The number of dead in the
Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya, is now up to 68, and according to
sources in CNN, three of the terrorists responsible are from the United States,
linked to the terrorist group al-Shabab.
Is anyone surprised? They
shouldn’t be.
Back in 2005 and 2006, I
said that it was only a matter of time before we would see things like this in
our own country. Not if, but when, and by whom?
The spectacular type of
attack such as 9/11 is no longer needed to have a severe and negative impact on our psyche
and our economy.
Imagine how black “Black
Friday” would be, if on America’s biggest shopping day of the year, the day
after Thanksgiving, al-Qaeda affiliated groups, entered three or four malls
like Westgate, around the country at the same time, and carried out the same
sort of attack?
It could have devastating
consequences.
Al-Qaeda’s links and growing
influence here in America has grown substantially, and it’s only a matter of
time, before something like this happens.
The attack in Nairobi, is
an example of their ability, and a reminder as to why we have got to remain
pre-emptive and pro-active in doing everything we can to secure our critical
infrastructure, and insure our intelligence community is at the top of their
game.
According to reports, the
group that carried out this operation is estimated to have several thousand
fighters, including a few hundred foreign fighters - some from the Middle East
with experience in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, and others are from
Somali communities in the United States and Europe.
Let’s hope that we find
them, before they find us.
Today it’s a mall in
Nairobi, Kenya… but as the say in the major motion picture industry, “Coming to
a theater near you.”
Let’s hope not.
