2012 Is Looking A Lot Like The 1972 Election, But Worse!

It has been some time since I last penned a blog post, however the events of the last month have overwhelmed me so, that I can no longer sit idle and allow my peers to remain in the dark on such a grave matter. I am speaking of the terror attack that occurred in Benghazi, Libya, the one that killed four Americans on the eleventh anniversary of 9/11. 

 It is not the attack alone that has warranted my attention; it is also the actions and events that have taken place in the aftermath. Upon hearing the fatal news on the morning of September 12, 2012, I immediately rejected the story of the film depicting the Prophet Mohammad as the culprit and inspiration of a vicious and deadly mob. Rather, I knew that an attack on US interests in Benghazi, Libya, was absolutely a planned attack by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or at the very least, an affiliate link to the group who wanted to send America a very clear message: "Osama bin laden may be dead but we are not on the run." 

My conclusion is based on my knowledge of terrorist operations. It is known that Al Qaeda and associated groups, as well as the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, are planning these kinds of operations in our own backyard in South America. Casing and running surveillance of US and Israeli embassies as well as embassy personnel, are well documented within our intelligence community. If these acts are occurring in Latin America, it comes as no surprise that similar efforts would be done in Benghazi, Libya, where we have known since the Libyan Revolution that this area is an Al Qaeda stronghold.

 Prior to a terrorist's deployment to a given region to execute an attack, individual(s) are often trained militarily to fulfill their objectives. In the post 9/11 era, terrorist organizations are not as capable, as they were a decade ago, to plan and execute an attack on American soil with such grandiose success. Therefore, they are left to target our interests abroad. The American people have known from day one that the "mob" who attacked the US Consulate were armed with mortars and RPG's among other arms. Ordinary mobs, including those in the Middle East, as seen by the greatest protest in Egypt, were not similarly prepared. This raises eyebrows.

According to Eric Nordstrom, a Regional Security Officer who was relieved of his duty in Tripoli in July of 2012, and delivered a testimony of the 9/11/12 attack to the House Oversight Committee on the Tenth of October, 2012, explains, "The ferocity and intensity of the attack was nothing that we had seen in Libya, or that I had seen in my time in the Diplomatic Security Service."

It is increasingly worrisome how the Obama administration refuses to be forthcoming and transparent about this attack. In the days following this attack, it was clear that the President, the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and UN Ambassador Susan Rice, all maintained that this was the act of an outraged mob. If Nordstrom contends that this attack was more elaborate and well-executed than anything he has ever witnessed in his 15 years of tenured service, then how could it have been conducted by an unorganized crowd of Libyans?

The President and Secretary of State even went as far as airing commercials on Pakistani television condemning the producer of the infamous film. It has recently been revealed by the father of former Navy SEAL, Tyrone Woods, that while awaiting the arrival of his son's American-flag, draped casket, at Andrews Air Force base, Hillary Clinton assured the grieving father that, “We’re going to have that person [filmmaker] arrested and prosecuted that did the video.”

During the second presidential debate, Obama contended that this attack has always been portrayed as the terrorist attack that it was. Assuming that were true, why did the President charge Governor Romney as "shooting first and aiming later" when he condemned this attack and referred to it as terrorism?

In the last couple of weeks, memos and emails have surfaced and have been leaked to the press clearly indicating that the President was aware of this attack in real time which contradicts Obama's explanation that the intelligence community has not made available, the details of the attack. It has also been reported that the President met with Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta and the Vice President at the White House during the attack and were able to watch the attack live via two overhead drones. Some argue the Obama administration has not been obliging about details of this tragedy because they fear it could tip the election.

While this accusation cannot currently be verified, the only conclusion to be made about the lack of transparency and potential cover-ups the Obama administration has put forward, are simply because they indeed have something to hide. Next week's election is critical. We owe it to all Americans who serve our country in foreign lands, in the number of capacities in which they do, to get to the bottom of this disaster. The House Oversight Committee has been working tirelessly to gather the facts.

As a voter, I will not tolerate the Water-gate tactics of governmental cover-ups, especially with four Americans dead, to solidify Barack Obama's reelection efforts. I demand honesty and integrity from my President, I vote Mitt Romney.


