|
In his 1998 book, "A Faceless Enemy", Glenn E. Schweitzer, the author, noted
that British researchers determined during their interviews with members of
the Irish Republican Army, the Red Brigades, and other terrorist groups, that
their members "showed few if any of the attributes of clinical abnormality
and no pathological qualities. They are essentially unremarkable people with
no discernible personality consistencies, and they are generally
undistinguished in appearance and manner."
Those waging war (Jihad) on America and the West to impose Islam on the world
need only consult the Koran or the Islamic traditions recorded in the Hadith
to find justification to kill as many infidels as possible. The killer may
well be an Islamic warrior, carrying out orders from al Qaeda. In that case,
what we are witnessing is a new form of terrorism not previously encountered
in our homeland. If this proves to be the case, Americans have got to
understand this is how the Islamic Jihad is going to brought to us unless and
until we carry the conflict to the places where it is being plotted, funded,
trained and harbored.
I do not believe these killings are unconnected from the recent attack on a
French supertanker in Yemen, the killing of a Marine in Kuwait, and the
bombings in Bali, Indonesia, a nation with a huge Muslim population. They are
all part of a wider, global war on the West, on Christianity and Judaism. The
attacks are targeting major elements of the world's economy, energy and
tourism. The killings in America are designed to undermine confidence in law
enforcement authorities to protect Americans.
The Internet chat rooms have been overflowing with theories. I have posted
that I believe the killings are the work of an al Qaeda operative on a
mission to spread terror and found a lot of support. It is troubling to me
that the FBI is soft-peddling this interpretation and I believe this is
occurring because people high up in government don't want us to believe they
cannot protect us against this and other kinds of terrorism.
There is considerable irony that the sniper appears to be operating out of
Maryland, a State that is famed for some of the most strict gun laws in the
nation. Proof, once again, that denying people their Second Amendment right
to self-defense---gun ownership---provides no defense against someone
determined to use one to kill people. There isn't a law on the books that
prevented the Beltway sniper from acquiring his rifle.
There are eighty million law-abiding gun owners in America and I am for
granting every one of them the right to carry a concealed weapon. In every
State where this is the law, the crime rates are lower than in those of the
gun-banners. By contrast, in England where gun ownership is banned, the crime
rates and the killings are soaring. This is true as well of Australia,
another nation that confiscated its citizen's guns. An ally in the war on
terrorism, Australia will discover they have left their citizens without any
means to thwart it.
I keep wondering when the anti-gun advocates will figure out that serious
threats to life are thwarted daily by people who are armed. Two classes
benefit most from disarming the public, criminals and authoritarian
governments.
With an intensive effort and probably a bit of luck, this latest serial
killer will be captured or killed and we will all breathe a sigh of relief.
He may be al Qaeda. He may be a thrill killer. Soon the headlines and the
24/7 news coverage will recede in our memory. Until the next one.
Alan Caruba is the author of "The United Nations Vs. The United States", for sale from the Internet site of The National Anxiety
Center, a clearinghouse for information about scare campaigns at
www.anxietycenter.com.
Copyright, Alan Caruba, 2002
Published by permission.
|
