America's Back-Door Enemy and the Situation in Iraq

In a few days, on June 23, I will mark the fifth anniversary of the release of my first book, America's Back-Door Enemy. I would like to thank all those who have purchased and read it (or listened to it) over these past five years. I've been thinking that this book is getting a bit obsolete by now, but then the news headlines about the situation in Iraq jumped out at me and showed me that I was wrong: the book is just as relevant now as when it was first published, and we need to heed the lessons it contains as we discuss and form opinions regarding US foreign policy toward Iraq.

As Iraq descends ever deeper into violence and chaos, as "Islamic" radicals take over the country, as Christians continue to flee in droves, and as the country continues sliding ever closer to full-fledged civil war, it seems that everyone is criticizing President Obama's foreign policy, and I won't deny that there is plenty of room for criticism there. But it seems that no one is daring to criticize or call into question President Bush's foreign policy, which is what got us into the current mess. Make no mistake: it was the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 that set the stage for what we are seeing happen now in that ancient and historic country.

As I point out in the book, Pope (now Saint) John Paul II, along with Catholic bishops in both the US and Iraq, warned that a military invasion of Iraq would have unacceptable consequences for the civilian population of that country and for the stability of the whole region. Specifically, Saint John Paul predicted that a war with Iraq and the removal of Saddam Hussein from power would lead to a mass exodus of Christians from the country; would leave a power vacuum to be filled by violent "Islamic" fundamentalists; would lead to civil war; and would destabilize the entire Middle East. I am not justifying or excusing any of the atrocities that the dictator Saddam Hussein committed against his own people. I am simply saying that leaving him in power would have been the lesser of two evils, and pointing out that our Pope and bishops had good reasons for opposing the alternative of war which the Bush administration unfortunately carried out. What they predicted is exactly what is happening now. Iraq is falling apart. The whole Middle East is collapsing. Millions of people have lost their homes and are now living in refugee camps in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and elsewhere, largely ignored and forgotten by the world outside, while terrorists and guerillas and armies plot death and destruction with impunity. Our invasion of Iraq was supposed to bring freedom and democracy and security to the country; instead, it has opened the door to anarchy, tyranny, and civil war.

In America's Back-Door Enemy, I unveil the real reasons for the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, which had nothing to do with either freedom or democracy and everything to do with war profiteering for US defense manufacturers, control of Iraq's vast oil reserves, and the development of the Greater Israel so ardently desired by Israel's radical Zionist minority. As I demonstrate clearly in the book, these Zionist extremists are the "back-door enemy" secretly manipulating US and Israeli foreign policy and taking advantage of "Islamic" terrorist violence to advance their own wicked agenda. War in the Middle East is a key method of advancing this agenda. As Pope Francis has pointed out, when a war is being concocted, we should ask ourselves: Who is going to profit from this? We hear constantly about "Islamic" terrorists and their evil plans, and I am not here to downplay the horror and evil of the violence they perpetrate. But few people are aware of the existence and activity of radical Zionists, who are more subtle, more sophisticated, much more powerful, and far more dangerous than their "Islamic" counterparts. My book is a real eye-opener in this respect.

Some are now calling for a limited US military intervention in Iraq to take out the "Islamic" extremists and restore some measure of order in the country. My position as of this writing is firmly non-interventionist. For one thing, I do not believe that it is our job to police the world or to go about spreading freedom and democracy by force of arms, but rather that we should set a good example here in our own country for other nations to admire and imitate. Our nation's Founders established America as a "City on a Hill," not as a world empire or conqueror. The duty of our military is and should be to defend our own coastlines and borders from foreign aggression. I agree with Ron Paul and Pat Buchanan on this issue. For another thing, the US has been taking military action against Iraq on and off for years now, from the Persian Gulf War of 1991 to the low-level bombing raids of the late 1990s to the 2003 war, which really only just petered out a few years ago. What has all this war accomplished, for our country or for Iraq? Very little good and a great deal of harm. Additional warfare will not resolve Iraq's problems. Third, a US invasion of Iraq without the approval of the United Nations would constitute an act of aggression, just as the 2003 invasion did. For all its grave problems, Iraq is still a sovereign nation, and we should respect that sovereignty by leaving it alone and not barging our way in uninvited. Fourth, the previous wholesale US military occupation of Iraq failed to destroy "Islamic" terrorist groups and bring order and stability to the nation; on the contrary, terrorism rates under US occupation exploded far beyond what they had ever been under Saddam Hussein. It's a key principle of my book that war does not end terrorism; history bears this out time and time again.

