In Memoriam

African Terror: Recalling Mau Mau

Last February, The Daily Mail ran a great article from an acitve participant's perspective during the infamous Mau Mau emergency that took place in Kenya during the 1950s. The participant and author, Tim Symonds, paints a candid and thoughtful picture that pulls no punches. In this modern era of hyper-sensitivity and revisionist inclination, finding someone who calls it as it actually happened is refreshing. The Mau Mau were one of Africa's ugliest and most brutal terrorist insurgencies. For anyone with any passing interest in African history, security, terrorism, decolonization, or justice, this article is a breath of fresh air and a must read.

Here are some excellent passages from Symonds recollection:


Criteria for being targeting by the Mau Mau.

"Leakey was selected not because he was an enemy of the Kikuyu but, perversely, because he was widely considered a good man and therefore a more powerful sacrificial offering. He even had a Kikuyu nickname - Morungaru - which means 'tall and straight'."

 On blending in.

"Their sense of smell from life in the forest had become so keen that they could smell my freshly-laundered clothes. Another white man arrived. 'OK, film star,' he said to me. 'I'm your make-up man.'
He painted potassium permanganate on my hands, face and neck to stain the skin. Then he produced a small tin of boot polish and a tiny watercolour brush. 'Let's start with your right eye,' he said. 'Open wide.'
He brushed a small blob of the boot polish right inside the eyelid. It stung and I shouted, prompting peals of laughter from the Mau Mau men. He held out a mirror and, blinking uncontrollably, I looked at my eye. The polish had spread across it, turning the whites a streaky yellow"

 Jomo Kenyatta and the sinister benefits of incarceration.

"A white police officer met me and told me I was to take charge of a Land Rover with an African driver, who would take me to a secret destination to deliver a cargo. I went outside and met the driver. Crates had been loaded in the back of the Land Rover, covered by a tarpaulin.
Some time later we arrived at our destination where I gave a white Kenya police officer the papers to sign for the cargo. He invited me in for a quick drink before I had to set off for home base. Afterwards I came out to find the Land Rover only three-quarters unloaded. The mysterious cargo turned out to be crate upon crate of Scotch whisky.
The police officer explained that Jomo Kenyatta, the man accused of masterminding the Mau Mau, was being held under close arrest nearby. Kenyatta was being provided with three bottles of Scotch every day, which he was consuming.
The real aim, the officer said, was for Kenyatta to die of cirrhosis of the liver as quickly as possible. I could tell he wasn't joking.
Kenyatta was nearing 70 at the time. Eight years later, in 1963, he was to become newly independent Kenya's first black prime minister. Shortly after that he became Kenya's president, famed for his flywhisk, the symbol of a Kikuyu elder, made from the end of a cow's tail. Perhaps we pickled him instead of killing him: Kenyatta lived until he was 89."

It's a spectacular and compelling tale.

The Dubai Spy Caper: Part II

According to this article printed in the Times of London, it is beginning to look like Mossad really screwed the pooch in Dubai last January. Here is a telling excerpt:

"Mossad is now deeply embarrassed. Its use of the identities of British, French, German and Irish nationals as cover for agents to carry out the hit has angered western governments. In the ensuing diplomatic fall-out, sources close to Mossad said yesterday that it had suspended similar operations in the Middle East, mainly because of fear that heightened security would put its agents at greater risk. Dagan’s job is also on the line." 

Maybe the werewolf's contrarian and skeptical streak got the better of him earlier. It's too soon to tell. Israel is certainly a loser throughout all of this, given the strained public perceptions and frayed diplomatic relations. No good deed goes unpunished.  

The Dubai Spy Caper

The werewolf has been mildly captivated by the all of the media coverage regarding last month's semi-spectacular Hollywoodesque hit of a well known Hamas terrorist (good riddance).  Varying degrees of coverage and opinion can be found, here, here, here, and here.  There is more to this story than meets the eye.