Kellie Dunlap
November 1, 2012

Moving Beyond OPEC: Energizing the Economy with a Viable Energy Policy

Article Originally Published on blog.americansforenergy.us in September 2011.

During Spring, oil prices reached over $100 dollars per barrel­ ­̶ the highest price since 2008. This summer, oil prices fell due to the global economic recession. In direct correlation to the volatile oil market that followed the Spring price hikes, the U.S. domestic economy has floundered. With minimal job growth, rises in food prices and debilitating effects on the housing market, it becomes apparent just how much high oil prices impact the U.S. economy.

Clemson University Professor David Bodde says, “What we are seeing in terms of the price [of oil] is more of a financial demand phenomenon more than a supply and demand phenomenon.” Bodde further explains that in order for the economy to recover, oil prices need to be consistent. However, there is little the U.S. government can do to influence the global price of oil since it is a fungible commodity and the U.S. only produces about 8% of the world’s total supply.

OPEC , the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, sets the global price of oil since they are the largest petroleum producers; theoretically basing the price of oil on supply and demand. However, history suggests that supply and demand is not the determining factor of oil prices. Gal Luft, executive director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security (IAGS) argues that, among other factors, the recent inter-organizational politics of OPEC may further exacerbate the unpredictability of oil prices in the near future.

In late July, Islamic Revolutionary Guards veteran Rostam Ghasemi was appointed the new petroleum minister of Iran. Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad explained that the nomination of Ghasemi will promote Iran’s objective to align the complex oil industry with its national interests. Iran currently holds OPEC’s rotating presidential seat. Therefore, Ghasemi will act as the de-facto president of OPEC in the coming months.

Ghasemi, a former Chief Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, will be sure to uphold Iranian national interests, which poses a threat to Saudi Arabia’s longstanding control of OPEC decision-making. Luft contends that, while there is the obvious historical Sunni-Shia rift between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as the ideological dispute over regional hegemonic power, there is another contentious issue at hand; instead of the member states of OPEC falling in line with Saudi Arabia’s decisions as they have in the past, they are now attempting to raise the price of oil to cover their own economic needs. Both Iran and Saudi Arabia are largely dependent on oil revenues. However, Iran would rather see the price of oil per barrel around $140 in order to balance its budget. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, can maintain its budget with oil prices about $90 per barrel.

In June, OPEC members, for the first time in two decades, were unable to agree to an increase in output levels or establish the price of oil per barrel. The widespread civil unrest in many Middle Eastern countries has weakened their economies, causing OPEC members to make decisions individually rather than as an organization. These disparities, coupled with Iran and Venezuela’s insistence on higher oil prices, have divided OPEC’s members and reduced Saudi Arabia’s influence. With Rostem Ghasemi holding the reins of OPEC, the international community will likely see inflated oil prices for the remainder of the year.

2011 has illustrated that dependence on foreign oil makes the U.S. economy vulnerable- America can no longer afford to be at the whim of OPEC . With Middle Eastern civil turmoil, revolutions, and power politics, America needs to end its dependence on foreign oil. The government should be focusing on utilizing all available resources in order to become energy independent. On shore and offshore drilling should be permitted; natural gas expansion should be encouraged; clean coal production for the purpose of creating fuel via methanol should also be pursued, as well as the continuing production of biomass fuel. By acknowledging that capricious oil prices are the source of our economic problems, we can work to solve the problem by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, which will create long-term employment and help to balance the trade deficit.

As gas prices continue to range between $80-$100 dollars per barrel, Americans will pay $500 billion to OPEC and other foreign governments this year alone. While the President prepares to address Congress regarding job creation on Thursday, America should be demanding that he and Congress create an effective energy policy that will mobilize multiple sectors of the economy rather than simply promoting each party’s preferred energy sources. Until this occurs, we can be sure to see further unemployment, a depressed economy and higher prices at the pump.

