MADER'S 'BRANTS Al-Queda In America July 11, 2004 - Ever look at a photograph and get that nagging feeling something just ain’t right? It’s nothing obvious or even something you can explain. Ya just know by looking at the picture, something doesn’t fit. I have had that same feeling lately. It struck me the hardest Monday morning after all the 4th of July festivities were over. Why haven’t we had any terrorist attacks since 9/11? Don’t misinterpret what I’m saying. I’m not encouraging people to do bad things. God no! I’m just saying that it seems odd that we haven’t had things blowing up here like you do in other countries. Lets trip the light fantastic and you will see what I mean. Al-Queda took us by surprise 3 years ago. They executed an attack so clever that while it had been war gamed by various intelligence agencies for years no one ever really thought it would happen. Then a spooky “nothing” since. John, our security is much better now. The American people are on their guard. There is no way that something bad could happen. I know people in the intelligence community. Some retired, some currently in service, some trying to get hired in. Nice folk. Each and every one of them is intelligent, well educated and by any measure competent people. Not always the swiftest however. Ask the Navy about the con-man that impersonated a retired Marine and took the Navy for 60 odd million dollars because they paid him and his company to provide security for their West Coast operations and Hawaii and never bothered to check his credentials. Like I said, not always the swiftest. But no matter how good you are, we have a really big country to protect. Israel is a dinky little nation in an almost constant state of alert. They have check points and curfews and they even know who their enemy is and they still have bus bombings or club bombings or market bombings or car bombings. Pick something - ya blow up - and they got it on a regular basis. We have seasonal fashions. They have loons with explosives strapped on as accessories. The run way shows are murder. But John, well, they can’t get their hands on the materials they need to cause problems. This is America. You want it and ya have the money? You can buy it. If smugglers can get hundreds of tons of illegal drugs into the U.S. every day unchecked, well just let your imagination go from there. But John, the terrorists feel they need to really do something huge. Whatever they do next has to be equal to or bigger than 9/11. Terrorists have feelings of inadequacy? Is there a panel of judges for these guys holding up cards numbered 1 through 10 like a sports competition? No, no, Ali you blew up a bus full of children. That’s only worth a 5.6. We are very disappointed! You must do better! Your brother shot down a plane. Your mother always knew he would go places some day. Why can’t you be more like him? But John, we scattered their infrastructures with all our military actions both overt and covert. Its doesn’t take lots of people to make terror work. It only takes one guy with deep convictions. Lest we forget Oklahoma City... My point is that something smells funny. All the kudos in the world to the folks that work every day to protect us, but no one is omnipotent. I can think of lots of ways these people could do some really bad things. I’m just a short fat guy with a mediocre education. Getting up in the morning is more exercise than I can handle. What kinda harm could someone with some ambition do? I can only come to a couple of conclusions: 1. These guys for all their bravado aren’t too bright. 9/11 was them blowing their collective wad. They have nothing left. Bin Laden is no modern Mahdi. He’s a one-hit wonder. Hanson with a beard. 2. Our Intelligence community has suddenly become omnipotent...Nahhhhhhhhhhh 3. This is the calm before the storm. Like I said, something smells funny. I’m not sure what, but I know it ain’t me cause I showered this morning. Later, Mader