Furthermore, the Iraqi Catholic bishops, who are more familiar with the complex situation in their own country than we are--subjected as we are to many false and misleading news reports--are opposed to any new US invasion of their country because it would only exacerbate the situation. There is great danger that a limited "surgical" strike such as currently proposed by President Obama will not stop at that but will grow into a lengthy full-fledged war involving hundreds of thousands of American troops, just as limited US involvement in Vietnam in the early 1960s grew and grew into a protracted and ultimately fruitless conflict that claimed many lives. Let us learn something from what history teaches us in this regard. Finally, I oppose any US military action in Iraq due to the influence of Pope Francis, who rallied the Church and the world to pray for peace in Syria and the Middle East last year. As the subsequent turn of events proved, prayer is powerful enough to change the course of history. What we need right now is not more warfare, even of the limited kind. What we need is prayer and fasting for the conversion of sinners and peace in the world. Iraq needs more prayer, not more bombs.

If you haven't yet read my book America's Back-Door Enemy, I would encourage you to do so. It is still available in print, audio book and e-book from Tate Publishing as well as various online bookstores. Laying aside partisan politics and ideology, it offers a frank and honest discussion of post-9/11 US foreign policy from a solid Catholic perspective--a discussion that is much needed as the possibility of yet another US military intervention in the Middle East looms on the horizon.

Mary Queen of Peace, pray for us!

Terrorism Strikes Again...

...this time in Boston, Massachusetts, where three innocent human beings were killed and hundreds were injured by two bomb explosions.

This kind of violence is inspired by the Evil One. Nothing can ever justify it. It must be condemned absolutely in the strongest terms. Let us pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, for healing for the wounded, and for the comfort of the families of all the victims of this terrible crime.

Let us also pray for those who plotted and carried out this abominable act, for their repentance and conversion. And let us continue praying the Rosary for peace in the world.

What is terrorism? Why is it used? Who are the terrorists, and what (if anything) do they hope to achieve by such random acts of violence? What role does terrorism play in the Arab-Israeli conflict? And how can it be effectively combated?

You can get the answers to these and other pressing questions about terrorism--all from a solid, well-researched Catholic perspective guided by Blessed John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and our Catholic bishops--by reading my book America's Back-Door Enemy: Unmasking the Unknown Terrorists. It's available from Tate Publishing in print for $25.99; as a nine-CD audio book for $40.99; and as an e-book for $15.99. To order your copy direct from the publisher, just click on the image below.


 If you can't afford direct from the publisher, no problem--the book is also available on Amazon for only $19.75.

Thank you for checking out my book or even considering doing so. As our Divine Lord and Savior told us, the truth will make us free. May the Risen Lord bless you and all your loved ones with the gift of His peace.

Osama bin Laden vs. the Back-Door Enemy

We've all heard of the death of Osama bin Laden earlier this month. After more than thirteen years of trying, the United States finally eliminated its Most Wanted Terrorist enemy--the founder and leader of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization, which was held responsible for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The official story presented by our government, and widely accepted, has been that Osama bin Laden himself orchestrated the 9/11 attacks, and that al-Qaeda carried them out. This official story is actually a lie and a cover-up that contradicts a good deal of evidence--evidence our government was aware of--that points to a different set of perpetrators for 9/11. Who concocted this lie? The answer is:

America's Back-Door Enemy.

Certain individuals within our government--specifically, within the Bush administration--deliberately fed President Bush false information about 9/11 in order to make him say what they wanted him to say about it. These individuals were agents of a foreign power, traitors to our country, who took advantage of 9/11 for their own political and financial gain. They played on Americans' fears to get them to support a policy of all-out "War on Terrorism." The fact is, beneath its patriotic colors and claims of divine sanction, the War on Terrorism was just another war profiteering scheme. Who benefited the most from it? The answer is:

America's Back-Door Enemy.

