Article

U.S. to Osama bin Laden: “Checkmate”

When death comes in the form of white power, imaginations run wild.
Charlie Gasner - The Crimson White (U. Alabama)

(U-WIRE) TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - I am not a particularly good chess player. Oh, sure, I know where all the pieces go, and I’ve won a few games against other novices. But put me up against anyone who knows what he’s doing and I’m sure to lose.

The best players — the ones who beat me most resoundingly — are the subtle ones. Their most brilliant moves are not the moves that actually capture my pieces but the moves that set the capture up. It’s impossible for me to tell what they’re trying to do as they shift pieces around, convincing me I should defend one position only to suddenly strike against a crucial position I had failed to consider. This is when I know I have lost the game. Are we about to reach a similar point in defending the country against terrorism?

A close friend and I were discussing the second phase of terrorist attacks against the United States, attacks that have taken the form of powdered anthrax in mailed letters. She thought the terrorists might have lost their edge. Osama bin Laden’s ultimate wish is for every “infidel” to die and for his brand of Islamic fundamentalism to rule the world. Anthrax seems like an impotent weapon with which to accomplish this goal.

Consider the recent wave of anthrax attacks. The effects, in terms of sheer body count, have been minimal. One person, a fairly elderly newspaper employee in Florida, has died of the disease. Several others have been infected but have been put on antibiotics so quickly their chances of complete recovery are almost 100 percent. It would be almost impossible to take out a key political leader with an anthrax-filled letter; the one sent to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle was opened by assistants and discovered before Daschle could get anywhere near it. If the goal is to kill as much of the U.S. government and as many American citizens as possible, it will not be accomplished through the mail.

But the anthrax attacks have had an effect far more important to the terrorists’ aims. Shortly after sending hijacked airplanes into buildings in New York and Washington, D.C., bin Laden released a video to the world announcing that “this is America filled with fear from the north, south, east, and west ... America will never taste security and safety,” until his demands are met.

Instead, America demonstrated unity and resolve after the airplane attacks, rallying around the government and the victims. Airport security has, at least in theory, been stepped up, and, most importantly, the element of surprise is gone. The chance of a repeat of the events of Sept. 11 is almost negligible. Even if more planes are hijacked, passengers will follow the lead of Flights 93 and 77 and keep the hijackers from accomplishing their mission.

When a “storm of planes,” as bin Laden put it, is the only concern, Americans who do not fly and do not work in tall buildings in large cities have reason to be concerned but no reason to fear for their own safety. At the time, bin Laden’s statement seemed like the rantings of a madman out of touch with reality. But the anthrax hysteria has given bin Laden a sick sort of vindication.

When death comes in the form of white powder, imaginations run wild. The Tuscaloosa Wal-Mart was closed for three hours on Friday when a shopper reported suspicious powder on a can. Similar scares have taken place all over the country; as of Tuesday, over 2,300 anthrax threats have been reported to the FBI since Oct. 1. A tiny fraction of them have been real. But one white powder is as frightening as the next.

The word “terrorism” has generally been taken to mean acts of destruction committed by enemies who operate in secret. But a true act of terror does not have to destroy anything physical to do its job. The cost-effectiveness of the anthrax scare is amazing. Fill 20 envelopes with anthrax, 2,000 with flour, pay for postage, and suddenly 250 million Americans are scared to open the mail and shop for groceries. Filled with fear from the north, south, east and west, indeed.

My friend is right. Osama bin Laden’s goal is indeed the destruction of American civilization and the death of all Americans. However, bin Laden is nothing if not a master tactician, and he knows that he does not have the resources to defeat America head-on. He will have to rely on misdirection. Effective strikes are much easier when your opponent is concentrating on something else.

Will a country paralyzed by anthrax be ready to face the real destruction soon to come that will bring bin Laden closer to his goal? It all depends on what sort of chess players we are.