'Terror 2.0': The
Homegrown Threat and Anwar al-Awlaki
So what
do the masters of Beijing think of the demise of America's most wanted?
According to this article by columnist Zhang Guoqing in the state-controlled Beijing
Youth Daily, bin Laden's death simply opens a new chapter in the battle
against terrorism, which will be characterized by attempts, under
Yemeni-American Anwar al-Awlaki, to recruit and train average Americans to
strike at the heart of the United States.
Worse than bin Laden?: The charismatic, Englsih-speaking Anwar al-Awlaki has a flair for recruiting Americans to al-Qaeda's cause - and may prove even more effective that Osama.
For Americans, May 1, 2011 is
a very happy day. The mastermind who planned and engineered the
"9/11" tragedy ten years ago, Osama bin Laden, has finally been officially
declared dead.
In fact, bin Laden had been
declared "dead" several times. Each one of these episodes
was shown to be nothing more than wishful thinking borne out of bitter hatred on
the part of the Americans. Because of bin Laden, not only were the lives of thousands
of their compatriots lost, but huge economic losses were suffered, diplomatic
channels altered and the sense of security Americans were once so proud of
shattered.
What left Americans rather depressed
was that despite the Bush Administration's vow to capture bin Laden by the end
of its term, it was unable to find him. Instead, bin Laden played a game of cat
and mouse with the U.S., prompting some in the media to speculate on whether Osama
bin Laden and the Bush family had a hidden agenda. Ironically, the Associated
Press described Bush's plodding efforts during that period as "a
failure of the most high-profile manhunt in history" [translated quote].
This gave President Obama an
opportunity. During the presidential campaign, Obama used the war in
Afghanistan and the fight against al-Qaeda as his "selling points,"
to distinguish himself from Bush's stubbornness on the Iraq War. After taking
office, Obama did indeed shift America's strategic center of gravity from the
Iraq War to the war in Afghanistan, and concentrated specifically on closing in
on bin Laden.
The facts prove that Obama's
strategic shift worked, at least in terms of getting rid of bin Laden. Using
Obama's words, bin Laden's death is a "significant achievement" for
the cause of U.S. counter-terrorism. Moreover, getting rid of bin Laden during
his term adds points to Obama's reelection campaign.
But the fight against terrorism
doesn't end there.
Pakistan: As a result of
America's announcement that "Pakistan participated in the operation by
providing information," bin Laden's aides and followers will turn their
fire on Pakistan. After all, attacking the United States is far too difficult.
Also, Americans dare not let
down their guard, because bin Laden's "successors" are even more
threatening. Having long eyed the U.S., they are likely to take action during
the tenth anniversary of 9/11. From the perspective of
counter-terrorism, bin Laden was no longer the biggest security threat. He had already
"given way" to Anwar
al-Awlaki.
Saying that bin Laden
"gave way" is something new to 2011, since he seemed to be preparing for a time when he would completely withdraw from the stage. On February 9,
the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)
said that the greatest threat to U.S. security was no longer al-Qaeda chief
Osama bin Laden, but dual U.S.-Yemeni national Anwar al-Awlaki. This also means
that, since then, bin Laden was no longer America's primary target.
As for this "personnel
change," the NCTC argued that al-Awlaki would replace bin Laden, since he's
so good at recruiting home-grown terrorists in the United States. It's alleged
that not only can al-Awlaki speak English and communicate directly with the
locals, but he's also good at using the Internet to publicize al-Qaeda's point of
view. For Americans, he is more terrifying than bin Laden, who has gradually
evolved into more of an "icon."
Domestic terrorism has become
a scourge, and "Americanized" terrorists are thorns in America's
flesh. It's worth mentioning that in a January 2011 recording, bin Laden called
on France to withdraw from Afghanistan in exchange for a release of hostages,
otherwise "whether in France or elsewhere, the French would be targeted
for attack." Since then, French intelligence memos have alleged that over
100 Europeans are undergoing al-Qaeda training in the border area between
Pakistan and Afghanistan. In addition to al-Awlaki's talent for recruiting
local terrorists, the training of Europeans to launch "local"
terrorist attacks led to widespread attention. In other words, although bin
Laden has been killed, the difficulty of the battle against global terrorism hasn't gotten any easier. The greatest challenges are still to come.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Nevertheless, some people are
happy. CIA director Leon Panetta, who Obama has just nominated to be defense
secretary, can be described as having the best of both worlds. On April 28, the
president nominated Panetta and was barely finished speaking when bin Laden was
killed, triggering an atmosphere of celebration, so to speak. And whether it's
from the angle of the CIA or the Pentagon, Panetta seems to be in the
spotlight. Particularly since his intelligence work was relatively spot on.
Bin Laden's death has given
Obama's security team renewed impetus, as the U.S. seeks to continue its
triumph in the Afghan war and get a jump on the Taliban, even as it guards
against al-Awlaki's lackeys, who may try to wreak havoc on the anniversary of
"9/11."
The position of the American
media is quite typical. Although it expresses jubilation, it generally agrees
Osama bin Laden's killing does not signify that the world is safer. In a sense,
this is only the beginning of Terror 2.0. In the post-bin Laden era, the world
will need to maintain its struggle against global terrorism and prepare for a protracted
conflict.
