MILNET Opinion
 Attacks In London Prove Theory,  7/07/2005
 
Updated 7/27/2005

Only hours after the MILNET Chief Editor completed an opinion piece on how liberal European attitudes are begging for Islamic attacks, London's Underground was attacked by what some are saying looks like Islamic extremists.  This opinion piece looks at the Islamic Militant Jihadist theory, how it works and why it is so important for every non-Jihadist to understand.

The world has a major problem to overcome.  It looks like religious zealots and it looks like fanaticism.  It may even look racial, if you can stomach the definition of an Arab as a race despite the convoluted cultural, religious and perhaps even genetic differences that actually make up that erroneous term, Arab.

Our world is facing what Steve Emerson has repeatedly called, the Militant Jihadist.  MILNET goes one full step further, supplying the full name for this description.  The problem is with Militant Islamic Jihadist.  And where do MIJs come from?  Muslims seem to breed them and thus a real anger has developed against the Muslim communities the world over.  Part of that might be justified because the Muslim communities tend to be quiet and in many nations are integrated are at least attempting to integrate into the societies they have migrated into.  Thus the Muslim communities have failed time and time again to consistently react with disgust and outrage over their fellow Muslims' behavior.   This is especially the case in many European countries and definitely the case with the so called (media adored) "Street Arab".

Many experts look at the immigration of Muslims and their eventual integration and assimilation into their new homelands as a positive step toward reducing much of the possible militancy. For instance, it is quite difficult in some Muslim communities in the U.S. to start preaching the anti-American, anti-Western or even anti-Semetic vitriol.  Why?  Because in the U.S., most Muslims settle into somewhat (if not totally) liberal communities that afford them respect and offer equal opportunity.  Granted there is that awesome cultural difference and yes in many cases a huge economic class difference.  However, that aside, the Muslim communities have gained the respect and trust of the rest of the town or city's leaders.  Many have come to the U.S. to escape persecution or simply to take their shot at the American Dream.  No way are they going to allow a radical Imam to screw that up for them.

Having said that, there are always exceptions. Many experts will tell you that a number of European countries, despite heavy liberal bias in all that they do, have not integrated the Muslim communities into their own.  The result are large pockets of cultural non-integration -- where diversity is only celebrated outside those pockets.  Yes, the Muslims seek and get jobs outside their tight communities, but what goes on inside those communities is not much different than the mountains of Pakistan, or the Mosques in Sadr City, Baghdad, or Tehran, Iran.  What goes on is the brainwashing effects of the Wahhabist or Salafiyya Elite who preach anti-Jew, anti-European and anti-American vitriol.

In effect, these pockets are little terrorist recruiting grounds that exist in Europe, Asia, and perhaps even in Canada or the United States. 


The Theory

The key to the theory being promulgated by many terrorism experts is based upon the religious upbringing of some Muslims.  This is not particular to Islam necessarily, after all Islam is a peace loving religion -- Christian abberations have occurred in the dim past.  As has been repeated often, however, a certain perversion of Islam in modern times takes place and that is where the problems for the rest of the world begins.

The diagram below illustrates the path the Jihadist takes.


How A Handful of Muslims Become Terrorists

As the diagram shows, there may be found, in some Muslim communities anywhere in the world, a few disaffected would-be terrorists who succumb to the teachings peculiar to the Wahhabist or Salafiyya.  These teachings are, by now, familiar to anyone who has looked even shallowly at the Islamic Extremist and Middle Eastern Terrorist problem.  In some countries, the numbers are dramatic, in others so small as to nearly be insignificant.  Unfortunately 9/11 proved that only a few dozen Jihadists can inflict incredible damage.

First noticed as experts began to analyze the Palestinian terrorist, the teachings of concern are an eighteenth century derivation of the puritanical Islamic beliefes.  The Salafiyya believe only pure Islam is the correct faith and governments must pursue Islamic Law in the pure form or face destruction.  All who refute or attempt to modify the pure faith, are marked as infidels and they too must be destroyed.  Mark this correctly -- the only people left if these puritannical Islamic Jihadists have their way, will either be those that believe as they do, or those who are enslaved and inches from death because they have been deemed infidels.

Not just rhetoric, those preaching enforce these ideals by instructing the youth in their community to seek ways to learn the skills they need to take the Jihad to the infidels.  Some will point to a training camp where they can learn how to fire automatic weapons, learn tactics for urban assault, create improvised explosive devices (IEDs), or in some cases become snipers or kidnappers.  Some, who these evil leaders can identify as being of the proper mindset, will be sent to those who will educate them on the ultimate martyr role, strapping on explosives and sending their soul to Allah by killing scores of infidels and of course themselves. 

