Will the West Lose the War on Terror?

The 23-year-old terror recruit from Nigeria had been reported to U.S. embassy officials by his own father, who had grown concerned about his son's radicalization by Yemeni Muslim extremists. The British government felt it had enough information to refuse Umar a visa. Yet none of these concerns reached the U.S. State Department bureaucracy that issued him a visa that would let him board a plane bound for Detroit.

Abdulmutallab's willingness to die in a scheme that would have brought down a plane carrying nearly 250 passengers and crew is eloquent testimony to the fervent belief in his cause. And there are many others like him. A recent Council on Foreign Relations report indicates that al-Qaeda or its affiliates are particularly active in areas including Aden, Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Kashmir, Malaysia and Uzbekistan, as well as in the Philippines and elsewhere across Southeast Asia.

Intelligence officials and terrorism experts report that al-Qaeda has also stepped up its cooperation with Hezbollah, allying with the radical Iran-backed Lebanese militia on matters of logistics and training. The more America and its allies stamp on the al-Qaeda "ant hills," the further they scatter across the globe. As demonstrated by the November 2009 Fort Hood shooting, al-Qaeda influence has even infiltrated the officer corps of the U.S. military.

Terrorist propaganda is even being fed to English-speaking Muslims—including American citizens—through English-language Web sites run by al-Qaeda sympathizers. The next wave of Islamic terror attacks on U.S. soil may be perpetrated by U.S. citizens. Young Somali Muslims from Minnesota have already been tracked going to train in terrorist camps overseas. "Federal authorities unsealed criminal charges Monday against eight suspects alleged to be part of a U.S. recruiting network that sent young men to fight in Somalia -- one of the largest militant operations uncovered in this country since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks" ("U.S. Says 8 Lured Somali Terror Recruits," Los Angeles Times, November 24, 2009).

Is it realistic to expect the U.S. and its allies ever to be able to find and eliminate every one of the terrorist cells that may crop up? So far, the answer seems to be "No"—and the conditions that have turned many young Muslims toward terrorism show no signs of abating. It seems likely that, just as citizens of Israel have had to accept continual terrorist attacks in their midst, citizens of many other Western nations will need to get used to the threat of terror as a daily fact of life.

Why is this so? It is because the Creator God warned us that this would happen to those who fail to obey His laws and who reject the way of life He laid out in His written word. "But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you" (Leviticus 26:14-16).

Is there a way of escape? Yes, there is! Even if your nation cannot win the war on terror, God promises His protection—and more—to those who repent of their sins and turn to Him. This Web site, along with the Tomorrow's World telecast and magazine, exists as a warning and as a beacon of hope, to show you what you can do to receive God's blessings in times of danger. But a time will come when it will be too late—when end-time events hurtle toward their prophesied climax and God will withdraw His offer of protection as He pours out His judgment on a rebellious planet (Proverbs 1:24-28).

To learn more about how end-time events will affect you and your loved ones, read our inspiring booklet Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ's Return. Also read our booklet Armageddon and Beyond to gain deeper insight into the troubles ahead and how you can be spared.