I found that watching the videotape of Osama bin Laden yesterday was like looking at a “smiling Satan.”
But, from a psychological point of view, the man believed to be the mastermind behind the deadliest act of terrorism in America isn’t a madman at all.
I believe the tape reveals the following about bin Laden:
* He is a perfectly sane individual with goals and objectives that are difficult for Westerners to understand – but valid and acceptable to the minds of terrorists.
* His facial expressions and body language clearly show him to be a person who is smug, jubilant, boastful, and thankful to Allah for the success of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks that resulted in destruction and “enemy casualties” that far surpassed his anticipation.
* You can see a certain smugness, a certain attitude. It’s all part of his message to show his followers he is a success.
* Bin Laden found a sense of justice in the irony of using American know-how and education to train his operatives to fly and navigate commercial jets on their mission of mass murder and destruction.
* The fact that not all of the terrorists involved in the Sept. 11 plane hijackings were aware that they were on a suicide mission shows his willingness to deceive some of his own operatives to accomplish his goals.
* He wants to manipulate the media of the Mideast, such as Al Jazeera, by showing his followers how completely in control he is.
* Bin Laden reveals how the concept of killing the enemy includes everyone – even the innocent. His perspective is that everyone is fair game. He shows no distinction between innocents and those in uniform.
Dr. Lawrence Kobilinsky is a professor of forensic science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.