Our nation's Founding Fathers warned against this sort of thing. They warned that continual warfare and the enthronement of large corporations would destroy the liberty of the Republic. Advocates of the War on Terrorism argued that this new kind of war was necessary to preserve America's national security and freedom in the face of radical Islamic terrorists bent on our total destruction. However, this view was based on a distortion of what terrorism really is. Terrorism is not an end in itself. Terrorism is a tactic used by a less powerful party to try to frighten a more powerful party into doing its bidding. Terrorists often use evil means (such as the murder of innocent civilians) to try to achieve a good end when legitimate means to achieve that end have been unsuccessful. "Islamic" terrorists, like the majority of peaceful Muslims throughout the Middle East, wanted the United States to stop taking advantage of the region for its oil and fighting wars and supporting dictators for that purpose. But our back-door enemies had substantial oil interests in the Middle East, and couldn't afford to let go of them. So they caricatured the terrorists as liars and a dire threat to our nation's very existence, and disingenuously declared war on them in the name of protecting freedom and democracy. The real goal of the "War on Terrorism" was to beef up our military presence in the Middle East in order to protect and advance the petroleum interests of a handful of business elitists. Their most coveted prize was the vast oilfields of Iraq, long denied them by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. So Hussein was portrayed as a threat to the United States, and false intelligence was fed to President Bush that the Iraqi president was manufacturing weapons of mass destruction, to get the American people to support a war against Iraq. It worked, and the United States invaded and occupied Iraq. Who pulled off this coup? The answer, again, is:

America's Back-Door Enemy.

Unfortunately, Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda are small potatoes compared to the enemy within our gates. At least the "Muslim" terrorists are obvious religious fanatics who resort to evil acts to try to achieve a good cause. Our nation's back-door enemies are also religious fanatics, but their fanaticism is hidden and their religion is of a different kind. They are unscrupulous opportunists who have betrayed our country and taken advantage of its highest ideals to further their own evil objectives. It is about time they were identified and exposed for what they are. Where can you find out more about them? Once again, the answer is:

America's Back-Door Enemy.

Case Open: Who Shot Gabrielle Giffords?

The apparent assassination attempt on Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords this past Saturday, January 8, has shocked and saddened all Americans of goodwill, including myself. It does not matter that Representative Giffords’ political affiliation differs from mine, or that I disagree with her on some very important issues. What matters is that I abhor such violence and hatred with every fiber of my being, and that this brutal attack on an innocent person deserves the most vigorous condemnation. I am keeping Mrs. Giffords and her family in my prayers, and I am also praying for her attacker who committed this savage act of terrorism.

According to media reports, on Saturday Mrs. Giffords was attending a political event in the parking lot of a Tucson shopping center when a young Arizonan man opened fire on the crowd, killing six people (including a federal judge, John Roll) and wounding fourteen others. Mrs. Giffords was among the wounded, having been shot in the head at point-blank range. Although suffering severe brain damage and remaining in critical condition in a hospital in Tucson, the 40-year-old congresswoman survives and appears likely to make at least a partial recovery.

The suspect in this shooting has been identified as a 22-year-old man by the name of Jared Lee Loughner. The U.S. government has charged him with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted assassination of a member of Congress and two other counts of attempted murder. FBI investigators have dug up several pieces of evidence pointing to Loughner’s guilt. One is an envelope in his house with the handwritten phrases “I planned ahead” and “My assassination” along with “Giffords” and what looks like Loughner’s signature. Another is a “rambling Internet manifesto” written under the name of Loughner. This is an incoherent piece of Neo-Nazi extremist drivel in which the author repeatedly praises Adolf Hitler, accuses our government of mind control and demands a new U.S. currency without the motto “In God We Trust.” The picture that emerges is of a mentally disturbed young radical who acted alone in attempting to assassinate Representative Giffords, egged on by a national climate of political frustration with Democrats.

This official account sounds plausible enough on the surface—much like the official account of the assassination of JFK. In that case, the suspect was Lee Harvey Oswald, a 24-year-old former U.S. Marine who had briefly defected to the Soviet Union. Oswald was arrested shortly after the shooting of President Kennedy in Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas and charged with murdering the president the next day, but he insistently denied this charge. In 1964 when the Warren Commission, established by President Lyndon Johnson to look into the assassination of his predecessor, issued its official report on the matter, the conclusion was that in all likelihood Oswald acted alone.

In his 1991 bestselling book, Plausible Denial: Was the CIA Involved in the Assassination of JFK?, lawyer and investigative journalist Mark Lane offered a compelling challenge to the official government account of JFK’s death. He told how, in a Florida court case in which he was involved in 1985, veteran CIA agent E. Howard Hunt sued Spotlight magazine for an allegedly libelous article claiming that he was present in Dallas on November 22, 1963 and played a role in the assassination of President Kennedy. The magazine was found not guilty. Hunt had not acted alone but was part of a carefully orchestrated, super-secret plot to murder Kennedy and plant false evidence incriminating Oswald that involved half a dozen CIA operatives. Their reason for doing so was apparently to retaliate for the president’s determination to reform the Central Intelligence Agency and put a stop to the agency’s illegal activities around the world, such as the unsuccessful 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion in which it attempted to overthrow Fidel Castro. Kennedy was also conducting successful negotiations with the Soviet Union, leveling off the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, and planning to withdraw all American troops from Vietnam by 1965. These developments clashed with the agenda of the U.S. political establishment at the time, dominated by hard-line anti-Communists, who insisted on military might and clandestine subversive activities to bring down the Soviet Union.

