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Home >> Terrorism Terror Threats Proactive Citizenry in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon Bombing
Fathi El-Shihibi - 5/22/2013
Whenever we hear or read about Muslim Fundamentalist or extremist movement it is mostly within the context of a reactionary collective consciousness whose ultimate goal is the restoration of an Islamic world order. You Got Terrorism! We Got Terrorism! Let's Be Friends and Fight Terrorism!
Prof. Barry Rubin - 4/1/2011
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remark about how the Arizona shooting is just like September 11 is such a superb example of everything wrong with Western policy toward the Middle East. Let's summarize the issue by coining a phrase which sounds a bit Zen but has a very practical meaning: The ear doesn't necessarily hear what someone else's brain thinks. Wikileaks Framed, Manning Scapegoated; Stuxnet Victorious, Centrifuges Ruined, Civilian Casulaties
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 12/14/2010
1. Wikileaks Framed, Manning Scapegoated
Our sources tell us that Manning Bradley, the alleged mastermind behind the Wikileaks furor, actually did not have access to most of the documents leaked. He did have Top Secret clearance, but only with regards to specific types of documents pertaining to Iraq and, in a more restricted manner, Afghanistan. Though millions of people have passwords to the relevant State Department and Pentagon intranets, no one has unlimited access to documents pertaining to all the theaters of operation: there is strict geographical compartmentalization.
On... Weak States Incubate Terror
Jonathan Spyer, Ph.D. - 11/16/2010
The revelations last week of a sophisticated plot emanating from the Yemen-based al- Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula organization have belatedly refocused attention on this most backward and poverty stricken of Arab states. The sending of explosive packages to synagogues in Chicago is only the latest act of international terror to have emerged from Yemen in the last year. Buying flowers from Jihadists
Vinod Mehta - 2/5/2010
In Bangladesh ’s capital Dhaka , Gulshan is considered to be one of the posh areas, where diplomats and foreigners prefer to reside considering the comparatively safer security. But, for years, a notorious Islamist militancy group named Hizb-Ut-Towhid (or Hizbut Towhid) is continuing to operative a recruitment and fund collection center right at Gulshan Avenue under the disguise of a flower shop named Ferns and Petals. Cyber Terror – Attuned To The Wrong Whispers
Sammy Elrom - 10/12/2009
A couple of years ago, during a flight to Dallas, I engaged in a typical traveler small talk with the guy sitting near me. Omar was an impressive, well-articulate man in his mid 40s, a computer engineer from Essex UK, and a newly revived Muslim. Our discussion tilted towards politics after I told him some details of my background, and we began debating the terror-Islamic Jihad nexus, which he honestly agreed not only exists, but in his opinion is an integral part of Islam. He told me that he is in the midst of a purifying returning to the roots of Islam process, from which he parted ways many ... Palestinian Leaders Prefer Advocating--Even When They're Not Practicing--Terrorist Violence
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/27/2009
Volcanoes are classified historically as active, dormant, and dead. The second group is merely inactive at present but could blow any time. As a terrorist organization, Fatah, the leading group in the Palestinian Authority (PA) which supplies nearly all of its leaders, is dormant, not dead. Hizbut Towhid goes international
Naresh Bhadra - 6/5/2009
Hizbut Towhid (HuT), which was established in Bangladesh’s Tangail district under the leadership of Mr. Bayeejid Khan Ponni @ Selim Ponni has secretlt established its branch in a number of countries in recent years with the aim of establishing branches of this ultra religious terrorist group in those countries. The Value of Understanding
Leslie J. Sacks - 3/24/2009
Now that appeasement is back in vogue, the post-9/11 notion that we must "understand" the terrorists-their unique motivations, their sad backgrounds-has re-emerged among the talking heads and diplomatic elites. The presumption is that such understanding will grant us insight and empathy, confirming our inherent similarities and bringing us reconciliation, compromise and resolution. The terrorists are merely aggrieved - not evil. Therefore, they are eminently capable of negotiation. Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer Founder Mobilizes for Iraq Deployment
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 4/23/2008
When Dr. Thomas Bruce founded a movement six months ago to mobilize Christians to pray for heart changes in terrorists and terrorism sponsors, he did not know the Army would be mobilizing him this week as a reservist to go to Iraq. Why A Terrorist Strategy?
