12.2.2005

WW4

Bangladesh's First Suicide Bombings >>> Note the 'al-Qaeda in South Asia' claim is other indication of how the name 'al-Qaeda' has transcended the limits of a physical organization to become an ephemeral ideology, in fact the calling card of 21st century Islamic terrorism.

Serbia: Terrorism And Organized Crime >>> The notion of the 'Western Gate of the Balkans' connecting Europe to the Middle East is not a new idea. Due to simple geographic fate, this part of the world has always been the avenue of all sorts of traffic between the two regions, whether it be trade, religion, or violent radicalism. A brief study of the fall of the Byzantine Empire and the rise of the Ottomans in the 15th century highlights the connection between the Balkans and the Aegean hinterland of Anatolia (Turkey), a connection which is still a major factor today.

The Visa Waiver Program >>> This is the wrench in the gears of American Anti-Terrorism. In asymmetrical warfare such as this, the enemy can take any form and come from any direction. With Europe being one of the major stomping grounds of radical--and violent--Islam, countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program make the perfect place to assemble an attack on the United States.

Iranian Air Defense >>> This is no surprise considering the chance of an Israeli strike on an Iranian nuclear reactor. After all, they did it to Iraq in 1981.
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OIF

Ramadi >>> Roggio has a look at yet another operation in Ramadi, and how the media has failed to grasp what's really going on there.
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DOMESTIC

Al-Qaeda In The US >>> More on the shift of al-Qaeda from organization to ideology here.

Sharp Objects On Planes >>> There is an important dynamic that has been largely ignored by these reports: Before 9/11, airplane hijackings were all about getting the plane to land somewhere else than was originally planned. Therefore, as long as the passengers didn't interfere, they would be unharmed. After 9/11, any airplane hijacking will be viewed as another potential suicide-style attack, and the passengers will quickly accept that their lives are forfeit and will move to prevent the attack in any way they can. I call this the 'Flight 93 Mentality'. With this in mind, a handful of terrorists armed with blades will pose little or no threat to the passengers and crew, who will certainly outnumber them by at least 20 to 1. The terrorists won't even make it to the cockpit, and whatever weapons they have will soon be rendered useless by the passenger assault, especially once they figure out that the 'flotation devices' underneath them would make an excellent shield against a boxcutter or folding knife. As for letting scissors or folding knives back on planes, consider this: With the ban in place, the terrorists would inevitably improvise some other type of weapon capable of escaping detection, a task which any prison inmate will tell you is ridiculously easy. However, the passengers would be largely unarmed--having not planned for any mid-air close combat within their travel itinerary--and their assault will be quite difficult. Now reverse the situation by lifting the ban and the advantage shifts. Statistically, the chances are that the much greater number of passengers will possess some sort of 'weapon' in a greater quantity than the small team of terrorists. The passengers will quickly defeat the terrorists with minimal losses, thanks to the statistical probability of their armaments.
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