So what does all this have to do with the attack on Mrs. Giffords? As with the Kennedy assassination, the official story we are being served by our government and media about the attempt on the congresswoman may be a cover story, not the true story. A powerful government establishment engineered the Kennedy assassination, almost fifty years ago; it is possible that scheming forces within the Washington establishment of our own time may have orchestrated this new act of political violence.

Both the JFK assassination and the Giffords assault are acts of domestic terrorism. As defined in my book America’s Back-Door Enemy, terrorism is violence carried out with a political motivation. If our government establishment played some role in the attack on Representative Giffords, it may have had the following motivation for doing so: Cast the rising Republican Tea Party movement—which threatens the establishment power—as extremist, bigoted, and hateful, thereby weakening it and undermining its reputation. The Tea Party stands for traditional values, an end to abortion, lower taxes, smaller government, and fiscal responsibility—all of which are anathema to the Obama administration. The Washington establishment cannot stop the peaceful Republican revolution from taking over America, but it can at least attempt to frighten and discredit the movement and tarnish its image ahead of the presidential election next year.

The violent, godless and evil ideals ascribed to Jared Lee Loughner could not be further from those of the new American popular movement. It is peaceful, positive, upright, and God-fearing in its aims and in the means to achieve them. Violence against other human beings is destructive and wrong, no matter who carries it out.

2011: A New Year, New Hope

2010 was quite a productive year for me. Among other things, I worked hard on the draft of my second book; learned how to use music software to write piano arrangements of my favorite hymns; undertook studies of creation theology, English literature and astronomy; grew corn, tomatoes, watermelon and cilantro in my garden, some of which I dried and put away for the winter; learned how to take care of ducks; had my computer's hard drive replaced; churned out a few articles about healthcare, the elections and solar flares; joined Twitter; and learned how to upload YouTube videos to my blog. I'm thankful to God for all the good things He gave me this past year.

2011 promises to be an even better year. After being dead for two years, my dad's irrigation design and drafting business is starting to come back. When things get busier I'll be able to help him with the business. My dad designs irrigation systems, mostly for residential areas; his main client is a landscape architect in southern California. In addition to helping him as needed, I look forward to continuing my studies, writing and music writing.

I think it was in a post last January that I said I'd report the results of niche marketing for my book on terrorism. Well, the result is that there was very little interest in the book this year. I'm sure that there are a number of reasons for this, including the difficult economy, an unpleasant subject matter, and a decline of interest in the subject of American foreign policy since the Bush administration passed on. Yet regardless of how many people buy the book, it contains an important message for the American people about what terrorism is and how to combat it, and how some of our politicians have deceived us regarding the true nature of "Islamic" terrorism. Should anyone be interested to read it, the book -- America's Back-Door Enemy: Unmasking the Unknown Terrorists -- is still available from Tate Publishing here as well as on Amazon.com and other book sites. You may also find the book at your local library or bookstore; check and see if they have it.

Details about my second book are coming soon.

May God bless you in 2011!

Know Your Enemies

Pope Benedict XVI recently concluded the Synod of Bishops on the Middle East, a special meeting that was convened by the Holy See to discuss resolution of conflict in the Holy Land. Their final document, issued Saturday, as well as the Synod itself, have been attacked in some quarters for promoting anti-Israeli sentiment.

You need to read my book, America's Back-Door Enemy: Unmasking the Unknown Terrorists, to understand why this is happening. There is a small group of people in the United States and Israel who have been completely passed over in the War on Terrorism. I found out who they are and what they are doing. Like Muslim terrorists, they are religious fanatics. However, they are more sophisticated, more powerful, better financed and more deadly than their Islamic counterparts. These unknown terrorists and their sponsors operate with impunity. They have no conscience and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. And they are viciously attempting to destroy all hope for peace in the Middle East.

Well-researched and written in a clear, concise style, America's Back-Door Enemy lifts the lid on these heretofore anonymous enemies of the United States, Israel and the peoples of the Middle East.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend...

...And don't forget to check out America's Back-Door Enemy!

