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| Madman on the Loose
by John M. Curtis Copyright September 12, 2001
For those doubters, no other terrorist organization has the resources to plan and execute complex terrorist missions. “It is very difficult to imagine anyone but Osama pulling this off . . .” said an unnamed intelligence analyst, not buying the Taliban’s smoke that Bin Laden couldn’t pull off the attack. “This kind of attack would require a great deal of preparation. You’d need people in place for at least three to four months to accomplish this unprecedented set of attacks,” said Stanley Bedington, a former CIA intelligence analyst, also concurring that Bin Laden was the only logical suspect. “The global network needed to pull this off, the finances involved in training people and putting them in place, the operational resources, the teams of people to do advance intelligence requires a truly robust organization. And there’s only one of that caliber: Bin Laden,” said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert and director of the Rand Corp’s Washington office. All fingers point toward Osama bin Laden and all roads lead to Kabul, piecing together who’s responsible for the unthinkable decimation of lower Manhattan and the Pentagon. After the attack, both Bin Laden and the Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Mutawakei denied responsibility, blaming the attack on right wing vigilantes inside the United States. Also blaming domestic terrorists was Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, continuing the same twisted propaganda spewed during the Gulf War. But perhaps most conspicuous was smoke blown by the Taliban, insisting that Bin Laden lacked the resources because the Taliban confiscated his satellite telephone. Few people doubt that “Al Qaeda” [Bin Laden’s organization] masterminded the most devastating attack in U.S. history. “[The attack] is comparable to Pearl Harbor. And we must have the same response . . .” said former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, perhaps exaggerating U.S. options but underestimating the property loss, carnage, and, yes, damage to the American soul. Shattering the myth of invincibility, Americans now feel the same vulnerability experienced by less powerful nations. Reeling in shock, the country must regain its balance and do what it takes to end Bin Laden’s maniacal rampage. Marking a change in terrorism policy, “We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them,” said President Bush in a nationally televised speech, putting the Taliban on notice that they have reason to sweat. As Clinton found out, firing cruise missiles alone won’t root out Bin Laden’s extensive terror organization, training legions of suicidal automatons, brainwashed into thinking that violence and suicide lead to paradise. Like Saddam Hussein, chasing the slippery Bin Laden won’t be easy because he’s constantly on the move. With time running out, the U.S. can no longer procrastinate, now that America’s been attacked. Americans have always operated under the illusion that their government could defend any threat—including terrorism. With stunning failures in airport security and intelligence, Americans lost confidence in national security. Confidence can’t be restored with only hot air. Concrete steps must be taken to eliminate America’s new menace and threat to the status quo—including unrelenting diplomatic, political and military action until the danger is eliminated. No matter how steep the slope, President Bush must face the daunting challenge of containing a psychopathic mass killer, hell-bent on destroying U.S. interests and crushing American will. With the unimaginable destruction still smoldering in lower Manhattan, Bush must galvanize the nation and encourage Congress to provide the resources to end Bin Laden’s unabated reign of terror. Like Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh, Osama bin Laden must be pursued until his terror machine is destroyed. No political circumstance, ideology or fanaticism justifies the slaughter of innocent civilians. America’s enemies can’t be allowed to set foreign policy or change the American way of life by coercion and terrorist attacks. Psychopathic killers like Bin Laden must be dealt with like any other dangerous criminal—regardless of political sympathies or third world support. As Bush recognized, governments that support terrorists like Bin Laden must also pay a heavy price. Like contract killers, they must face the consequences along with the hit men who pull the triggers. Facing the darkest hour in his young administration, President Bush must respond to Bin Laden’s declaration of war. Holding sovereign nations accountable for the actions of contract killers like Bin Laden will have potent deterrent value. Transparent denials by the Taliban can’t hide their ongoing support and collusion with Bin Laden’s “Al Qaeda” terror organization. Armed to the teeth and master of his trade, Bin Laden is no ordinary coward. Harvesting and brainwashing youthful fanatics, Bin Laden cultivates legions of suicidal automatons ready to implement his deadly terror. He’s an evil criminal whose services are contracted by rogue nations incapable of advancing political aims without coercion and violence. Now that his deadly forces have arrived on American soil, it’s time to awaken the sleeping giant and meet the implacable challenge: Bin Laden and his “Al Qaeda” terror organization must be stopped. While the sacrifices will be great, America cannot surrender its way of life to maniacal outlaws wreaking havoc on the civilized world. We know the enemy—it’s now time to get to work. About the Author John M. Curtis is editor of OnlineColumnist.com and columnist for the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He’s director of a Los Angeles think tank specializing in political consulting and strategic public relations. He’s the author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma. |
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aining unspeakable violence and mass destruction on New York City, millionaire renegade Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden must be stopped. Demolishing the World Trade Center’s twin towers with two hijacked airliners and crashing into the Pentagon, Bin Laden declared war on the United States—inflicting untold casualties, suspending air travel, shutting down financial markets, causing incalculable financial losses and paralyzing America’s way of life. Without terminating Bin Laden’s command, the U.S. cannot return to business as usual. Coddled by the Taliban and hiding in the mountains of Afghanistan, the U.S. must confront and defeat the world’s most notorious terrorist. Coming to a fork in the road, American must do whatever it takes to end Bin Laden’s unimpeded killing spree. Only by facing this implacable challenge can the U.S. restore its national security and freedom lost by his despicable mass destruction and ongoing threats. Fingered for the carefully planned 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in North Africa and the 2000 bombing of the guided missile destroyer Cole in Yemen, Bin Laden topped the CIA’s most wanted list.|
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