Radical Islam: An Escalating Threat

This article by John Powers addresses the escalating threat posed by radical Islam and the safe havens that support the movement.

This was originally written as an Op-Ed. The opinions expressed are those of the author.


"We have ignored warnings of serious threats before that resulted in extreme consequences. The 1930’s are a good example. In many respects the current threat of radical Islam is much more serious as it could easily become irreversible if we fail to act decisively.

"The reason for such a dire prospect is that the number of safe havens that serve as centers for recruitment appear to be multiplying exponentially. Forty years ago, radical Islam seemed fairly limited and the threat was mainly in the background until the bombings in 1983 (Beirut Embassy) and 1993 (World Trade Center). Today, the numbers of recruits flocking to ISIS is a bit frightening and is best viewed as an indicator of the rate of growth of this threat. For perspective, we only need consider the damage done by Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen prior to his death in 2011 to understand the potency of these safe havens.

"Radical Islam was not seen by most as a serious threat until al Qaeda brought down the twin towers and the Taliban took over Afghanistan. While the Taliban was not welcomed by the majority of Afghanis, little was done until it was believed that Osama bin Laden was offered sanctuary there."

Download a PDF of the full article here.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's Baaack! Bill to limit number of UASIs (Updated)

Image
Updated 4-21-11 Once again, there are efforts afoot to limit the number of Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) cities.  However, this legislative maneuvering may be moot.  A combination of less funding and a new risk formula may result in less UASIs without legislative action.  Read on for a full explanation. UASI program funds address the unique planning, organization,  equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density  Urban Areas, and assists them in building an enhanced and  sustainable capacity to prevent, protect against, respond to, and  recover from acts of terrorism. The  proposed legislation, H.R.1555 , was recently introduced by  Rep. Nita Lowey [D-NY18]  as an effort to limit the number of cities and funnel more funding to New York City.  The bill's stated purpose is: "T o amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to limit the number of Urban Area Security Initiative grants awarded and to clarify the risk assessment formula to be used when ma
Read more

Consulting Honorably

There is an old saying that "There is honor among thieves". Honor connotes personal integrity and a belief in certain moral principles, and it can exist even among thieving bastards apparently. Today I ask the question: Is there honor among emergency management consultants ? Obviously there are no absolutes in life; and, in my experience, in consulting there are honorable and not-so-honorable consulting companies and individuals. My past experience with “ partner firms ” has been good and bad. I have some good partners and some soon-to-be-ex partners thanks to varying degrees of honor that they have exhibited. If someone says there is honor among thieves, they usually mean that even corrupt criminals can have a sense of honor or integrity, or justice, even if it is skewed by disregard of the law. Teams of people (thieves or consultants) can accomplish more than individuals in almost any undertakings. Customs, mores and informal rules evolve in a group. It is not good
Read more

What is an EOC information management system?

Image
What is an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) information management system?  With all of the talk about the use of Social Media in Emergency Management  and the use of new technologies for "Situational Awareness" and a "Common Operating Picture" it is important to remember the basics.  After all, EOC management is all about information and resource management. So I thought I would share a summary of EOC information management issues that we recently prepared. The EOC needs an effective information management system to work. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS DURING A DISASTER The following problems are often seen at all EOC levels: Activation takes place after the fact resulting in a “catch up” process. Lack of good and complete information at the beginning. Possible loss or degraded communications capability. Possible loss or late arrival of key, trained staff. Often a shortfall of resources available to meet demands. Lack of inter-agency coordinati
Read more