Fort Lauderdale, June 11th, 2009
Briefing on Cyber Terrorism No. 1012
NEW CONCEPT: CYBER TERRORISM CONVERGENCE ®
Cyber terrorism convergence it’s a new trend in the worldwide terrorist activities. Due to the nature of the digital media, they are using now the entire spectrum, in means of technology, hardware and software. One device, for example, like a smart phone, or a laptop can collect, generate files of sound, images, film and transmit them over (via radio waves) Internet, to be posted on a web site , as files or messages on social networks (see www.twitter.com).
Using convergence, the terrorist are melting and interlocking all the resources of computers, information technology, digital media, telecom, LAN, WIFI, publishing & editing software into generating content that will be broadcasted via Internet. This content or pocket of information as then retransmitted, for free by the media outlets, via newspapers, magazines, radio, television, web based news outlet, transformed into a certain type* of news and entertainment. Certain Type refers to the nature of damage it produces in the public option view, even if the military value is close to nothing.
Standard Example: the June 2009 message of the President Obama and his speech to the Muslim World, from Cairo University coincided with the near perfect timing of Osama bin Laden message, from an obscure cave in the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. If this message (unpolished and with poor audio quality), published somewhere in Internet, have not been broadcasted (for free and at a precise time) by satellite news network Al Jazeera and rebroadcasted by the rest of the news network, translates, interpreted, re transmitted, discussed, it will just faded way in the immense electronic traffic generated by Internet.
The trend (electronic media convergence) is dominated by:
• Hardware on one side, like super smart devices, phones and laptops.
• Internet access on the other hand, via telecom, Wi-Fi and Wimax, This complex process is complimented by media researched, (data mining), Internet based software, social networking, targeted media (object-based media).
CYBER TERRORISM MARKETING ®
Now, new tactics are in place, as ideas and technology melt, and we are talking about CYBER TERRORISM MARKETING ® and TERRORISM MARKETING ® more than a direct terrorism attack.
ONE HAS TO APPLY GLOBAL STRATEGIES AND ENHANCES TACTICAL PROCEDURES TO FIGHTS THESE TRENDS AND PRECISION DELIVERY WEAPON OF THIS ASYMMETRIC TYPE OF WAR, WHICH IS CYBER TERRORISM. The terrorist’s networks (+ its associates) are now savvy marketing specialists with professional knowledge in psychology. They are technology experts, mass media projectors and future analyst. The object of terrorist analyze is behavior, perception, conversational marketing, body language, responsive environment, future emotion presumes, mass media mixes and cocktails, multi-sensory marketing, new flavors of sub-conscious advertise.
Banking is already a feature on a smart device. In a short time even credit card transactions over VoIP prone lines will be possible, so a full spectrum of services will be available from a smart phone, the center of convergence.
Al Qaeda as a doctrine. Al Qaeda is now (has transformed and evolved into) a doctrine, more than a cohered and effective fighting force, as communism doctrine was during the Cold War, and it have to be engaged in this very strategic level. One of the fuels that feed terrorism and extremism is the continuing coverage of the Western and Arab media of the Al Qaeda type (franchise) discourse.
They (Western media) provide a wide platform the broadcasting of this doctrine, the largest one in the history of mankind. With this kind of wide broadcasting, every message, every argument, every speech is heard and received everywhere, and stored, for replays and references. Al Qaeda is transforming into a symbol and it’s a franchised model to be adapted and (always) improved, with new technologies as cyber terrorism (an asymmetric war weapon) where marketing and technology convergence is a much needed and desired broadcasting tool.
MAJOR NEW OUTLETS SELF CENSURE OF THE TERRORISM COVERAGE HAVE TO BE FACTORED IN. The media are careering out the terrorist agenda and propaganda. As “loose lips sinks ships”, as well loose media coverage of terrorist proclamations serves the very purpose of the proclamation: to be proclaimed and broadcasted. If no news about Al Qaeda & Co. will be broadcasted, then the state agencies and institutions can better handle the terrorism flagella. This is not limiting the free speech, but merely a tactic and strategy in this asymmetric war: cyber terrorism.
