October 30, 2002

THE AMERICAN al-QAIDA: A DEFINING REALIZATION IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM
By Dr. Saul B. Wilen, Consulting Editor, Government Security Times

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft hailed recent arrests on charges of “conspiring to wage war on the United States” as a “defining day” in the fight against terrorism. The defining element is not that they have been uncovered, but that the overwhelming majority of these accused terrorists are American citizens. How many American al-Qaida are we facing? America does not yet realize the significance of this defining realization.

It is encouraging that efforts to uncover such activities are on-going, but the extent of such activities is obviously much greater and even more complex than previously anticipated. The recent major arrests show involvement of suspected terrorists in New York, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington State. The FBI has announced that its bureaus in almost all major jurisdictions are following hundreds of such leads using 24 hour monitoring powers granted under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

This expanded population of potential terrorists complicates intelligence and surveillance efforts by adding large numbers of American citizens as potential suspects requiring extensive increases of investigation resources.

The FBI has repeatedly speculated over the past year that al-Qaida sleeper cells have been and are present within U.S. borders. The assumption however has been that these cells are made up of foreign nationals in the country, legally or illegally, preparing to attack when triggered. But, the recent defining events in various locations around the U.S. demonstrate that the assumption is at best limited. Missing from the assessment has been the consideration of a long-standing, well planned, effective recruitment process. It is now being demonstrated that al-Qaida cells made up of primarily American citizens exist. Their extent is yet to be determined. Serious concern about the penetration of al-Qaida for many years into America both with foreign terrorists and through the recruitment of young Americans must be faced. We again may have underestimated our enemies. America’s intelligence community must reassess its thinking and approaches to implement definitive actions aimed at this recently discovered fundamental problem. The potential for recruitment of American citizens to al-Qaida style terrorism is present in many of our societal institutions (schools, religious centers, jails, prisons, and community social settings). These institutions may have to become the focus of enhanced scrutiny. Prevention strategies must be developed to counter the recruitment of U.S. citizens.

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks Americans have searched to answer the question, “Why do they hate America?” The new urgent question to be raised is: “Why do American citizens (most of whom have lived in the U.S. their entire lives) hate America so fervently as to wage war against the United States and through supporting al-Qaida?” What forces create the American al-Qaida? These defining elements significantly frustrate our present strategies for fighting terrorism and urgently raise the need for developing a new focus for terrorism prevention.

In exploring why America is the target for terrorism, Thomas Friedman, columnist for the New York Times, has suggested that several factors have contributed to the present hatred. These include: the 50 year Arab-Israeli conflict with America perceived as solely the ally of Israel; a Palestinian population with an average age of 14 years and a world-wide Moslem population with an average age of 25 years who have lived their entire lives as the “victims” of this conflict; and technology advances that have placed the images of the conflict directly in-front of their eyes, in vivid color, on a daily basis. Frustration, resentment, and the desire for revenge certainly become engendered.

Couple with this, the United States as the remaining superpower having succeeded and maintained an open society. Those with radical fundamentalist belief systems equate America’s societal openness with decadence. America is wealthy, exerting its influence in the world using at times forceful economic and political pressure. The U.S. has succeeded unlike other nations, in establishing the concept of separation of church and state and making it work. This is a major affront to the fundamentalist who fears equality for women, dissent, education, freedoms and rights, and coexisting cultural, religious, and political diversities.

Terrorists have shown the ability to get their message out, stimulate sympathy for their cause, raise and distribute money and resources, and create effective worldwide networks. They have demonstrated the ability to plan, wait, carryout complex scenarios, use technology, recruit (now even American citizens), train others, adapt, and blend-in with U.S. citizens (sleeper status) while still maintaining their ideological integrity. These are remarkable accomplishments and demonstrate to America that terrorists must be regarded as formidable adversaries and enemies. These radical fundamentalists believe that their cause is just, God is on their side, and any and all actions are justified.

America’s terrorist enemies have progressively and regularly tested the world’s resolve over the past three decades and have succeeded in confusing the perception of their actions by cloaking them in religious zealotry. Martyrdom has become the justification to wantonly kill and destroy. America is now faced with an even more fundamental problem, that of effective recruitment by al-Qaida of U.S. citizens to become the American al-Qaida.