Warfare consists of attempts to deceive, inveigle, and obfuscate truth with the intention of gaining a strategic edge over an opponent. Presently, misinformation flows freely across the interwebs with many immediately believing the first statements they read or hear without further investigation. Naturally, the dangerous practice of failing to fully exhaust all avenues of research in order to obtain truth allows for a breeding ground of false ideologies. These faulty ideologies strangle truth, and a struggle for verity ensues. “For example, Seo’s (2014) analysis of Twitter images posted by the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas’ Alquassam Brigades during the November 2012 Gaza conflict showed that both sides used various themes and frames to emphasize casualties of their own side and to portray the other side as the aggressor”(Seo and Ebrahim). To clarify, the objective truth here was manipulated by individual parties with the intention to muddy the waters of accuracy. With this tactical hornswoggle in mind, this treatise will examine the terror attacks on the USS Cole, the terror attacks on 9/11 in the United States, and the claims made by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights organization that psychiatry is to blame for terrorism.
To open, political unrest in the Middle East that spiraled into a catastrophic series of tremendous tragedies can be directly linked to the September 11th, 2001, terror attacks in the United States of America. Cara Reed explains, “Islamic extremism was stirred by the Iranian Revolution, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the assassination of the Egyptian president. That extremism turned anti-American because of U.S. support for Israel and repressive and secular Arab regimes” (Reed).” Interestingly, world events which included revolution, war, and the murder of a nation’s president decades earlier set off a domino effect of permanent diplomatic changes throughout the countries of the world. Additionally, there is clear evidence in the reactions to these relations between nations that tie into the massive expansion of global terrorism.
The United States Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Terrorism Report – 2000-2001 explained, “Undeterred by its thwarted efforts to target U.S. and other interests in late 1999 during the millennial time frame, the Al-Qaeda terrorist network carried out two separate attacks against the United States in 2000 and 2001 (United States Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation).” A key takeaway here is the devotion to the cause that terrorist networks operate with. One further example of this “devoted cause” element is illustrated in each attack terrorists carry out. The terrorist attack on the USS Cole was no exception.
Will Lyman says:
“For six years at the center of the FBI’s counterterrorism effort, O’Neill and his team had built the evidence on the mounting bin Laden threat: failed plots to kill hundreds of Americans in Jordan, Ressam’s explosives headed to LAX, an aborted Al Qaeda plot to blow up another American warship, the USS The Sullivans, and now the Cole. The Yemenis finally agreed to let the FBI join in the interrogation of one of their most prominent suspects, Fahad al Quso. O’Neill and his agents believed al Quso knew about bin Laden’s desire to videotape the destruction of the Cole, and possibly a whole lot more. O’Neill worked his newly developed Yemeni police officials and old allies in the CIA.” (Kirk)
Without a doubt, this “devoted cause” factor is an angle investigators can utilize to piece together crucial bits of information.
In a Special Pentagon Briefing on October 12, 2000, at 3 PM Eastern Standard Time, Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen addressed the nation:
“At 5:15 this morning, Washington time, a large explosion blew a hole in the hull of the USS Cole as she was mooring at Aden, Yemen, to refuel. According to current reports, five sailors are dead, 36 are wounded, and 12 are still missing. These numbers are likely to change as we learn more. I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest sorrow for the sailors, who died defending our national interests, and to extend my condolences to their families. This is a sad day for America, for the Navy, and for the families of the lost and the wounded sailors.” (Special Pentagon Press Briefing:Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen )
Clearly, as shown in the quote above by Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen, the terrorist attack on the USS Cole caused massive damage along with the wounding and killing of many human beings. A strong argument can be made here that the timing of the terror attack required careful planning through surveillance. Correspondingly, the terrorists also had to have possessed well-defined knowledge of how to carry out their attack with the intent to murder. On September 30, 2004, the Yemen Times reported, “The Sana’a Penal Court sentenced two Yemeni al Qaeda militants to death on Wednesday and jailed and sentenced four others to prison terms ranging from five to 10 years for the 2000 bombing of the U.S. destroyer Cole, which killed 17 American sailors” (Al-Qadhi). Notably, a few months after this initial judicial verdict was issued, an appealed verdict was delivered. The Kuwait News Agency on February 5th, 2005 adds:
“The Yemeni court of appeals has overruled Saturday a death sentence against a key convict in the bombing attack on the U.S. navy destroyer USS Cole in October 2000, and confirmed another death verdict. The court overruled the death sentence against Jamal Badawi to 15 years in jail and confirmed a death sentence against Abdul-Raheem al-Nashiri, who is the alleged mastermind of the attack. Both were given death sentences by a special counter-terrorism court here last September 29.” (Kuwait News Agency-(KUNA)).
