Daveed Gartenstein-Ross writes about the new TSA procedures as a triumph for al-Qaeda's goal of bankrupting the American economy:
The point is clear: Security is expensive, and driving up costs is one way jihadists can wear down Western economies. The writer encourages the United States "not to spare millions of dollars to protect these targets" by increasing the number of guards, searching all who enter those places, and even preventing flying objects from approaching the targets. "Tell them that the life of the American citizen is in danger and that his life is more significant than billions of dollars," he wrote. "Hand in hand, we will be with you until you are bankrupt and your economy collapses."
Unfortunately, the author, and the editors of Inspire, are all too right: The economics of this fight favor the terrorists, not those seeking to defend against terrorism. Although there is a tone of triumphalism to al Qaeda's latest statements -- and a clear attempt to spin its recent failures -- we would be foolish to ignore the group's warnings and its clearly articulated strategy.
Of all the arguments against the new TSA procedures, this is the one I find least persuasive. The TSA pegs its budget at $6.3 billion a year. According to the Congressional Research Service, the cost of military intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan is $5.4 billion and $5.7 billion per month, respectively. The original plan of bankrupting the American economy by luring the U.S. into prolonged military conflicts in the Muslim world seems to be working better than scaring the TSA into spending money on backscatter machines.
Whether or not the U.S. is terrorized by a terror attack on the cheap also depends on the resilience of the American people and the willingness of their political leaders to exploit fear for political gain. If you refuse to be terrorized, or be manipulated into being terrorized, the attack fails.