Cyber terrorism works on 2 main fronts:
• The economical front, trying to mine and undermine the economical life of the opponent, causing disruptions in the economical, social and in some cases, even military operations.
• The propaganda front, using Internet as a platform to spread propaganda, doctrines of hate, provide training manuals, arguments and information and a tool to reach people and groups all over the world.
THE TERRORISTS KNOW THAT IS EASIER TO REINFORCE A PERCEPTION THAN CREATE A NEW ONE and they use the mass media and convergence to this end. Al Qaeda opened the way with the explosive and deadly demonstration of 9/11. It provided in the 90’ and early 2000’ the structure and the doctrine for the fighting against the infidels. It may fade away, but new flavors will emerge, and the technology convergence will be the platform to spread away the new doctrines and schools of thoughts.
Final note: The Cyber Terrorism it's a form/type of asymmetric war, using media convergence. Given the difficulty of monitoring, tracing and forensic analyze of the telecom, digitals VoIP, social sites and communications in Internet (read cyber space and networks) we want to make the strong case that the actual web space/internet (with all its marketing tools, telecom and media) are an essential and sine-qua-non tool for extremists and terrorists worldwide.
Hedi Enghelberg testimony and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Cyber Terrorism / Cyber Warfare
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvL21g1rG1k&feature=channel_page
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Codename: Capital | Yom Kippur War 1973
El libro
"Codename: Capital " (Hedi Enghelberg)
Describiendo las primeras dos horas (12: 00M-14:00PM) antes de que un día de batalla se transformara en un día de guerra, del día 06 de Octubre del 1973, en la Guerra de Yom Kippur, estará pronto a la ventas en Barnes & Noble (www.bn.com) y en http://www.engpublishing.com/
Ediciones Enghelberg, 2009
www.engpublishing.com
"Codename: Capital " (Hedi Enghelberg)
Describiendo las primeras dos horas (12: 00M-14:00PM) antes de que un día de batalla se transformara en un día de guerra, del día 06 de Octubre del 1973, en la Guerra de Yom Kippur, estará pronto a la ventas en Barnes & Noble (www.bn.com) y en http://www.engpublishing.com/
Ediciones Enghelberg, 2009
www.engpublishing.com
Poemas del medio dia / La risa nerviosa | 2009
El libro
"Poemas del medio día" (Hedi Enghelberg) y
"La risa nerviosa" (Moises Enghelberg),
Publicados en un solo volumen por Ediciones Enghelberg, 2009, esta a la ventas en Barnes & Noble (http://www.bn.com/) y en http://www.engpublishing.com/ | hedi@enghelberg.com
Ediciones Enghelberg, 2009
"Poemas del medio día" (Hedi Enghelberg) y
"La risa nerviosa" (Moises Enghelberg),
Publicados en un solo volumen por Ediciones Enghelberg, 2009, esta a la ventas en Barnes & Noble (http://www.bn.com/) y en http://www.engpublishing.com/ | hedi@enghelberg.com
Ediciones Enghelberg, 2009
"Escape del ultimo tren de Auschwitz" | 2009
La segunda edicion revisada de la conocida novela "Escape del ultimo tren de Auschwitz" esta a la venta. 409 paginas | Edicones Enghelberg, 2009
“Escape del Último Tren de Auschwitz”, se pude y debe ser entendido como una metáfora, una licencia literaria, en el sentido del escape físico y mental de una muerte casi segura, que representaba la fantástica operación militar de los Einsatzgruppen y la “Solucion Final” de Adolf Eichmann.