Given these points, in view of the Al-Qaeda attack on the USS Cole on October 12th, 2000, it can adamantly be stated that terrorism had expanded globally. The FBI notes, “Osama bin Laden—also known as Usama bin Laden—was a violent terrorist and mass murderer who used bombings and bloodshed to advance his extremist goals. After founding the terrorist organization al Qaeda, he engineered a series of attacks in multiple countries that killed thousands of men, women, and children, often ordinary citizens just going about their daily lives” (FBI).
As a result, without warning, the Al-Qaeda terrorist network carried out another attack on the United States. “On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four airliners in the eastern United States. They flew three of the planes into buildings: the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. They crashed the fourth plane in a field in rural Pennsylvania after passengers heroically rebelled. The horrific attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and injured thousands more” (FBI).
In the Frontline documentary film entitled, The Man Who Knew, Will Lyman comments:
“In the aftermath, what John O’Neill had come so tantalizingly close to discovering became clear. Some of it came from Yemen, from that suspect, al Quso. He told about a secret meeting in Malaysia attended by two Cole bombing conspirators, Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid Almidhar. They had been coming in and out of the U.S. on legal visas. They’d trained in American flight schools. They, too, had died on September 11th, piloting flight 77 as it crashed into the Pentagon.” (Kirk)
Accordingly, first responders were thrust into the midst of the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks.
NYPD Officer Joseph Lutrario recounts:
“We got to the World Trade Center in a matter of minutes. And then, my thought was to run in and get as many people out as I can. And uh, we were approached by a teacher holding a child. She said, “There’s a daycare center.” And we just started grabbing children. I wanted to get as many out as I possibly could. The last time I went in the building, or the second to last time I went in the building, there was only one child left to grab. He was around the age of my son at the time. And, he was absolutely panicking, and I ripped open my shirt and I just stuffed his head in. And then I ran into the south tower. And, I realized that something was happening cause the floor became like a total earthquake. I remember flying through the air and being in a dark place with very little room. And I had no idea that the entire building had fell. My initial thought was I’m dead. They’ll find me tomorrow and they’ll bury me the next day. And then, I said, “Who’s gonna raise my kids? If I can’t do it who’s gonna do it?” Sometime later, I remember a fireman and paramedics and they were reaching for me and moving these big pieces of steel. And I was able to squeeze out. My arm was out of its socket. They popped it back in and they wrapped it. Sometime later, we met up with our unit and my supervisor said, “Joe we gotta get you to a hospital, you know. Your arm is falling out of your body.” I said, “No, I’ll go when I need to go.”And I worked there three weeks straight. I had one good arm and two good legs. We had a job to do and that’s it.” (StoryCorps)
Unquestionably, the United States of America changed on September 11, 2001. Ending his address to the nation President George W. Bush said:
“America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism. Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.” This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world. Thank you. Good night, and God bless America.” (George W. Bush )
Specifically, as illustrated above, a series of world events decades earlier affected diplomacy across the globe. It was these very circumstances that set in motion the expansion of worldwide terrorism along with the “devoted cause” component necessary for such criminal groups to function. In addition to this, the premeditated surveillance, meticulous planning, intense training, and encouraged recruiting all combine to form terrorism’s warfare tactics that we are familiar with today. However, despite these absolute truths and accurate historical accounts, there are groups that seek to undermine the integrity of past events.
For instance, the organization known as the Citizens Commission on Human Rights has conducted interviews, put out propaganda films and even has its own museum proudly proclaiming that terrorism along with the attacks on 9/11, is solely the fault of psychiatry. The Chaos and Terror: Manufactured by Psychiatry Report and recommendations on the role of psychiatry in international terrorism journal published by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights submits, “Terrorism is created, not human nature. Suicide bombers are made, not born. Ultimately, terrorism is the product of madmen bent on destruction, and these madmen are typically the result of psychiatric or psychological techniques aimed at mind and behavioral control” (Eastgate) Evidently, the position taken by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights distorts the truth with the intention of circumventing history.
