The Nuts and Bolts of Terrorism

I have been looking for a basic understanding of the inner workings of fundamentalists Islamic groups like the Taliban and think I may have found part of the answer in dialogue from a 2003 novel – “Liberty” by Stephen Coonts. The following passage has been edited for length and content.

A former Soviet KGB agent is discussing the war on terrorism with an American admiral. ”Islamic terrorists can be placed in three general categories. The foot soldiers are recruited from refugee camps and poor villages throughout the Arab world. They know little or nothing of the western world. They are the shock troops and suicide commandos who smite the Israelis and murder tourists in the Arab world. They speak only Arabic. They blend in quite well in Arab society but are essentially unable to function outside of it. These are troops that bin Laden and his ilk train as Islamic warriors in Afghanistan and Libya and Iraq.

“The second category, if you will, are Arabs with better educations, usually literate, some even possess a technical skill. The fundamentalists actively recruit these people, appeal to their religious sensitivities, wish to convert them to their perverted view of Islam. Since these people have often lived outside the Arab world, they can move freely in western society. These people are dangerous. They are the ones who hijacked the airlines that crashed into the World Trade Center.

“The third category of terrorists can be thought of as the generals, Bin Laden and his chief lieutenants. Financiers, bankers, technical advisers, and so forth. These people are Muslims. For whatever reason, terrorism appeals to their ethic and religious view of the world.

“And there is a fourth category. Few of these people are Arabs, few are Muslims. They see profit in terrorism. Some of them take pleasure in the pain terrorists inflict, for every reason under the sun. These people are enemies of America, enemies of western civilization.

“I came to talk to you about one of America’s many enemies – a ------- general. He doesn’t hate America, he loves money. A few weeks ago he sold four missile warheads to a wealthy Arab terrorist for two million dollars.”

A man like this -------- general really does exist and supposedly is or was living in the UAE. I checked him out on the Internet the other day-b.

Then Tweety, Russert, Cavuto, or Blitzer ever will for sure.

that you are referring to?

Thanks.