“Nunca tan pocos, decidieron la muerte de tantos,en tan corto tiempo” | Hedi Enghelberg
A la venta en http://www.engpublishing.com/ | hedi@enghelberg.com
Ediciones Enghelberg, 2009
www.engpublishing.com
“Escape del Último Tren de Auschwitz”, se pude y debe ser entendido como una metáfora, una licencia literaria, en el sentido del escape físico y mental de una muerte casi segura, que representaba la fantástica operación militar de los Einsatzgruppen y la “Solucion Final” de Adolf Eichmann.
“Nunca tan pocos, decidieron la muerte de tantos,en tan corto tiempo” | Hedi Enghelberg
A la venta en http://www.engpublishing.com/ | hedi@enghelberg.com
Ediciones Enghelberg, 2009
www.engpublishing.com
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Radical Muslims vs. The Culture of Life
The Radical Muslims vs. The Culture of Life
When the minds, soul and hearts of about 10% of the Muslim world are set on the much fervor of international terrorism, radical religion and suicide attacks, it is very difficult to deal with this reality and find a fast and politically-correct solution.
About 50 cents of every dollar we spend at the pump for fuel goes to the oil exporting countries, some of this revenue ends up recycled into financing the terrorism. is difficult to change this reality, until we cut our dependency on fossil fuels.
Just looking of the education curricula in the Arab and Muslim world, one can see that maybe we can win this round on the War on terror, but new generations are prepared in the culture of hate and intolerance. They are very well prepared indeed: to hate life and achievements, for total sacrifice in the name of religion and martyrdom. Just watch television in the Arab world or listen for radio. The culture of hate & intolerance is about 85% of their programs.
The Muslim society is totally gripped and choked like a virus that does not let her breathe and is high jacked by the intransigent religion and ideology. Seeing how their alumnae are taut, you can see that there is no hope, for now.
Nobody can oppose the total sacrifice of the kamikaze-style suicides. At least the Japanese kamikazes were defending the Emperor home land. The first kamikaze missions started in September 13th, 1944 (any coincidence with September 11, 2001!?) and was carried by fighters from the 31st Fighter Squadron. By the end of October 1944, 55 kamikaze airplanes damaged a large escort naval American force, with seven carrier hit and other 40 escort vessels damaged: five sunk, 23 heavily damaged and 12 moderately damaged. This proved that the Captain Masafumi Arima (26th Air Flotilla) idea of kamikaze tactic can work bases in total dedication and ardor to an idea. The Japanese propaganda machine went to work when Arima was killed when his plane hit USS Franklin (Essex-Class large carrier): he was promoted to the rank of Admiral (posthumously) and given official credit for the first kamikaze attack. The “high season” of the kamikaze attacks was during the Battle of Okinawa (April-June, 1945), but by then, new tactics were in place to effectively defend the navy ships.
In their “terrorist world”, we can see the total similitude with the (Japan) suicide bombers: you do the act; we will do the propaganda...after. All the knowledge of the Japanese was transferred to the Muslims. Simply, there nothing to invent after the Japanese just perfected the tactic. For the Muslim religious leader, the mission was simple: just to find something to fight for and a cement to unite: fight the Western Culture, where the U.S. it’s a symbol and have the religion just twisted a little bit.
After a rigorous training, brain wash, harsh religion & physical training and sexual attrition, the young person is ready for the ultimate sacrifice: he will know that his picture and name will be on big billboards, that everybody will admire him, the video will be broadcasted by TV stations (Arab and Westerns….) that the family will be taken care by the terrorist network with money and a better social position + the best reward of all, the virgins waiting in heaven, waiting for him only. Not only the young and adolescent men are attracted, but women of all ages are arriving into the arena of martyrdom. When the Muslim terrorist propaganda is running such a successful show and with such big prizes for the winner, for many young persons, with the brain and ambiance already prepared by the basic education of hate, the temptation is too high. No wonder the program is so successful!
We can do only a few thinks that can stop the program of terrorism:
· No money for the family of the terrorist/auto-suicide, as a reward.
