Tag: Terrorism

The ‘Underwear Bomber’ gets his reward

Readers are doubtless aware that the so-called ‘Underwear Bomber‘, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who tried to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit in December 2009, pleaded guilty in a Detroit court this week, and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. It appears that personal modesty may have played… Continue reading The ‘Underwear Bomber’ gets his reward

September 11th, 2001 – ten years later

I’m frankly sickened by the maudlin, saccharine stupidity of so many of the written and spoken remembrances of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. This isn’t the time for sloppy sentimentality. Ten years ago, the Twin Towers fell. Ten years ago, the Pentagon burned. Ten years ago, the heroes of United Airlines Flight 93 fell from… Continue reading September 11th, 2001 – ten years later

One of the least savory fruits of 9/11

The New York Magazine has been publishing a whole raft of commemorative articles as the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks draws near. One of them set my teeth on edge. It’s headlined “Patriot Act: The kitchen-sink approach to national security“. Here’s an excerpt. “Patriot Act” was appropriately overt. Before 9/11, when politicians spoke… Continue reading One of the least savory fruits of 9/11

How the US killed Osama Bin Laden

The New Yorker magazine has published a very long and interesting article about how the US Navy SEAL special warfare operators took out Osama bin Laden. Here’s an excerpt. When the helicopter began getting away from the pilot, he pulled back on the cyclic, which controls the pitch of the rotor blades, only to find… Continue reading How the US killed Osama Bin Laden

Two good perspectives on the Norwegian tragedy

By now I’m sure readers are familiar with the tragedy last Friday in Norway. Today I came across two very worthwhile perspectives on it. Fellow blogger Comrade Misfit points out that it’s very hard to detect a ‘lone wolf’ attacker before he strikes. For the most part, the vast internal listening apparatus that has gone… Continue reading Two good perspectives on the Norwegian tragedy

Terrorism and instability – a lethal combination

I’m cynically amused by the alarmed reaction in the news media to the growing danger that terrorist organizations may take advantage of the instability in the Middle East to obtain advanced weapons and pursue their own agendas. I mean . . . what the hell did they expect? That terrorists would wring their hands in… Continue reading Terrorism and instability – a lethal combination

The war against improvised explosive devices (IED’s)

Wired magazine’s Danger Room military blog/magazine has published a fascinating look at the long, arduous fight to develop countermeasures against terrorist explosive devices in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here’s a short extract to whet your appetite. In the early years of the Iraq war, the U.S. military developed a technology so secret that soldiers would refuse… Continue reading The war against improvised explosive devices (IED’s)

Tell me again why we’re throwing money at Pakistan?

Following the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, there were many comments about the untrustworthiness of (at least some) Pakistani security services, particularly the infamous ISI. Now it seems the US has handed Pakistan’s government further proof of that. The Telegraph reports: Mr Panetta visited Islamabad during the weekend to deliver damning evidence… Continue reading Tell me again why we’re throwing money at Pakistan?

It’s been a bad week for terrorists

I’m delighted to report that terrorists in Chile and Gaza seem to be having a tough time lately. First, from Chile comes the news of an anarchist terrorist who tried to blow up a bank, but instead blew off his hands. A wanna-be terrorist from Chile was left horribly disfigured after a half-baked bomb plot… Continue reading It’s been a bad week for terrorists