Defeating Al Qaeda: The Energy Offensive

May 17, 2011 - In the aftermath of the siege and death of Osama bin Laden, counter-terrorism officials prepare for Al-Qaeda's response. The home front is on alert with heightened awareness for both soft and hard target attacks. There have been numerous false alarms, including the foiled terrorist plot in New York City a couple weeks ago. Intelligence analysts assert that Al-Qaeda is seeking to conduct a large-scale attack, proving to their enemies the group's resilience and adaptive modus operandi, while rallying support from affiliates.

In the last decade, however, the elimination of key individuals within the terrorist network has left Al Qaeda on the defensive, forcing the remaining operatives into hiding and reducing their effectiveness. Furthermore, intelligence gathering and dissemination has improved tremendously since 9/11. Law enforcement officials have thwarted numerous attacks by radical individuals such as the cases involving Bryant Neal Vinas and Najibullah Zazi, two men who, on separate occasions, traveled from the United States to Pakistan, and underwent weapons and explosives training in Al-Qaeda's training camps, but were foiled by the FBI before they were able to carry out their missions.

Yet, while this is good news, it has opened up other security threats. According to Mario Mancuso, the former Deputy Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Counter-Terrorism during the Bush administration, "my chief worry at the moment is the Saudi and Gulf oilfields." If terrorists were to attack and disable Saudi and Gulf oilfields, America would pay the highest price. Mancuso explains that such an attack would be logistically easier for terrorists to accomplish since the oilfields are in their backyard, and with America relying so heavily on oil exports, their attack would have long reaching effects in several markets.

In Osama bin Laden's 2004 videotaped address, he expressed Al Qaeda's "policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy." This "bleeding" would surely occur if Al-Qaeda were able to successfully wipe out an oil refinery, such as was attempted in 2006 on the Abqaiq oil processing plant in Saudi Arabia which handles nearly two-thirds of Saudi's oil output. Yet an attack would not necessarily have to completely take out an oil processing plant to strike a major blow at the United States. Any attack that inhibited or decreased the flow of the nearly 21 million barrels of oil the US imports every day for a prolonged period would cause economic damage. A sample of this economic damage has been previewed the last couple of months with the rise in oil prices from the turmoil occurring throughout the Middle East.

It is for this reason that the United States must not only protect itself from acts of terror against its citizens. The US must also find a way to decrease our reliance on the Middle East as a major exporter of our transportation fuel.

On May 3, a bipartisan group of leaders in the House of Representatives, led by Mr. John Shimkus, put forth a bill that seeks to employ existing domestic resources as transportation fuels. The bill is called the Open Fuels Standard Act (OFS), H.R. 1687. This initiative seeks to open the fuel market, so that alternative fuels including methanol, ethanol, biodiesel, compressed natural gas, and electricity can compete with gasoline. The real key here is methanol. Methanol which is known as wood alcohol, can be made from coal, natural gas, biomass and urban trash. The OFS requires that by 2017, 95% of vehiclessold in the U.S. must be either flexible fuel capable of using methanol, ethanol, or gasoline equally well, or has been warranted by the manufacturer to run on an alternative such as natural gas (CNG), electric, hybrid plug-in or biodiesel.

An open fuel standard would allow American motorists to choose their fuel source at the pump based on price and fuel source, rather than the current policy which forces drivers to pay astronomical prices at the pump which then go to fill the coffers of foreign governments, including several governments that are not our allies. By creating competition at the pump, OFS will constrain the price of oil, drastically cutting the ability of OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) regimes to tax Americans.

It is only through divesting the Middle East of its power over the U.S. fuel market that we can hope to win the War on Terror. Military attacks against terrorist cells are important, of course, but it is of equal importance that the U.S. actively pursues its energy security with an effective energy policy. The American people should not be forced to spend increasing sums of money at the pump to support Middle Eastern governments and OPEC.

I Seek Truth, Others Seek Terror

The events in the Mediterranean this week regarding the "Freedom Flotilla" has stirred immense media attention and for good reason. On Monday morning (June 1, 2010), I awoke to the headline story depicting the IDF raid of a humanitarian aid ship. Living in Israel, it is hard to escape developing stories in the media; therefore, I anticipated the arrival of these ships who sought to break the naval blockade Israel has installed on Gaza after Operation Cast Lead with the alleged intention of providing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza who do not otherwise receive it. After reading numerous international sources, I knew that this was another PR battle Israel was going to lose regardless of the facts.