· No recognition of the terrorist name in the mass medias (TV , Radio, Newspapers, Internet): Arab, Muslim or Western
· No higher social status given to the family, and maybe civil and penal measures against the surviving family members (of the suicide)
· A new style of education, with new values, starting at the first level of elementary school
· An end to hate-propaganda sponsored by State, Institutions, Muslim media or Mosque
· A change in the religion teachings and Mosque-meeting-congregation approach
· A strong condemnation of these acts (suicide bombers and terrorism) by the moderate & secular factors in the Muslim society
· A totally strong world condemnation and financial embargo measures against the States and Organizations that finance terror
· A lower dependence on fossil energy and new investments on alternative energy sources
We, as electors and voters, can put pressure on the politicians and open the discussion, in every country, small or big, strong or weak.
The terrorist groups that popped up in Afghanistan, Iraq, Morocco, US, Spain, England (with a great home-grown Arabic component), Russia, Palestine, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Algeria, Lebanon, can one day have a better leadership and unite, under the umbrella of technology.
The Muslim terror will be even greater than the Nazi terror, a secular one. The religious factor, doing the killings and the attacks in the name of a divine figure (and not a atheist), is far more difficult to combat. The Nazis started a war that concluded with no less than 55 million dead and 200 million of wounded, displaced and missing. No WMD were available in the European theater of war (1939-1945)
Only with a concentrated & strong effort on the part of the Western and Asiatic societies, we will prevail. Educating the young generation of Arabs and Muslims into the culture of life, it’s a must!
When the minds, soul and hearts of about 10% of the Muslim world are set on the much fervor of international terrorism, radical religion and suicide attacks, it is very difficult to deal with this reality and find a fast and politically-correct solution.
About 50 cents of every dollar we spend at the pump for fuel goes to the oil exporting countries, some of this revenue ends up recycled into financing the terrorism. is difficult to change this reality, until we cut our dependency on fossil fuels.
Just looking of the education curricula in the Arab and Muslim world, one can see that maybe we can win this round on the War on terror, but new generations are prepared in the culture of hate and intolerance. They are very well prepared indeed: to hate life and achievements, for total sacrifice in the name of religion and martyrdom. Just watch television in the Arab world or listen for radio. The culture of hate & intolerance is about 85% of their programs.
The Muslim society is totally gripped and choked like a virus that does not let her breathe and is high jacked by the intransigent religion and ideology. Seeing how their alumnae are taut, you can see that there is no hope, for now.
Nobody can oppose the total sacrifice of the kamikaze-style suicides. At least the Japanese kamikazes were defending the Emperor home land. The first kamikaze missions started in September 13th, 1944 (any coincidence with September 11, 2001!?) and was carried by fighters from the 31st Fighter Squadron. By the end of October 1944, 55 kamikaze airplanes damaged a large escort naval American force, with seven carrier hit and other 40 escort vessels damaged: five sunk, 23 heavily damaged and 12 moderately damaged. This proved that the Captain Masafumi Arima (26th Air Flotilla) idea of kamikaze tactic can work bases in total dedication and ardor to an idea. The Japanese propaganda machine went to work when Arima was killed when his plane hit USS Franklin (Essex-Class large carrier): he was promoted to the rank of Admiral (posthumously) and given official credit for the first kamikaze attack. The “high season” of the kamikaze attacks was during the Battle of Okinawa (April-June, 1945), but by then, new tactics were in place to effectively defend the navy ships.
In their “terrorist world”, we can see the total similitude with the (Japan) suicide bombers: you do the act; we will do the propaganda...after. All the knowledge of the Japanese was transferred to the Muslims. Simply, there nothing to invent after the Japanese just perfected the tactic. For the Muslim religious leader, the mission was simple: just to find something to fight for and a cement to unite: fight the Western Culture, where the U.S. it’s a symbol and have the religion just twisted a little bit.
