THE SPINE JANUARY 1, 2010
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Joe Klein, who spent a lot of print trying more or less to exonerate Dr. Major Nidal Malik Hasan by dint of his being a nutcase, has been curiously silent about Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. In fact, there's been a certain shyness among the whole left-wing blogosphere (and among Democrats, generally) about the skivvies terrorist. There is no place for these journalists to hide and no logic, however dubious, with which they can transfer the guilt to us. And, believe me, if they can't invent this, there is nothing to invent—nothing.
The fact is that the only personage of note to call Abdulmutallab an "isolated extremist," which is the closest thing to a solitary crank, was the president himself. And he said it when he already knew that American intelligence, in several of its iterations, had long ago been informed that the would-be bomber had been connected to Al Qaeda in Yemen.
Now, Yemen is a special problem for Obama. We are now fighting (after Iraq and Afghanistan) on an unacknowledged but probably appropriate third front in Yemen. It is there that the president has repatriated several "reformed" Guantanamo prisoners. Based on the experiential records, there is little chance that many such men will stay free of the intoxicating elixirs of jihad, the common jihad of murder.
But Yemen is also the foundation of the "close Guantanamo" program, which is way off schedule already, having passed the White House deadline, and has been dealt a body blow by recent events. Either Guantanamo stays or its prisoners go to a federal penitentiary, in Illinois or elsewhere. Obama has this tic about the jailhouse at the tip-end of Cuba. And Congress might force him to lump it. Yet, it is the Congress--primarily Republicans, but Democrats as well--that is being demagogic. There will be no breakouts from stateside prisons by these oh-so-pious convicts.
Moreover, the Republicans and the right-wing opinion centers are, of course, riveted on the president's instinctive detoxification of what was intended as a faithful act of Islam. They are milking it for what it's worth. But the Democrats and the vast liberal opinion industry are simply ignoring what is, frankly, an historically naïve and dangerous bewitchment. They do this at their peril.
I believe that it is Obama's perception of Abdulmutallab as an "isolated extremist" that is the real source of the intelligence calamity so dramatically revealed in this case. It is true, of course, that this dispiriting intelligence failure goes back to the Clinton and Bush years, even though Bush did almost uniquely grasp the very essence of the holy Muslim terror. But what the president has done is to wrap the Islamic orbit in a sweetly scented cashmere afghan (if you'll permit this ironic choice of words) that disguises the reality of the real Islam of this world. Obama has done this grandly several times, most especially with his addresses in Istanbul and Cairo, but also in his more quotidian remarks. The failure of the CIA and the other alphabet agencies to connect the dots is a methodological failure. The president's failure to grasp the realities is an ideological and psychological failure. In a top-down structure, the top always has the advantage.
It is a thorny matter to design grand tactics for both the world as it is and the world as Obama imagines it. Yes, the president's representatives and, to some extent, he himself are now talking factual essentials. Already during the campaign, he liquidated the war on terrorism. It was not apt. It was diversionary. And, oh, what a relief this was to his ecstatic crowds.
But for what are we mobilizing in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and apparently now also in Yemen, other than war against the terrorists of Islam? In Pakistan, in a little village called Shah Hassan Khel, the Taliban struck a volleyball game--an innocent volleyball game, for God's sake--played and attended by altogether harmless and guiltless men and boys. Deutsche Presse Agentur says that no fewer than 95 dead were left on the ground.
The president's cool cannot change that. All that he can do, if that is what he wants, is to divert America's attention from a massacre culture. But it is not likely to work. The economic imbroglio may allow him to divert us a little longer from this historic crossroads. There is also just a chance that he'll realize he was wrong and admit it to the great public. I'm not sure I'd bet on that. In any case, the American people see the facts and they will be fooled no longer. It's ironic that a terrorist assault that had no victims has clarified the truth of our circumstances.
P.S. A few minutes after I posted this Spine, news came over the Web of an Al-Qaeda-related and also-failed attempt by a Muslim terrorist to commit murder. The target was the Danish cartoonist, Kurt Westergaard, who drew a bomb in Mohammed's turban four years ago. The head of the Danish intelligence service said the attacker, who was caught red-handed in Westergaard's home, was attached to Al-Shabaab, a Somali branch of Muslim Murder Inc., and to other Al Qaeda principals in eastern Africa.