Prof. Barry Rubin - 4/4/2008
Many years after September 11, despite more than 10,000 terrorist attacks by radical Islamist groups alone, there is still an amazing amount of confusion and falsehood over what should be a very simple point: What is terrorism all about? Online Terrorists Prey on the Vulnerable
Prof. Gabriel Weimann - 3/9/2008
As the internet matures so has the terrorist use of this ideal instrument of communication. Following the path of modern Western advertising techniques, terrorist organizations have begun “narrowcasting,” or making targeted pitches for recruitment and support among specific demographics like women and children. The internet has long been a favorite tool of the terrorists. Decentralized and providing almost perfect anonymity, it cannot be subjected to control or restriction, and allows access to anyone who wants it. Large or small, terrorist gr... High Seas Piracy & Terrorism – The Next "Unexpected" Disaster (Part I)
Sammy Elrom - 3/3/2008
The exotic adventures romantically depicted in The Pirates of the Caribbean movies are far from reality as one can imagine. There is little to none public knowledge or invested interest in the scary facts that high-seas piracy is gradually becoming the next “surprise” in the international agenda of combating Jihadi terrorism. Effective terrorism funding blocking, increasing pressure on underground financial channels like the Hawala and undercutting financial maneuvering of shadowy terrorism financiers, have forced terrorists to look for immediate highly profitable alternatives. Similar to the ... Dark Web Terror – Part Three
Sammy Elrom - 12/21/2007
Global connectivity, rapid technological development, highly skilled professionals, experienced employee mobility and lack of knowledge, expose IT and network infrastructure to a myriad of risks of which the risk of a malicious cyber attack by terrorists is the most threatening because of its final goals. Debating the terrorists capabilities to launch a sustained cyber-attack on networks and IT infrastructure argument, suffice to quote Kent Anderson in “Managing the Cyber Threat”: “Traditional wisdom holds that insiders are the greatest threat to an organization. This is based on two assumptio... Radical Sheikh Says Christmas Day is Not Off Limits for Attacks
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 12/17/2007
Exiled radical sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed gave a shocking answer to a question he was recently asked in an Internet chat room. The Dark Web Of Cyber Terror - The Threat That Got Lost in Traffic
Sammy Elrom - 12/2/2007
Addressing the issue of Cyber Terrorism in Nov 2004, Prof. Seymour Goodman, from the Sam Nunn School of Intl’ Affairs & College of Computing at Georgia Tech, stated that “there have currently been no cyber terrorist attacks or evidence of Al Qaeda or any other terrorist organizations attempting one”. “ The Dark Web Of Cyber Terror – An Inescapable Reality
Sammy Elrom - 11/11/2007
Cyber terrorism represents a much unknown facet of extreme Islamic terrorism. One must be extremely knowledgeable and well-versed in multi disciplines to gain a deep understanding of the professional meaning and potential destructive impact that cyber terrorism has on modern economies, national security and politics, and virtually on every aspect of our daily life. Dark Web terrorism, the “military” version of cyber terrorism application is known even less. This is the first part of a three series dedicated to this subject. Global terrorism funded by bogus organizations setup by terrorists
Alastair Reynard - 9/16/2007
London Metropolitan Police reports said three men including two Tamil expatriates jailed for involvement in a student visa scam have been ordered to pay a GBP 2.3 m confiscation order or face eight years' imprisonment in default by the Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday(13). Post-Modern Terrorism
Antero Leitzinger - 9/11/2007
[This article is republished for the anniversary of 9/11/01.] Individual perpetrators of terrorist acts may be psychopaths or suicidal personalities, but their mentors, protectors, and managers, are rational political players. Not only the techniques, but also the strategies of terrorism will follow general development, to suit better to the modern society. Terrorist Heroshima in America?
