I was told that 'Terrorism' and the War on Terrorism was the next 'big thing' in 1976

[Peter Lemkin]

Of those who might be considered ordinary citizens, I was one of the first I know of to have been told by someone 'in the know' that 'Terrorism' and the War on Terrorism was the next 'big thing'. I was told this in my own home [parent's home] in the NYC area summer of 1976. My parents and relatives [and myself even then] were very far left and progressives - political activists; however my mother was a friendly type and had some friends in the neighborhood she knew who were not politically progressive. One of these type of friends had a son I saw rarely, but enough to know him. I saw his mother more at our home ocassionally. I can't remember exactly the reason why I had contacted the son, but his mother had just told me had had returned to the USA. I knew he has been working for the intelligence community and/or military as a mathematician if I remember correctly - and doing top secret work in Kwajalein. He was [or said he was] a theoretical electronics & math expert - but I think he was more than that, or involved in something much broader. Anyway, he came to our house and only I was home. We talked uncomfortably for a few hours, as his political views and my view of how the USA and the World should be were diametrically opposite. That my family had some relationship over the decades with his mother was the only 'glue' and basis for discussion. I was beginning my research work on the Secret Governmental structures, actions, crimes, modalities, etc. He was, it seemed to me, working within that Secret structure. I remember him telling me in a way that reminded me of the scene in the Graduate where some family friend tells Benjamin that the next big thing was plastics, that he told me [at a time when the term terrorism was rarely used and NOT in the news, at all], that Terrorism and fighting terrorism in a total and endless War on it was the next big thing the USG was going to be involved in. How prescient he was - or perhaps he knew they were going to cook up the very terrorism we would fight. He is still an expert on the matter [or so he is regarded]. His name is Robert Kupperman. How correct he was long ago. I asked him what he did on Kwajalein, but he said he couldn't tell me, as it was classified. I remember feeling some very strange darkness come over me when he left - he sort of implied 'just you wait and you'll see how right I am in what I said'. I have NO way of knowing how he knew this, or his role in anything specific. But he was on the mark. Since then his views and mine, while always oceans apart, have moved even further apart. He has always claimed just to be a private contractor, and maybe that is all he ever was - but the circles he moved/moves in are those I fear most vis-a-vis the War OF terror.