As I regularly do, I sought to challenge the stories by providing the Israeli perspective on my Facebook page. I posted articles explaining how some of the "peace activists" are actually members of an organization presenting itself as a humanitarian aid organization whose ideologies adhere to radical Islamic principles and whose ideologies are aligned with those of the Muslim Brotherhood, namely the IHH. Other members aboard the ship were individuals such as Sheikh Salah, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel who in 2003 was arrested on charges of funding the terrorist organization and now political party, HAMAS in Gaza. Additionally, after reviewing the footage of what was supposed to be a simple inspection of aid, making sure no weapons were going to passed into the Strip, the Israeli commandos were ambushed by the "peace activists". Yet, the simple statement of my personal observations are not going to convince people one way or another, but I still attempt to challenge what I see as very biased international news reports.

Most people don't know, and don't care to research that Israel transfers humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip nearly everyday, which falsifies the argument that the people in Gaza are starving to death because of the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza ports. Not to mention, Israel has no objections to international humanitarian aid to Gaza as long it is strictly humanitarian. These ships were asked to sail North to the town of Ashdod where the goods would be transported by land to the Strip. If this mission was about delivering humanitarian aid in a peaceful manner then clearly this event never would have happened. The last illustration of the biased media coverage were the numerous reports stating that 20 people had been killed, among these 20 even Sheikh Salah was identified; later all of these reports were reduced from the exaggerated number to nine people, none of them being the Sheikh.

Having briefly explained my reasoning for the continuous posting of articles on my Facebook, I am merely trying to advocate the other flip of the coin. The unpopular Israeli side. A day later, just before heading to bed, I routinely checked my email one last time finding several Facebook comments and messages. I checked my Facebook to find a very surprising and utterly frightening, personal message from an unknown person threatening me in a very disturbing and vulgar warning message, which I will refrain from quoting due to the crude and disgusting language. Initially, I was more than terrified and shocked to find that someone from this region, not Israel, had found me on Facebook and would threaten me for the content of the articles that I post on my own wall! He and I do not have any mutual friends which makes this situation all the more chilling.

I reported this person to the Facebook administrators and have invested seriously in all of the appropriate security settings to safeguard myself from future distasteful comments. Which if I may add; I post articles on my page and invite people to express their opinions, this is what information sharing is all about, if I didn't want dialogue, I would make it so that people cannot write on my wall or comment on the articles posted, but this would defeat the very reason that I post them!!

Thanks to the Google,Twitter and other social networking sites, I am pleased to find out that the administrators of Facebook take threats like this very seriously and have deactivated his account! He of course is extremely unhappy and seeks to spread his loathing hatred and opinions on other forums and by creating new Facebook pages. Among the most alarming aspects of this individual is that he appears to be a very well-educated, wealthy and prominent business person in this region, with moderate religious practices and a significant ability to attract followers of his various pages. Some people really don't appreciate what many Americans take for granted; our right to freedom of speech, religion and press. Some want to suppress these values and threaten those of us who want to uphold them.

I have pondered going into seclusion from Facebook and Twitter because of the fear that I initially felt from his actions, but then I realize that that would mean his tactic of instilling fear in those who share their own, differing opinions for personal reasons would actually work. But I will not let this kind of action effect my personal liberties!! Since this was quite a terrifying incident, I do recommend that all users of the various social networking sites, invest in the security settings provided because you never know who is reading your profile.

Unpopular Security

March, 18, 2010







Major cities throughout the world last week honored the sixth annual 'Israeli Apartheid Week'. The security barrier that divides much of the Palestinian occupied territories from the State of Israel is a very visible and sobering illustration of the everlasting conflict between these two peoples. These global events taking place throughout the world inspire increasing criticism of the Israeli government and awareness of the grievances of the Palestinian people. Yet they leave out an important aspect of the security barrier's intention; to preserve the lives of the Israeli citizenry and subsequently, Palestinian lives as well. Additionally, John Holmes, the UN humanitarian coordinator, visited the region this past week assessing the potentiality of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and has expressed that a two-state solution may no longer be viable in the near future due to the "land for peace" issue that Israel continues to infringe upon. Unfortunately this week, none of the Israeli grievances have been considered, either by the participants of 'Israeli Apartheid Week', nor by Holmes, instead all of this ballyhoo only stymies the peace process further.

