Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker

with Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt
in Books
on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 * * * * *

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Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker on their book 'Counterstrike: The Untold Story of America's Secret Campaign Against Al Qaeda'

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Keywords:
FBI
World
al Qaeda
terrorism
Osama bin Laden
CIA

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    1. tabs  11/28/2011 10:01 PM Report

      Gore Vidal said, "That the United States became a National Security state in 1948." Since 2001 that national security apparatus of the US has been transformed into a "war on terrorism" better known as Homeland Security.

      Mr Shanker undermines his whole argument and makes it suspect when he stated terrorism is born of poverty and lack of education among other things, Mohamed Atta was neither poor nor uneducated, quite the contrary. Atta was brought up in a middle class Egyptian family and was working on a Masters degree in Engineering in Germany when he became radicalized.

      The following is an e-mail sent to Mr Rose on 2/11/11 while he was in Cairo. Apparently Mr Rose remembered the conclusion drawn.

      What we are seeing in Egypt is an undermining of the jihad's ideology as the only means of seeking an equitable society of fairness and justice under the laws of Allah. If one remembers it was Mohamed Atta the Egyptian who could not find a job at home with the higher education he had attained, that flew one of the planes into the WTC on 911. If Atta had felt that he had control over his destiny in his own country than he would not have felt the need to grab it back by taking the Martyrs road. This Egyptian Revolution is defusing the fury that the Islamic jihad feeds on, for now the destiny of the people is in their own hands and not that of an authoritarian regime whether it be secular or religious. With these events in Egypt every two bit dictator, religious fanatic or tyrant from Timbuktu to Beijing should be afraid....TABS

      In the convening months since that e-mail we have seen the demise of Gaddafi in Libya, the Assad regime in Syria come under pressure by the people and the dictatorship in Yemen fall.

    2. SharkswithfrikingLazers  11/28/2011 04:45 PM Report

      Counter-terrorism should be, at the very least, keeping the smart people out of the organization. Make al Qaeda look so stupid that anyone with any sense would think twice before joining them.

      Also, make sure the poor, horny guys know that the holy book does NOT say anything about 72 virgins. This should be everywhere--on Coke cans, on candy wrappers, book covers . . .

    3. SharkswithfrikingLazers  11/28/2011 04:38 PM Report

      The key to terrorism is leverage. Spend thousands to get the other guy to spend billions. We are losing BIG time here.

      Get out of the forward base and set up shop next to the people--like a store front police station. Then go build better ways to help with the poverty which, as the guests say, is the root of the terrorism.

    4. SharkswithfrikingLazers  11/28/2011 04:31 PM Report

      Yes, al Qaeda is a franchise but as a franchise you need money (bin Ladin) and direction for the brand (central leadership).

      The snake has no head so the franchise is adrift.