Terrorism is in the News Again

Terrorism is in the news again lately. The US sent a drone plane into Pakistan to kill terrorists suspects responsible for the failed bomb plot in Times Square. It seems that Pakistan is emerging as the central front in the War on Terrorism. The well-researched book America's Back-Door Enemy: Unmasking the Unknown Terrorists offers some clues as to why this is so.

In 2001 the US went into Afghanistan, overthrew the Taliban regime and chased Osama bin Laden out of his cherished hiding place. So far so good. But one problem is that the Taliban never really went away. Its ringleaders regrouped, recruited thousands of new followers from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, and returned to the heart of Afghanistan to wage an ongoing guerrilla war against US troops. Now the Taliban movement is a force of many thousand strong with a permanent base in Pakistan. Another problem is that Osama bin Laden has apparently been hiding out in Pakistan for years, aiding and abetting the Taliban with his prodigious financial resources and anti-American speechmaking capabilities. In fact, the Taliban has supplanted al-Qaeda as the world's most notorious terrorist entity. This is really not surprising, since the two organizations are closely related; both are rooted in Islamic extremist doctrine; both originated in Afghanistan and have received steady support from bin Laden; even their insignia are almost identical. Why is bin Laden still at large and continuing to fund and support terrorism after all this time?

You'll find some answers to these perplexing questions in America's Back-Door Enemy. I spent years writing this book. Probing beneath the headlines, I tried to gather all the information I could about terrorism and present it in a single, coherent, readable book so that the average person could gain a better understanding of terrorism and the War on Terrorism. In doing so, I discovered an enemy behind the enemy: Traitors to our country, right here in the United States; agents of a foreign power attempting to subvert and destroy our nation. Their wicked religious extremist movement helped bring international Islamic terrorism into existence, and it is essential for the United States to destroy their movement in order to destroy Islamic terrorism. I published this urgent information about a secret enemy for the good of my country, because I love my country. I hope it will do some good. If you're interested, you can find the book in the right-hand sidebar of this blog by scrolling down just a bit from the top.

Update: America's Back-Door Enemy

It's time for an update on my book about terrorism. Tate Publishing has started the niche marketing phase of promotion for America's Back-Door Enemy. This is a part of book marketing that I have been especially looking forward to. Niche marketing targets the specific audience I had in mind when writing the book--namely, Catholics as well as other Christians and people who are interested in reading about the subjects of terrorism, U.S. foreign policy, and international relations from a well-grounded moral perspective--as opposed to merely informing local media outlets in my area about the book, as was done in an earlier phase of marketing. Thus a niche strategy has the potential to be much more effective in selling my book than general marketing. At a later date, an even more specific phase of marketing will target individual bookstores around the United States.

I have worked with my marketing rep to plan a unique niche strategy for America's Back-Door Enemy, and now he is carrying it out. We'll see what happens, and I'll let you know the results in a future post.

Get the Scoop on Counterterrorism

My sense of deja vu is starting to get overwhelming. This afternoon, I read an Internet news report from Reuters about President Obama's expected announcement of some changes in his administration's counterterrorism policy. This comes after an attempted Christmas Day transatlantic airliner bombing, alleged to have been plotted by a 23-year-old Nigerian suspect en route from Amsterdam to Detroit. Apparently, this man (named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab) was in cahoots with al-Qaeda operatives in the Middle Eastern country of Yemen, yet despite this fact, somehow slipped through cracks between intelligence agencies and managed to smuggle explosives onto a commercial civilian airplane headed for the United States.

Something doesn't add up! What's wrong with this picture?

Well, for starters, the Bush administration was supposed to have fixed any lingering communication problems among U.S. intelligence agencies that might have allowed a terrorist to proceed this far with his plot. The USA PATRIOT Act, a landmark piece of legislation enacted in 2001, broke down virtually all barriers between U.S. intelligence, defense, police, security, investigation, and immigration departments, enabling and requiring these different agencies to share any and all terrorism-related information with one another. Thus an all-new network infrastructure was formed that should intercept terrorists long before their plans reach execution stage. Add to this the War on Terrorism, military action against al-Qaeda, the Department of Homeland Security, and better passenger screening at airports, and you have a thick, interlocking series of nets designed with the official purpose of catching terrorists and disrupting their activities.

President Obama talked tough against terrorism and boldly pledged to continue his Republican predecessor's War on Terrorism as he took office in January 2009. All was more or less quiet on the terrorism front until December, when the recent incident threw the issue of terrorism back into the spotlight. Now Republicans are charging President Obama with weak and inadequate counterterrorism policies, and the president himself seems to be admitting that they are right with his announcement of some changes to those policies. But is President Obama really to blame for the latest terror fiasco?