Ryan Mauro - 9/11/2007
In 2005, the mainstream media seemed shocked when a number of news sources, including WorldNetDaily.com released a report about an "American Hiroshima" plot against the United States by Al-Qaeda The plot calls for Al-Qaeda to detonate nuclear weapons on American soil, having arrived over the Mexican border with the assistance of MS-13 gang members. The report claims Al-Qaeda has already obtained a large number of nuclear weapons currently being maintained by Pakistani and Russian scientists. A Hydra-Headed Monster Called Terrorism
Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Zucker - 9/11/2007
The horrendous carnage wreaked upon the people of Iraq over the past week by various terrorist organizations and insurgents that claimed more than a hundred and thirty lives, is, or should be, a wakeup call to the Allied Coalition that the Global War on Terror is far from over; indeed, it probably has barely begun. Despite the initial victories of the allies in Afghanistan and Iraq, neither al-Qaeda nor the Taliban, nor the Iraqi insurgency has been eliminated; all continue to resist and subvert American efforts to bring peace, democracy, and stability to the region. Although with good intenti... Recent Terror Threats
Ryan Mauro - 9/4/2007
A Pew poll has shown that radical ideologies in the Muslim world, as a whole, are decreasing. Results include: How Acts of Terror Lead to Tyranny and Dictatorships
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/16/2007
On February 27, 1933, the German Reichstag was consumed by an enormous blaze. Hitler, whose immense popularity was based on his promises to resurrect Germany's economy, immediately accused the Communists - his political opponents - of instigating the conflagration. He had thousands of of their leaders and activists arrested and proceeded to coerce the ageing President Hindenburg into passing an emergency decree that suspended basic judicial, civil, and human rights and led to the setting up of concentration camps. The Nazis fanned up the hysteria and convinced the population that the Fatherlan... Terror Threats In June 2007
Ryan Mauro - 7/15/2007
The troop surge is barely under way, yet Senator Lugar seems to want to ditch the strategy before its full implementation. Politically, it’s quite understandable, as casualties will likely rise and heavy combat will persist for some time. However, the new strategy, implemented since January, has produced some results, even though all the required manpower didn’t arrive until June, and the simultaneous offensives planned haven’t yet been launched. That is proof that any success from the surge is due to the strategy, not solely from increased manpower. Despite the fact that the situation on ... The Adventures of Tony Rodef, Middle East Detective
Prof. Barry Rubin - 7/9/2007
After Islamist suicide bomb attacks on London and Glasgow by Islamists were foiled, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown ordered ministers never to use the word “Muslim” when discussing terrorism. Appeasement And Global Strategy Of The Russian-Iran Cabal
David J. Jonsson - 7/7/2007
If you believe: “Your Life Can Be Wonderful if we get out of Iraq now!” the events going on around the world become a haze as you watch the latest golf scores or read the propaganda for the latest appeasement journal or cable news cast. All you hear are the speeches of the latest ‘Tokyo Rose” complaining about the U.S. and its war mongering, blood for oil or unfair treatment of terrorists. Terror Threat During Spring 2007
Ryan Mauro - 6/12/2007
Eric Edelman, the Under-Secretary of Defense for Policy, has criticized the Pentagon report that attacked Doug Feith. Feith has published an extraordinary response to it on his own web site, www.dougfeith.com. Edelman claims that one of the vehicles Mohammed Atta used to travel to Prague was registered to an agent of the Abu Nidal Organization, who was being harbored and sponsored by Iraq. It was at this Prague meeting that some have alleged that Atta met with the Iraqi Counsel Al-Ani. The CIA no longer believes this meeting ever took place, but the Czechs who originally reported the meeting and subsequently deported al-Ani, still believe it occurred. Anthrax Letters: The Significance of the Mailing Dates
Ross E. Getman, Esq. - 4/18/2007
