re: #40 Political Atheist

I’m not at all sure it hands the enemy anything useful in the whole scheme of the terror war and the middle east. He killed 13. What makes his death more of a propaganda worry for us than an Al Qaeda fighter being killed by a US bullet or air strike? Lifetime incarceration can be exploited in agitprop.

Because it can be used to inspire¹ others to commit similar acts here to achieve “martyrdom”. I don’t think most non-Muslims can really get inside the head of a Muslim extremist the way a Muslim can.

You haven’t truly experienced its power until you’ve seen a 20-something convert’s eyes go all soft & glowing as he talks about wanting to be a martyr and see angels. You don’t have to just witness it, you have to understand the sincere belief behind it and how easy it is to twist that belief and manipulate someone.

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1. Don’t forget that “Inspire” is the name of AQ’s English language magazine, the same one that provided directions for making pressure cooker bombs like those used in Boston. They didn’t choose that name by accident.