ABDULLAH RECLINED ON THE king-sized bed in the rear of his new diesel powered Class A motor home. Hands clasped behind his head, he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. He daydreamed about the influence of his mission on Islam. If successful, it would make him a figure of celebrated importance in the Muslin world. Even if he lived, people would speak of him with reverence and respect. The name of Abdullah al-Jamal would forever be a part of his people's history. All true believers would talk about his accomplishment on holy days throughout the Arab world. Future generations would remember the man who cast aside the enemies of Islam, and advanced the spread of Sharia influence in the western world. To rid his people of the malignant influence of the United States and its allies, he must kill many Americans.
The sound of a pickup truck next to his campsite bought him back to reality. The driver gunned his engine as he positioned his rig for utility hookups.
Abdullah, rose from his bed and headed to a makeshift office in the forward living area of his 45-foot home on wheels. At this point in Abdullah's research, he knew if he planned with skill and dedication he could kill thousands of Americans. His nuclear device, while small in weight and size, could produce the explosive energy of six kilotons.
He imagined the size of a single kiloton which is a thousand metric tons of TNT. If he loaded a five ton truck with TNT, he would need 200 trucks to move one kiloton. His bomb was six times that number. To equal the energy of his device he would need 1,200 truckloads of TNT.
Abdullah Googled World War II online. The size of the atomic bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were sixteen to twenty-one kilotons. He viewed pictures of the aftermath of those cities showing massive damage and loss of life. Although a third of the size of those bombs, his nuclear device, located in the right place at the right time, would inflict enormous destruction.
He set five goals for himself. He must take full advantage of his weapon’s power, place it where many people congregate in a small space, hide it, and be able to detonate it remotely at the perfect time.
Abdullah started his search for a suitable target by making a list of places where large numbers of people gathered. He first thought of a church or a revival tent, but dismissed this idea. People might think it was a strike against a particular religion. That would be misleading. His second idea to bomb a political convention or large rally also might be misinterpreted as an attack on a specific political party.
An ideal target would be a dissimilar grouping of Americans. An assembly representing a cross section of this bloated capitalistic society. One that contained a mix of whites, blacks, Asians, Native Americans–people of all ethnic groups, both men and women. He favored mature adults–the most productive members of the population. Abdullah excluded children because American society had not yet tainted them. They were young enough to learn the duties and penalties of Islam as contained in the Quran. He thought of his six-year-old brother still in the age of innocence and with a future as a Prince of Saudi Arabia. Children must be spared. Even children of infidels.
Abdullah heard something hit the side of his motor home with a dull thud, followed by sounds of laughter and shouting. He opened the door. Two young boys jumped back startled, one holding a basketball. The other boy said, "Sorry, Mister," and then both ran off. No discipline. Then it struck him. A sporting event. Yes, that's where Americans go in great numbers. Some type of ball game might fit his criteria.
He settled in front of his computer with new excitement, and searched for ‘games of ball’. Baseball, basketball, billiard, football, ping-pong, soccer, and tennis appeared on the screen. Making a list, he had to decide which event would best serve his needs.
Immediately he crossed off ping-pong and billiards. Both played indoors to small audiences. Soccer held limited national interest in America, so he checked that off, too. Since professional basketball is played in a covered building with maybe five to ten thousand fans at professional events he eliminated that sport.
Outdoor sports held the greatest potential. Tennis attracts a few thousand people to major events. Abdullah marked this off the list due to attendance numbers. Major league baseball, the American pastime, is played outside to larger crowds of ten thousand or more fans seated on two or three sides of a playing field. He marked baseball as worthy of consideration.
He then turned his attention to football. For some reason Americans were obsessed with this brutal game of young men smashing into one another with a ball pointed at two ends. Always played outdoors, it attracted large crowds who surround the game on all sides. It is attended by mostly young to middle-aged adults with few or no children. He decided football would meet his criteria.
An online search resulted in a long list of large stadiums around the country. The professional teams played in their own well financed facilities. Abdullah considered the Super Bowl, but scratched that off because of the heavy security such an event attracts. After further study he decided the NFL teams presented too many security risks. That left college football.
The University of Michigan had the largest stadium in America with a capacity of 110,000 seats. Fans usually filled eighty percent of the stadium. Every seat filled when Michigan played Ohio State University. Abdullah went to the Goodyear Blimp site and viewed the huge crowds photographed by this famous airship. As he stared at the photographs of people crowded close together, devoting their attention to a central point of interest, it looked familiar to him. Where had he seen such a crowd before? A crowd of tiny specks that sparkled like a kaleidoscope of many shapes and hues. Where?
Then it came to him. The week of Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. The largest pilgrimage in the world attracting two million worshipers each year. A journey of faith required of all able bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.
As a young man his father, Prince al Jamal took him to western Saudi Arabia's holiest city, the birthplace of the Prophet Mohammad. Because of his father's membership in the Royal Family, Abdullah sat high above the marble floors of the Great Mosque viewing a hundred thousand dedicated believers. A massive congregation of men and women conducted the rituals of faith–all standing, kneeling and bowing shoulder to shoulder. This image remained unforgettable in his memory. From his position high up, the multitude blended into a human sea of devotion. No one individual distinct.
The masses of people in the football stadium in Michigan and the assembly in the Great Mosque in Mecca, looked the same. Abdullah did not want to admit the similarity. "They are not the same!" he shouted aloud, slapping his hand on the table. But the resemblance was inescapable, and he could not ignore that fact.
Okay, he thought, but they are not alike. They are people, but not the same people. My people believe in Allah the Almighty, the one true God. These people believe in many Gods. Some believe in no God, only power and money. He viewed the image of the Michigan stadium. These are Americans. They pay taxes to their government and elect leaders who defile my faith. They support killing innocent Muslim men and women in the name of democracy and their vision of freedom. He again looked at the photograph. Many beliefs? Could there be Muslims in this stadium or innocent visitors from other counties–my homeland?
He deleted the Michigan photograph and the list of college stadiums reappeared on his computer screen. He stared at the capacities of 125 stadiums found around the country, and forced himself to calm down. I must kill many Americans to make a statement, but I do not have to kill the maximum number possible to achieve my goal.
He searched the listings again, this time steering away from large cities where he knew mosques existed. Finally he selected the Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Only a few hours from Roswell, near the border with Mexico, and no mosques listed in the area. A low risk target with minimum or no security concerns. Las Cruces, the City of Crosses, a relatively small urban center with a stadium capacity 30,343. Ten times the number killed on 9-11. He had found the perfect target. Allah the Avenger be praised.