The anthrax mailing were on the date of the Camp David Accord and the related assassination of Anwar Sadat (Armed Forces Day). Expert Michael Scheuer, formerly head of the CIA's Osama Bin Laden unit, once said that Al Qaeda does not plan attacks around important dates, so far as the CIA can glean. But Mr. Scheuer should take Ayman at his word when he says he at least plans his messages around anniversaries. Terror Threats In January 2007
Ryan Mauro - 2/1/2007
This month’s major issue was the Bush Administration’s new plan for the war in Iraq. For the first time, there is, in this author’s opinion, a bona fide strategy to effectively combat the insurgency in Iraq. General David Petraeus, as he has demonstrated so competently in Mosul, is quite easily the best choice to lead the US military campaign in Iraq. In this author’s opinion, the troop increase will be a beneficial development that will yield a positive effect in the Baghdad area. The Nexus of Evil
Robert T. McLean - 1/31/2007
Fifteen years after the end of the Cold War, many remain surprised that a coalition of states has not formed to balance the power of the United States. Authors such as Randall L. Schweller of Ohio State University continue to offer theories towards explaining the supposed state of affairs and attribute much of the unbalance to domestic political factors that discourage the necessary efforts to ultimately challenge American primacy. But the last decade has witnessed something quite different as two powerful states have emerged to present the fist post-Cold War challenge to a United States centered unipolar world. Legacy of a Terrorist: Even after capture, a terrorist can rely on global networks to inspire others
William OMalley - 1/31/2007
Skilled terrorists are persuasive, strategic and analytical – and a good example of this is the Indonesian terrorist leader, Hambali, who has pursued his goal of bringing Muslim nations under Islamic rule. The operations chief of the terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah, Hambali has been jailed by the US since 2003, but the vast network of recruits he had developed prior to his arrest continue to support his cause and carry on global terrorist planning. William O'Malley, formerly an intelligence officer and now a commentator in Australia, tells the story of how a terrorist grew up in Indone... Terror Threats in October and November 2006
Ryan Mauro - 12/13/2006
An interesting article was sent to the author in October. As reported by Richard Miniter, an Iraqi defector to Turkey going by the name of “Abu Mohammed” spoke to Gwynne Roberts of England’s Sunday Times. Mohammed claimed that, in 1997, he was a colonel in the Fedayeen and went to the suspected terrorist training camp known as Salman Pak and saw that men were being trained to hijack aircraft, specifically a Boeing 707, utilizing knives. Mohammed said that Colonel Jamil Kamil and Major Ali Hawas met him at the site and, that Major Hawas told him that the men he saw in line for food were members of “Osama Bin Laden’s group,” the PKK and the Mujahideen-e-Khalq. Why Hizb ut Tahrir Should Be Banned
Dominic Whiteman - 11/27/2006
On the evening of the 14th November, the real world became a different place for Hizb ut Tahrir, the organisation which wishes to establish a Global Islamic Caliphate, based on Shariah Law (type "Hizb ut Tahrir draft constitution" into Internet search and retrospective engines and attempt to settle back and read this lengthy document - preferably with a stiff whisky at hand). Terror Expert warns People to be Vigilant During Upcoming Holiday Season
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 11/21/2006
A British-based terror expert is warning people worldwide to be on their guard against terror attacks this holiday season. Glen Jenvey said he has heard a number of terror watchers warn of a possible increase in international terrorism in the weeks leading up to Christmas. "To counter this," Jenvey said in an e-mail interview, "the public need to become the eyes and eyes of the intelligence service, reporting any thing that is not normal or any sinister messages they spot on the Internet." Terror Threats In September 2006
Ryan Mauro - 10/9/2006
Iraqi Document Release 1. Letters labeled top-secret were released that reveal orders from the Iraqi Defense Ministry to conceal weapons and devices in hidden shelters for later use. Some analysts have viewed this operation described in the documents as WMD-related, but most likely it was merely the beginning of the activation of plans to foment an insurgency. 2. In 2000, an Iraqi intelligence officer reported to his government that he had a “trusted source” in the Associated Press that gave the regime important information as UNMOVIC was being established. Terror Threats In August 2006
