“No one wants to abandon the Israelis. But I think the perception is, and I think it's probably an accurate perception, that the tail is leading the dog - that we are giving the Israelis carte blanche ability to exercise whatever they want to do in their area.” ThinkingWantGivingAbilityDogExercisePerceptionAreasAbandonAccurateTailsBlanche Author:Michael Scheuer
“It's not a choice between war and peace. It's a choice between war and endless war. It's not appeasement. I think it's better even to call it American self-interest.” ThinkingWarSelfChoicesInterestEndlessSelf InterestAppeasementEndless War Author:Michael Scheuer
“Well, there are certain pockets of improvement. The one that I think is most important is that state and local law enforcement levels have started to do a lot more educative efforts within their organizations to understand the kind of threat we're facing. They've given up on the federal level.” ThinkingWellsKindImportantStatesLawCertainGivenLevelsEffortOrganizationThreatImprovementLocalsPocketsLaw EnforcementEnforcementGiven Up Author:Michael Scheuer
“The FBI continues to be a broken, anachronistic organization, but state and local law enforcement officials are much more attuned to the kind of threat we're facing. I think that's very hopeful, but it's a long-term process.” ThinkingKindLongStatesLawProcessTermBrokenOrganizationThreatLocalsLong TermOfficialsHopefulLaw EnforcementEnforcementFbi Author:Michael Scheuer
“I think the world is more perilous and America is basically undefended. For me the two touchstones after 9/11 for domestic security were our borders. Not for discriminatory reasons or to stop immigration, but simply to allow law enforcement to find out who is in our country without facing an undocumented pool of aliens that increases by the hour.” ThinkingWorldTwoCountryReasonAmericaLawHoursSecurityIncreaseImmigrationOur CountryAliensBordersPoolLaw EnforcementEnforcementTouchstones Author:Michael Scheuer
“The second touchstone for America I think unquestionably was pushing to conclusion the program we had with the Russians to control the Soviet nuclear arsenal. I tend to think that more than anything else, that will come back to haunt us.” ThinkingAmericaProgramNuclearConclusionPushingSovietArsenalTouchstones Author:Michael Scheuer
“Every mujahadeen who comes in from outside the country finds an environment where Arabic is spoken. So in that sense, it's a tremendous come-on for the young in Islam. But I think much more important is, it just validates so much of what the Muslim world is predisposed to believe.” ThinkingWorldBelieveImportantCountryYoungEnvironmentIslamMuslim World Author:Michael Scheuer
“I think you can take the recent war in Lebanon as a very good example of how this plays. The Americans and their allies clearly stood back - clearly in the eyes of Muslims - and basically said to the Israelis, "Do what you need to do, and we'll hold the ring for you and not call a cease-fire." That perception in the Muslim world very much played to the anti-American sentiment.” ThinkingWorldNeedsSaidWarPlayEyeFireExamplePerceptionVery GoodRingsCeaseSentimentsAlliesGood ExamplesLebanonMuslim WorldAnti-american Author:Michael Scheuer
“But more important, I think, is the criticism bin Laden has made publicly over the past 10 years that Muslim governments cannot even protect their own people. And more than that, they'll often collude with the infidels. And if you recall, the initial reaction of the Arab league was to criticize Hezbollah and damn Hezbollah for the war. And they eventually had to turn 180degrees and support Hezbollah.” PeopleIfsThinkingYearsMadeImportantWarGovernmentPastTurnsSupportProtectCriticismReactionsDamnLeagueCriticizeRecallsInitialsBin LadenOver The PastInfidelHezbollah Author:Michael Scheuer
“I don't know what our capabilities are. If I were there, I think it would be nutty to do that. The only country on Earth more containable than Iran is Iraq. And we've certainly made a mistake there. We could have continued Saddam.” IfsThinkingKnowsMadeCountryWould BeEarthMistakeIraqIranCapabilitySaddamMade A MistakeNutty Author:Michael Scheuer
“I think clearly Europe has a lot to worry about. When I was working at the CIA - and I always worked with a lot of European services - they always were very condescending toward the United States, saying that we are so racist vis-à-vis blacks and other people.” PeopleThinkingStatesUnitedWorryUnited StatesEuropeRacistCiaCondescending Author:Michael Scheuer
“Although my own view is that bin Laden does not want to stage an attack that looks like 9/11 in Europe simply because he does not want to be the agent of Trans-Atlantic reconciliation. I think they will continue to do attacks like Madrid, the British attack, the subway systems, because those attacks have proven that the European response so far has been to blame the domestic government, not to side with the Americans.” ThinkingWantLooksDoeHas BeensGovernmentSidesMy OwnViewsStageEuropeBlameResponseBritishAgentsProvenReconciliationBin LadenTransSubwayMadrid Author:Michael Scheuer
“I think we'll see it mostly in the United States. We're getting to the point where al Qaeda is ready to again attack us inside America. I think we're basically defenseless.” ThinkingStatesAmericaUnitedUnited StatesReadyAlsAl QaedaDefenseless Author:Michael Scheuer