In brief, it is believed that a team of eleven entered the emirate of Dubai on a variety of falsified passports from several European Union countries. They then carefully tracked and whacked the aforementioned terrorist, although no corpse has been presented.  A consensus is forming in certain circles that this was a Mossad hit. However, the werewolf is becoming skeptical because so much has gone south regarding the operation and for all of its purported cleverness, something seems slightly amiss.  

The Mossad are pros, plain and simple. They are also part of a disciplined government  operation that has access to advanced drones, spy satellites, and a vast array of other espionage resources. This doesn’t discount the human capacity to error, still that seems improbable.  Why be covertly intricate, if there is a chance to kill the guy with a missile, well placed bomb, or just gun him down in his home turf why not take it? It is working well for the US in the AFPAK region. From what little can be pieced together about this operation in the press, it seems large, complicated, and while spectacular and theoretically successful, it leaves too many lose ends. Eleven is a large number of personnel to fabricate complicated back stories for and disperse properly.  Also, it creates more variable that can destabilize an equation as we’ve seen.  Plus, risking straining already frayed diplomatic ties with several European Union members seems a tad odd.  This story seems like an ugly attempt to mate the The Dirty Dozen, Munich, Mission Impossible, and Ocean’s 11. Talk about an ugly pavement puppy.

Despite being a veracious consumer of spy and espionage literature, elements of this tale seem to suggest that framing the Mossad was the objective. The werewolf isn’t one for over-emphasizing conspiracy theories. Perhaps the culprit was the Iranians, who want to distract attention from their internal crackdown along with uranium enrichment progress.  Is a disaffected arms dealer whom Hamas has failed to pay on time beyond the realm of possibilities? Perhaps, Hamas no longer had use for this guy and eliminating him and undermining the Israelis was a two for the price of one kinda deal?  Who knows? The werewolf has no idea what really happened, but remains convinced that narrative being pimped is way off the mark.  Thoughts?

Al Qaeda upset over Global Warming

You know your belief in bad science is in deep shit when a radical retrogressive Islamo-fascist terrorist who lives in various caves between Afghanistan and Pakistan decides it is time to jump on your sinking ship and endorse your bad science for the sake demonizing the "Great Satan." The werewolf thought this was an Onion headline at first. Nope, "Bin Laden blasts US for climate change"  is straight from the Associated Press wire. Humor sometimes manifests itself in the damnedest of ways.

Getting Sloppy: Falling back into Bad Habits.

The Wall Street Journal has an excellent op-ed by former CIA analyst Reuel Marc Gerecht addressing Al Qaeda's successful use of a double agent to execute a devastating suicide bombing at a forward operating base in Afghanistan base last week. The article, a must read, highlights several strategic and tactical errors made by the CIA. While not shy to criticize, the werewolf gets the sense that the CIA has become everyone's favorite punching bag(mostly warranted, but not always), and he'll save his direct critical thoughts for another time. However, in terms of structural failures this paragraph was rather shocking:

"Indeed, al Qaeda did to us exactly what we intended to do to them: use a mole for a lethal strike against high-value targets. In the case of al-Balawi, it appears the target was Ayman al Zawahiri, Osama bin Ladin's top deputy. During the Cold War, the CIA completely dropped its guard in the pursuit of much-desired Cuban and East German agents. The result? Most of our assets were plants given to us by Cuban and East German intelligence. With al-Balawi supposedly providing "good" information about al Zawahiri and al Qaeda's terrorist planning, a salivating CIA and the GID proved inattentive to counterintelligence concerns."

