piracy has become a major source of income for people in somalia. it doesn't exist as a country. this is a free enterprise system. just a year ago i was reading an article in newsweek magazine, a long feature article, three or four pages. at an end of the first paragraph, something jumped off the page that said business as usual was beginning to read like the end of the world. it struck me not because it was a new revelation for me but because it was a mainstream news magazine saying this. business as usual is no longer an option, no longer a viable option. we have got to change quickly and the key changes needed, plan b has four component, stabilizing climate, eradicating poverty, stabilizing population and restoring the economy's natural support system the progress land and fisheries and so forth. we don't really have any choice if we want to sustain civilization. i was in a meeting in raleigh, north carolina. someone -- i can't remember for sure -- was at that meeting. it was called something like the american society of higher educator's for sustainability. for sustainable --

the u.s., with the state department and other countries to try to improve the situation there in somalia. >> i think you know very well we have been working in the u.n. to try to come up with an appropriate framework for dealing with piracy. with regard to the spanish government policy, i have to refer you to them. >> i'm talking about the crisis in the opposition and the government because of what happened there. >> again, i do not want to get involved in internal spend as policies, so i can just tell you that spain is an important partner as well as other countries in terms of trying to fight piracy of the coast of somalia. but there is good cooperation in trying to counter piracy, and we will continue to work on this issue. because piracy has to be stamped out. somalia, as you know, has been without damaging the transitional government there has had some real difficulties, and the instability in somalia, i think, is breeding a lot of the piracy, so we are going to redouble our efforts in the international community. >> do you expect there'll be a meeting or a council in africa to re

they were recruited to carry out attacks in somalia and one carried out a suicide bombing or to carrythe united states. they were all american-born. host: how much of this threat -- how big is this threat becoming? guest: the somalis-american threat is growing. there are six other american cities where they have young somalis-americans who they believe belonged to al-shabab and are deemed to be a security threat. there's active recruitment in kansas city, columbus, ohio, san diego, in california, several other cities for this a terrorist organization. this is not the only group involved in terms of home grown terrorism but one of the major groups. host: we are talking with steam -- steve emerson about homegrown terrorism. the numbers are on your screen. by this definition, would you categorize what happened at fort hood as a case of a home run terrorism? guest: absolutely. that was a case of a homegrown terrorism. it was not externally directed. it may have been influenced by a yemeni cleric who used to live in the united states with home the perpetrator had contact with. he procured

ask me to put money down right now as to whether or not we will wind up taking military action in somalia before the end of the obama administration, i would say it is better than 50%. there'll be times that we will not be able to permit them taking over that territory. is the higher likelihood of death in his chosen career. >> one second. i just have to requests. -- two requests. no political statements, grand visions, or geopolitical strategies. i just want -- just one question per person. this gentleman is the most eager. he probably has a real soft ball. >> i am impressed with all the members of the panel. whether it is in regard to iran or regard to combating islamic fundamentalism/terrorism, in terms of what you read in the newspapers, china, russia, and other players -- are they at divergent points of view with the united states? the press reports are indicating they're coming around a little bit, but not cooperating. wouldn't it be the case that they would also have an interest in combating this as well. -- as well? >> the question is whether china and russia are against nuclear w

they have left the united states to fight in somalia.they joined a terrorist group associated with al qaeda based in somalia. our fear is what happens when they return tb united states -- to the united states. this pass september, -- this past of timbeseptember, an offie building was targeted. in springfield, at a federal building was targeted. finally, there was a recent arrest of two chicagoans would direct links to a group that was responsible for the november 2008 mumbai terrorist attacks. they seem to be plotting against targets. they appear to have been radicalized in the united states. given the evidence, one must conclude the radicalization of violence is occurring in the united states. given what seems to be a pattern of individuals, the nypd has invested a substantial effort in order to assess the quantity of a process that warrants the radicalization traject tree -- trajectory. it is consistent with the model from the 2007 nypd report that suggested four phases. driving this process is the proliferation of al qaeda ideology in

they joined a terrorist group associated with al-qaeda based in somalia. our fear is what happens when they return to the united states? australia has already thwarted a plot just this year involving individuals who fought against al-shabob and returning. and this past september was plots in lone wolves in both dallas, texas and springfield illinois. those these individuals were not part of any group, much of their radicalization seems u.s.-based. and finally, there were the recent arrests of two chicagoans with direct links to a group that was responsible for the november 2008 mumbai terrorist attack. though these men seemed to be plotting in targets in denmark, once again it appears that these individuals were radicalized in the united states. given the evidence of the past 12-month period one must conclude that radicalization to violence is occurring in the united states. process and radicalization. given what seems to be a pattern of individuals radicalizing to al-qaeda inspired violence, the nypd has invested a substantial analytic effort to assess th

some ask why british troops are in afghanistan at all if al qaeda can organize and britain in somalia, yemen, and other places, even in the internet chat rooms across the world. but as long as the afghan /pakistan border areas are the location of choice for al qaeda, and are the epicenter of global terrorism, it is the government's judgment that we must address the terrorist threat at its source. indeed, as long as three- quarters of the most serious terrorist threats against britain are linked to the pakistan/afghan border areas, we should be feeling in our duty if we did not work with our allies to do with a problem where it starts. a more stable and more secure afghanistan and pakistan will help ensure a safer britain. since 2001, progress has been made in driving out data -- in driving al qaeda into the mountains of waziristan. tens of thousands of pakistan troops are now in waziristan. with president obama, i would be urging pakistan house leadership most recently in a conversation with president zardari on saturday, to step up the efforts not just against the pakistan taliban in

