I have been trying to answer this question since performing duties as an antiterrorism chief for a major DoD installation some nine years now. Today I am no longer actively involved in antiterrorism, but working to defend against breaches in our nation critical IT infrastructure. I am also about to embark on a post graduate study with Capella with concentration in Information Assurance.

Your question, what makes up the mind of a terrorist is timely, but is part of a broader question, what is the mind? What exactly are we talking about when we use this term? Now are we more concerned with what we do not know about ourselves? I would submit this is the question that we should seriously be addressing on a national level. Why do we do what we do? What motivates us to engage in practices considered harmful to the rest of society? Additionally, are actions that we take, that are offensive to society a self defense mechanism or is it because society is viewing it through different lenses? When we understand these and other questions about ourselves, we could seriously start making strides in winning this war – note that I will not call it a “war on terror.” I think it a war on understand ourselves.

So what is needed? We need a reexamination of our society from a non subjective standard. We need to not judge others before we fully understand them. We need to start this dialogue in all facets of society now. Of course I have much more to say on this subject and will be happy to hear yours and others taught.

Ken Williams

Capella University Graduate student, retired military, Information Assurance person (15+ years) and a very concerned citizen.