In 1998 ABC News reporter John Miller interviewed Osama bin Laden:
“JOHN MILLER, ABC News: Mr. bin Laden, you’ve issued a fatwa calling on Muslims to kill Americans where they can, when they can. Is that directed at all Americans, just the American military, just the Americans in Saudi Arabia?
OSAMA BIN LADEN: [subtitles] We do not have to differentiate between military and civilian. As far as we are concerned, they are all targets, and this is what the fatwa says.” (Smith and Bergman)
Explicitly, by Osama bin Laden’s own words prior to 9/11 he was following his interpretation of his specific beliefs. There is no transparent evidence here in the words of Osama bin Laden that demonstrates he was influenced by psychiatry or any form of psychological behavioral control.
Apart from this, in the third public hearing of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States on July 9th, 2003, Steven Emerson commented:
“Although Al-Qaeda carried out the horrific terrorist attack of 9/11, the larger problem the US faces is the militant Islamic culture and mindset that gave birth to Al-Qaeda. In this regard, Al-Qaeda is shorthand for a much larger religious phenomena – militant Islamic fundamentalism – that has spawned violence and terrorism against the United States, the West or western-allied states that are deemed to be the “enemies of Islam.” Within the framework of militant Islamic fundamentalism, a culture of violent “jihad” has become a common denominator, sanctioning violence and terrorism against moderate and secular Muslims, Americans, Westerners, Christians, Jews, and other “infidels.” (Emerson)
To enumerate, psychiatry was not behind the 9/11 terror attacks. It was the militant Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda following fierce “jihad” fundamentalism.
Conversely, in a 2009 interview, the president and spokesman for the Citizens Commission on Human Rights mentioned that psychiatry was used to take over Osama bin Laden.
Dave Figueroa stated:
“To take a person who’s very religious, and turn them into a killing machine against their will… you need something behind that, you need something fairly powerful. And psychiatrists employ drugs and conditioning techniques in order to change people from what they normally would be into killing machines. And the terrorist factions that we hear about on TV, behind those individual acts of mayhem, you find psychiatrists, psychologists, and their drugs.” (Forsloff)
In light of this, Carol Forsloff mentions the president of the Citizens Commission for Human Rights from the same interview went on to proclaim, “The important thing about Ayman al-Zawahiri, believed to be bin Laden’s chief lieutenant, says Figueroa, is that “he’s a psychiatrist” (Forsloff). Particularly, in addition to this, Freedom Magazine published by the Church of Scientology International issued an article entitled, The Continuing Search for Answers Behind the Terror A Probe into Masterminds of Death and Violence. The authors of the article Thomas G. Whittle & Linda Amato mention, “The exact methods utilized by al-Zawahiri to influence bin Laden are as yet unknown, but more than one source has reported that the doctor is also a psychiatrist” (Whittle and Amato).
Chiefly, upon further examination, the claim made by Dave Figueroa that Ayman al-Zawahiri was a psychiatrist is entirely false. According to Ed Blanche, “Al-Zawahiri was born on 9 June 1951 in Cairo. His father, a pharmacology professor at Cairo University’s medical school, died in 1995. Ayman graduated from the same school in 1974 and later obtained a master’s degree in surgery” (Blanche). Additionally, the Foundation for Investigative Journalism observes, “Ayman later became a founding member of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ). He landed in jail again under suspicion of EIJ’s involvement in assassinating Anwar el-Sadat, the President of Egypt, in 1981. Ayman knew about the plot against Sadat some hours earlier but failed to stop the assassination” (Adeiye). Markedly, as previously established, the assassination of the Egyptian president is one of the events that caused political unrest in the Middle East which is linked to the terror attacks on 9/11. Moreover, the truth is that Ayman Al-Zawahiri’s beliefs were similar to the beliefs of Osama bin Laden. Interestingly, it was “jihad” that was the connecting factor, not psychiatry.
