U.S. Enemies are Iran's Friends
by GREGORY D. LEE February 7, 2012
The Associated Press reported to its horror, a “secret police document” revealed that the “New York Police Department recommended increasing surveillance of thousands of Shiite Muslims and their mosques, based solely on their religion, as a way to sweep the Northeast for signs of Iranian terrorists.” The implication is the police do not have any basis to conduct surveillance on followers of “the religion of peace” except for their religion. The article is obviously the AP’s attempt to further malign the NYPD for its forward thinking and preparation for terrorist attacks in its city based on worldwide events far from Manhattan. This is on the heels of The New York Times doing a hit piece on the department a week earlier for showing, The Third Jihad, as a training film to its officers to educate them on home-grown Muslim terrorists.
The 2006 NYPD’s “secret” intelligence report, titled “US-Iran Conflict: The Threat to New York City,” recommended the NYPD “Expand and focus intelligence collections at Shi’a mosques.” Why Shiite mosques? Because that’s where you’ll find Shiites. You won’t find them at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 5th Avenue.
The NYPD intelligence document appears accurate. Just last week, Sec. of Defense Leon Panetta stated that Israel may be within a few months of launching a preemptive strike against Iran to set back or eliminate its nuclear weapons program. An attack on Iran by Israel will be all the justification Iran needs to launch attacks on U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, and probably New York City and Washington, D.C.
Iran is a radical Shiite state that sponsors terrorism and has sworn the destruction of Israel. It calls the U.S. the “Great Satan.” U.S. intelligence officials have said it has not ruled out Iran conducting direct attacks inside this country. Iran is closely aligning itself with Venezuela where it could peddle its nuclear and missile technologies. U.S. officials have reports to indicate there is evidence Iran has provided al-Qaeda some logistical support to its operatives, including providing personnel vehicles, money and the like.
Although al-Qaeda is a Sunni Muslim terrorism organization, Iran appears to subscribe to the old adage: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” despite a history of years of turmoil between the two Muslim sects. From my conversations with Sunni Muslims, some hate Shiites more than Jews or Americans; however if that partnership can cause harm to a mutual enemy, both sides appear to be willing to set aside their differences for mutual benefit.
Considering there are about 8,500 Iranians among the estimated 35,000 Shiite Muslims residing in New York City, there is good reason for the NYPD to be proactive in gathering intelligence. There are also known Sunni Hamas members within the city who might act in Iran’s behalf because of Iran’s support to Palestinians.
The AP pointed out in its article that the NYPD is prohibited under its own guidelines and city law from basing its investigations on religion. I would argue the NYPD bases its intelligence gathering on Muslims being responsible for many actual and attempted acts of terrorism within its city limits. Not all Muslims living in New York City are terrorists, but New York has been and still is a magnet for Muslim terrorists around the world.
New York and Boston police conducted intelligence operations on Catholic sympathizers who provided funding and material support to the Irish Republican Army. I don’t recall the AP or New York Times making much of an issue about that.
The AP and NYT need to stop publishing “secret” police reports and classified national security information and end being the source of intelligence for Muslim terrorists. They need to stop portraying Muslims as the victims of police abuse when in reality the NYPD is approaching the problem logically.
The NYPD is making every effort to protect all New Yorkers, even employees of the AP and New York Times.
Family Security Matters Contributing Editor Gregory D. Lee is a retired DEA supervisory special agent. While assigned to the U.S. embassy in Pakistan, he participated in the arrest of Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 NYC World Trade Center bombing, and later testified at his trial. Reach him through his website: www.gregorydlee.com.
Family Security Matters Contributing Editor Gregory D. Lee is a retired Supervisory Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the author of three criminal justice textbooks. While on DEA diplomatic assignment in Pakistan, he was involved in the investigation of several notable terrorism events and arrests. He recently retired after more than 39 years of active and reserve service from the U.S. Army Reserve as a Chief Warrant Officer Five Special Agent for the Criminal Investigation Division Command, better known as CID. In 2011 he completed a combat tour of duty in Afghanistan while on special assignment to the Special Operations Command Europe. Visit his website at http://www.gregorydlee.com/ and contact him at info@gregorydlee.com.
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