As a devoted student of the Cold War, the werewolf is keenly aware of some of the intelligence legacies from that storied era. One of the starkest lessons, was the Soviet Union's ability to manage human intelligence assets better than the West. While the West usually enjoyed a degree of technical superiority, and despite the moral abyss that communism embodied, there was an allure that made prominent double agents working for Moscow a theme of that conflict. One only need recall the infamous Cambridge Five, Kim Philby in particular, the Rosenbergs, Aldrich Aimes, and the post-conflict mercenary actions of Robert Hanson. These are the most infamous examples, however, they only reflect a skimming of the surface, especially in light of the manipulation via low level double agent's that the Warsaw Pact deliberately deployed to flood the West. The problem has manifested itself differently in the modern conflict, as one only need examine the internal Jihad executed at Ft. Hood last November.

While he detests communism on all levels, and celebrates its collapse, the werewolf recognizes the false Utopian allure that could appeal the to the fragile minds of intellectuals, or those seeking shelter in collectivism through their own profound individual insecurities. While this lesson is indirectly linked to the current conflict, because it is just unfeasible for a non-Muslim senior intelligence official to spontaneously convert, he feels that the detachment from Islam in the higher ranks, makes identifying double agents nearly impossible, as highlighted by the article and recent events. What is both alarming and impressive is the cleverness of Al Qaeda, to exploit this highlighted historical weakness of Western intelligence to their own advantage. Just when we think we've got the upper hand our enemies show a resilience and adaptability that is frightening.

This raises several concerns for the long term prospects of how this conflict is waged. The werewolf is certainly no expert in the field. But if we want to win(as the werewolf badly does). playing tunes from the historical playbook and fighting yesterday's wars is not the right path. The werewolf wonders, for all of their bravery, dedication, and impressive service to our country, if the intelligence services as currently constructed, suffer from inherent structural biases and political handicaps that make prosecuting this war to a successful conclusion more difficult than it needs to be. He doesn't have any answers, but thinks now, more than ever, changing the beat and tempo, could be decisive.

Outrage of the Day: Compassion & Terrorism

Over at The Daily Beast, Lloyd Grove has an excellent blog post "The Terrorist Who Won't Die." If you want to be outraged, read it. What occurred in Scotland last August, with the release of infamous Lockerbie terrorist and mass murderer, Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, defines definition. It was a heinous example of self indulgent government and an inherent contempt for justice. The werewolf distinctly recalls watching the convoy transport al Megrahi from his prison to the airport on cable news last fall, and hoping that a strategic RPG strike would take him out(not hurting the convoy personnel). Wishful thinking.

I recall being so outraged that a colleague and I discussed boycotting all things Scottish; including Scotch, tartan patterns, Walker's shortbread cookies, among other products. I was surprised that a boycott wasn't formally considered by some, given that the United States is Scotland's largest export market, accounting for £3.6b in export revenues according to a Scottish government survey. However, what was more chronically disappointing was the lack of internal outrage from the devolved Scottish Parliament or from the eternally frumpy Prime Minister Gordon Brown. You know something is terribly amiss when the only voice of reason is New York's infinitely irritating Senator, Chuck Schumer.

How does one integrate justice and compassion in an instance like this? I would think that the comfortable and permanent prison sentence al Megrahi received would by its very nature be considered an act of compassion. No death penalty, a two room prison cell with a television, three square meals a day, and health care all paid for compliments of the British taxpayer. Frankly, dousing him with aviation fuel and setting him ablaze in a parking lot meets the werewolf's sense of justice and compassion.

We also need to understand that terrorism is a special crime where compassion never has a place. Terrorists prey on the most vulnerable elements of society, innocent civilians. The intent is to use fear to erode a society's sense of self from the inside-out. The very essence of terrorism is void of all humanity, decency, and justice. Forgetting that is a crime unto itself.

What happened to the compassion and justice for the victims and their families? 270 murdered, plus the thousands of family members left behind. Aren't they the ones whose sensibilities ought to be privy to special considerations? Justice isn't meant to assuage the pain of these victims, but they are the ones who merit any special considerations on compassionate grounds. As mentioned earlier, the outrage around this knows no bounds. It was compassion to allow al Megrahi to succumb to cancer while in custody. The fact that he was in custody was a sign that justice, while marginal in its execution during this instance, was still present in al Megrahi's fate.

