Ronald Kessler
Conservative author and chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax.com, Ronald Kessler, reported this week, in an article entitled “Al-Qaida Becoming More Desperate,” that al-Qaeda members are becoming more “desperate,” in the midst of Osama bin Laden’s death, and thus likely, to execute quick terrorist plots (as opposed to the long term conspiracies of terrorism past).
In the words of one FBI official, Kessler writes, “The decapitation of al-Qaida leadership and the killing of a senior al-Qaida commander in Pakistan earlier this month are making them more desperate…[w]hen they are desperate, they may be willing to change tactics. They might try something more risky.”
According to Kessell, this FBI official also reports that, ““al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has become more active. They actively recruit westerners who have western passports.”
Of primary concern to the FBI, Kessler writes, are the “lone wolf, self-radicalized individuals who hear the radical message through the media or internet,” and attempt to execute terroristic plots here in the United States.
To illustrate, Kessler cites the arrest of two Iraqi refugees arrested in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on May 25, 2011. According to the Los Angeles Times, Waad Ramadan Alwan, 30, and Monanad Shareef Hammadi, 23, were charged with multiple counts of terrorist-related activity, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction against U.S. nationals abroad and attempting to possess and export Stinger missiles.
Both men, if convicted, face life imprisonment.
Kessler reports that one FBI official said, in regards to Alwan’s and Hammadi’s admission into the United States, “Although there is screening of individuals who come to this country to live, no system is foolproof…If you don’t have any derogatory information on them, they’ll slip through the cracks.”
Interestingly, Kessler failed to note that Alwan was admitted into the United States in 2009, despite the fact that, in 2005, his fingerprint was found on an undetonated roadside bomb in Iraq. Obviously, someone fell asleep at the wheel on this one!
Kessler’s article is an interesting read, and describes some of the improved counter-terrorism mechanisms put in place by the United States government; however, it is difficult to ascertain how the increased activity described by FBI officials, or Alwan and Hammadi’s alleged terrostic plot–which, according to Justice Department documents, started in 2010–are indicative of an increased sense of “desperation” by al-Qaeda as a result of Osama bin Laden’s death.
Kessler has authored books such as: The CIA at War: Inside the Secret Campaign Against Terror; The Terrorist Watch: Inside the Desperate Race to Stop the Next Attack; and will be releasing The Secrets of the FBI this August.
Kessler gained widespread notoriety during the Barack Obama campaign, when he inaccurately reported that then-Senator and presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, had attended a church service at Trinity United Church of Christ on a day, during which, Reverend Jeremiah Wright gave a sermon that indicated that the problems in the world were caused by “White arrogance.” After the Obama campaign denied President Obama’s attendance at the service, it was revealed by other news media that President Obama had been en route to Miami, Florida on that day. According to Wikipedia, Newsmax later corrected its story, stating that President Obama had attended Reverend Wright’s service on a different day, but still stood by its original premise.
With the death of Osama Bin Laden, do you feel safer to travel on planes and other mass transportation? Do you believe the country is doing everything physically possible to prevent any future attacks on our country and our allies? We would like to know your thoughts on this subject.
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