May 10, 2010

53 Hours in the Life of a Near Disaster

Thomas & Hosenball, Newsweek


AP Photo

Frustrated sons of privilege, caught between East and West, sometimes make for dangerous militants. Mohamed Atta, the lead 9/11 hijacker, was the son of a Cairo lawyer and the grandson of a doctor. The so-called underwear bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, is the son of a wealthy Nigerian diplomat. Faisal Shahzad, too, appeared to be a fairly secularized, Westernized Pakistani. His father was once a high-ranking official in Pakistan's Air Force, and Faisal had become a U.S. citizen. But unknown to many who knew him superficially, his life was riven by tensions that propelled him toward terrorism.

 

Read Full Article ››

Related Topics: islamic radicalism, Faisal Shahzad, Terrorism

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES

May 14, 2012
The Spirit of Geert Wilders
Mark Steyn, National Review

When I was asked to write a foreword to Geert Wilders’ new book, my first reaction, to be honest, was to pass. Mr. Wilders lives under 24/7 armed guard because significant numbers of motivated people wish to kill him, and... more ››

May 6, 2012
In the Arab World, a Leadership Vacuum
Tom Friedman, New York Times

TRAVELING in the post-Awakening Arab world, I have been most struck by how few new leaders have emerged from the huge volcanic political eruption here. By new leaders, I don’t just mean people who win elections, I mean ... more ››