Terror Offensive Underway?

From London to Washington, D.C., from Tel Aviv to Rome, counterterrorism experts are all asking the same question: "Is a major Al Qaeda offensive underway that is a "run-up" to a more deadly September 11th type of attack?" No one knows for sure, but they do know that Al Qaeda, and related groups, in spite of the losses they have sustained, have managed to strike hard in London once, almost did so a second time, and pulled off the devastating attack in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt that killed 80 people and wounded others over the weekend. And, unlike previous terrorist attacks, these blows have come with virtually no increase in "chatter" that would have warned of impending action. In fact, a number of Al Qaeda linked websites have suddenly gone down causing intelligence agencies to worry that something big may be in the works.

In London, each hour brings new disclosures. Authorities have discovered that the thugs from both the successful July 7th attack and the failed July 21st attack went on a white-water rafting tour together in Wales on June 4th. The police are exploring the possibility that the trip was organized by a Muslim cleric to serve as a "bonding experience" before they went on jihad.

Meanwhile, debate continues to rage in London with polls showing that large majorities believe they were attacked because of Tony Blair's support of our efforts in Iraq. Bin Laden must be excited to see that his effort to separate Europe from the U.S. is going well. But, those tempted to "cut and run" should ask themselves why Egypt's Sharm el-Sheik resort was bombed. Egypt does not support the U.S. in Iraq. The Islamofascist assassins and murderers who have declared war on us have many demands - demands that can't be satisfied unless we are willing to abandon who we are.

An Al Qaeda "mover and shaker," Sheikh Hussein bin-Mahmud, on the Al Qaeda website on July 19th, stated their aims clearly. He said their goal is to "raise the flag of Jihad over Rome, turn the White House into a mosque, lead the worshippers at the Kremlin, and bring the muezzin to call the faithful to prayer from the top of the Parliament building in London."

Gary Bauer