The fact that al Megrahi received the ultimate pardon, for reasons that are highly suspicious, and is thriving in his homeland, an incubator of terror, outliving his prognosis, is more than a crime. It is a defiling of compassion and the most violent rape of justice one could imagine. Outrage is an understatement.

They just can't quit.

This is disturbing. Islamo-fascist jihadists are like child molesters, the trait is embedded in their DNA. Recidivism is high amongst these specimens of human scum. I don't think that notion is appreciated by enough people. The fact that we had two of these jerk-offs in custody and released them does not bode well for anyone.

The perverse obsession with closing Guantanamo has always left me a tad flummoxed. Given the tropical locale, modern amenities, new buildings, regular halal meals, scheduled prayer time, excellent health care, and relative peace, I always thought Guantanamo beat the hell out of a cold cave in the Afghan mountains or sanctuary in the sewers of Fallujah. Sure you had to deal with some tough questions on occasion and run the risk of getting yelled at, but it sure sounds like a better arrangement for us, given it takes known terrorists off the street. Maybe we should move them to an new international prison in the Antarctica to keep them away from civilization. It would be more fitting on some levels.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab: From Priviledged Nigerian Elite to Failed Islamic Terrorist.

There is still much to learn about fledgling trust-fund jihadist Farouk Abdulmutallab's failed Christmas day terror plot on the Detroit bound Delta/NW flight from Amsterdam. Especially given the reports of his presence on various British and American watch lists, and the boy-terrorist's own father explicitly warning the U.S. Embassy in Abuja of his son's conversion to the dark-side. We have Dutch citizen hero, Jasper Schuringa, to thank for his quick and deliberate subduing of Abdulmutallab on the flight. Sadly, by its very nature, several theaters of the War of Terror will require the quick reaction of citizen irregulars like Meneer Schuringa. However, this BBC article makes it abundantly clear that the maladjusted Mr. Abdulmutallab certainly never wanted for much in his life by any measure, and he grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth as the son of a Nigerian banking magnate. It is no crime to born wealthy or privileged, mind you.

What really galls me is the continued assumption by many on the left and some of the paleo-conservative right that Islamo-Fascism and Jihadist terror has its origins in wealth discrepancies and poverty. Between the odious John Walker Lindh, most of the 9/11 terrorists, and Osama Bin Laden himself, there is a clear pattern of privilege, wealth, education, and elitism. The tone and attitude of the aforementioned links seems surprised that the young failed Jihadist is a man of wealth and privilege, when the trend seems to indicate that to be a norm, and surprise should be reserved for actually finding a poverty stricken jihadist working for Al Queda. (I will leave the Arab-Israel conflict details out of this post, since this focuses on the War on Terror) I think the real story here is that Africa and its Muslim population is beginning to formally enter the War on Terror as an operational theater in the minds of the west. It has been a functional theater for some time, yet not in the minds of most people. Africa has been a ripe ground for Muslim terrorism for years. A few examples include the fact Bin Laden operated out of the Sudan, Somalia is a lawless wasteland that's population is completely Muslim, and there have been reports of Lebanese middle men in western Africa using blood diamonds to finance various terror operations. Although there has been a subtle focus by American security policy on Africa for some time (especially with a large American presence in Djibouti), it has largely escaped the public perception. The Middle East, Caucusus, south Asia, Europe, and southeastern Asia all seem to get more press and attention. While I do not think the overall dynamic of the conflict will shift, I do think more young Jihadists of African extraction will rise to prominence, and more attention will be paid to the African front of the conflict as this story unfolds. We shall see.

The Legacy of Flight 93.

Passengers on a Detroit bound NWA flight from Amsterdam thwart a would be suicide bomber. It is an impressive reminder of both the legacy of Flight 93 and the fact that all Americans may unexpectedly be called to act as soldiers in the War on Terror. This was certainly an episode with a happy ending.