Terrorism STILL a threat!

In the last seven years here in the United States we have been warned from time to time about the possibility of new attacks by al Queda or other terrorist organizations. However, thanks to the commitment from President Bush and the often criticized and ridiculed Department of Homeland Security, we have not been attacked again since 9/11. This is cause for both celebration and for concern.

First we should all celebrate that we have not had to endure another attack on our country and have not had to witness our citizens get murdered in cold blood as we did on 9/11. However, this is also a cause to be concerned because this also means that many of us have forgotten what happened that day and have become complacent.

There should be no mistaking the agenda of our enemies. They mean to kill as many of us as possible and they mean to continue trying to do this unless we wipe them out. We should remember that even though we have not been attacked again that does not mean that they haven't tried! On the contrary, they have tried many times and we have been fortunate, lucky or cautious enough to have uncovered the plot before it was executed.

Take for instance the plot by terrorists to hijack and explode several commercial airline jets flying from England to the United States. If this would have been allowed to proceed they would have killed thousands and would have caused millions in material damage. The psychological effect of this attack would have also been devastating. Imagine if you needed to be concerned any time a commercial airliner flew over your house or city. You would always be wondering if this would be the one that would come crashing down. And if you think we have strict regulations for passenger screening at the airport now just imagine what would happen if they somehow used planes against us AGAIN! We might all be traveling nude for the foreseeable future!!! Thankfully, due to the cooperation between international authorities this plot was foiled before it could be implemented.

However, we should not think that this will be the last attempt. The attacks this last week in Mumbai prove that there are terrorist organizations in the world today that are well equipped, well funded and willing to unleash destruction on a massive scale anywhere in the world. As long as radical Islam is a force in the world this threat will continue.

One other thing that we need to think about is the fact that terrorists are by nature very patient. They will take the time to plan, train and equip their soldiers before they launch their attack and unfortunately that gives them an edge. You see, most people have very short memories. After 9/11 EVERYONE was worried about terrorism. Today there are some that still think about it but for the most part it's not something that most people concern themselves with on a daily basis. This is exactly the kind of behavior that terrorists expect from the general public and they use this to their advantage.

Take for example the World Trade Center bombing in 1993. It was by all accounts a failed operation since they did not achieve their objective of toppling the towers. So what did they do? Did they scrap the entire idea and move on to other targets? Yes and no. Yes, they did go on to attack the USS Cole, the Khobar Towers and the Embassies in Africa but simultaneously they were training for and architecting a long term plan to take down the World Trade Center which they did 8 years later. The lesson to be learned here is that they are patient, persistent and dedicated to their cause and that makes them a threat.

If we are to survive and eventually vanquish this foe we must learn to think like them and start taking this serious. We should continue to live our lives and not live in fear but we must also remain vigilant. We are one mushroom cloud away from a major tragedy in this country. They are already planning their next event and in the words of Osama bin Laden the next attack on the United States will be "spectacular". You can bet on it.