COMMENTARY: Steps the U.S. Must Take to Prevent Terrorism from Occurring in Our Nation

On April 15, 2013, Americans witnessed an infamous day of terror, as three Americans were killed and more than 175 others were seriously wounded -- many even lost their legs -- by two pressure-cooker bombs that exploded within seconds of each other near the finish line of the annual Boston Marathon.

Two Muslim brothers -- one aged 26 and the other 19 -- are believed to have placed bags containing the bombs near the Marathon finish line, in an effort to kill and wound as many Americans as possible. The 26-year-old brother was killed in a battle with police, while the 19-year-old is in serious condition under heavy guard at a Boston hospital.

The FBI discovered that the brothers had placed the bombs near the huge crowd, after reviewing surveillance videotapes of department stores, as well as a plethora of photos and videotapes taken by individuals at the Marathon.

The mind-boggling question that many Americans are now asking is, "Why would these two young men (or more precisely vicious animals) want to kill and maim countless innocent Americans who did nothing to them to deserve such a savage act?" The answer can be found in their radical religious philosophy.

These men were born in Chechnya -- a predominantly Islamic province located in the Caucasus Mountains area of Russia. Many Chechens have been killed by Russians during the past two decades, as they have conducted some violent riots -- including one that killed many children at a school -- in seeking independence for Chechnya.

Moreover, many Chechens tend to be jihadists; that is, radical Muslims who are constantly "at war" with Christians, Jews, and all other non-Muslims. It is primarily these jihadists -- and not all Muslims -- who are terrorists. Jihad often leads to a person's obsession with religion, where Islam becomes the most important phenomenon in a person's life that must always and unconditionally be supported -- even if that means a person will have to lose his life in doing so.

That is why these two brothers carried out their heartless terrorist acts, and have no sympathy whatsoever for those they killed or maimed. In fact, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis believes they were planning to carry out more acts of terror, based on the huge supply of explosives found in their Cambridge apartment. Police and federal authorities also believe that the brothers were part of a larger terrorist cell, and are continuing their investigation as they search for additional terrorists.

But just how can we prevent such terrorist acts from occurring in our nation? We believe that three major steps must be followed to prevent terrorism.

First of all, the U.S. must better screen foreigners it allows to enter our nation, thus ensuring that they have no jihad or anti-American background.

Secondly, Americans must constantly be vigilant of any suspicious activities -- such as a person dropping off a bag and leaving the area --  and anti-American behavior, and report them to police and federal authorities.

Thirdly, the FBI -- as well as other federal security personnel -- must scrutinize the activities of jihadists and other anti-Americans who live in our country.

The 26-year-old Marathon bomber had been interviewed by the FBI in 2011 as a result of a tip from Russia that he was suspected of being a jihadist when he lived in Chechnya; however, the FBI did not find any incriminating information about him. This scenario conveys why the activities of jihadists -- or even suspected jihadists -- need to be scrutinized by federal authorities as long as they live in the United States, if terrorist activity is indeed to be prevented.

Hopefully, our government's use of the above three steps will prevent terrorism from occurring in our great nation.