The international community should be reluctant in picking a side and instead should aid in the process and use constructive criticism regarding both parties rather than singling one out. This approach neglects the very reason the wall has been established. During the height of the second intifada, the Israeli government had little choice but to physically inhibit the opportunity for suicide bombers to enter into Israel and terrorize the Israeli civilian population. This type of warfare is known as a 'punishment' war strategy which seeks to systematically target civilian populations in order to reduce their morale low enough forcing them to seek change in their government's public policies. This indeed occurred. The policy instigated in suicide terrorism was a security barrier between the two peoples. Rand Corporation's Bruce Hoffman, a world renowned counter-terrorism expert also expresses the need for Israel to erect and preserve defensive borders that disrupt or stop the strategic planning and operational capabilities for suicide bombers to carry out their operations. One must consider; when a government is faced with a national security threat like suicide terrorism that aims to terrorize its population, it is obligated to protect the welfare of its people. Putting all other political issues aside, this national security measure has proven itself a necessity. Since 2008, nearly 60% of the wall has been constructed and suicide terrorism has dropped immensely.

In addition to the security barrier, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has also positioned itself in areas of the West Bank for intelligence purposes. . In Hoffman's book entitled Inside Terrorism he explains that by positioning Israeli security forces within the occupied territories these units are able to send in forces and engage quickly with organizations and individuals who are mobilizing for an attack, dismantling their efforts prior to their entry into Israel. These measures including the security barrier have stopped nearly 85% of Palestinian terrorist activities according to Hoffman. Therefore, the wall has served to protect both Israeli lives as well as Palestinian shahadas- or martyrs. Participants of 'Israeli Apartheid Week' refuse to acknowledge the reasons the wall exists, as dismal as its appearance may be, it is a governmental obligation of the Israeli government to its people.

Concurrently, this week, a human rights activist group condemned efforts of Israeli Defense Forces as well as Israeli police for seeking to stop or discourage the rock throwers in Jerusalem because the organization explained that these people have the right to protest the demolition of their homes. I didn't realize that violent protests were an acceptable method of expression. Rocks too have the ability to injure if not kill people . Terrorist organizations within Gaza have also referred to the recent uprisings as the Third Intifada and have encouraged people within Israel to take up arms therefore, Israelis have the right to quell the violence before it erupts into another traumatic, drawn-out war.

My intention with this blog is to simply represent the other side of this story. While people protest the wall, I am simply putting forth the effective reasons it exists. I would argue that most Israelis would prefer not to have a wall at all either, yet the alternative is intolerable. The State of Israel continues to be demonized on this issue however, when the facts are presented, it is a reasonable solution to a very severe and debilitating national security threat. Therefore, we as members of the international community really need to assess the grievances shared by both parties in this conflict and understand that Israelis, just as the Palestinians, are reluctant to trust one another even if peace talks resume in the near future.

I am no advocate for settlement building and the purpose of this blog is to merely lay out reasons for the establishment of the security barrier, however as issues have unfolded regarding the construction issue, it is certainly noteworthy to add that Jerusalem neither East nor West were ever a part of the moratorium agreement; therefore, I think it is a mistake that Biden and Obama have gotten so riled up over construction in East Jerusalem, which sits within the Jerusalem municipality and should never be considered a 'settlement'; it is a city where Jews and Muslims live in very close proximity to one another.

My New Reality

February 3, 2010

I was reluctant to write on this matter because I do not wish to be apart of the culture of hysteria regarding the issue of suicide terrorism. However, after a long discussion with my father, I have been encouraged to express my experience. Recently, I have devoted my scholarship largely to the issue of suicide terrorism; studying counter-terrorism in Israel hardly allows one to escape the topic. As part of a research inquiry, I have spent much of my time examining the various aspects of the matter. Predominantly I have sought to comprehend reasons behind female suicide terrorism, researching everything from the feminist movement to martyrdom, as an effort to understand and combat extremism.

