If the Times Square bomber’s budget is an indicator, the cost of wreaking havoc in the middle of a bustling western city isn’t particularly high. According to the federal indictment, payments totaling $15K were made to Faisal Shahzad to fund his failed attack on May 1st. The payments were funneled through the Hawala or Hundi Islamic mechanism whereby money is moved informally through brokers working on an honor system.
According to his testimony, he had packed the SUV he bought with the money with three bombs (as contingencies) – the fertilizer bomb packed in a gun cabinet, the propane tanks and gas canisters rigged with fireworks. As to why none of these exploded, he had no idea. It probably helped that he used the wrong type of fertilizer and the wrong kind of fireworks.
Shahzad’s bomb making skills acquired during a five-day class in Pakistan may have been under par, but his will and determination were high. “I want to plead guilty 100 times over,” responded Shadzad when asked by the judge why he was pleading guilty. “I consider myself a Muslim soldier”, and warned of more attacks to come.
His training took place under the auspices of the Tehrek I Taliban Pakistan (the Student movement of Pakistan), an umbrella group of about 30,000 militants from the Pakistan tribal belt. TTP is closely aligned with al Qaeda. Amongst its stated goals are resistance against the Pakistani army, enforcement of Sharia and attacks against America.
So, to review, the enemy (represented here only in part) has:
- Tens of thousands of willing participants
- Solid financial backing
- Effective means for money transfer
- Training facilities and instructors
- Ideological and emotional motivation
- Well defined goals
The U.S. government should be commended for the quick turnaround – only two months – from arrest to conviction. Likewise commendable was the flawed but basically well coordinated efforts that led to Shahzad’s capture within 53 hours of the incident. The subsequent change that now requires airlines look at the no fly list every 2 hours as opposed to 24, is a positive lesson learned.
Troubling to me, however, is that despite the U.S. government’s efforts to boost our homeland security, at the moment if feels like the only thing between us and a successful terrorist act is the terrorist’s incompetence.
Sir/Madam
As a retired police general who served with special branch for 3 decades monitoring the activities of the armed wing of the ANC/SACP/COSATU alliance and achieving a BA Police Science degree from the Univ of South Africa, I have noted the Shahzad saga.
I also observe reference to the “enemy”. One should refrain from putting people into camps and avoid “us” vs “them” stands.
The US have millions of Muslims who do not support terror; there are millions of Muslims outside the US who are law-abiding responsible citizens who also reject terror per se .
Terror should be viewed as a criminal offence and be monitored and prosecuted as such; by the police /law enforcement agencies.
If we avoid this route by using a military term viz “enemy” we actually give the small radical element undeserved credit. We talk about a few thousand persons who apparently are interested to follow the Shahzad route/option.
The law-enforcement infra-structure must monitor these elements and take the normal prosecutorial route to put the perpatrator behind bars.
Its a policing task ; not military.
Policing concerns law -enforcement; the military has a conventional war task. Police dont get into war zones; the military must not get into law-enforcement.Its as simple as that.
Comments will be appreciated.
Andre Beukes rtd Prov Commissioner of Police Cape Town
I must agree with Gen. Beukes. When you look at the background of most individuals who indulge in acts of violence against moderate society, you find deluded, inadequate, social misfits. They have little to offer other than a need to self-aggrandize; they want to be noticed as ‘warriors of the faith/party’ and are too weak willed to resist control by those who would distort society to meet their own twisted views. The rest of us simply don’t care until it affects us personally and that provides a ‘lead time’ for the religio/political nutters of this world to gain a foothold. The problem, as I see it, at least, is not to concentrate so much on the weak who believe the lies and propaganda of their so called ‘spiritual’ or ‘political’ leaders, but to concentrate on the control freaks who would interfere with the good order of general moderate society. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively and have found, without exception, that most people simply want to get on with their lives and maybe make thing better for their kids. There’s nothing wrong with that; or is there?
T.