Cheap Bombs Cost the West Billions

Al-Qaida is celebrating its failed parcel bomb attacks as successes. The objective, they say, was to cause maximum economic damage.

The terror organization al-Qaida on the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is celebrating its two failed parcel bomb attacks as great successes and say they are an example of its new strategy. As reported by the U.S. Islamic website watchdog Intelcenter on Saturday, AQAP has developed a new “pin-prick” strategy to replace major attacks along the lines of those carried out on Sept. 11, 2001.

Intelcenter quoted the English-language magazine “Inspire” in which the terror network referred to the parcel bombs originating in Yemen. The objective of that exercise was to cause maximum economic damage. “We don’t need a powerful attack to defeat America,” AQAP declared in the magazine article. Smaller attacks with fewer participants and shorter lead times are more easily accomplished.

“A $4,200 operation cost the West billions”

That’s how they intend to circumvent U.S. security measures. “This strategy of attacking the enemy with small but frequent operations is – as some call it – the strategy of a thousand cuts.” The parcel bombs destined for the U.S. are a part of this “Operation Hemorrhage,” the goal of which is to bleed the enemy to death. The mission only cost $4,200 but, they said, would certainly end up costing America and the West several billion dollars in new security expenditures.

AQAP claimed responsibility for the two parcel bombs shipped from Yemen at the end of October. Both were addressed to Jewish organizations in the United States. Both contained printer cartridges in which the high explosive PETN had been hidden.