After a rigorous training, brain wash, harsh religion & physical training and sexual attrition, the young person is ready for the ultimate sacrifice: he will know that his picture and name will be on big billboards, that everybody will admire him, the video will be broadcasted by TV stations (Arab and Westerns….) that the family will be taken care by the terrorist network with money and a better social position + the best reward of all, the virgins waiting in heaven, waiting for him only. Not only the young and adolescent men are attracted, but women of all ages are arriving into the arena of martyrdom. When the Muslim terrorist propaganda is running such a successful show and with such big prizes for the winner, for many young persons, with the brain and ambiance already prepared by the basic education of hate, the temptation is too high. No wonder the program is so successful!
We can do only a few thinks that can stop the program of terrorism:
· No money for the family of the terrorist/auto-suicide, as a reward.
· No recognition of the terrorist name in the mass medias (TV , Radio, Newspapers, Internet): Arab, Muslim or Western
· No higher social status given to the family, and maybe civil and penal measures against the surviving family members (of the suicide)
· A new style of education, with new values, starting at the first level of elementary school
· An end to hate-propaganda sponsored by State, Institutions, Muslim media or Mosque
· A change in the religion teachings and Mosque-meeting-congregation approach
· A strong condemnation of these acts (suicide bombers and terrorism) by the moderate & secular factors in the Muslim society
· A totally strong world condemnation and financial embargo measures against the States and Organizations that finance terror
· A lower dependence on fossil energy and new investments on alternative energy sources
We, as electors and voters, can put pressure on the politicians and open the discussion, in every country, small or big, strong or weak.
The terrorist groups that popped up in Afghanistan, Iraq, Morocco, US, Spain, England (with a great home-grown Arabic component), Russia, Palestine, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Algeria, Lebanon, can one day have a better leadership and unite, under the umbrella of technology.
The Muslim terror will be even greater than the Nazi terror, a secular one. The religious factor, doing the killings and the attacks in the name of a divine figure (and not a atheist), is far more difficult to combat. The Nazis started a war that concluded with no less than 55 million dead and 200 million of wounded, displaced and missing. No WMD were available in the European theater of war (1939-1945)
Only with a concentrated & strong effort on the part of the Western and Asiatic societies, we will prevail. Educating the young generation of Arabs and Muslims into the culture of life, it’s a must!
A Golden Opportunity for peac in Gaza, lost...
What is happening now in Gaza (civil war between Hamas and Palestinian Authority) it's a golden, political opportunity for Israel and the World to "give peace a chance" and have a secular and pacific Palestinian government taking charge over the destiny of its people.
Gaza was troubled since the beginning of time, but at one point, has to settle down and begin a normal course, among the civilized world.
See "Operation Cast lead", december, 2008.
At this time, Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit it's still a prisoner in Gaza, with no CICR (Intl. Red Cross) access.
Gaza was troubled since the beginning of time, but at one point, has to settle down and begin a normal course, among the civilized world.
See "Operation Cast lead", december, 2008.
At this time, Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit it's still a prisoner in Gaza, with no CICR (Intl. Red Cross) access.
Kidnapping for Ranson: The Tew Tactic
Kidnapping for Ransom: The New Tactic
(The Terrorist Recycle Machine)
The 3 American soldiers captured, missing, abducted or kidnapped (name it as you want…) South of Baghdad, in a bloody ambush on May 13th 2007, is a clear demonstration that the terrorist bandit-style groups are trying a new strategy, the kidnapping for ransom. Now 4,000 soldiers are searching for the missing ones. Is like a repetition of the LBII (Second Lebanon War).
These groups are not freedom fighters, but merely just mafia-style gangs and clans, fighting for money, power, territory and political recognition. The normal “Arab Street” is just another prisoner, held hostage to this mixture of banditries-organized crime-terrorism and radical religion.
Too bad for the American soldiers killed, wounded or missing in action, that only wanted Iraq pacified. Their sacrifices have to be remembered in the fight for democracy and freedom.
A few weeks after Caporal Gilat Shalit* was kidnapped in a deadly attack in Gaza, I wrote an article about the “Symbolism of Gilat Shalit kidnapping”. Then, I was thinking this matter will be over in days or weeks. I was wrong. Later, another 2 soldiers belonging to the Northern Command (Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser) were abducted in another bloody raid by Hezbullah and the Second Lebanon War started.