14 comments
Most of our fellow liberals don't see Islam coming at them. They're watching the rear-view mirror. If Obama doesn't learn fast, it would be tragic because he may be a rare (maybe the only) chance to achieve a more just and sustainable society in this generation as well as defend against real threats to our national security.
- amidut
January 2, 2010 at 7:11am
The New York Times has more details on the attack: "The Somali man had won an asylum case and received a residency permit to stay in Denmark, Scharf said, declaring the Friday attack to be ''terror related.'' ''The arrested man has, according to PET's information, close relations to the Somali terrorist group al-Shabab and al-Qaida leaders in eastern Africa,'' Scharf said. ''(The attack) again confirms the terror threat that is directed at Denmark and against the cartoonist Kurt Westergaard in particular.'' Scharf said the man is suspected of having been involved in terror-related activities in east Africa and had been under PET's surveillance but not in connection with Westergaard. Westergaard could not be reached for comment. However, he told his employer, the Jyllands-Posten newspaper, that the assailant shouted ''Revenge!'' and ''Blood!'' as he tried to enter the bathroom where Westergaard and the child had sought shelter. ''My grandchild did fine,'' Westergaard said, according to the newspaper's Web edition. ''It was scary. It was close. Really close. But we did it.'' Westergaard has received previous death threats and was the subject of an alleged assassination plot. In October, terror charges were brought against two Chicago men who planned to kill Westergaard and newspaper's former cultural editor. In 2008, Danish police arrested two Tunisian men suspected of plotting to kill Westergaard. Neither suspect was prosecuted. One was deported and the other was released Monday after an immigration board rejected PET's efforts to expel him from Denmark...." http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/02/world/AP-EU-Denmark-Cartoonist.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print It seems that the Danish authorities gave the attacker asylum but kept him under surveillance. Until the West decides not to coddle Muslim extremists the attacks will continue.
- jacksondyer
January 2, 2010 at 10:03am
When we strip away the rhetorical decorations and digressions from this text, we're left with two arguments. One is, "Because Abdulmutallab was not a lone nut, therefore Hasan must not have been a lone nut." The fallacy of this argument is obvious; proving the one does not prove the other. There is no precedent for lone-nutcase plane bombings, whereas workplace shootings by lone crazies are common. Not all Muslims who do violence -- hell, not all Muslims who derive the motivation to violence from religious convictions -- are agents of an active conspiracy. There are organized terrorists, and there are also lone actors. Each poses a distinct threat, and each threat requires very different methods of prevention and response. Marty's argument on Hasan from day one has been the exact equivalent of assuming that every pickpocket of Italian ancestry must be a mafia capo -- and the further implication that anyone who does not so assume is soft on organized crime.
- rhubarbs
January 2, 2010 at 10:53am
It's worth noting, just to add a footnote to rhubarbs' point, that the lone-ness of Maj. Hasan was part and parcel of his particular toxic mixture of paranoia and hatred, whereas the lone-ness of Abdulmutallab was merely a tactical element that could easily have been changed by better planning. What is quite scary is the possibility that AQ could get two people on a plane -- one to creat a diversion on the lines of Abdulmutallab's clumsy performance, to other to detonate an explosive while everyone's attention is elsewhere.
- ironyroad
January 2, 2010 at 11:10am
Krauthammer has a complementary take on Obama's handling of the Abdulmutallab security fiasco in the context of the the-series -of-isolated-incidents-of-man-made-disasters-formerly-known-as-the-war-on-terrorism in yesterday's Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123101744.html I wonder if Obama's reaction isn't another manifestation of his narcissism...
- malahat
January 2, 2010 at 12:15pm
Oops, should have been "the-series -of-isolated-incidents-of-man-made-disasters-formerly-known-as-terrorist-attacks" Wrecked the whole Prince name-reference thing.