Since this subject has been at the forefront of much of my thoughts, I have made it the topic of numerous discussions with my classmates. The other night, while in a study group for a final examination, I brought it up, seeking discourse with my peers. Our conversation was spent considerably on the tactical approaches of the "H-bomb" as it is referred to, meaning "human bomb" or the ultimate smart bomb. We discussed the thinking of a suicide terrorist, such as where he or she would sit on a bus. I mentioned that when I was living in Jerusalem a friend told me that statistically speaking, passengers sitting closer to the driver of the bus are more likely to survive the blast as some of the drivers have survived in past attacks. The majority of us concluded that this was probably not an accurate assessment and terrorists usually sit in the middle of the bus in order to kill or injure as many people as possible.

By and large, although not aware of it, I became overwhelmed with fear regarding this type of terrorism. My only method of transportation in this country is public transportation. That same night, Dru and I boarded the #29 bus home, we sat at the back of the bus, one of our usual seats to sit in. A man got on the bus and sat in the first seat behind the door that is located at the center of the bus. I could not help but notice that he was an Arab. He wore a brown, leather bomber jacket and had a small sack in his hand, what looked like he had just come from the supermarket. Initially, I was unprovoked. Yet, I kept an eye on him. I examined every inch of him; his sneakers, his jeans, his newly trimmed haircut (which is an attribute many suicide bombers have- a clean shave so that they look their best before meeting their maker). As I scrutinized him, I realized that he rarely looked out the windows of the bus, instead he stared straight ahead, which I realized sitting close to him, that the visibility through the windshield of the bus was not great as it was dark outside. The only time he afforded to look out the window was when we passed a police car whose blue lights provoked his attention. As the bus passed the police car, the man nearly turned all they way around in his seat until it was completely out of his sight. I began to feel a little excited, although I didn't want to tell Dru. Instead I just observed.

Another aspect of the man that heightened my awareness of him, was the position in which he sat. He looked incredibly uncomfortable as he sat slightly slouched forward, of course the only reason I could come up with was that whatever explosives he had strapped and wired to his torso was causing him some discomfort; not to mention the added weight of this material was probably foreign to him. The thickness of his bomber jacket that was zipped-up, left little room for me to believe that it was just a t-shirt underneath. Finally, he took a cellphone out of the pocket of his jeans and that is when my silence broke! I exclaimed, "I want to get off at the next stop! I want off!" Dru, of course flashed the most puzzled look and spat back, "what is your problem?" Quietly, I spewed every detail of the man sitting catty-corner to us and that I was panicking. It has been a few years at least since a bus has been blown up, but that was the point; this could be the first attempt after a long run of quiet, and how perfect it would be in the upper-class area of Herzliya, the unofficial home of the Mossad and many diplomats from all over the world. Dru, being trained in this field of seeking out the "bad guys" began to observe for himself. We were so close at this point to our stop that we stayed. The cell phone began to ring, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I imagined it to be a remote detonator. It was not. However, the man began to speak Arabic, which is not usual in these parts. I tried to listen to pick up any vocabulary I knew. The man got upset, he was pointing at the driver, all of this occurring as I am trying to talk myself down. We got out of our seats and headed towards the man; the bus stopped and Dru quickly ushered out of the bus, meanwhile a strap on my backpack was stuck on my seat. As I freed the strap I passed his seat, hastily looking for explosives he may have left behind. I jumped out of the bus.

As I landed, I tripped, impaling myself into the back of Dru, whose senses were provoked by my hysteria. He turned around as if he wanted to kill me! We walked off towards home and the man walked in the other direction. I laughed in relief and teased Dru saying "Thank God I was not in your unit in Iraq, I would have been the Barney Fife!"