Steven Emerson remarks:
“Al-Qaeda’s culture of “jihad‘ engenders a breeding ground for new acts of international terrorism. Al-Qaeda and other Islamic terrorist movements are entirely dependent on their potent ideological message to attract fresh recruits. Under the guise of a social program, Islamic radical movements generate moral and political support in Muslim communities worldwide. The jihadist ideology mandates that “true” believers oppose the “enemies” of Islam and spread Islamic sovereignty, thus breeding violence and terrorism.” (Emerson)
Furthermore, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s biography on Osama bin Laden points out, “In 1988, after Soviet forces were defeated and withdrew from Afghanistan, bin Laden founded an organization called al Qaeda, or “the Base,” to continue the cause of jihad (holy war) through violence and aggression” (FBI). As a result, the FBI goes on to mention that, “Bin Laden and other members of al Qaeda also began issuing fatwas—rulings on Islamic law—indicating that attacks on the U.S. and its citizens were both proper and necessary. Bin Laden later openly declared war on the United States” (FBI).
As demonstrated, the claims made by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights that psychiatry is to blame for terrorism including the attacks on 9/11 are pure fabrication. Equally important, the CCHR has its museum in California called, “Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Museum” (Citizens Commission on Human Rights ). In an article explaining the exhibits within the CCHR museum Glen Coco writes, “Under a giant photo of the exploding towers, text explains how evil psychiatrists were responsible for 9/11:
“Osama bin Laden and his terrorist group, al-Qaeda, perpetrated the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. One of Bin Laden’s top aides is Egyptian psychiatrist Ayman al-Zawahiri, known as “Bin Laden’s brain.” (Coco)
Undoubtedly, the claims made by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights that Ayman al-Zawahiri was a psychiatrist are clearly complete canards. By the same token, a deeper look into who founded and continues to fund the Citizens Commission on Human Rights reveals the Church of Scientology. On the CCHR website, in the very back of the downloadable booklet entitled, The Chaos and Terror: Manufactured by Psychiatry Report and recommendations on the role of psychiatry in international terrorism, it states, “This publication was made possible by a grant from the United States International Association of Scientologists Members’ Trust” (Citizens Commission on Human Rights ). Correspondingly, the Freedom Magazine published by the Church of Scientology International has done so “since 1968” (Church of Scientology International ). Finally, on the Church of Scientology website it reads, “Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a nonprofit charitable mental health watchdog organization established by the Church of Scientology in 1969, is dedicated to eradicating psychiatric abuses and ensuring patient protections” (Church of Scientology ). With all of this in mind, it should be noted that, since the end of the 1960s the Church of Scientology has formed its own clever facades in the form of watchdog organizations, print media, and exhibits in order to deceive, inveigle, and obfuscate the truth. In brief, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights and the Church of Scientology are organizations that are not to be trusted or looked upon as sound agents of truth.
Ultimately, deception will never win its’ fight over truth. In 1904, The Christian Work and the Evangelist printed, “The way the news from the seat of war is stated one day, reiterated the next day and “authoritatively contradicted” the day following forcibly illustrates the fact that truth often takes slow trains in war times and arrives at the station much behind time” (The Christian Work & The Evangelist). Indeed, truth is essential in all things. Today, disinformation runs rampant, but the truth is always revealed. Research and seek the truth. Stand on the platform of honesty. I Corinthians 13:6 of the King James Version proclaims, “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;” (Holy Bible). Let it be so. Be blessed.
Works Cited
Adeiye, Joseph. He Was a Surgeon, Yet a Killer. How Ayman al-Zawahiri Became ‘World’s Most Wanted Terrorist’. 03 August 2022. Web Article. 27 September 2023. <https://fij.ng/article/he-was-a-surgeon-yet-a-killer-how-ayman-al-zawahiri-became-worlds-most-wanted-terrosrist/>.
Al-Qadhi, Mohammed. Two Yemenis sentenced to death for USS Cole attack . 30 September 2004. Website . 29 September 2023. <https://yementimes.com/two-yemenis-sentenced-to-death-for-uss-cole-attack-archives2004-777-front-page/>.
Blanche, Ed. Ayman Al-Zawahiri: attention turns to the other prime suspect. 03 October 2001. Web Archive. 27 September 2023. <https://web.archive.org/web/20060424142843/http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jir/jir011003_1_n.shtml>.
Church of Scientology . Bringing Reform to Mental Health – Citizens Commission on Human Rights. n.d. Website. 09 Ocotber 2023. <https://www.scientology.org/how-we-help/citizens-commission-on-human-rights/#slide10>.