Ryan Mauro - 9/1/2006
The big news is non-news. August 22, the big day Iran picked to respond to the UN's nuclear deal, went by without a shot being fired. That date, as we've discussed, had religious significance for Ahmadinejad. It was the anniversary of when, according to the faithful, Mohammed purportedly ascended into heaven from Al-Aqsa (Jerusalem). No analyst has yet developed a definitive explanation as to why the Iranian leaders had issued so much rhetoric regarding their response, causing considerable consternation and rumor-mongering in the West—and then nothing significant occurred. Here are some possibilities for why nothing significant happened on August 22, as so many had predicted: Terror Threats in July 2006
Ryan Mauro - 8/8/2006
Iraq Intelligence Items
1)A document dated March 10, 2002 describes a meeting of the Iraqi “biological committee” after a trip by “delegates” to Moscow. Rihab Taha, also known as “Dr. Germ,” refers in the meeting to the development of “aircraft sprayers that are able to scatter dust.”
2) A reader forwarded an Associated Press report from October 31, 2003, describing how, in March 2003, Iraq officials brought reporters to a training camp near Baghdad where foreign fighters (a.k.a., terrorists) were being trained. The fighters were from Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia. British Terrorists Call for Destruction of Israel and Jews Worldwide
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 7/17/2006
As the conflict in the Middle East boils over, British-based terrorists are calling for the complete destruction of Israel and Jews worldwide using global terrorism. Recordings made of a July 14 cyber conversation on a radical Islamic group found on www.paltalk.com (Followers of Ahl Al Sunnah Wal Jamaah, found in the Religion and Theology Islam section of Paltalk) reveal that horrifying agenda. The internet offers terrorists a forum for debating strategy
Gabriel Weimann - 7/14/2006
One tends to tar the Islamic militants with the same brush of terrorism, and the internet is seen as the outlet for their propaganda and grisly videos. However, conflicting perspectives of Al Qaeda and other terrorist factions found on the web could be a valuable tool for understanding their motivations and strategies, thus enabling governments to develop effective counter-strategies and prevent an organized attack. Gabriel Weimann, an expert on terrorists' use of the internet, reports on his eight-year study of exchanges via the web and how terrorist-identified groups debate suicide missions,... Cyber Sheikh Calls for More Terror Strikes
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 7/11/2006
While Americans were gearing up for the recent Independence Day holiday, a group of radical Muslims were meeting in a Birmingham, England community center. According to the British-based Vigil Network’s Dominic Whiteman, on July 2, a mix of extremists from al Ghurabaa, the Savior Sect, the Society of Muslim lawyers and other spin-offs from Hitz-ut-Tahrir and the now banned Al Mujahiroun group were among those represented. Iraq's WMD Documents and Terror Threats In June 2006
Ryan Mauro - 7/6/2006
Documents found in Iraq released by the Pentagon continue to be translated by Arabic volunteers on the Internet. Among the findings are: Terror Threats in May 2006
Ryan Mauro - 5/30/2006
There has been a recent stream of reports regarding Al-Qaeda’s purported nuclear capabilities since America’s Truth Forum in April. Hamid Mir, the only journalist to interview Osama bin Laden after 9/11, is set to release a book claiming that Al-Qaeda possesses tactical nuclear weapons which were forward-deployed to the United States. Global Terror Threats in March 2006
Ryan Mauro - 4/4/2006
One interesting note before we discuss the biggest issues of the month (mostly the Iraqi document release). The author feels it is worth noting that there is a widespread persecution of Christians going on, and we almost never hear about it. The Open Doors organization has released the 2006 World Watch List which ranked countries around the world based on their religious persecution. The top ten countries guilty of persecuting Christians are as follows: North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Somalia, Maldives, Bhutan, Yemen, Vietnam, Laos and China. Terror Threats During February 2006