It is worth noting that high-profile terrorist attacks marked each year of the Bush administration (9/11, 2001; Bali, Indonesia, 2002; Istanbul, Turkey, 2003; Madrid, Spain, 2004; London, 2005; Iraq, 2006; Algeria, 2007; Mumbai, India, 2008). Moreover, in 2006 alleged al-Qaeda suspects came frighteningly close to carrying out a well-engineered and coordinated effort to bomb multiple transatlantic airliners flying from Britain to the United States.

U.S. counterterrorism debacles even date back to the Clinton administration, during which terrorists attacked the basement of the World Trade Center (February 26, 1993); attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II with a bomb on his plane to the Philippines (1995); Osama bin Laden established al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan (1996-98); and U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were simultaneously bombed (August 7, 1998).

Perhaps the most spectacular counterterrorism failure that runs through the past three administrations is the seeming ability of Osama bin Laden to escape justice as long as he pleases. Acting upon U.S. intelligence regarding bin Laden's location, President Clinton fired cruise missiles at bin Laden's training camps in Afghanistan in an attempt to kill the infamous terrorist leader and financier himself in 1998, but for some reason the missiles missed their target. Bin Laden remained on the run thruout most of the Bush administration, yet somehow we never managed to capture him. He survived our multilateral invasion of Afghanistan and overthrow of the illicit Taliban regime, which had been his host government, and continued to crank out televised speeches denouncing our foreign policy. Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence reports indicated that bin Laden was hiding out somewhere in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, yet his exact location was never conclusively identified. Senator Barack Obama and his running mate, Senator Joe Biden, capitalized politically on this failure in their 2008 run for president by promising a repeat of the Clinton strategy to deal with bin Laden: raining a trio of nuclear missiles on Pakistan if Osama is found there. As of this writing, America's no. 1 Most Wanted Terrorist is still at large.

Ironically, during the Bush administration, Democrats blamed the terrorist crimes and attempts on the president's overbearing, military counterterrorist policies. A similar attempt occurs during the Obama administration, and Republicans blame him for not being tough enough on terrorism. Our politicians have taken credit for what they didn't do right (in the case of President Bush) and apologized for what they didn't do wrong (in the case of President Obama). They have become accustomed to playing politics with terrorism, but this only heightens the urgency of the real issue. The issue is that the U.S. intelligence community--which includes the CIA, the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and dozens of sub-departments that serve them--seems to harbor a flaw that transcends political parties and presidencies. Moreover, this flaw has continued through four different CIA directors in the time period we are considering.

According to President Obama, intelligence agencies had the information necessary to prevent this terrorist attempt but failed to connect the dots. This is the same problem that has been plaguing the United States intelligence community since the Clinton years; it has resurfaced over and over again in Congressional reports, independent investigations, and the memoirs of senior officials from former administrations, during the past two decades. The question is, why has this vexing problem persisted with such remarkable regularity for almost twenty years through three different presidencies, including one that saw a complete revision and expansion of the federal government's counterterrorist system?

The suspect in our current terrorism case, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has a supposed connection with al-Qaeda in Yemen. This rather obscure country dominating the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula has some significance related to last month's foiled Christmas bombing. For one thing, it is the birthplace of Osama bin Laden. He was born in Hadramawt, a lonely desert region famous since antiquity for producing the world's finest frankincense, some of which was offered to the Baby Jesus by one of the biblical wise men. Unfortunately, this nation that yielded a gift for the Prince of Peace has become a place where certain terrorists plot to kill innocent human beings in the name of freedom. Its extremely hot, dry climate, low population, limited government and ill-defined borders with neighboring countries render it amply suitable for clandestine subversive activities. Yemen has a fair amount of political instability in its history. During part of the Cold War, this region was divided into two nations, one under Communist rule (South Yemen) and one free (North Yemen). While popular dissatisfaction affected both republics, terrorist incidents climaxed in the years following the reunification of Yemen in 1990.

While not the center of al-Qaeda's presence, Yemen serves as an al-Qaeda outpost. The Arabian nation is also a major ally of the United States, commanding a strategic position for ships and warplanes between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Every year we give a good deal of financial and military support to Yemen's government, and Yemen in return looks out for our oil interests in the Persian Gulf; allows us to maintain military bases for our fighter jets on its soil; and allows our Navy ships to dock in port there. On October 12, 2000, suicide bombers--allegedly members of al-Qaeda--detonated a small boat laden with explosives near the U.S.S. Cole as it refueled in the port of Aden, killing seventeen Americans and injuring 35 others. This terrorist attack also happened during the Clinton administration. Yet if Yemen is our ally, another question emerges: Why is al-Qaeda still alive and well there today?