Church of Scientology International . Church of Scientology’s Freedom Magazine: 25th Anniversary | Freedom Magazine. 2008. Website. 09 October 2023. <https://www.freedommag.org/english/25thanni/index.htm>.
Citizens Commission on Human Rights . Official Report: Behind Terrorism: Psychiatry Manipulating Minds. 2004. Web Document . 27 September 2023. <https://www.cchr.org/cchr-reports/behind-terrorism/introduction.html>.
Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Museum. n.d. Website. 09 October 2023. <https://www.cchr.org/about-us/cchr-industry-of-death-museum.html>.
Coco, Glen. Scientologists Really, Really Hate Psychiatrists. 09 January 2013. Website. 07 October 2023. <https://www.vice.com/en/article/nn4mx7/scientologists-really-really-hate-psychiatrists>.
Eastgate, Jan. “Official Report: Behind Terrorism: Psychiatry Manipulating Minds.” 2004. Citizens Commission on Human Rights, CCHR — Nonprofit Mental Health Watchdog. Web Document . 27 September 2023. <https://www.cchr.org/cchr-reports/behind-terrorism/introduction.html>.
Emerson, Steven. “National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States-Seteven Emerson Statement .” 09 July 2003. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. Web Document . 06 October 2023. <https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/hearings/hearing3/witness_emerson.htm>.
FBI. Osama bin Laden. n.d. Website . 27 September 2023. <https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/osama-bin-laden>.
Forsloff, Carol. Scientologist Proclaims 9/11 Attacks Result of Psychiatry. 08 February 2009. Website. 04 September 2023. <https://web.archive.org/web/20091227172711/http://www.digitaljournal.com:80/article/266842>.
George W. Bush . Statement by the President in His Address to the Nation . 11 September 2001. Website . 05 October 2023. <https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010911-16.html>.
Holy Bible. 2023. 10 Ocotber 2023. <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I+corinthians+13%3A6&version=KJV>.
Kirk, Michael. Transcript:The Man Who Knew. Ed. Michael Kirk. 03 October 2002. Michael Kirk and Jim Gilmore. Website. 20 September 2023. <https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/showsknew/>.
Kuwait News Agency-(KUNA). Yemen Court Rules in USS COle bomb trial appeal . 2005 February 2005. Website. 29 September 2023. <https://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1556012&language=en#>.
Reed, Cara. What caused 9/11 — and the consequences that linger. 14 August 2020. Website. 27 September 2023. <https://www.osu.edu/impact/research-and-innovation/hahn-september-11>.
Seo, Hyunjin and Husain Ebrahim. “Visual propaganda on Facebook.” Media, War & Conflict 9.3 (2016): 227-251. Journal Article. 27 September 2023 . <http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1750635216661648>.
Smith, Martin and Lowell Bergman. “Transcript-Looking For Answers.” 11 October 2001. Transcript | Looking For Answers | FRONTLINE | PBS. Ed. Martin Smith, et al. Website . 06 October 2023. <https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/terrorism/etc/script.html>.
Special Pentagon Press Briefing:Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen . “DefenseLINK News: DoD News Briefing with Secretary Cohen and Admiral Clark involving USS Cole.” 12 October 2000. Web Archive -DefenseLINK News: DoD News Briefing with Secretary Cohen and Admiral Clark involving USS Cole. Web Document. 29 September 2023. <https://web.archive.org/web/20010608094409/http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2000/t10122000_t012cole.html>.
StoryCorps. Joseph Lutrario. 08 November 2007. Video Transcript. 27 September 2023. <https://storycorps.org/stories/joseph-lutrario/>.
The Christian Work & The Evangelist. “Things of To-Day.” The Christian Work & The Evangelist. Vol. 76 Number 1937. New York : Bible House , 1904. 457-458 Column 1. Google Books . <https://books.google.com/books?id=u4NPAAAAYAAJ&q=%22war+times%22#v=snippet&q=%22war%20times%22&f=false>.
United States Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Terrorism Report – 2000-2001.” 2004. FBI Documents. U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 2004–306-694. Website Document. 27 September 2023. <https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/stats-services-publications-terror-terror00_01.pdf/view>.
Whittle, Thomas G. and Linda Amato. Searching for Answers Behind the Terror | Freedom Magazine. 1999-2008. Web Article . 04 September 2023. <https://www.freedommag.org/english/vol34i1/page02.htm>.
