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Machine Guns, Modern Terrorism and bin Laden

“I want to see those buildings come down.”
(Osama bin Laden on the World Trade Center.)

I will not attempt to put into words what happened yesterday, September 11, 2001, as words, all words, are inadequate. This is a horror that goes off the scale of conceptualization; and as it reaches beyond our conceptualization it reaches beyond our language which expresses those conceptualizations. I therefore offer some notes on the historical perspective if I can.

It was a beautiful, summer day in 1887 when the Queen Victoria of England held a parade for the “Golden Jubilee.” She welcomed her eldest daughter, Crown Princess of Prussia, who was in the carriage with her. Riding along too was her husband, the Crown Prince of Prussia, and behind them was Prince William of Prussia, the future Kaiser.

They visited the 10th Regiment in Hounslow where the future Kaiser saw his first machine gun. He was immediately taken by it. The German Emperor was so taken with the success of the visit he sent an invitation to several Brits to come to Prussia. The invitation included four Colonels, who took up the invitation, and brought with them the machine gun as gifts. The British long understood the power of the machine gun (calling it the “Queen of the Battlefield”), but also saw its potential horror (also calling it “the Grim Reaper.”), and it had been seen in early forms in the American Civil War.

This simple invention, which the Kaiser took such an interest in, and was given to him by the Queen of England, would be the same machine that Germany and the Turks would use in the European theater and Gallipoli, among other places, resulting in a literal slaughter.

The problem was anew weapon which was used against old tactics. basically, the allies used Napoleanic marching formations and parapet "over the top"charges. All the Germans had to do was shoot at the broad lies of ruuning; they barely had to aim. It was a new war; it was a new world.

Osama bin Laden is the 17th of 52 siblings of the wealthy and privileged Muhammed bin Laden, founder of the bin Laden Group, a Saudi construction company. Muhammed bin Laden was reported worth 5-7 billion dollars. At age 17 he inherited his own $250 million from his family.

In 1979 the then USSR invaded Afghanistan. Bin Laden flew there to join the fight, both with his money and with his “Afghan Arabs,” a militia of sorts. The US helped the Muslims in their fight against the Soviets, giving them arms and training. Bin Laden fought in the decisive battle of Jalalabad which ultimately drove the Soviets out. Bin laden returned to Arabia as a hero. Because of his terrorist activities his visa was cancelled and he went to Afghanistan, and other rogue nations. The Taliband government in Afghanistan has given him refuge.

After the war, bin Laden formed his organization, al Qaeda (“the Base”). This is a terrorist organization which trains troops and guerillas in terrorism. Bin Laden set up “cells” of terrorist camps around the Middle East and Near East from his "the Base." He has been linked to several terrorist attacks on the US, including embassy bombings and the attacks on the USS Cole last year, in Yemen.

he has three goals: (1) To form an international organization supporting the creation of the "Khalifa," an Islamic concept meaning a leader chosen by the most knowledgeable Muslims to lead the "umma" or worldwide Muslim community. (2) To drive the United States from all Muslim lands, especially in the Arabian peninsula. (3) To "liberate" Islam's three holiest places, Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.

He views US interest in the Arabia as Colonialism and wishes to drive the US out of all Arab nations. The fact that the Saudis and others are friendly with the US means he has targetted Arab nations as well. The fact that our woman in the US wear pants is a horror to him.

Now, with what happened yesterday, there are strong indications that he was behind the terror. Security officials are saying they are 90% sure it was bin Laden's group in Afghanistan that carried out the terror. President Bush has said that we will make no distinction between terrorists and the countries that harbor them, which means Afghanistan, Yemen, and Tanzania are on notice. In fact, in the last few months teh US has communicated with Afghanistan saying that if bin Laden kills any US citizens the Taliband, which harbors him, will be held responsible. The hope was the Taliband would hold back bin Laden's efforts. They obviously and most certainly did not.

But to get to Afghanistan, which is landlocked, requires that the US have permission of, you guessed it, Russia for fly overs. Russia: The former enemy we fought along with the Afghan Arabs.

It is a new war; it is a new world. And: It seems that history is not without a sense of irony.

David Schultz