As we review the above examples, it becomes increasingly evident that neither Republican nor Democratic presidents are at fault for the string of lapses in security against terrorism in recent years. Nor have the U.S. military, intelligence agencies, security forces, or immigration officials necessarily been culpable for these failures. Something else is going on that renders the United States itself incapable of preventing certain terrorist attacks and plots that would seem to be easily preventable. America has a back-door enemy. Her federal government, military headquarters, and even intelligence agencies have been infiltrated by agents of a foreign power. While our politicians play politics with terrorism, these spies have quietly hijacked our government and are stealthily moving the pieces in a much more deadly, secret game.

You can find out which foreign power this is, its effect on our government and intelligence agencies, the organizations its agents belong to, the unique religious extremist philosophy they follow, and what the object of their game is, if you read my book, America's Back-Door Enemy: Unmasking the Unknown Terrorists. Scrupulously researched and authoritatively written with over 500 references, this book will help you make sense of the confusing picture of terrorism and America's response to it. Available on Amazon, at your local bookstore and direct from the publisher.

Controversy over the 9/11 Trials

On Tuesday, December 3, I received the following communique from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights:

SATURDAY DECEMBER 5th
RALLY IN FOLEY SQUARE STOP THE TERROR TRIAL IN NYC!
NEW YORKERS TO ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER: “WE WILL FIGHT YOU ALL THE WAY!”

The 9/11 Never Forget Coalition http://www.911neverforget.us/, a diverse group of 9/11 victims, family members, first responders, active and reserve members of the military, veterans, and concerned Americans, will hold a December 5th rally protesting the plan to bring the 9/11 terrorist conspirators to trial in New York City.

The Coalition formed to fight the decision of President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder to try the 9/11 co-conspirators in New York City’s federal court, effectively giving war criminals the same rights as American citizens while endangering the safety of all New Yorkers. Two weeks ago, we sent a letter signed by 300 family members of 9/11 victims to the President, Attorney General and Defense Secretary Robert Gates asking them to reverse course. The letter has now been signed by over 120,000 Americans and is posted at [such and such a website I do not wish to promote]. Please visit the site and add your signature.

What: Stop The Terror Trials in NYC Rally
Where: Foley Square, Manhattan
When: Saturday, December 5th
Time: 12 noon

...
###

Here is the letter I have sent to Catholic League president Bill Donohue in response:

Dear Mr. Donohue:

As a 23-year-old American Catholic author who has been on your email list for several years, I would like to express my gratitude for the existence and activity of the Catholic League. Although at times I may find your personal style a bit overbearing, I nonetheless appreciate your loyal defense of the rights of the Catholic Church in the United States; your robust leadership of this crucial organization; and your unshakable fidelity to the principle of fairness in representing Catholic interests in our radically secularist culture.

In virtually every case of anti-Catholic bias you have confronted in recent months, I have been heart and soul with the Catholic League's position and efforts, and have applauded your notable successes with Kentucky Christmas trees, Christopher Hitchens, and expelling abortion from a health care bill.

However, I must respectfully take issue with a press release I received yesterday from the League entitled, "RALLY IN FOLEY SQUARE STOP THE TERROR TRIAL IN NYC!" Here I feel the Catholic League has overstepped its bounds as the defender of our faith, since the issue in question has much to do with politics and little to do with the Catholic Church in the United States.

In the press release, you informed us that the 9/11 Never Forget Coalition will be holding a rally in New York City on December 5 to protest the trial of 9/11 terrorist suspects in a federal court there. You explained that the Coalition "formed to fight the decision of President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder to try the 9/11 co-conspirators in New York City’s federal court, effectively giving war criminals the same rights as American citizens while endangering the safety of all New Yorkers."

In my recently published book, America's Back-Door Enemy: Unmasking the Unknown Terrorists, I explain that terrorism--even on the horrific scale of 9/11--is a crime under U.S. law, not an act of war as the Bush administration contended. Therefore terrorist suspects remain noncombatants who have the same rights as other criminal suspects, including the right to a trial. This position is also in accord with international law, which our Holy Fathers John Paul II and Benedict XVI as well as our Catholic bishops have consistently urged us to abide by in confronting terrorism.