The civilians on both sides suffered many casualties, but the criminal promoters of these movements, the Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon (under behind-scene Masters Syria and Iran), and the Al Qaeda-inspired fundamentalist in Iraq, were just capitalizing, politically, militarily, financially, domestically and abroad.
The list of prisoners to be exchanged presented to the Israelis the Palestinians is so large, with so many criminals and terrorists that the simple consideration of it is making the political and military (+ security) establishments very uneasy. The list is simply unacceptable. What demands will be posted to the Americans for their 3 soldiers?
For the Palestinians, the idea of committing acts of terrorism and crimes is a simple time problem: commit the crime, do some time, learn some Hebrew, read a lot, pump some iron, until my buddies in the territories kidnap someone and exchange it with me. For the terrorist elsewhere, kidnapping for ransom (money and jailed comrades) is now exactly like a recycle machine.
The terrorist groups kidnapped not only Gilad, Eldad and Ehud, but hijacked their civil society as well, as a whole. They do not want sophistication and evolution of their societies and a progressive statehood. The religion is sufficient! The Communists once referred to organized religion as the “opium for the masses”. Were they right!?
The idea of killing the prisoners (Israeli or American) might be killed by his captors is far fetched. It is not impossible that some internal fight might develop between the terrorist factions, only because of the symbolism, the political & financial weight of this matter.
For the Israelis (and soon for the Americans) “The symbolism” is now beyond the simple prisoner swap or a local tactical military/political affaire. This matter is now in the arena of international geo politics, with a lot of factors and groups trying to win political capital by becoming a factor into the tight equation.
Kidnapping is the weapon of the coward and The organized Crime. Terrorism is also a tactic. We have to go after the ones who inspire and employ terrorism. We have to look at this symbolism not from a tactical point a view, but from a strategic one: if in the future, another soldier or group of soldiers will be made prisoners, than we have given away all the Arabs, Palestinians, Muslims, jailed terrorists and criminals in the Israeli and all over the World.
Some one has to put an end to the mythical and superhuman status of our soldiers, from the prisoner exchange point-of-view, because, some day, we will simply run out of prisoners to exchange with the bandits.
Then, they will ask for what: money, no, they do not need money. The Iranians, the Saudis, the Kuwaitis, and the Pakistani all have money. Maybe they will ask for land and other commodities. And what will we do when we run out of goods to exchange with the criminals? This is exactly like the story of the “golden fish and the fishermen”.
Being in business with the criminals and terrorist groups is not a good thing. These are simply gang and bandits, in the bad word, just “kidnapping” the freedom fight name for camouflaging simple petty crimes. We just have to find a way to free our missing soldiers and attack, attack, attack. A raid based on Entebbe guidelines will have to be put in to place and “other type & style” of politically correctness have to be applied. In Gaza, a strip of arid land 4 x 10 miles has only so many places to hide someone.
For the Americans in Iraq, is more difficult for find their missing soldiers, because the search area is bigger. At the same time the Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda’s and the other group’s political echelons have to be held responsible for the Israeli and American kidnapped soldiers, in Gaza, Lebanon and Iraq.
From the Israeli perspective, The International Red Cross has to care less for the terrorists captured in Afghanistan and Iraq that are held in Guantanamo Naval base and try to visit the 3 Israeli soldiers kept as captives and care for their well being, or at least care the same…
Any process can’t go any further when Muslims and Islamist educational textbooks are bias of America, Israel & the West, in general history. Today we fight the terrorists and new generations are grown in hatred-directed-ideology under our watch and our struggle. However the brain washing of the Muslim youth, from the elementary school level must stop. All the special "admiration" of the suicide bombers and the martyrs has to be diffused.