The diagram above may start out with hundreds or even thousands of Muslims in a given (and quite commonly benign) Muslim community. If they allow it, a radical Imam may begin to teach the Wahhabi/Salafiyya credo to their youth and soon you have a number in that community who are prime material (light green) for Jihadists.  The remainder of the community is either unaware of the Imam's secret teachings or aware but complacent.  They may, for most intents and purposes, not support the ideals of terrorism and certainly would not want their children sent off to become martyrs..  Sometimes the Imam in question may simply be passed off as a little bit crazy from his days in Afghanistan.  However, in some communities, he may be a voice from home and receive begrudged respect and tolerance. Therein lies the problem for many Muslm communities.

The point here is that for the most part, the large majority of the Muslim population in a given community is indeed ignorant of and not involved in the terrorist movement.  Also, there may other communities that turn a blind eye to the radicals and therefore by inaction condone their activities.

In the diagram, those light green circles represent would-be terrorists who are churning away secretly in the community.  Again, this may be in numbers quite small compared to the overall Muslim community.

Next a few of those in the light green circles, those now pre-disposed to becoming terrorists (perhaps the majority in the group) will experience some triggering event that sends them over the line between complacency to action.  Perhaps a father encourages independent thinking and sends a son of to the Middle East to learn from an old friend in the home country. Unfortunately that friend may introduce the young man to the wrong Imam and pressure to take action is overwhelming. He is sent off to a Jihadist training camp and learns the fine arts of International Terrorism, Jihadist style.  These are the light orange groups in the diagram above.  The size of these groups is probably smaller still than those who were indoctrinated by the radicals.  In other words, not every indoctrinated terrorist will go to a training camp.  And of course, perhaps a few would-be Jihadists simply do not have the stomach to be a Jihadist and are glad to leave.  Not every trained terrorist will go home to become a terrorist. 

Returning to his father's adopted country, the young man is now part of yet a smaller group -- he is a member of a Militant Islamic Jihadist Group, ready to receive orders from home or the local MIJ leader in his father's adopted country.  He has become, in essence, part of a sleeper cell, waiting for the attack orders.  Or perhaps, the local leader is waiting for just the right political moment.  These MIJ cells are colored red in the diagram above, since they are an extreme danger to everyone, including, and in fact most especially to their own Muslim communities.  Perhaps some will not have the will or desire required and may indeed return only to find a place where they can hide from the MIJ leadership.  Most, however, will contact the MIJ leadership in the new country and will await orders.

It should also be clear by now that the MIJ may act totally independently of Al Qaeda, or may, for very important targets, become host to our attached to a major Al Qaeda operation. MIJs who act on the own, either as individuals or a local group are perhaps the most dangerous and elusive to capture, since they are not known previously nor do they tend to have a high profile.  Finally, the small local cell, when acting independently, may never communicate with Al Qaeda's leadership or with anyone else counterintelligence or counterterrorist agents are watching or monitoring.  Thus these local groups are "off the radar" of intelligence organizations. 

When the orders come or the local leader deems the time is right, the cell attacks, and within a short while, names themselves while claiming responsibility.  By attaching their name to Al Qaeda, they can instantly become notorious and as Emerson says, "...in the vernacular of the Mafia, they are now made men."  In any case, the number of those who actually provide logistical support is small and the number of actual attackers may be smaller yet. 

Perhaps, if the attack is hugely successful, this new cell, assuming they escape personal identification by the authorities or find an area within their local community where they can hide "in plain sight", they will prosper.  Perhaps one of Al Qaeda's Lieutenants will find a way to get funds, weapons, or recruits to them.  They are now recognizable, armed and dangerous.  Suddenly, the organization will begin to grow.  They are no longer small and they now must be exceedingly careful, since the authorities will be dead set on infiltrating their organization.


Steps We Must Take

The scenario we have just identified may be in process all over the world.  It could be in Lodi, California, in a  suburb of Paris, France or Chicago, Illinois.  No one can be sure except those living  in the Muslim communities throughout the world. 

Only a few days after the London attacks, this scenario seems not only plausible, but reasonable to accept.  Leaders in the U.K. counsel patience and calm, as the scenario has certainly occurred to Londoners living through this latest Terrorist nightmare. 

In fact, the knowledge of this scenario creates a whole new problem and this is perhaps why it has not been fully explained before now.  The Muslim Community is where this all begins.  Being fairly pious (or perhaps extremely so), the Muslims in the world may not feel prepared to stand up and point out the budding Jihadists among them.  That is always a difficult proposition, regardless of how well integrated and assimilated a new culture has become in its newly adopted country.