“I think one of the most destructive things in terms of American security has been for all of our leaders, without exception in both parties, to identify Osama bin Laden as a gangster or as a madman, as an apocalyptic character who's out to destroy our civilization.” ThinkingHas BeensCharacterTermPartyLeaderSecurityCivilizationDestructiveExceptionBin LadenMadmenGangstersApocalypticOsama Bin Laden Author:Michael Scheuer
“I think what history will show is that one of the most tragic results of the war in Iraq will be that although Sharon, the Likudites, the Neoconservatives in our country, President Bush and the Democratic party thought the war in Iraq and destroying Saddam would benefit Israeli security, we're seeing absolutely that the war in Iraq has probably put Israeli security in a more tenuous condition than it's been in since the founding of the Israeli state.” ThinkingWarCountryStatesShowsPresidentResultsPartySeeingConditionsSecurityBenefitsDemocraticIraqOur CountryTragicDestroyingSaddamFoundingDemocratic PartyIsraeliPresident BushSharon Author:Michael Scheuer
“When you cut down to the micro-level in the West, I think we have a great deal to be worried about. And it's odd because the American leadership, again in both parties, tends to take comfort in the idea that bin Laden is just an inspirational symbol now.” ThinkingIdeasLevelsDealsPartyCuttingComfortWestSymbolsWorriedOddBin LadenAmerican Leadership Author:Michael Scheuer
“I think it's very instructive to look at a man like Ramsey Ahmad Yousef, who almost brought down the World Trade Center in 1993. He's short some fingers, his body is scarred, he's missing an eye - because he was practicing and not getting it right. But eventually they get it right.” ThinkingMenWorldLooksBodyEyeMissingTradeFingersWorld TradeWorld Trade Center Author:Michael Scheuer
“And so to dismiss these homegrown terrorists as boobs, which is one of the terms that was used in one of the New York newspapers after the Miami raid, is true now, but to bet on that is I think a sure way to lose your bank account.” ThinkingWayUsedTermLosesNew YorkAccountsTerroristNewspapersMiamiBank AccountsHomegrown Author:Michael Scheuer
“I also think that there is a huge failure in the American education system to educate Americans about where we, our system, our government, came from. And to some extent this failure is shared in places like Britain and Canada and Australia.” ThinkingGovernmentHugeBritainCanadaAustraliaEducateEducation SystemAmerican EducationAmerican Education System Author:Michael Scheuer
“What we face is a scared populace, and because it's scared, it's willing to put up with what I think are inevitably more moves toward the constriction of civil liberties, mobility within the country, the ability to travel overseas, all of those things we have long taken for granted.” ThinkingLongCountryFacesMovingAbilityLibertyTakenWillingScaredGrantedCivil LibertiesTaken For GrantedMobility Author:Michael Scheuer
“It's going to become clear that the impact of our policies rather than our way of life is what's attracting animosity and warfare on us. And I think there is going to be a surge from the bottom up that will begin to straighten things out. Because Americans, in the long run, are not going to want their daughters and their sons to die overseas so the al Saud family can continue raping Saudi Arabia's revenue.” ThinkingWayWantLongRunningLife IsDiesClearPolicySonDaughterImpactBottomAlsLong RunsWarfareRevenueArabiaSaudi ArabiaSaudisAnimosity Author:Michael Scheuer
“Israelis are wrong in not looking for a change in the relationship with the United States that would put it more in perspective - that we are the great power, they are the minor power. I don't think there are a great many American parents who will want to sacrifice their soldiers and children so Israel can maintain the West Bank. When that becomes clear, I think Israel's days are numbered as an ally that is never questioned or criticized.” ThinkingWantChildrenStatesParentUnitedUnited StatesClearSacrificePerspectiveWestSoldierIsraelGreat MenAlliesMinorsGreat Power Author:Michael Scheuer
“I don't believe in inevitability. But I think it's pretty close to being inevitable...Yes, I think it's probably a near thing.” ThinkingBelieveDon't BelieveTerrorismInevitableInevitability Author:Michael Scheuer
“Our leaders continue to say that we're making strong headway against this problem. And I think we are not.” ThinkingProblemStrongLeader Author:Michael Scheuer
“No one should be surprised when Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda detonate a weapon of mass destruction in the United States. I don't believe in inevitability. But I think it's pretty close to being inevitable.” ThinkingShouldBelieveStatesUnitedUnited StatesWeaponsMassDestructionDon't BelieveInevitableAlsBin LadenWeapons Of Mass DestructionMass DestructionAl QaedaInevitabilityOsama Bin Laden Author:Michael Scheuer
“A nuclear weapon of some dimension, whether it's actually a nuclear weapon, or a dirty bomb, or some kind of radiological device. Yes, I think it's probably a near thing.” ThinkingKindWeaponsNuclearDirtyBombsDimensionsDevicesNuclear WeaponsNasty Author:Michael Scheuer
“I think Mr. Clarke had a tendency to interfere too much with the activities of the CIA, and our leadership at the senior level let him interfere too much. So criticism from him I kind of wear as a badge of honor.” ThinkingKindLeadershipLevelsToo MuchHonorActivityCriticismTendenciesInterfereSeniorCiaBadges Author:Michael Scheuer
