The eighth anniversary of 9/11 has come and gone with many a solemn tribute delivered by the families of the victims. AlQaeda still exists fueled by profits driven from poppy growers, opium extraction and the sale of heroin to many Western nations. The Taliban thrive on these profits taxing the growers of poppies and taxing the truck drivers who make their way across the border into Pakistan and then by sea to destinations unknown or through Ira
n and Turkey on their way to Europe. Drugs and alcohol are haram or forbidden in Islam yet their justification for allowing the growing of poppies and sale of opium and heroin lies in their perversion of the faith that it is used in the war on the West and therefore sanctioned as allowable in their eyes. Gretchen Peters covers this in-depth in her book “Seeds of Terror” that is recommended reading to fully understand the bankrolling of their illicit activities.
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/drugs/afghan-opium-survey.html
http://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghanistan/Afghanistan_opium_survey_2009_summary.pdf
http://www.unodc.org/pdf/terrorism/Index/60-288en.pdf
This week has seen the resurrection of the main AlQaeda website al-ekhlaas in the form of a tribute to the 9/11 terrorists – al-ekhlaas19.com. Many jihadists now dispute the authenticity of the site based upon whois and domain name checking and validations. Also made available in English this week was the Taliban Book of Rules reportedly created by Mullah Omar, updated with new instructions to his followers; a potential means to restart the Taliban’s quest for some sort of legitimacy. Also released yesterday was Parts 1 and 2 of the Manhattan 
Raid with narrative and images from that fateful day. Just last night Jihad Recollections Number 4 was released. Jihad Recollections Number 4 was created on 9/11/2009 at 10:09PM symbolizing the 9/11 terror attacks and Bin Laden released an 11 minute audio over the weekend entitled "Statement to the American People (by the Lion of Islam)" discussing the reasons for 9/11.
It contains 49 pages released as a Ramadan special with a focus on the 19 terrorists and their motives as described from the perspective of the extremist views. The editors of the digital magazine begin with statements extracted below:
As many of you may have picked up, this issue appears different from the ones before. This issue will actually be a special dedication to 9/11. Many of you may have also noticed the harsh words Shaykh Usama had for America on the cover; would a man say such a thing to anger more Muslims or due to taking revenge upon America on behalf of the dead Islamic world?
….You, as an individual, stared on that day at the Might and Glory of America crumbling….
….Here, we present to you a collection of works from our writers and thinkers as well as from a range of scholastic journalists on the subject of 9/11. We hope to continue this tradition every year, serving as a reminder that not everything you see and hear is what it appears. This day will be remembered for many years to come, so we wish to make it a resourceful magazine for the future, In Sha’ Allah.
When we talk about safety and whether we are safer now than we were in 2001 or we when examine our security posture at any point in time, it is just that – a point in time assessment of where we ‘think’ we are. The truth about security, whether it is physical or virtual is that it is a continuous endeavor that requires vigilance from all people at all levels for every second of every minute of every day. The truth is that we do not always know what our adversaries are planning or what new skills they have acquired. But we can and must continue our efforts to protect our citizens through most any means possible.
So as we reflect on the past and hopefully learn from our mistakes, remember the words of Tony Blair from October 2001:
I believe their memorial can and should be greater than simply the punishment of the guilty. It is that out of the shadow of this evil, should emerge lasting good : destruction of the machinery of terrorism wherever it is found; hope amongst all nations of a new beginning where we seek to resolve differences in a calm and ordered way; greater understanding between nations and between faiths; and above all justice and prosperity for the poor and dispossessed, so that people everywhere can see the chance of a better future through the hard work and creative power of the free citizen, not the violence and savagery of the fanatic.
Be sure you support those who battle the savagery of the fanatic.
