Al-Qaeda’s army is ready

In an interview on the popular Shawn Ryan Show podcast, hosted by former Navy Seal and CIA contractor Shawn Ryan, former CIA officer and counterterrorism analyst Sarah Adams delivered specific warnings against the threat of Islamic terrorism within the United States.

The Biden administration, she lamented, “left the U.S. southern border wide open.” She explained that “at least 1,000 Al-Qaeda-trained fighters have found their way onto U.S. soil and stand poised to carry out a coordinated attack inspired by, or comparable to, Hamas’s lethal Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.” These terrorists, said Adams, include members of ISIS as well as other Islamic terrorist groups. Many people who love this nation have voiced similar concerns—but Adams has extensive expertise in counterterrorism. We better all heed her warnings.

There are millions of Muslims in the United States, and the vast majority of them want to live and let others live. However, some are either radicalized or on the path to radicalization, and they can accomplish devastation that exceeds their number. Some have lived here for years, while others used the weak open-border policies to enter and are ready for the opportunity.

Is such terrorism an exclusively “Islamic” problem?

Terrorists can come from any religious background, and terrorists can be driven by many economic, cultural, and political motivations. However, Islamic texts—when applied literally—provide ample commands for Islam’s followers to terrorize non-Muslims, viewing the act of terror as service to Allah in imitation of Muhammad and in fulfilment of his commands. This theological background cannot be ignored.

In Islam’s scripture, Allah encourages his believers, saying, “I am with you,” and promising, “I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip.” Thus, the Quran itself uses the word “terror” and insists that Allah cast his terror in the hearts of non-Muslims, allowing Muslims to slaughter them. Muhammad, the most important human figure for Muslims, states that “I have been helped by terror (in the hearts of enemies).”

These are only two of many sacred Muslim statements that many of Islam’s followers deem authentic and prescriptive, propelling them to terrorize their enemies. Clearly, the existence of potential terrorists-in-the-making in the United States cannot be overstated.

Some of these Muslims are radicalized while they live here, through the preaching of hate imams. Others snuck into the West—seizing opportunities of an open-border—after being indoctrinated to loathe anything Western, which they deem un-Islamic and largely Christian. These represent not cultural Muslims who merely want to live and let others live, but extremist zealots who aspire to see the West collapse and pine for Islam’s supremacy. Ironically, some of these Muslims seem to forget that they fled Arab-Muslim countries supposedly governed by Islamic values—yet these values don’t seem to have positively impacted the quality of life for them, which is why they fled to the West.

So, what should the United States do with the warnings against Islamic terrorism?

We should take them very seriously, especially in the aftermath of the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, and the suppression of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Many radicals are full of resentment against the United States and may long for retaliation. They loathe the political and economic superiority of the West and would do just about anything to bring it down—even if this means killing innocent people.

Some possible practical steps to thwart terrorism should include the tight sealing of the U.S. borders. We should know precisely who is coming in. Additionally, Americans should be vigilant in spotting and tracing radicalization in our midst, especially through the intelligence work of such agencies as the FBI, CIA, and NSA. Everyone needs to be watchful, as Islamic radicalization doesn’t usually begin overnight. When mosques adopt hate preaching against Jews, Christians, and the West, this should be noticed, addressed, and controlled under the law. This means that our anti-terrorism laws be made tougher. We should also partner with Muslim leaders in our midst to help Muslim communities in the United States get involved in the American project, fostering integration and encouraging mutual coexistence. Muslim leaders can best identify Islamic radicalization early, and thus confront it.

When Americans woke up on Sept. 11, 2001, they hardly imagined that there were 19 radical Muslims affiliated with al-Qaeda, traveling freely in their midst, planning to execute the most horrendous coordinated attacks on U.S. soil in modern history. These terrorists were armed mainly with religious dedication and Islamic zealotry.

With warnings against Islamic terrorism, we should all be vigilant in protecting our families and the nation we love. We cannot lose this fight.