by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright October 15, 2000
All Rights Reserved.

lasting through the half-inch-thick steel hull, a terrorist bomb tore a 40-foot long gaping hole in the U.S. guided missile destroyer Cole, killing 17 and injuring 39 seamen, while the vessel helplessly refueled in Arabian Peninsula port of Aden, Yemen. "It’s every bit as much a symbol of American power as a U.S. embassy, and probably more so," said Daniel Benjamin, the White House’s counter-terrorism chief during the 1998 terrorist bombing of U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing more that 220 people. Denouncing the attack on the Cole, President Clinton condemned the terrorism as a "deplorable and cowardly act" and vowed that "We will find out who was responsible and hold them accountable." Making good on Reagan’s terrorism policy of "swift and effective retribution," Clinton proved that the U.S. is no longer a paper tiger in the terrorist world. Though pinpointing the culprits takes some time, the U.S. won’t hesitate to respond harshly when it’s appropriate. Without decisive action, the U.S. encourages more terrorism.

       While the FBI and CIA are busy at work determining who’s really to blame, the relatively unknown group Army of Aden-Abyan claimed responsibility, declaring "total war on all U.S. interests" after the embassy bombings in 1998. Back then, the U.S. took 13 long days to finally put some teeth into its terrorism policy firing cruise missiles at renegade, Saudi millionaire terrorist Osama bin Laden at his training camp near Kabul, Afghanistan and at a pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum, Sudan. Shooting off cruise missiles at questionable targets doesn’t strike at the source or preempt future terrorism. "The American people will not be satisfied with a throwaway missile attack, such as the one that followed the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Africa," said Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. With Israeli-Palestinian violence spiraling out-of-control, the timing of the attack raised some eyebrows. Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen said there was "no information" linking today’s Mideast violence with the terrorist attack on the U.S.S. Cole.

       With American ships already at heightened alert around the Persian Gulf, the Cole’s attack was especially disturbing. Maritime targets were always regarded as relatively safe. Refueling in the Yemen port of Aden, the American missile destroyer found itself vulnerable to terrorist attack. "Maritime or seaborne terrorism is among the rarest of terrorism tactics," commented Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert and director of Rand Corporation’s Washington bureau. While Yemen’s taken some token steps against terrorism, they still harbor Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Egypt’s Islamic Jihad, the Islamic Group, Algeria’s Armed Islamic Group and some smaller Libyan opposition groups, according the latest State Department survey on international terrorism. Blowing smoke, "I don’t think this is a terrorist attack," asserted Yemen’s president Lt. Gen. Ali Abdullah Saleh, camouflaging his country’s possible role in the attack. Extending diplomatic overtures to countries harboring terrorists and designating Aden as a safe harbor for the U.S. Navy wasn’t Phi Beta Kappa. While hindsight’s always 20/20, assuring military safety also isn’t rocket science. Yemen officials and local contractors knew well in advance that the Cole would be reaching port and refueling in Aden—plenty of time for any terrorist to plan and launch an attack.

       Refuting that the Navy fell asleep at the switch, "Nothing we normally would do would protect you against people in the port service from turning bad," said Lt. Cmdr. Cate Mueller, a Navy spokeswoman at the Pentagon. We have metal detectors and high security at airports, why not at maritime refueling stops? Suggesting that there’s nothing that can be done defies common sense. If we know in advance that certain fueling ports are lax with security and replete with possible terrorists, alternative arrangements can be made. Allowing any unidentified vessel to pull up along side of the Cole demonstrated a major security lapse. If security risks exist in certain ports or airports, then for heaven's sakes either take special precautions or make alternative arrangements. While fingers are now pointing to notorious Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden, we shouldn’t forget that the Cole was part of an aircraft carrier battle group trying to prevent Iraqi oil smuggling. With Osama bin Laden’s training many Mideast terrorists, it should come as little surprise that his tentacles were involved in the Cole’s blast. How exactly terrorists groups or foreign governments make use of bin Laden’s lethal services is anyone’s guess.

       While the link’s not yet confirmed, States that sponsor terrorism like Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, etc., make use of surrogates like bin Laden to do their dirty work. Like a Mafia hit man, he’s the preferred mercenary to rogue nations and third world regimes trying to advance radical agendas and etch their marks in world opinion. When the dust settles and the FBI finishes forensic work, don’t be shocked to find Saddam Hussein behind bin Laden’s latest move. Few groups or individuals are more specialized in delivering terror to multinational targets than Osama bin Laden. Palestinians aren’t the only Islamic group who find their agenda at odds with the U.S. or its preferred ally in the Middle East. With anti-American sentiment running high, further terrorist acts can be expected. "Demonstrations are going on all over the place," said Nadia Saqqaf, acting editor of the English-language Yemen Times, "People are preaching about [the Israeli actions] in the mosques. The door for the jihad [holy war] is open."

       Walking a tightrope, the White House is trying to remain an impartial broker in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, deluded into believing that the Islamic world doesn’t know whose side it's on. Everyone knows that the U.S. favors Israel—the Middle East’s only true industrialized democracy and undeniable ally of the U.S. Referring to the barbaric lynching in the West Bank, "I strongly condemn the murder of Israeli soldiers in Ramallah today . . . While I understand the anguish Palestinians feel over the losses they have suffered, there can be no possible justification for mob violence." Sitting on the fence—whether in the U.N. or elsewhere—only reinforces the Islamic world’s propensity toward violence and terrorism. Condemning unequivocally the Palestinians’ recent return to violence is the surest way back to the bargaining table. No sovereign nation can tolerate lawlessness and anarchy—and the U.S. shouldn’t send any mixed messages.

About the Author

John M. Curtis is editor of OnlineColumnist.com. He’s also the director of a West Los Angeles think tank specializing in human behavior, health care and political research and media consultation. He’s a seminar trainer, columnist and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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