World's most dangerous terrorist...?

[jedione12]

I used to think the answer to this was Bin Laden, but after reading an article called "The Brain" (playboy's june issue), I switched my opinion to Khalid Shieikh Mohammed. Does anyone else agree with me? This guy was the mastermind behind so many terrorist attacks (incl. 9/11) that it made my head spin. It was also surprising to read that he received his bachelor's degree here in the States, with classmates describing him as a "class clown". Simply crazy, and scary when you think about it.

Thoughts or opinions?

Steve

[P.O.U.M]

The US of A. Thats my anwser. America is by the biggest most organized terrorist organization in the world.

There was a documentary in Britain, basically saying that Al Qeada (however you spell it) was nothing more than a boogie man. Sad thing is, to my knowledge, it has not been released in the states.

[Morag]

I think I know the documentary your talking about. It basically laid out an excellent case that Al Queda was a loose conglomeration of seperate terror cells that operated through bin Laden's generousity. I can't quite recall what it was titled though; however, the Passionate Eye on CBC aired it. Its possible you can order a copy through them.

To quote the CBC website about the doc:
Every day the media reports  of threats to global safety from an international terrorist network.

But  now, filmmaker Adam Curtis boldly asks should we be worried  at all about these apparent threats?
Could this be just a phantom menace  constructed to keep society manipulated by fear?

No info for ordering though, but its called the Power of Nightmares.

[P.O.U.M]

I posted about the movie somewhere on this board... could be in the british section considering it was a british movie.

[ckaihatsu]

Is 'Al Qaeda' the Modern Incarnation of 'Emmanuel Goldstein'?
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/goldstein.html

[Dasher]

Bush after 9/11 needed someone to hunt down.   The Bin Laden family, good friends and investors in the US, had a  blacksheep, Usama, in their family.  He ran off with around $26m to become a fundamentalist terrorist leader.

Whatever atrocity is perpetrated, Bin Laden will be blamed anyway for waving his hand and sanctioning it.  Terrorism is not the answer as we know, it gives the Hawks the perfect cover to spend fortunes in the military domination by the US at home and abroad.

It is rather fortunate for the US not to have caught up with him in nearly 4 years, with all their spying techniques.  He is the perfect foil for their unilateralism.
They need a bogey-man and he fits the bill.  Just like the megalomaniac villains they construct in the Bond films.

Bush even used him in his Presidential campaign. proving how useful the caveman is to Bush and his hawks.

If he is accidently killed by a stray bunker-buster bomb, Bush will have to look for another bogey-man to blame when the next atrocity takes place.  He needs an enemy who is recognisable.

[orwellcommie]

Actually the idea of the world's worst Terrorist is probally nonsense.  It's all simply a string of corruption and betrayal.  If a person were REALLY out to inflict world terror he/she would be using atomic weapons daily.  A committed terrorist could plant atomic bombs in all the major population centers of the U.S. and detonate them at will, Islamic fundamentalist aren't ferocious or tenantions enough to embark on such actions, and thus all this talk about people needed to feel terrorized is really a politicle sceme to control the masses.  People are VERY easily controlled when they are living in a state of fear.  It won Bush the election, people were afraid and felt Bush could confort their fears with the "I'm tough guy" persona so people HAD to be afraid to want him in for another term.  But all that Tough Guy crap is a load of Bullshit, if a well organized group wanted to eradicated the american population the american population would die, it's as simple as that.  Wouldn't even require atomic weapons one could use pleague, Small pox, bochalenic toxin, amtrax, you name it, and ALL these this could be manufactured in the basement of your standard single family home, as manufacturing enough faitail chemical and biological weapons only requires the facilities the size of a micro brewery.  Yes if people were TRUELY commited to killing off Americans there would be NO americans.

[Morag]

I don't think its necessarily possible to have a "World's Worst Terrorist". Even if it were, who would get to decide? I don't think the Americans, having experienced so little terrorism, would be the experts. So you'd need to ask people who lived constantly in the threat of terror. Surely having killed only a few thousand people in a decade wouldn't get one to the top of the list, so bin Laden is out.

And I doubt he's an extremely dangerous person, anyway. I bet, if you were a polite person, you'd be able to have a very good conversation with him. I mean, he's always smiling when he's with people he likes. No, the world's most dangerous person would rather kill you than speak to you.

And you probably wouldn't even know they existed, either, because dangerous terrorists are dangerous because their unknown. Like Timothy McVeigh, I guess. I mean, if you know that this person is a "terrorist" half the danger is gone, because you know they will do something if they can or if they want.

Moreover, a terrorist has to terrify everyone who their trying to terrify if they want to be the "World's Most Dangerous Terrorist". After all, its a prestigious title and it should be well-earned.  The Western world is a big place and most people are more scared of America than Al Queda, and most people think of 9/11 as probably deserved. Outside the western world, people are more concerned with not dying of simple diseases or starvation than they are with terrorism, so if one wanted to terrify them, one would first have to raise their standard of living and allow them the leisure time to become terrified before the terror really began.

That kind of program could really only be taken on by a huge multi-national organization, like the UN. Not that I would suggest the U.N. are terrorists. Certainly not- a terrorist would have to be much more effective and decisive than the U.N. if they wished to win the title. Almost like Al Queda, but not quite, because of course, Al Queda has actual grievances against the people it targets. And, naturally, you know the rule book Al Queda plays with, because its been around for over a 1000 years. That takes a lot of the danger out of them.

No, the "World's Most Dangerous Terrorist" would have to have no morals, and no legitimate reason for perpetrating the acts that they do. Because to be dangerous, you have to be unpredictable. Of course, atomic bombs are pretty much out, because there is a lot of margin for error, and because they'd get routine after awhile. No, it is much more scary to have smaller bombs go off more often. See, its unpredictable. With atomic bombs, its no less scary to me if they're detonated in New York City than if in Tokyo or Cairo. But being scared isn't the point. No, a really good terrorist is going to terrify you- so, small, agile bombs is the way to go.

So, what are the other requirements, do you think, for being the "World's Most Dangerous Terrorist" and who should get the trophy and the plaque?

[orwellcommie]

That's interesting, you don't think to be know as "The world's most Dangerous Terrorist", you'd have to be using atomic bombs?  Well I suppose but I can only see that being true if the assumption that death isn't the most terrorizing thing people can feel threatend by.  It turns out people's #1 fear isn't death in alot of cases I've heard that peoples #1 fear alot of the time is public speaking.  So I suppose that would mean that to become the world's most Dangerous Terrorist you'd have to have the power to make ANYONE you want  engage in public speaking..... Hmmmm now that can't be right.... Ok so if we go back to the threat of death why wouldn't world wide mega death be the key to becoming the world's worst terrorist?  Eithier way it's all a load of Garbage really as it's really just a web of curruption and lies that behind all this, back corner cheats and fraud that cause all these things to occur.  Wouldn't be too much of a shoock if Osama were still in bed with his CIA cronnies from the 80's.  Sure they like to dismiss the conspiracy theories, but look at the results, americans in their fear have become more pliable and controlable then ever.  Inteligence agencies don't like it when their funding gets cut, so a terrorist attack occurs and Funding gets restored in spades.

[Morag]

Orwellcommie: Well, there's a worlds most dangerous terrorist out there somewhere right now, and they aren't using atomic weapons right now, are they?

I'm just not that concerned with atomic warfare, sorry. It bothers me, but I'm not really scared of them. Atomic bombs seem to be your thing, not mine.