Lessons from the Terror Arrests of Americans in Pakistan

By Ryan Mauro

The capture of five Americans with links to al-Qaeda illuminates many challenges of the terror war.

Five Americans from the northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., area have been arrested in Pakistan on their way to committing jihad. The fact that they were caught before they got to hook up with those to-die-for 72 virgins (the ones that, according to one Saudi preacher, are white and have no phlegm, feces, urine, or perhaps most appealingly, menstrual cycles) is itself a success in the War on Terror. In order to capitalize on this success, though, we need to learn several lessons from the episode. [more...]

KT McFarland in the Media

KT McFarland will co-host a national security show for FOX News' Strategy Room, DEFCON 3, every monday from 10-11 am EST. DEFCON 3 will devote an hour to a crisis topic of the week, with leading expert guests weighing in, and email questions and comments from viewers.
Next Monday's show will be about Pakistan and its war against the Taliban. Watch it live at 10 am EST at http://live.foxnews.com/strategy-room

Last week's debut of DEFCON 3 (12/7/09) was on the pros and cons of Obama's Afghan War. Here is a clip of the show.

KT on FOX and Friends Obama's Afghan speech 12/1/09 (FOX News)

DEFCON 3 by KT (video blog)- Can Obama's Afghan War Succeed? 12/10/09 (FOX News)

The Live Desk - 12/2/09 (FOX News)

Geraldo at Large on Obama's Afghan War - Muddled message 12/6/09(FOX News)

KT was on set for the Dylan Ratigan's Morning Meeting show discussing Afghan War, Obamacare, Deficits 12/4/09 (MSNBC)

New Evidence of Saddam-Terrorism Links

By Ryan Mauro

Yes, Saddam Hussein’s regime was a supporter and active participant in radical Islamic terrorism.

The rationale for pushing forward in Afghanistan is that it is the “right” war, the “war of necessity,” the true base of the terrorists that attacked us on 9/11 and would try to attack us again. Essentially, those opposing the war in Iraq while supporting the war in Afghanistan try to frame the latter conflict as justified in every way the former is not. As the war in Iraq ever so slowly comes to a close and the history books begin being written, new evidence has emerged to challenge the narrative that the war in Iraq was something different than the war on terror. [more...]

The Threat at Home

By Ryan Mauro

As the United States turns its attention to security threats abroad, the disturbing trend of extremism in America’s Somali communities is a reminder that there are also real and present dangers at home. A growing body of evidence suggests that Somali communities in the United States have become fertile ground for terrorist groups to recruit and implant operatives. On November 23rd, the federal government announced eight more indictments of Somali-Americans in Minnesota on charges of recruiting members of their community to join the al-Shabaab terrorist organization in Somalia. This brings to 14 the number of Somalis from Minnesota who have been indicted for helping the Al-Qaeda-linked group. [more...]

New Tape Shows Terror Training on U.S. Soil

By Ryan Mauro

On the heels of a deadly FBI shootout with a radical imam in Detroit and a Muslim extremist in the military launching a shooting attack at Fort Hood killing 13 people, a new videotape has been publicized showing American Muslims training in similar tactics, almost without a doubt on American soil. The tape was given to me as the national security researcher for the Christian Action Network by a reliable law enforcement source. This source has provided me with other credible information on the Jamaat ul-Fuqra group that operates in the U.S. under the name of “Muslims of America” and the International Quranic Open University, among others. [more...]

Hit-and-Run Jihad Comes to America

By Ryan Mauro

A radical Islamic terrorist attack doesn’t necessarily need several participants or a direct connection to a terrorist organization. It doesn’t need to be spectacular or done by someone motivated by nothing other than theology. It just needs to be an act of violence aimed at instilling fear in order to advance the cause of radical Islam, and it is because of this failure to understand what qualifies as a “terrorist attack” that the country does not see how many such acts have actually occurred. The increasingly ridiculous argument over whether Major Hasan's Fort Hood shooting can be considered a terrorist attack underscores this point. [more...]

Bill Gertz on Afghan Troop Speech

The Obama administration is expected to sound retreat from Afghanistan by putting unrealistic conditions on the Afghan army and government. He will be caving in to his liberal base in Congress and although he will authorize 30,000 troops, it will be conditional support for Gen. Stanley McChrystal's request for more troops for a counterinsurgency strategy that requires large numbers of forces to win support of the Afghan people against the Taliban.