In the days since the Boston Marathon bombing, one of the attacking brothers has been killed and the other is in the hospital, yet to be questioned. It is unknown what their motive was for the attack, but due to their Islamic linkage and Chechen origin, it could be calculated as an act of jihad.

This bombing on American soil is no doubt a tragedy, but will we learn from this incident and take the corrective measures necessary to ensure that such misfortune will not strike again?

Once the hospitalized Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is interrogated, and if a link is found between the attack and a terror group, the possibility does remain of deploying a small SOF contingent to eliminate those deemed responsible.

The sad truth is that with the freedom we enjoy in the United States, the threat will always remain for repetition of attacks similar to that of Boston and the World Trade Center Towers. The DHS and other agencies can make tighter restrictions, but they will never be able to completely eliminate the threat.

Whether or not the attacks came from a jihadist group or an individual, we must continue to study and research the U.S.’s number one enemy, Islamism. The publication called Inspire…and Inspire the Believers ,that is produced by Al-Malahem Media, is the official media group of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), could help ‘outsource’ jihad throughout the world.

The publication can be found in magazine and pdf format–both English and Arabic versions. Specifically in issue #9, which was released in May 2012, there are multiple articles on which places to strike the ‘infidel.’ The list is long and the places listed, not surprisingly, make the most sense if one wanted to enact the highest number of casualties. One excerpt speaks of events such as the Boston Marathon:

This for example… is when responding to a brutal practice carried out by America and her allied forces. The type of attack, which repels states and topples governments, is mass slaughter of the population. This is done by targeting human crowds in order to inflict maximum human losses. This is very easy since there are numerous such targets such as crowded sports arenas, annual social events, large international exhibitions, crowded market- places, sky-scrapers, crowded buildings… etc.

Were the individuals responsible for the attacks on Boston actually ‘inspired’ by the publication and did they use the tactics and strategies listed throughout the publication? Whether or not this is the case, it is important for the American public to educate themselves and their families about the ideology of our greatest enemy.

Inspire Issue #9. Read pages 23-24 and 26-39 if interested in the specifics of their tactics and strategies.

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