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How the September 11 Terrorist Attacks Succeeded
The September 11 terrorist attacks depended on three things to
succeed. First, the Bin Laden organization was capable of recruiting, screening
and training men capable of carrying out the multiple aircraft hijackings. This
is a difficult and exacting task. But it’s known that Bin Laden has recruited
many able lieutenants and implemented efficient procedures to support successful
terrorist operations. This requires people with technical and managerial skills
and discipline. The key to a successful operation is thorough reconnaissance
(collecting information), careful planning and willingness to walk away if it
look like it won’t work.
Second, unless you have the kind of hyper airport security
the Israeli’s use, these kinds of hijackings are still possible. Consider that
the September 11 hijackers didn’t use guns. They smuggled small knives and
things like box cutters that can be easily hidden the clutter of carry on
luggage. Since these are suicide terrorists, they possess a fierceness that is
difficult for passengers and flight crew to deal with. Back in the 1970s, “sky
marshals” (armed security personnel) were put on commercial flights. But one sky
marshal would not be a guarantee that half a dozen terrorists could not take
over an aircraft. There will probably be proposals to put even more sturdy doors
on cockpits and something like a small video camera outside the door so the
pilots can see what’s happening in the passenger compartment. To institute the
Israeli type of airport security would be very expensive, and objectionable to
some (the profiling would be very hard on anyone who appeared to be Middle
Eastern.)
Third, the internet
and more powerful encryption have made it much easier for terrorists to
communicate. In the past, it was much easier to pick up phone messages or
intercept mail and couriers. But new, industrial strength encryption, easily
available on the internet, makes it much more difficult for US intelligence
organizations to decode terrorist messages. Since there are thousands of
messages captured that might be from terrorists, the longer it takes to crack
them, the more time the terrorists will have to operate undetected. The
combination of disciplined terrorists and secure encrypted internet
communications allows planning to proceed undetected.
Bin Laden’s success in the past
has attracted more recruits. His financial resources enables him to maintain
(pay) staff and make payments to the families of suicide terrorists (which also
encourages more recruits.) The success of the September 11th attacks will bring
in more recruits. Bin Laden’s training camps in Afghanistan (and other camps in
Iran) continue to operate. As things stand now, more such attacks could be in
the works and ready to be carried out any time in the future. In response, there
probably will be more detailed searches of carry on baggage (and limits on how
much can be carried on) as well as increased use of profiling.
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