- malahat
January 2, 2010 at 12:22pm
Bl462's "series -of-isolated-incidents-of-man-made-disasters-formerly-known-as-terrorist-attacks" reminded me of "Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events"
- noga1
January 2, 2010 at 4:50pm
noga, Yours is much better.
- malahat
January 2, 2010 at 6:18pm
Cough up a few bucks to buy Robert D Kaplan's book, Imperial Grunts, published a few years ago; or go to your library and take out a copy; or, best of all, buy the book and then try to persuade your librarian to accept your donation to put it on his or her shelves. Lottsa luck! If you read the book you will learn that our Special Forces are stationed in places we rarely, or never, hear about. My recollection includes South America, the Phillipines and Mongolia. Of course they are in place to have an impact in hellholes like Yemen and Somalia. Some of what they do is rough; much is farsighted and commendable. Read it and make your own judgment. Personally, I'm awfully proud of their professionalism and grateful for their professionalism and service.
- lsernoff
January 2, 2010 at 7:18pm
A few days ago I bought at a second hand store Kaplan's book "Balkan Ghosts". I have read the first few pages and already I'm sick to my stomach. He describes in graphic detail some frightful episodes in the history of religious-nationalist fanaticism of which I was ignorant until now. I wish I could recover that ignorance now but it is too late and I will have to read the book, willy-nilly.
- noga1
January 3, 2010 at 1:52pm
Respectfully Rhubarbs, I read Peretz' main argument to be that Obama's reference to an "isolated extremist" is representative of Obama's supposed belief that Jihadist terrorism is not to be taken seriously, and, more than that, that there is anything good about Islam. But only a very selective listener/reader could infer that Obama was saying that Abdulmutallab was acting alone or that Jihadist terrorism, including that perpetrated by Al Qaeda, is not a serious threat. Below is the text of Obama's remarks: "Good morning, everybody. I wanted to take just a few minutes to update the American people on the attempted terrorist attack that occurred on Christmas Day and the steps we're taking to ensure the safety and security of the country. The investigation's ongoing. And I spoke again this morning with Attorney General Eric Holder, the secretary of homeland security, Janet Napolitano, and my counterterrorism and homeland security adviser, John Brennan. I asked them to keep -- continue monitoring the situation to keep the American people and members of Congress informed. Here's what we know so far: On Christmas Day, Northwest Airlines Flight 253 was en route from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Detroit. As the plane made its final approach to Detroit Metropolitan Airport, a passenger allegedly tried to ignite an explosive device on his body, setting off a fire. Thanks to the quick and heroic actions of passengers and crew, the suspect was immediately subdued, the fire was put out, and the plane landed safely. The suspect is now in custody and has been charged with attempting to destroy an aircraft. A full investigation has been launched into this attempted act of terrorism, and we will not rest until we find all who were involved and hold them accountable. Now, this was a serious reminder of the dangers that we face and the nature of those who threaten our homeland. Had the suspect succeeded in bringing down that plane, it could have killed nearly 300 passengers and crew, innocent civilians preparing to celebrate the holidays with their families and friends. The American people should be assured that we are doing everything in our power to keep you and your family safe and secure during this busy holiday season. Since I was first notified of this incident, I've ordered the following actions to be taken to protect the American people and to secure air travel. First, I directed that we take immediate steps to ensure the safety of the traveling public. We made sure that all flights still in the air were secure and could land safely. We immediately enhanced screening and security procedures for all flights, domestic and international. We added federal air marshals to flights entering and leaving the United States. And we're working closely in this country, federal, state and local law enforcement, with our international partners. Second, I've ordered two important reviews, because it's absolutely critical that we learn from this incident and take the necessary measures to prevent future acts of terrorism. The first review involves our watch list system, which our government has had in place for many years to identify known and suspected terrorists so that we can prevent their entry into the United States. Apparently the suspect in the Christmas incident was in this system, but not on a watch list, such as the so-called no-fly list. So I have ordered a thorough review, not only of how information related to the subject was handled, but of the overall watch list system and how it can be strengthened. The second review will examine all screening policies, technologies and procedures related to air travel. We need to determine just how the suspect was able to bring dangerous explosives