Al Qaeda’s new hit list, ‘Lone Wolf’ and the southern border

Al Jazeera (English) said Al-Qaeda named Ayman al-Zawahiri as its new chief. [Photo from FBI Most Wanted.]
Al Qaeda has once again used the Web as a front in its war on the West, publishing a hit list complete with names and pictures of US business people, think tank leaders, media and military contractors. Many other issues factor into this latest news. Media will probably not bring them up.

NBC New York said the FBI sent out a bulletin to law enforcement; the AQ hit list is “very detailed.” The individuals on the list have been notified.

This latest tactic by anti-Western jihadists raises numerous questions. How likely is it that a lone wolf will attempt to go after those on the hit list? In April I wrote about the Lone Wolf tactic al Qaeda called for in its official magazine.

That tactic was described by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). MEMRI said the official AQ magazine said jihadists should “carry out a personal jihad mission with a lone wolf attack in a crowded area in his country in the West…”

The AQ magazine was addressing those who live in Western countries.

Meanwhile some mosques in the U.S.  allegedly incite their members as evidenced by the arrest of imams at a South Florida mosque. The Dept. of Justice said three of the men who were charged were living in South Florida. DOJ said one defendant, Hafiz Khan, is imam at the Miami Mosque (also known as the Flagler Mosque). Khan’s son Izhar is an imam at the Jamaat Al-Mu’mineen Mosque in Margate.

On June 9, the FBI announced, “A Pakistani native who operated a Chicago-based immigration business was convicted today of participating in conspiracy involving a terrorism plot…”

Unfortunately the US government has created a prime opportunity for jihadists—the US southern border with Mexico where less than 10 percent of that border, according to the General Accountability Office, is secure.

Former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer suggested Adnan Shukrijumah may now be Al-Qaeda’s overall military commander since Abu Faraj’s death. Shukrijumah is a US-citizen Muslim. [Photo from FBI Most Wanted.]It is disturbing to note a figure Newsmax cited in reporting on the border—approximately 1,500 foreign nationals the government caught slipping across the southern border were from countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries. Should we be concerned about how many got across undetected?

Democrat leaders appear incapable of understanding the danger those statistics represent—DNC chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, not known for her ability to grasp facts outside ideology, calls this “immigration.”

Former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer analyzes the aftermath of bin Laden’s death and the pending reduction in forces in Afghanistan and he paints a grim picture. Pointing to radicalized American jihadists, Scheuer wrote, “Through the rhetorical, operational, and media skills of U.S.-citizen Muslims like Azzam al-Amriki [Adam Gadahn], Adnan Shukrajuma, Samir Khan [Inspire Magazine], Omar Hammami [Somalia], and Anwar al-Awalki, al-Qaeda has inspired U.S.-citizen Muslims to undertake violent activities inside the United States, men such as Major Nidal Hassan [Fort Hood], Najibullah Zazi [NYC subways], and Faisal Shahzad [Times Square].”

Scheuer has been an outspoken critic of both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama’s foreign policy on these matters. Scheuer concluded, “Here’s how Afghanistan ends: America loses, Islam wins and a new Muslim generation joins the jihad.”

I believe one way of addressing this issue is to deny all foreign aid to any country where al Qaeda exists.

In addition to that, deregulate America’s energy sector so that the oil we purchase is our own—there’s plenty of it in the Gulf and on American lands. Our own oil, coupled with other natural and alternative energy resources can sustain us.

Reduce trade with countries that harbor/nurture al Qaeda militants and bring our troops home.

Secure the US southern border.

The leftwing in American politics, in bed with the left wing in world organizations, will not permit successful prosecution of a war. I’d add perhaps those leftwingers could do some public relations work on the ground in countries whose radicals want to destroy us since the left is so concerned with the wellbeing of those radicals.

Furthermore, send leftwingers like Wasserman-Shultz and her like-minded colleagues on a camping trip to the US-Mexico border, unarmed, for a week or so.

(Commentary by Kay B. Day/June 16, 2011)

Please help keep The US Report, an independent blog, online by using the PayPal link in the top right column to make a donation.

Use the 'Share Article' link below to share this article on Facebook and other social media sites.

Update on Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 8:59PM by Kay B. Day, Editor

Update on names on al Qaeda hit list: how to find the AQ site

Numerous readers, based on our statistics tracker StatCounter, are looking for the list of names Al Qaeda placed on a hit list. US media does not usually link to the website for the group's general command. However, al Jazeera links to that site. It is possible you may be able to access the list there. I have not visited the site and I don't plan to. The link, however, is embedded in an article at al Jazeera where the official announcement of Al-Zawahiri's appointment as the new AQ chief is published. The story, Al-Zawahiri named new al-Qaeda chief, carries the link to as-ansar (a website purported to be AQ's) in the second paragraph. I'd say if you do go to the link noted, proceed with caution.