will be.
Which folks do you think are better able (simple willingness doesn't count) to stand up to the challenge while maintaining some perspective? I've heard a lot of critique of what's been done, but not much in the way of better ideas. Maybe I've just missed something big, so if you can point me to it, please do.
Willingness would be a giant step in the right direction. This will require a lot of hard work, leadership, planning, cooperation, citizens buying in... All of these are things that the current administration is unwilling to do.
Give me the willing over the unwilling every day.
Matthew Yglesias offers some pointers on directions of anti-terrorism activity:
• We're seeing here once again that the big risk factor is the presence of a large, deeply alienated Muslim population in your country. That means the locus of the short-run problem is Western Europe rather than the United States. It also means that we need to put a high premium on understanding the aspects of America that make the country relatively friendly to Muslim integration and strengthen them.
• It seems slightly perverse to worry that an al-Qaeda sanctuary might emerge in some part of Iraq when, right now, there are al-Qaeda sanctuaries in Pakistan where it seems these guys trained.
• Stopping terrorist plots turns out to involve an awful lot of police and intelligence work. You can't take these guys down with a DD(X) or an Osprey or a Raptor.
• It still seems to be the case that nobody is anywhere near approaching the sophistication or lethality of a 9/11-scale plot. Back in the fall of 2001, I, at least, was very afraid that there might be much worse things in the works.
http://matthewyglesias.theatlantic.com/a...n_plot.php