The lesson learned in this traumatizing event is that our lives here have taught us that the way of life here is much different than at home. Me, Kellie Dunlap, of Littleton, Colorado, never imagined that I would have to worry about a suicide bomber anywhere near me. But, this is the reality I live in here. I chose to share this because I wanted to convey the seriousness of this threat. In my last blog, I tried to convey that the sophomoric attempts by recent terrorists are still a great danger. It may not be long before, we Americans, are sitting on the Light Rail or on an RTD bus paranoid because it happened in another U.S. city. Americans need to understand that radical Islam is not going to stop; yes, they are struggling to carry out the spectacular attacks we saw on 9/11, but they are still driven to inflict casualties on our population and suicide terrorism is strategic; it is cheap, it is spontaneous and dramatically influences a society's morale.

Contrastingly, one must seek a balance. I regret that I profiled someone who was simply on his way home. But this is the dilemma we face; the enemy is unconventional. They do not wear uniforms when they board buses or sit in a cafe and detonate themselves and therefore all Muslims bear the brunt of these radicals.

Assessing Al-Qaeda

January 16, 2010

While the intelligence community and the Transportation Security Administration assess the success of the Nigerian, al-Qaeda affiliate who boarded the Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day, with the intent to detonate an explosive strapped to his leg over American soil, I have sought to inquire about what this means regarding the current and future motivations of Al-Qaeda.

Recently with a group of my classmates, I had to prepare a presentation regarding the structure of Al-Qaeda post 9/11. The presentation was an analysis of the conflicting literature evaluating whether or not its current structure operates through a mode of hierarchy, a network or a combination of the two including the notion of a Dune organization which classifies al-Qaeda as an organization that lacks a territorial base; making it easy for the organization to operate during its "disappearance". Our analysis included a combination of hierarchical command coming from Al-Qaeda central, by such individuals as Osama bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri, as well the loosely connected affiliated networks that have been dispersed and recruited throughout the world. These networks often operate independently of the central command; conducting and carrying out their own operations without a leading hand.

This last week, an article published in the New York Times stated that the series of attempts and attacks on American soil in the last six or so months should illustrate that al-Qaeda central is "on the run" rather than "on the march" as its author implies the media and certain politicians have claimed. The author of the article, Scott Shane asserts that this hype is motivated by political incentives to instill unnecessary fear among the American populace. He argues that the numerous failed attacks as well as the Fort Hood incident should illustrate to the American people that al-Qaeda central is indeed weaker as these nobody's lack the sophistication of tactics that al-Qaeda has used in its previous terror efforts.

I find it alarming that Mr. Shane fails to realize that these men who have emerged from all over the world express the same religiously-justified hatred for the United States which clearly indicates the stronghold that al-Qaeda has on impressionable Muslims all over the world. The threat should be clear: al-Qaeda represents a very radical ideology; hatred for the United States and its allies, including regimes within the Middle East whose populations are predominantly Muslim. It is noteworthy to add that Muslims who are not aligned with al-Qaeda are targets as well. An increase in this kind of radical thinking should be very alarming to every American as well as the numerous national security establishments in the United States and abroad. Let's not forget that in the case of Najibullah Zazi, clerks of a Denver beauty supply store contacted local authorities regarding the purchase of large quantities of products containing significant concentrations of acetone which led to the arrest and indictment of the 24-year-old al-Qaeda affiliate who received training in Pakistan from al-Qaeda operatives and is believed to have had some contact with al-Yazid a senior member of al-Qaeda in planning out an attack on the U.S. on the ninth anniversary of 9/11.

Additionally, bin Laden as his colleagues have the resolve to wait us out. The numerous videotapes released since 9/11 should illustrate that planning is still in place. The recent CIA disaster in Afghanistan may also bolster their intentions further. We cannot afford to risk our chances, the passengers of flight 253 were lucky, the bomb simply malfunctioned. Unfortunately, the United States is political chaos, which means that the American people must remain vigilante when it comes to our national security because our enemy has the ability to remain invisible and we must understand that this is one of their strengths. God forbid another 9/11 occurs because we buy the political strategy of our weakening politicians. Al-Qaeda's core have calculated and accepted a new phase in their objectives and while they are being hunted down in Afghanistan and Pakistan, we may continue to see increasing efforts by their loose affiliated networks.

The following link is to a video released by MEMRI of al-Qaeda, it is certainly worth watching!
Go to the site and the video is available on the right hand side of the page!

http://www.memrijttm.org/