One thing America's melting pot has proved is that more than time and human conditions render a new culture into a bonafide American minority that participates in the American dream.  From Irish or Italian street gangs in our past to Hispanic gangs nationwide today, we see the bad elements in any culture that force us to look critically at the country's new inhabitants.  Even fairly new U.S. citizens will be looked at with scorn by many, especially at a time of war. 

And in our sensitivity to what were clear abuses of human rights in the past, it is also extremely difficult to imagine how one can force a community to give up those who would destroy America within. The interment solution worked, perhaps, but not without the cost of American dignity and spirit.  For any country to repeat that mistake would be disastrous. 

However, the world cannot simply ignore the obvious.  If Militant Islamic Jihadists are being trained in Muslim communities, then we must look to Muslim communities to solve the problem.  And if they don't, the rest of us in the world must then take action. This poses a threat to all Jihadist Muslims and soon, they are going to have to choose.  Do they continue on a path that will ensure their culture's demise, or will they exorcise the demons from within?

The difficulty in exposing this scenario is a concern for emergence of vast numbers of vigilantes.  There are plenty of people the world over who can be counted on to say, "Screw the finer points.  We know where the problem exists, let's simply eliminate the problem.  So what if there are innocents in the mix." 

That solution, of course, if not only morally unacceptable, it is politically impossible to condone. Yet on 7/07/2005, the rhetoric on talk radio clearly urged the U.S. President to "quit screwing around and get serious in eliminating Jihadists around the world".  The implication is that there is too much at stake to worry about political niceties.  Mend fences AFTER the problem is taken care of, not before.  There have been a few calls for lie detector tests for all Muslims, a clear violation of civil rights.  The mood is ugly in America, perhaps as ugly as it was just after the anger set in after 9/11.

There are those in our country who would accept that since Europe already appears to despise the U.S. for taking the fight to the terrorists, that we have little political capital to lose in a more aggressive war against the Militant Islamic Jihadists.  And that war could, in their minds, extend to more aggressive activities right here at home.


Associated Press, 7/7/2005  1


UPDATES: 

7/27/2005:   London authorities picked up a Somali suspect in the 7/21 "botched" bombings, Yasin Hassan Omar.  The A.P. article also claims that a total of 11 suspects have been arrested however there is no information on these others involvement in the attacks. 5

7/21/2005:  New attacks 4, just as before, using a M.O.' similar to the 7/7 attacks occurred on 7/21/2005 in four new locations. The attacks occurred on three subway trains and an above ground bus.    A bonus for the London and authorities, only one of the bombs detonated properly, leaving a wealth of explosives and bomb building technique information behind. There was only one injury worth reporting, and reports of fleeing suspects leads authorities to speculate that the bombs were not properly primed. A material used in these bombs and those in London on 7/07/2005 is called TATP (see below) which presumably is not detectable by metal detectors and serves as a replacement for detonation systems that use batteries and wires.

The new attacks occurred in the Warren Street, Shepherd's Bush and Oval stations.

The names of the attackers have been released, along with ties to a known Pakistani based terrorist, Harood Rashid Aswat who the London Times claims was sent by a Pakistani cleric to the U.S. in 1999 to form a Jihadist training camp in Oregon.  The bombers identified so far are: 

TATP

"An official of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that a highly unstable component known as TriAcetone TriPeroxide, or TATP, served as the trigger. Threaded through the plastic explosive and topped with a long, black-powder fuse running up through his shoelace, the TATP igniter would have allowed the British-born Mr. Reid to set off his charge without wires and batteries -- parts likely to be discovered by airport X-ray machines. "

- Christopher Cooper, "Reid's Shoe Bomb Was Likely Made by an Explosives Expert", The Asian Wall Street Journal, 01/10/2002. 2

Sources:
  1. London Explosives Type TATP, Daily KOS, 7/15/2005
  2. Reid's Shoe Bomb Was Likely Made by an Explosives Expert, Christopher Cooper, The Asian Wall Street Journal, 01/10/2002 (as found at Interesting People.ORG)
  3. Pakistan Grills Man with 7/7 Links, Zahid Hussain, Daniel McGrory and Sean O'Neill, The London Times as found on Fox News online, 7/21/2005
  4. London Police Hunt for Terror Suspects, Fox News Online, 7/22/2005
  5. U.K. Cops Nab Suspected Would-Be Bomber, A.P, Fox News Online, 7/27/2005
© Copyright 2005, Michael Crawford for MILNET