When you don’t have a separation of religion and state, only the inquisition and terror can dominate. Religion is not made to govern. The terrorist groups want the religion to take the place of the state, and we have the Afghanistan under Taliban rule as a vivid and fresh example: a gruesome and grotesque deformation of modern civilization and human rights bill.
In my opinion, the symbolism of the 3 American and Israeli soldier’s kidnappings just trespassed the humble frontiers of the Middle East and jumped in the main stream of the international political arena. It is time for The Big Players to jump in and flex some muscles?
If not, what is happening today with Israel and the big ransom in political capital that is required for the life of only 3 soldiers, will be even greater for the Western powers, when the terrorist groups and terrorist-states will have an atomic bomb and means to deliver it.
We simply cannot accept, as free people and independent societies, this direct, dangerous and open blackmail. The very core and foundation of our liberty is threatened!
We strongly condemn all the kidnappings, not only in Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, but in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, and other places of conflicts.
*It seams that Gilat was kidnapped by a small and shadowy group named “Army of Islam”, whose “philosophy”, the front rhetoric for the masses, is inspired by the master-franchise Al Qaeda. The group is led by one Muntaz Dagmush, part of a Gaza mafia style clan. Is the same group that kidnapped a BBC journalist Alan Johnston, 44, in Gaza City, on March 12tn, and held, maybe for an exchange with a British held radical cleric, Abu Qatada.
At this time Gilad Shalit, Sept. 2009, it's still a prisoneer in Gaza, with no access of IRC (Intl. Red Cross).
Hedi Enghelberg
Commentaries
hedi@enghelberg.com
(The Terrorist Recycle Machine)
The 3 American soldiers captured, missing, abducted or kidnapped (name it as you want…) South of Baghdad, in a bloody ambush on May 13th 2007, is a clear demonstration that the terrorist bandit-style groups are trying a new strategy, the kidnapping for ransom. Now 4,000 soldiers are searching for the missing ones. Is like a repetition of the LBII (Second Lebanon War).
These groups are not freedom fighters, but merely just mafia-style gangs and clans, fighting for money, power, territory and political recognition. The normal “Arab Street” is just another prisoner, held hostage to this mixture of banditries-organized crime-terrorism and radical religion.
Too bad for the American soldiers killed, wounded or missing in action, that only wanted Iraq pacified. Their sacrifices have to be remembered in the fight for democracy and freedom.
A few weeks after Caporal Gilat Shalit* was kidnapped in a deadly attack in Gaza, I wrote an article about the “Symbolism of Gilat Shalit kidnapping”. Then, I was thinking this matter will be over in days or weeks. I was wrong. Later, another 2 soldiers belonging to the Northern Command (Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser) were abducted in another bloody raid by Hezbullah and the Second Lebanon War started.
The civilians on both sides suffered many casualties, but the criminal promoters of these movements, the Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon (under behind-scene Masters Syria and Iran), and the Al Qaeda-inspired fundamentalist in Iraq, were just capitalizing, politically, militarily, financially, domestically and abroad.
The list of prisoners to be exchanged presented to the Israelis the Palestinians is so large, with so many criminals and terrorists that the simple consideration of it is making the political and military (+ security) establishments very uneasy. The list is simply unacceptable. What demands will be posted to the Americans for their 3 soldiers?
For the Palestinians, the idea of committing acts of terrorism and crimes is a simple time problem: commit the crime, do some time, learn some Hebrew, read a lot, pump some iron, until my buddies in the territories kidnap someone and exchange it with me. For the terrorist elsewhere, kidnapping for ransom (money and jailed comrades) is now exactly like a recycle machine.
The terrorist groups kidnapped not only Gilad, Eldad and Ehud, but hijacked their civil society as well, as a whole. They do not want sophistication and evolution of their societies and a progressive statehood. The religion is sufficient! The Communists once referred to organized religion as the “opium for the masses”. Were they right!?
The idea of killing the prisoners (Israeli or American) might be killed by his captors is far fetched. It is not impossible that some internal fight might develop between the terrorist factions, only because of the symbolism, the political & financial weight of this matter.
