Death and destruction

Yemen first came to the attention of most in the American public when the USS Cole was attacked in the port of Yemen on Oct. 12, 2000, killing 17 sailors and injuring another 39. A small boat packed with 400 to 700 pounds of explosives had come alongside the Cole and those aboard detonated the charge blowing a 40-by-60-foot hole in the side of the Cole. It was later determined that the attack was conducted by al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

al-Qaida itself was responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S., and it became the target of U.S. military and intelligence operations. As al-Qaida was weakened, numerous terrorist organizations such as AQAP began to appear as well as small terrorist cells and so-called lone-wolf terrorists. These small groups and individuals drew little attention and began to spread around the globe. In fact, the number of worldwide terrorist attacks has quadrupled since Sept. 11, 2001, and those most endangered by attacks are Western Europeans.

The recent attacks in Paris have spurred European nations to hunt terrorists including those who were trained in the Mideast and returned to wait for the chance to cause death and destruction. The independent operators are the reason there will never be a defined end to the "War on Terror." Waiting for a terrorist surrender was a fool's mission.

The first line of defense against today's terrorist threats is local police being trained to watch for any signs of suspicious activities. In addition, the days of open borders with no required visas are over, and we must return to background checks before issuing passports and visas. Intelligence agencies must share information about suspected terrorists, and military forces must be trained and equipped for operations against terrorist organizations waging open warfare.

Those who become terrorists often do so in retaliation for perceived hate and bigotry directed at them and their families, and education is the primary weapon in this fight. At the same time, immigrants must try to assimilate into their new communities and work to stop the growth of terrorism. There is no simple solution to a worldwide deadly threat.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He resides in Chaffee, Missouri.