Ryan Mauro - 3/6/2006
General Georges Sada, the former #2 man in charge of the Iraqi Air Force, and close advisor to Saddam Hussein, continues to confidently state that Saddam’s WMD was moved to, and concealed in, Syria. In an exclusive report that I prepared recently, another Iraqi general, known as the “Butcher of Basra”, also confirmed that the Saddam’s WMD are being concealed in Syria. Ali Ibrahim al-Tikriti, who defected in 1991, claims he has deep sources inside Iraq, including some of Saddam Hussein’s former scientists. He also confirmed that, in the mid-1990s, Iraq, under Hussein, developed a relationship with Al-Qaeda. World Threats In January 2006
Ryan Mauro - 2/6/2006
Overall, 2005 was a good year, in which was evidenced tremendous progress in Iraq, reasonably reliable elections in Iraq and Egypt, and significant advances, globally, against Al-Qaeda. The general public was made more aware of the dangers of Hugo Chavez, the democracy movement in Iran, and Syria received significant adverse attention. Additionally, the Europeans have been assisting, more than one would expect, in pressuring those two rogue regimes. Terror Threats During December 2005
Ryan Mauro - 1/13/2006
Will the Bush Administration’s biggest victory in Iraq turn into its biggest loss? The election was undoubtedly extremely successful with huge Sunni participation. In the Sunni Anbar province, participation rose from 2% in the last election to possibly as high as 55%. And no large-scale attacks marred the process. High levels of Sunni participation will certainly lead to the marginalization of the insurgents, and already there are increasing reports of the Sunnis turning their guns of foreign fighters filtering in from Syria. Psychics and the 72 Virgins for Suicide Bombers
Ghazal Omid - 1/10/2006
If the Americans can believe psychics speak to the spirit of their dead father, why can’t Middle Eastern suicide bombers believe in 72 virgins? When I was living in Iran, looking at pictures of Europe and the US and other Western countries, I always believed that the Westerners, particularly North Americans, must have better clues about reality and truth and be smarter than the Middle Easterners to achieve such a high standard of living. EXCLUSIVE: Cover Organizations for Terrorists In US and UK Exposed
Andrew Green - 1/3/2006
In April 2005, CityMuslim.com posted an ad for an Islamic rally in London against the Saudi Arabian government, claiming to highlight “the oppression of the Saudi regime and their many crimes…” The organizers, calling themselves Party for Islamic Renewal claimed that it “rejects intellectual terror, supports the freedom of thought and believes in dialogue based on argument and evidence.” What neither the ad nor CityMuslim.com noted was that this was a recruiting mission for Islamist terrorists, including al-Qaida fighters in Iraq, belonging to al-Muhajiroun (“The Emigrants”) terrorist group th... Terror Threats During November 2005
Ryan Mauro - 12/10/2005
The 2005 State Department report on religious freedom designated eight “countries of particular concern” and, that are eligible for certain action such as sanctions: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Vietnam. It is encouraging to observe the Saudis on the list, as there have been years where the Saudis were conspicuous in their absence from the list—a clear indication of the significant influence the Saudis have had on the American government. Extremist Cleric Abu Hamza Still Preaching Hate From Prison
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 11/14/2005
In an apparent response to Jordanians who took to the streets to call for its leader to "burn in hell," al-Qaida in Iraq attempted Thursday to justify the triple suicide bombings that killed 56 people, mostly Arabs. The Associated Press (AP) reported http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1300775 that earlier Thursday, the group posted a Web statement http://alfirdaws.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7868 claiming responsibility for Wednesday's suicide bombing attacks. Then a second al-Qaida statement appeared on the Internet "to explain for Muslims part of the reason holy warriors targeted these dens." That statement appeared after Arab-wide expressions of outrage. World Threats In October 2005
Ryan Mauro - 11/11/2005