As for the second problem you raise with the imminent 9/11 trial, it is difficult to see how weaponless terrorist suspects who have spent eight years in the Metropolitan Detention Center, and who will now be transferred to a civilian U.S. court building, all the while under surveillance and maximum security of law enforcement, can pose a tangible threat to the safety of New Yorkers. I even argue in my book that if the United States ever finds Osama bin Laden, he should be captured, publicly tried and convicted before receiving his just punishment.

I have arrived at these conclusions about terrorism and terrorists through much prayer, study and research (America's Back-Door Enemy contains over 500 references). Our Lord has entrusted to me a stewardship--valuable knowledge and the responsibility to act on that knowledge. Thus I cannot in good conscience align myself with the Catholic League in this matter, support the 9/11 Coalition, or sign the online petition.

I feel that in this case, you have allowed emotional partisan fervor to overwhelm clear thinkng and good judgment, resulting in the inappropriate involvement of a religious advocacy organization in a political issue that the Church regards as subject to the prudential judgment of our national leaders and the individual lay faithful.

I would be happy to discuss this issue further or answer any questions you may have. For more information about international "Islamic" terrorism and America's response to it from a Catholic perspective, I'd encourage you to check out America's Back-Door Enemy from Tate Publishing, available on Amazon and through your local bookstore.

In the meantime, please be assured of my continued prayers and support for the Catholic League and its mission. God bless you.

Justin Soutar

Radio Interview

I have some exciting news to share with all of you! On July 8 I received an invitation from the local radio station WCIT 940 AM in Lima, Ohio, to give an interview about my book America's Back-Door Enemy. My marketing agent informed me of the invitation through email and I accepted it yesterday.

The interview will be on Talk with Ron Williams this coming Wednesday, July 15, at 3:05 PM Eastern time. It will be conducted over the phone, so I won't even have to leave the house. Wonderful!

If you are not in the Lima area, you can listen to the interview live by logging onto WCIT's website, http://www.940wcit.com/, and clicking on the "Listen Live" icon. If you happen to miss the live broadcast, you can still listen to the interview by clicking on "Talk with Ron Williams" and then "Hour 1 of the July 15 Show."

I look forward to talking about my book with Ron, and I gladly appreciate your prayers that all goes well!

Breaking News: Book Officially Released

On June 23, my first book America's Back-Door Enemy: Unmasking the Unknown Terrorists was officially released by Tate Publishing & Enterprises. This was a proud day for me as a young author, and roughly coincided with my four-year anniversary of beginning to write the book. (I started the first draft manuscript in early June 2005, although I cannot remember the exact date.)

From my viewpoint as author, the release date represents the culmination of a long and involved process that includes researching, writing, rewriting, submitting, finding a publisher, editing, and getting a book published. But for the staff at the publisher, things are only just beginning. They accepted the manuscript, helped me prepare it for publication, printed the book, prepared it for distribution, and developed a marketing strategy to get bookstores interested in the book. Now, finally, Tate Publishing can begin marketing and distributing the book to thousands of bookstores across the United States, giving it a chance to succeed.

There's a lot more to it than that, but it all boils down to this: As of June 23, America's Back-Door Enemy is now widely accessible through both traditional and online bookstores.

1. The book is available from Borders, Barnes & Noble or your local bookstore if that store is plugged into the Ingram/Spring Arbor distribution system (more than 25,000 bookstores in the U.S. are part of this system). If this store does not happen to have the book in stock, you may order it through them and expect delivery within a few weeks.

2. The book is available on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Target.com and other websites.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions regarding the book and my blog.

...And Here Is My First Book!

(Photo courtesy Tate Publishing)

I'm excited to inform you that my first book, America's Back-Door Enemy: Unmasking the Unknown Terrorists, has finally been published! It is now available from Tate Publishing & Enterprises at http://www.tatepublishing.com/. It is also available in the form of an audio book (set of CDs) and as an electronic book (e-book) that you can read on your computer.

Based on two years of extensive independent research, America's Back-Door Enemy offers a fresh look at terrorism and America's response to it. Starting with the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, it begins to explain what terrorism is, what Osama bin Laden is really up to, how the Taliban sheltered al-Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan, why the United States invaded Iraq, and much more. Also, as the title implies, this book lifts the lid on a conspiracy involving certain members of the U. S. and Israeli governments--a conspiracy in which terrorism is exploited to serve their own political and financial ends. All this and more is discussed from the clear moral perspective of Catholicism and America's Founding Fathers.

Stay tuned for more information about the book in upcoming posts. In addition, I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have about the book.