For the Israelis (and soon for the Americans) “The symbolism” is now beyond the simple prisoner swap or a local tactical military/political affaire. This matter is now in the arena of international geo politics, with a lot of factors and groups trying to win political capital by becoming a factor into the tight equation.
Kidnapping is the weapon of the coward and The organized Crime. Terrorism is also a tactic. We have to go after the ones who inspire and employ terrorism. We have to look at this symbolism not from a tactical point a view, but from a strategic one: if in the future, another soldier or group of soldiers will be made prisoners, than we have given away all the Arabs, Palestinians, Muslims, jailed terrorists and criminals in the Israeli and all over the World.
Some one has to put an end to the mythical and superhuman status of our soldiers, from the prisoner exchange point-of-view, because, some day, we will simply run out of prisoners to exchange with the bandits.
Then, they will ask for what: money, no, they do not need money. The Iranians, the Saudis, the Kuwaitis, and the Pakistani all have money. Maybe they will ask for land and other commodities. And what will we do when we run out of goods to exchange with the criminals? This is exactly like the story of the “golden fish and the fishermen”.
Being in business with the criminals and terrorist groups is not a good thing. These are simply gang and bandits, in the bad word, just “kidnapping” the freedom fight name for camouflaging simple petty crimes. We just have to find a way to free our missing soldiers and attack, attack, attack. A raid based on Entebbe guidelines will have to be put in to place and “other type & style” of politically correctness have to be applied. In Gaza, a strip of arid land 4 x 10 miles has only so many places to hide someone.
For the Americans in Iraq, is more difficult for find their missing soldiers, because the search area is bigger. At the same time the Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda’s and the other group’s political echelons have to be held responsible for the Israeli and American kidnapped soldiers, in Gaza, Lebanon and Iraq.
From the Israeli perspective, The International Red Cross has to care less for the terrorists captured in Afghanistan and Iraq that are held in Guantanamo Naval base and try to visit the 3 Israeli soldiers kept as captives and care for their well being, or at least care the same…
Any process can’t go any further when Muslims and Islamist educational textbooks are bias of America, Israel & the West, in general history. Today we fight the terrorists and new generations are grown in hatred-directed-ideology under our watch and our struggle. However the brain washing of the Muslim youth, from the elementary school level must stop. All the special "admiration" of the suicide bombers and the martyrs has to be diffused.
When you don’t have a separation of religion and state, only the inquisition and terror can dominate. Religion is not made to govern. The terrorist groups want the religion to take the place of the state, and we have the Afghanistan under Taliban rule as a vivid and fresh example: a gruesome and grotesque deformation of modern civilization and human rights bill.
In my opinion, the symbolism of the 3 American and Israeli soldier’s kidnappings just trespassed the humble frontiers of the Middle East and jumped in the main stream of the international political arena. It is time for The Big Players to jump in and flex some muscles?
If not, what is happening today with Israel and the big ransom in political capital that is required for the life of only 3 soldiers, will be even greater for the Western powers, when the terrorist groups and terrorist-states will have an atomic bomb and means to deliver it.
We simply cannot accept, as free people and independent societies, this direct, dangerous and open blackmail. The very core and foundation of our liberty is threatened!
We strongly condemn all the kidnappings, not only in Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, but in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, and other places of conflicts.
*It seams that Gilat was kidnapped by a small and shadowy group named “Army of Islam”, whose “philosophy”, the front rhetoric for the masses, is inspired by the master-franchise Al Qaeda. The group is led by one Muntaz Dagmush, part of a Gaza mafia style clan. Is the same group that kidnapped a BBC journalist Alan Johnston, 44, in Gaza City, on March 12tn, and held, maybe for an exchange with a British held radical cleric, Abu Qatada.
At this time Gilad Shalit, Sept. 2009, it's still a prisoneer in Gaza, with no access of IRC (Intl. Red Cross).
Hedi Enghelberg
Commentaries
hedi@enghelberg.com
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