The Mehlis Report has blamed Syria for the assassination of Rafiq Hariri, the former prime minister of Lebanon, who opposed an amendment to the Lebanese constitution to allow the pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud to extend his term. The report stated that Syria, specifically Bashar Assad’s brother-in-law Assaf Shawkat, to divert blame from himself, coerced someone else to take credit for the assassination. The assassination plot originated in 2004 when, during a meeting between Assad and Hariri, Assad warned Hariri that he would “break Lebanon on your head.” General Mustafa Hamdan, the hea... Terror Threats During September 2005
Ryan Mauro - 10/6/2005
Yossef Bodansky, the former director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare and current director of research at the International Strategic Studies Association warned Congress in a secret reporting that Al-Qaeda was planning spectacular attacks around the world as part of a Ramadan offensive in October. He said that operatives were being trained and supplied in the Balkans and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had a key role in it. Several other experts and sources are warning about a Ramadan offensive as well. Terror And Peace
Ajay Nath - 9/1/2005
The American President's recent statement on terrorism was the strongest so far against the enemies of freedom and human civilization. He just does not believe in any form of compromise. Terrorists are terrorists and they must be dealt with severely, wherever they are, whoever they are. Their atrocities and barbaric display of Pol Pot-like behaviour are beyond human imagination and tolerance. The British Prime Minister has come down equally heavily on terrorists. The British government is, in fact, coming out with a special law on terrorism that empowers it even to expel suspected terrorists f... Narcissists, Group Behavior, and Terrorism - Part IV
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/9/2005
Terrorists can be phenomenologically described as narcissists in a constant state of deficient narcissistic supply. The "grandiosity gap" - the painful and narcissistically injurious gap between their grandiose fantasies and their dreary and humiliating reality - becomes emotionally insupportable. They decompensate and act out. They bring "down to their level" (by destroying it) the object of their pathological envy, the cause of their seething frustration, the symbol of their dull achievements, always incommensurate with their inflated self-image. Narcissists, Group Behavior, and Terrorism - Part III
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/9/2005
It is no wonder that bin-Laden and the United States are engaged in mortal combat. Adversarial narcissists often are. That the United States in a narcissistic society was suggested long ago (1979) by Christopher Lasch. Narcissists, Group Behavior, and Terrorism - Part II
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/8/2005
Osama bin-Laden is often labeled a narcissist (as was Hitler and are Saddam Hussein and Milosevic). Are all politicians narcissists? The answer, surprisingly, is: not universally. The preponderance of narcissistic traits and personalities in politics is much less than in show business, for instance. Moreover, while show business is concerned essentially (and almost exclusively) with the securing of narcissistic supply - politics is a much more complex and multi-faceted activity. Rather, it is a spectrum. At the one end, we find the "actors" - politicians who regard politics as their venue and ... Narcissists, Group Behavior, and Terrorism - Part I
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/8/2005
More about pathological narcissism and the Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) in the Appendix. Having lived in 12 countries in 3 continents now, I firmly believe in "mass psychopathology", or in ethnopsychology. The members of a group - if sufficiently cohesive - tend to react similarly to circumstances. By "cohesive" I mean, if they share the same mental world ("Weltanschauung") - possibly the same history, the same language or dialect, the same hopes, folklore, fears, and aspirations ("agenda"), the same enemies and so on. World Threats Report During July 2005
Ryan Mauro - 8/2/2005
“I can control the Americans—I have experience in doing it…[I’ll] bring the death that the Shi’ites are experiencing in Iraq to the streets of America with the volunteer martyr brigades ready to act.”
