AFI Research Intelligence Briefing for the 4th June 2002
 
The terrorist threat to all our futures
 
The stunning celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee hid a great security success. The wide spread operations required to protect the members of the Royal family on their nation-wide program of visits and events, and indeed the massive ceremonies ranging from Music concerts in the grounds of Buckingham Palace to the service at St Paul's Cathedral would have placed a severe strain on the resources of the civilian Police and MI5 as well as those of the armed forces at any time. But in the aftermath of 9-11 and the heightened threat posed by international terrorism, that strain was multiplied tenfold and it is an outstanding credit to all the services involved that the three main days of ceremonial and festivities went without an obvious hitch and indeed that they were performed in such a relaxed and joyous spirit.
 
However, this raises important questions about the nature of that terrorist threat and what may be in store for the Western democracies. It cannot be doubted that such massive public events with a host of high-value targets must have been on the potential hit list of any terrorist group, whether the Real IRA or Al Qa'ida. The fact that either they did not attempt a terrorist outrage or their plans were stillborn should in no way delude the general public into assuming that the threat has actually diminished. What is pertinent however is to ask what, where and when?  US Intelligence has been spooked on a number of occasions since 9-11 into claiming that another attack was immanent and like the boy who cried wolf, each time the new outrage fails to materialize, the security warnings next time receive less attention.
 
'So beware, America'
 
Recently however in a departure from previous Al Qa'ida behaviour Sulaiman bu Ghaith, a Muslim Cleric in Kuwait with a reputation for serving as a spokesman for the terrorist group, has been quoted in the London-based Islamic newspaper 'al Hayat' as warning
"What is coming to the Americans will not, by the will of God, be less than what has come. So beware, America. Get ready. Get prepared. Put on the safety belt." It has been suggested that bu Ghaith was speaking out of turn without true knowledge of Osama Bin-Ladins intentions, however it may also be simply a wish to keep the United States off balance and ever fearful of the terrorists. Indeed, Al Qa'ida, as part of a much larger and sophisticated international organization is not following a simply strategy. It is a dangerous illusion to see Islamic terrorists as mere fanatics prepared to sacrifice their lives to kill and maim their enemies.
 
The Islamic movement has long term plans to destabilize moderate Muslim regimes, to promote war between Muslim and non-Muslim nations, prominent amongst these conflicts are Israel and its Arab neighbours and the Kashmir crisis and importantly to promote revolutionary fervour in other terrorist groups around the world. Under these circumstances it should come as no surprise that the Islamic terrorists are forging increasingly close links with right-wing and racist militants in Europe and Asia, white supremacists in the USA, terrorist groups in Latin America and Africa and even the Basque separatists of ETA and the Real IRA.
 
Britain should be immensely relieved that a number of high profile events have passed off recently with such success and without notable incidents,however the future for both this country and the United States may well be far less secure. Al Qa'ida or Qa`idat al-Jihad as it is now known has not been destroyed and it is only a matter of time before it launches a further series of attacks designed to both undermine belief in the eventual success of the US led war on terrorism and to greatly surpass 9-11 in their degree of savagery, death and destruction.
 
Richard M. Bennett
 
Comprehensive Intelligence and Terrorism analysis available from AFI Research, expert articles and commentaries written for the worlds news media - contact RBMedia
 
 
 

Contact: RBMedia at AFI Research, The Ground Floor, 27 The Avenue, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 2BZ, UK.
afi@supanet.com   contact:  tel:  +44(0)1626 33 50 40   fax:  +44(0)1626 33 50 40

This is a subscription only service with the exception of a limited number provided free for bone fide Journalists,
Broadcasters and OSINT Managers.

Contact RBMedia for more details of our comprehensive information services or send a cheque/IMO for $50.00(£35.00)
per annual subscription for the Briefing alone to the UK address.

US Office, c/o ComLinks,  National Press Building, Suite 1059, Washington DC 20045, USA
news@comlinks.com   contact:  tel: +001(202) 662 7109   fax: +001(202) 662 7127

RBMedia/AFI Research have Associates in Australia, Belgium, India, Israel, Italy, Singapore & Turkey

ESPIONAGE- An encyclopedia of Spies and Secrets, ISBN 1 85227 942 7
which will be published by Virgin Books in the UK on June 6th and in the USA on Ist July 2002 and

FIGHTING FORCES a review of the worlds leading Armies, including many in the Middle East, published in September 2001 which is available from Barrons of New York www.barronseduc.com  ISBN 0-7641-5343-9

Both written by Richard M. Bennett
 

The AFI Research website lists many of our Associates and Contributors including  'America goes to War' at Orbat.com  and the defence coverage of Milnet.com.

************************************************************ADVERTISEMENT - FREE NEWS SERVICE! **********************************************************************
The war on terrorism means defense news has become vital; that's why for the foreseeable future PERISCOPE will provide you ABSOLUTELY FREE its Daily Defense News Capsules. Every morning our experienced editors deliver to your email box the most important defense-related stories from press sources worldwide. To receive this FREE SERVICE send an empty email to mailto:ddnc@ucg.com. There's no obligation; act now so you won't miss a single issue! mailto:ddnc@ucg.com.

************************************************************ADVERTISEMENT - FREE NEWS SERVICE!  **********************************************************************

"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear"  George Orwell