Do we really understand the face of modern terrorism?

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 17:57:08 -0500

I know these articles are a little old, but they speak to the point that if we don't know what the game is how do we think that we will ever effectively get ahead of the enemy?

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/what-isis-really-wants/384980/

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/29/us/politics/in-battle-to-defang-isis-us-targets-its-psychology-.html?_r=1

What ISIS Really Wants

The Islamic State is no mere collection of psychopaths. It is a religious group with carefully considered beliefs, among them that it is a key agent of the coming apocalypse. Here’s what that means for its strategy—and for how to stop it.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2015 5:57 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 17:57:45 -0500

Here is an easy link to the second article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/29/us/politics/in-battle-to-defang-isis-us-targets-its-psychology-.html?_r=1

In Battle to Defang ISIS, U.S. Targets Its Psychology

Officials acknowledge they have barely made a dent in the larger, longer-term campaign to kill the ideology that animates the terrorist movement.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2015 6:02 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 18:02:45 -0500

I don't think we do because we, as a culture, have become eroded by the 30-60 minute mindset. It is almost as if we cannot grasp being so dedicated to something that we realized it may take generations to accomplish it. Our attention spans are shortened to expect resolution within the timeframe of an average tv show.
We also do not have the intestinal fortitude to withstand such a lengthy battle. Nor, does it seem, can we fathom that someone might see us as intolerant or supporters of their right to do whatever. Call it sissified or PC or whatever.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Dec 2 at 2015 7:28 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 19:28:06 -0500

That is always a good tool for Propaganda. "The Appocalypse" you can get a lot of mileage out of that one. God is Comming, The End of the World, The Great War, Fight for God and all is Forgiven, You will go straight to Heaven. Makes no nevermind which Religion you are talking about either.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2015 7:36 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 19:36:53 -0500

LTC Private RallyPoint Member - If you haven't, I suggest that you read General Stanley McChrystal's book on Rules of Engagement for the 21st Century. He outlines in depth the complexity of our adversary via Al Queda in Iraq and details many of the problems in fighting foreign adversaries. The book is very well written and informative.

My personal feelings/battle strategy is multi-part. First, I am not opposed to accepting Syrian refugees. We can screen the daylights out of them but we'll never get rid of them. Yes, we may get some terrorists....but there is nothing to say that they cannot go to Europe and arrive in the US.

Second, we need a concrete battle-plan against ISIS. Not a wishy-washy "limited air strike" campaign, but full scale military operations with a set of clearly defined goals. These must be supported by local Muslim nations, or else it provides propaganda for ISIS recruiting, talking about "Western invaders". In this case, the hacktivists of Anonymous can also play a critical role by restricting electronic access. By launching a massive coordinated strike, we force ISIS to decide between exporting terror to other nations, or remaining at home to defend their "homeland". This has been my feelings since ISIS first formed, and one of the few methods to contain them. This is another place where Anonymous and cyber-counter terrorism measures can play a strong role. If they are centralized then they are easy to locate, but if we spread them out, then we can force them to utilize electronic measures that can be tracked (or restricted). However, having a safe-haven for them to train replacements means that they are able to replenish fighters that are killed. By having Muslim nations in, it limits the recruiting potential and creates an alternative for moderate Muslims that may be disenfranchised with their current situation but NOT radicalized. It also may instill a desire to fight and a cause to fight for among these populations.