- New Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, on his own web site. World Threats During June 2005
Ryan Mauro - 7/15/2005
Elections in Iran
The most important events this month were related to Iran. Iran conducted presidential elections that, from the start, were manipulated in favor of the Islamic radicals. The Guardian Council, made up of radical, unelected clerics, approved the candidates. Voter turnout was low, as a form of protest against the government. According to my sources, turnout was almost certainly below 30%. One cannot, of course, expect an accurate voter turnout given the fact that Iran is a closed society, and the Iranian state-controlled press is not a reliable source. World Threats During May 2005
Ryan Mauro - 6/12/2005
The Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus issued a report this month detailing what would be required to secure the US borders. It concluded that 36,000 troops, from either state militia, or the National Guard, would “dramatically reduce if not virtually eliminate” illegal immigration. The report said the buildup could be accomplished within 30 days, and there was currently adequate manpower available. Foreign Aid Fuels Terror
Aliheydar Rzayev, Ph.D. - 5/31/2005
Destabilization of the most important subjects of world political and economic systems could become the acts of terrors, paralyzing the will of rulers and sowing horror among the population. As it was noted by V.Slutsker, at the present we can develop three main causes of the sharp increase of terrorist activity which is closely interconnected each with others. The first is the ecological problem. Second is the democragraphic problem, which is tightly connected with the abovementioned ecological safety: it is the not simply explosive increase in the population, but also the asymmetric increase, when some regions are overpopulated, but others, such as Europe, become less populated. Interview with Aaron Klein on al-Qaida, WMD and Other Terror Threats
Ryan Mauro - 5/26/2005
Aaron Klein is WorldNetDaily.com's Middle East correspondent, who previously conducted interviews with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and Israeli Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as leaders of the Taliban. Ryan Mauro interviewed Mr. Klein on terror threats, al-Qaeda and biological/chemical weapons possessed by Syria and other Arab states. World Threats - April 2005 Report
Ryan Mauro - 5/10/2005
We found a report particularly interesting that indicates the British and American nuclear forces would not be as effective during wartime if they needed to be used. Scientists tied to the Los Alamos National Lab claim that the casing is so thin on a W76 warhead that it will likely fail to detonate. The warheads on submarines are poorly designed and a large number are probably duds, the scientist warned (Telegraph, 4/4/05). INTERVIEW: Antero Leitzinger Global Trends and Terrorism Effecting U.S. and the West
Ryan Mauro - 4/18/2005
Antero Leitzinger is the editor of the book called "Caucasus-An Unholy Alliance". He is a history researcher on topics ranging from Russia to Islam. The majority of his works are in Finnish, including various travel guide books, textbooks, and works about the history of liberalism and the history of Finnish immigration. He is working with other authors for an English book about Eastern European history and human rights policy in that region, of which he will write about the Karaim minority in Lithuania. World Threats Report - March 2005
Ryan Mauro - 4/10/2005
In our opinion, the most interesting development this month, in the War on Terrorism, was new intelligence indicating that Osama bin Laden had relinquished day-to-day control of jihadi operations, while still remaining the jihadi movement's spiritual figurehead and main moneyman. Ayman al-Zawahiri appears to be maintaining liaisons with local groups and sectors of certain intelligence services, and setting the general technical planning (and likely authorizing certain attacks and distributing responsibility). Asymmetric Warfare and Its Domestic Effect
James McLeod-Hatch - 4/7/2005
"Asymmetric warfare" is a current voguish term that describes age-old guerrilla tactics. But while many might think that the guerrilla battles of an asymmetric war are being fought far away, in actual fact the insurgents are bringing the battle to our home soil, and this been facilitated by the rising tide of poor and non-specific regulation. The threats posed by asymmetric warfare to the troops on the ground are well covered by the media. However, the very fact that guerrilla tactics are increasingly referred to as "asymmetric warfare" hints at a difficulty faced by not only the commanders ... World Threats and Major Events at the End of February 2005
Ryan Mauro - 3/16/2005
Today, Ryan Mauro examines the threats to the world and major events coming from al-Qaeda, Middle Eastern countries, Israel-Palestinian the Peace Process, Asia, North Korea and Europe. The article deals with the state of threats and world events at the end of February 2005.
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