On This Day

On this day, ten years ago, the average American was made tragically aware of the threat of Islamic terrorism.  Up until then terrorism was something that happened to other people, in remote places in the world.  Sure there were signs of the growing threat, bombings in Europe, even bombings of US military bases in Europe, but for the average American that was a problem for someone else to worry about.

The rise of this modern terrorism can trace its origins back to the radical groups in Europe in the 60's and 70's, the rise of fundamental Islam clerics who began teaching jihad, the American support of the Mujahideen who fought against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980’s, and the Palestinian groups who have used terrorism to attack Israel and Israeli interests.  These all worked together to form the foundation for a global network, financed with the oil revenues of a Saudi family, with a fanatical son who learned to fight against the infidel during the Soviet occupancy of Afghanistan.

That son is now dead, but there will always be someone to follow him.  Terror networks are like the hydra; if you cut off one head seven more grow back.  We will not have peace until three things happen.  Religious fanatics give up their belief that violence is justified, Jews, Christians and Muslims learn to celebrate their commonality, rather than condemn the differences, and all people turn their backs on, and their support for, these networks allowing law enforcement to end them (this includes gangs and narco-trafficers who have their own terror networks).

I think those things are about as likely to happen as seeing the sun rise in the West, and that is unfortunate for our future as weapons get more and more deadly.