Once we have these two aspects done, then at this point we can begin to get ahead of this ideology by destroying the replacement pool and providing alternatives towards supporting an extremist Caliphate.
v/r,
CPT Butler

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2015 8:01 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 20:01:52 -0500

The article stated,"Bin Laden corporatized terror and franchised it out. He requested specific political concessions, such as the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Saudi Arabia." which makes perfect sense, since he had a degree in economics. The article fails to go into detail about OBL's background, with regards to his schooling, it fails to mention that he received a large portion of his religious education in Saudi Arabia, learning a fundamentalist form of Islam known as Wahhabism.
As lengthy and historically detailed as this piece is it fails to mention the Saud family and their part in the spread of Wahhabism, the founder of Wahhabism, the inclusion to this day of the founder's heirs in the highest Islamic religious forum, that takfir is a tenant of Wahhabism, it did not talk about the alliance between Abdul-Aziz Ibn Saud and Muhammed Ibn Abd al Wahhab.
"One of the main tenets of Abd al-Wahhab's doctrine has become the key idea of takfir. Under the takfiri doctrine, Abd al-Wahhab and his followers could deem fellow Muslims infidels should they engage in activities that in any way could be said to encroach on the sovereignty of the absolute Authority (that is, the King). Abd al-Wahhab denounced all Muslims who honored the dead, saints, or angels. He held that such sentiments detracted from the complete subservience one must feel towards God, and only God. Wahhabi Islam thus bans any prayer to saints and dead loved ones, pilgrimages to tombs and special mosques, religious festivals celebrating saints, the honoring of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad's birthday, and even prohibits the use of gravestones when burying the dead."

In Wahhab's view anyone not complying to the strict conformity of his beliefs were not Muslims.

In order to understand the Islamic State one must know the history of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia.

I've linked an article here if you would like to read it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alastair-crooke/isis-wahhabism-saudi-arabia_b_5717157.html

You Can't Understand ISIS If You Don't Know the History of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia

Abd al-Wahhab argued that all Muslims must individually pledge their allegiance to a single Muslim leader (a Caliph, if there were one). Those who would not conform to this view should be killed, their wives and daughters violated, and their possessions confiscated, he wrote. The list of apostates meriting death included the Shia, Sufis and other Muslim denominations, whom Abd al-Wahhab did not consider to be Muslim at all. There is nothing...

Response by SSgt Terry P. made Dec 2 at 2015 9:44 PM

SSgt Terry P. — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 21:44:23 -0500

LTC Private RallyPoint Member My impression is there is no "getting ahead " of this enemy --they seek total submission or total annihilation.

Response by SGT Dana Williams made Dec 2 at 2015 10:06 PM

SGT Dana Williams — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 22:06:36 -0500

If you're an historian, you'll realize that the origins of the modern "jihad" movement was started in Berlin in 1942. Following a meeting between the Grand Mullah of Jerusalem and Adolf Hitler, the Germans provided money, equipment, and instructors to Arab organizations which supported Germany. Some of the earlier students included Gamel Abdul Nasser, Yasir Arafat, and Sadaam Hussein. Following the war, that's how Otto Skorzeny found employment. One of his latter day students was none other than Usama bin Laden. The face of modern terrorism espouses many of the beliefs indoctrinated by men such as Skorzeny.

Response by CPO Andy Carrillo, MS made Dec 3 at 2015 2:13 AM

CPO Andy Carrillo, MS — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 02:13:30 -0500

No sane, rational person can truly comprehend nor fully relate to the mind of a sociopath, nor can the sociopath relate to someone who experiences a full range of 'normal' emotional responses. To IS we are not human but an impediment to prophetic fulfillment that exists solely to be destroyed.

Response by SGT James Hastings made Dec 3 at 2015 1:20 PM

SGT James Hastings — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 13:20:44 -0500

At some level I would believe (pray) that there is enough intelligence (military) that know the guts of the problem. Now, developing a strategy that doesn't have a high collateral damage factor for non-terrorists will be a challenge. When a terrorist group fire rockets from inside a high rise apartment building do you return fire and kill more non-combatants than the enemy?

Response by SPC Nathan Freeman made Dec 3 at 2015 5:45 PM

SPC Nathan Freeman — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 17:45:11 -0500

Our administration is too busy trying to be politically correct to point out the elephant in the room. ISIS (and the rest of the world) are laughing as he threatens to hold a global warming conference in response to ISIS. No amount of recycled bottles is going to defeat ISIS.