aboard an aircraft and what additional steps we can take to thwart future attacks. Third, I've directed my national security team to keep up the pressure on those who would attack our country. We do not yet have all the answers about this latest attempt, but those who would slaughter innocent men, women and children must know that the United States will more -- do more than simply strengthen our defenses. We will continue to use every element of our national power to disrupt, to dismantle and defeat the violent extremists who threaten us, whether they are from Afghanistan or Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia, or anywhere where they are plotting attacks against the U.S. homeland. Finally, the American people should remain vigilant, but also be confident. Those plotting against us seek not only to undermine our security, but also the open society and the values that we cherish as Americans. This incident, like several that have preceded it, demonstrates that an alert and courageous citizenry are far more resilient than an isolated extremist. As a nation, we will do everything in our power to protect our country. As Americans, we will never give in to fear or division. We will be guided by our hopes, our unity, and our deeply held values. That's who we are as Americans; that's what our brave men and women in uniform are standing up for as they spend the holidays in harm's way. And we will continue to do everything that we can to keep America safe in the new year and beyond." Note that Obama says, "A full investigation has been launched into this attempted act of terrorism, and we will not rest until we find all who were involved and hold them accountable." So Obama clearly was not assuming that Abdulmutallab was acting alone. Note also how many times Obama mentions terrorists or terrorism. Note also that he is not the least bit unconscious of the international threat or the connection to Yemen, among other places: "We will continue to use every element of our national power to disrupt, to dismantle and defeat the violent extremists who threaten us, whether they are from Afghanistan or Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia, or anywhere where they are plotting attacks against the U.S. homeland." The "isolated extremist" reference obviously refers to the fact that Abdulmutallab was the lone terrorist on the aircraft and that the alertness and courage of the passengers facilitated his being subdued. Though it may have been pure luck that the explosive material was not detonated, Obama was nevertheless trying to compliment that actions of the passengers and crew members. Peretz' contention that Obama needs to wake up to the threat is not based in fact. I suspect Peretz' real beef is that Obama will not condemn Islam itself.
- dhurtado
January 3, 2010 at 4:15pm
From 911 to last week, seems that all the terrorist attacks have come from young men who had converted to militancy in Europe and had not been raised this way in their original countries or in their education. Most seemed to have been raised well-off and secular, esp. the Christmas bomber who had been turned in by his banker father in November. I would strongly suggest that the conversion to jihad thinking is more a result of how these very few respond to encountering the West and meeting their own (or Dad's) expectations and not anything about Muslim theology. Radical Islam is a manifestation of personal issues as was anarchist, radical Marxism, fascism, nihilism etc. Poverty is certainly not a factor. Is there anything in Northern Ireland practiced by Catholics/Protestants? Scientific polling shows that the percentage of Muslims worlwide supporting dying for religious beliefs is not that much higher than other faiths (7% but that may vary from Gaza to the 2% expressed in Iran) although that is still a cause for concern. The Christmas job did not exist as just an anti-US thing but as response to Saudi crackdown in failed state of Yemen. Obama is not an idiot as denying terrorism exists, of course it does. It is an absolute national embarrassment for a leader of a sole superpower to tarnish an entire religion as Bush/Rove did for seeming political purposes, and made sympathy to Jihad increase. Since Obama Cairo speech hard-line support however tacit in muslim world has declined as witnessed in Lebanon and Iran. But as a security expert wrote in Times blog, if jihadis feel they lose support they are more likely to attempt bold strikes and hope for retaliation.
- adolbe
January 4, 2010 at 12:55pm
Hang on a second, adolbe. For all his faults, President Bush made it very clear many times that our beef was not with Islam. Can you give examples of when he "tarnished an entire religion"? And do you have any empirical data that show that sympathy for jihad increased under Bush and has decreased under Obama? Or are you just bloviating?
- butchie b
January 4, 2010 at 1:32pm
Frankly, none of us cares a whit about what Islam teaches or what Muslims think or even do. We are (or should be) concerned about crimes and criminal conspiracies, regardless of motivation. Crimes are a police matter in the broadest sense, including national and international "police" forces such as the FBI. the CIA, etc.
- gnathan
January 4, 2010 at 5:05pm