Looking down the barrel of terror: More and more, radical Islamists will wreak havoc with handguns
When people think about terrorism, they tend to envision bombs, hostages and hijackings. But the future of terrorism increasingly belongs to the humble gun. From Frankfurt to Mumbai and beyond, terrorists are making the gun their primary weapon of choice.
Nowhere is this threat more troubling than here in the United States. In the decade since the Sept. 11 attacks, 17 Americans have been killed by reasonably clear-cut cases of homegrown Islamist terrorism. Every one of those deaths was caused by a gun. And if Al Qaeda has its way, there will be many more.
Inspire, the online magazine published in English by Al Qaeda in Yemen, routinely sings the praises of Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, who in November 2009 killed 13 soldiers at Fort Hood using two handguns. Inspire's creators - cleric Anwar al-Awlaki from New Mexico and graphic designer Samir Khan, formerly of North Carolina - would like nothing better than to see other American Muslims follow Hasan's lead.
For two months running, the magazine has featured how-to articles telling their former countrymen how to care for and operate the AK-47 assault rifle. The advantage of the "firearms operation," wrote one Inspire contributor in its October 2010 issue, is that "no one else is involved. ... This eliminates the chances of the Feds catching wind of what's going to happen."
Those words are especially concerning in the wake of Osama Bin Laden's death, as law enforcement officials keep a close eye out for potential lone wolf terrorists who might seek revenge.
Guns have always been part of the terrorist landscape. Before 9/11, American jihadists were often expected to serve as cannon fodder in overseas wars such as Bosnia and Chechnya. Being able to handle a gun was a prerequisite.
When Al Qaeda training camps operated openly in Afghanistan (before the U.S. invasion), most would-be terrorists went through a standard course of firearms training. Jihadists on American soil during the 1980s and 1990s followed suit, practicing their aim at public ranges and secluded spots in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arizona and other states.
Some weapons were purchased legally, others at gun shows, on the streets or from private dealers. But with the exception of a handful of assassinations and bank robberies, most of these weapons were only used for practice.
No longer. In addition to Fort Hood, terrorists with guns have killed Americans in unconnected incidents at the Los Angeles Airport, a Seattle Jewish center and a Little Rock military recruiter's office.
Even more would-be shooters have been arrested before they could strike. New Jersey jihadist Carlos Almonte, caught last year, aspired to upstage Hasan. "I'm gonna get a gun. I'm the type of person to use it at any time," he said on an FBI surveillance tape.
Emerson Begolly, a jihadist living in rural Pennsylvania, videotaped himself training commando-style with assault rifles. When the FBI arrested him in January, he was reaching for a loaded 9-mm. pistol in his jacket pocket.
This list goes on. The Fort Dix Six planned to storm an army base using a small arsenal of handguns, shotguns and semiautomatics. A North Virginia jihad cell - linked to the same Pakistani militants responsible for the Mumbai massacre - stocked up on firearms and practiced tactics on a paintball range.
Just last week, Ahmed Ferhani and Mohamed Mamdouh were arrested in New York after Ferhani bought three semiautomatic pistols, 150 rounds of ammunition and a hand grenade. NYPD surveillance recorded them discussing using the guns to shoot Jews, or reselling them to raise funds for a bomb.
Announcing the arrests, Mayor Bloomberg noted that Congress had - the same day - rejected a measure to prevent people on terrorist watch lists from legally buying guns.
Most jihadists and terrorists (including Ferhani and Mamdouh) obtain their weapons illegally or through gray markets like gun shows. Jihadists who bought guns legally - most notably Nidal Hasan - usually hadn't been watch-listed.
But 247 people who were most definitely on terrorism watch lists bought guns legally during 2010, the FBI reported last month. It boggles the mind to think that someone deemed too dangerous to fly should be untouchable when he wants to buy a gun.
Hijackings are difficult and generally require more than two conspirators. Bombs are dangerous to build and difficult to deploy. Guns are easy to get, easy to use, and effective even in the hands of a single terrorist.
The time is long overdue to, at the very least, integrate terrorist watch lists with background checks for gun buyers. It's not a perfect or complete solution, but it is common sense.
Berger is author of the new book, "Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam."
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/05/22/2011-05-22_looking_down_the_barrel_of_terror.html
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