they have left the united states to fight in somalia.they joined a terrorist group associated with al qaeda based in somalia. our fear is what happens when they return tb united states -- to the united states. this pass september, -- this past of timbeseptember, an offie building was targeted. in springfield, at a federal building was targeted. finally, there was a recent arrest of two chicagoans would direct links to a group that was responsible for the november 2008 mumbai terrorist attacks. they seem to be plotting against targets. they appear to have been radicalized in the united states. given the evidence, one must conclude the radicalization of violence is occurring in the united states. given what seems to be a pattern of individuals, the nypd has invested a substantial effort in order to assess the quantity of a process that warrants the radicalization traject tree -- trajectory. it is consistent with the model from the 2007 nypd report that suggested four phases. driving this process is the proliferation of al qaeda ideology in

ask me to put money down right now as to whether or not we will wind up taking military action in somalia before the end of the obama administration, i would say it is better than 50%. there'll be times that we will not be able to permit them taking over that territory. is the higher likelihood of death in his chosen career. >> one second. i just have to requests. -- two requests. no political statements, grand visions, or geopolitical strategies. i just want -- just one question per person. this gentleman is the most eager. he probably has a real soft ball. >> i am impressed with all the members of the panel. whether it is in regard to iran or regard to combating islamic fundamentalism/terrorism, in terms of what you read in the newspapers, china, russia, and other players -- are they at divergent points of view with the united states? the press reports are indicating they're coming around a little bit, but not cooperating. wouldn't it be the case that they would also have an interest in combating this as well. -- as well? >> the question is whether china and russia are against nuclear w

look what happened in somalia when those rangers wanted support and clinton denied it. democrats are likely need to pull out. clinton was the calveroward. 18 rangers and countless others died in vain. if we do not stay the course, everybody who has died in iraq and afghanistan would have died in vain. thank you. host: here's a comment from someone who describes himself as a c-spanjnky. next comment as we talk about the president's increase in troop levels scheduled to be announced next tuesday. conn, robert, independent line. good morning. caller: good morning. i must commend this town hall that c-span provides every morning for our country. as an independent and a veteran, i maintained strongly that we must leave afghanistan, as well as iraq. the only war we have one in the last 60 years is world war ii, and that required untter devastation of two major portions of the world, europe and japan. trying to get people to see the american way is a complete failure. revolutions of the mind and spirit start within nations, not by the battle of a gun. the light level of these

ask me to put money down right now as to whether or not we will wind up taking military action in somalia before the end of the obama administration, i would say it is better than 50%. there'll be times that we will not be able to permit them taking over that territory. is the higher likelihood of death in his chosen career. >> one second. i just have to requests. -- two requests. no political statements, grand visions, or geopolitical strategies. i just want -- just one question per person. this gentleman is the most eager. he probably has a real soft ball. >> i am impressed with all the members of the panel. whether it is in regard to iran or regard to combating islamic fundamentalism/terrorism, in terms of what you read in the newspapers, china, russia, and other players -- are they at divergent points of view with the united states? the press reports are indicating they're coming around a little bit, but not cooperating. wouldn't it be the case that they would also have an interest in combating this as well. -- as well? >> the question is whether china and russia are against nuclear w

>> i think that we are one of only two nations and somalia is about to sign it. we're going to be the only nation in the whole world he doesn't believe in banning land mines. why is that? >> i am not sure about that, but we made our policy review and we determined that we would not be able to meet our national defense needs, nor our security commitments to our friends and allies if we sign this convention. >> was a made public? >> i don't know the answer to that, robert. it is possible. we did not make a statement on it. dollars what you planning to do at the conference? >> we are there as an observer. as a global provider of security, we have an interest in the discussions there. but we will be there an observer, obviously, because we have not sign the convention nor do we plan to sign the convention. >> so that is official? the review is finished and the u.s. will not sign the convention? >> the policy review resulted in a recommendation to maintain the policy towards land mines, towards the convention. >> when was that decision made? >> i do not have that info

ask me to put money down right now as to whether or not we will wind up taking military action in somalia before the end of the obama administration, i would say it is better than 50%. there'll be times that we will not be able to permit them taking over that territory. is the higher likelihood of death in his chosen career. >> one second. i just have to requests. -- two requests. no political statements, grand visions, or geopolitical strategies. i just want -- just one question per person. this gentleman is the most eager. he probably has a real soft ball. >> i am impressed with all the members of the panel. whether it is in regard to iran or regard to combating islamic fundamentalism/terrorism, in terms of what you read in the newspapers, china, russia, and other players -- are they at divergent points of view with the united states? the press reports are indicating they're coming around a little bit, but not cooperating. wouldn't it be the case that they would also have an interest in combating this as well. -- as well? >> the question is whether china and russia are against nuclear w

the glaciers are melting, coral reefs are being destroyed, deserts are being created, somalia, dark for, all around the world to create national security risks to our country. the least that we should be able to say in 2050, if we have made no progress and ribbon block is that we tried, we really tried. to solve these problems. that we try to protect against the consequences of what is now unfurling in an ever increasing. and it is up to the united states and europe to give the leadership, and i think if we can continue to intensify our efforts, that we will be successful. and by the year 2050, children will have to look to the history books to find that there ever was such a problem as global warming. i believe we can do it. i believe that we can put this into the history books as a problem. and we, the people in this room who led the charge, that created that revolution, that solves this problem, and i thank all of you for everything that you have done and i want to work with you in accomplishing, and to pelosi, senator kerry, harry reid, barbara boxer, to the final production of the