They Sow the Cyclone – We Reap the Blowback

“For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” — Hosea 8:7 It may be surprising to hear, but it is a plain historical fact that modern international jihad originated as an instrument of US foreign policy. The “great menace of our era” was built up by the CIA to wage a proxy war … Continue reading “They Sow the Cyclone – We Reap the Blowback”

Stick a Fork in al-Qaeda

A year after Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. Navy SEALs, letters written by al-Qaeda’s former leader paint a picture of an organization that was a shadow of its former self — certainly not the terrorist group with global reach that was able to attack America on Sept. 11, 2001. Addressing the nation after … Continue reading “Stick a Fork in al-Qaeda”

The Truth Behind the Official Story of Finding Bin Laden

A few days after US Navy Seals killed Osama bin Laden in a raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a "senior intelligence official" briefing reporters on the materials seized from bin Laden’s compound said the materials revealed that bin Laden had "continued to direct even tactical details of the group’s management." Bin Laden was, "not just a … Continue reading “The Truth Behind the Official Story of Finding Bin Laden”

Al-Qaeda’s Project for Ending the American Century Largely Succeeded

A decade after its spectacular Sep. 11, 2001 attacks on New York City’s twin World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon and despite the killing earlier this year of its charismatic leader, Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda appears to have largely succeeded in its hopes of accelerating the decline of U.S. global power, if not bringing … Continue reading “Al-Qaeda’s Project for Ending the American Century Largely Succeeded”

The New Face of War

The assassination of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden did more than knock off U.S. Public Enemy Number One. It formalized a new kind of warfare, where sovereignty is irrelevant, armies tangential, and decisions are secret. It is, in the words of counterinsurgency expert John Nagl, “an astounding change in the nature of warfare.” This type … Continue reading “The New Face of War”

Osama bin Laden Transfigured

The execution-style slaying of Osama bin Laden has been touted as a great success for United States intelligence operatives and also for the special operations soldiers, sailors, and airmen who executed the plan. But it also leaves one feeling a bit uneasy about where this is all going now that the world’s most wanted fugitive … Continue reading “Osama bin Laden Transfigured”

Lessons From the bin Laden Killing

Last week marked an important milestone in the war on terrorism for our country. Osama bin Laden applauded the 9/11 attacks. Such deliberate killing of innocent lives deserved retaliation. It is good that bin Laden is dead and justice is served. The way in which he was finally captured and killed shows that targeted retribution … Continue reading “Lessons From the bin Laden Killing”

The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden

When President Obama announced that U.S. special forces had helicoptered into Pakistan, broken into a secret compound an hour from the capital, and killed Osama bin Laden, celebrations broke out all across America. The man who plotted the mass murder of 3,000 of us had at last received his just reward. College students ran to … Continue reading “The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden”