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December 30, 2009
Exclusive: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up! (12/30/09)
Whenever you think general incompetence by those who purport to serve by the consent of the governed can’t get any worse, think again:
“Sen. Dodd, D-Conn., slashed aviation security funding for pet constituency” (Washington Examiner, 12/28/09)
Now that our attention is focused on airline security measures thanks to the failed airline attack on Christmas Day, it's worth mentioning that one senator took money away from aviation security to line the pockets of a constituency that supported his presidential campaign in a big way.
Back in July, Senator Chris Dodd, D-Conn., proposed an amendment reducing aviation security appropriations by $4.5 million in favor of firefighter grants -- a notoriously inneffective program. In fact, the money was specifically "for screening operations and the amount for explosives detection systems." The amendment was also sponsored by Sen. Lieberman, D-Conn., and Sen. Carper, D-Del., but Dodd deserves to be singled out here because the firefighters union is a pet constituency of his. In 2007 he campaigned all through Iowa with the firefighters union. It was one of the few distinguishable features of Dodd's ill-fated presidential bid.
(read the entire article here)
It’s such a comfort to know that the safety of millions Americans and other law-abiding citizens throughout the world is in the hands of politicians who are more concerned with their election prospects than they are in keeping jihadists at bay. Thanks for nothing, Chris.
“Obama Describes Nigerian as ‘Isolated Extremist,’ Despite Ties to Yemen” (CNSNews.com, 12/29/09)
President Barack Obama, in his first public comments on the attempted bombing of a U.S. airliner traveling from Amsterdam to Detroit, described the suspect as “an isolated extremist,” despite reports that the 23-year-old Nigerian had been trained in Yemen, a country he visited twice.
The Associated Press, quoting a Yemeni government official, said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab lived in Yemen for two extended periods of time -- a year, from 2004-2005 and again from August-December this year. He apparently was in Yemen a few weeks before the attempt to blow Flight 253 out of the sky over Michigan. (See timeline)
A statement posted online Monday by Al-Qaeda in Yemen (also known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) said its “manufacturing sector” had provided Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab with the explosives he took onboard the aircraft. (The United States has not yet authenticated the Web posting, but Abdulmutallab's connection to Yemen is not in doubt.)
Al Qaeda in Yemen is the same group with which Anwar al-Awlaki is affiliated. Awlaki, a U.S.-born imam, preaches a radical form of Islam that may have inspired the Fort Hood killer. As CNSNews.com reported earlier, al-Awlaki described Maj. Nidal Hasan as a "hero" after Hasan allegedly shot and killed 13 people at Fort Hood last month. Hasan reportedly had contacted al-Awlaki on numerous occasions before the rampage.
(read entire article here)
Huh??? Even if he were an “isolated extremist,” how many more “isolated extremists” are out there? And how many of them need to succeed before we wake up and smell the jihad?
“Netherlands: Airport guards cheered 9/11” (Islam in Europe, 12/28/09)
Members of one of the Dutch security companies at Schiphol Airport, Group4Securicor (G4S), are speaking out after the attempted terrorist attack on the US bound plane, for which their company was responsible.
Guards and former guards say that after the September 11 attacks, the only thing that was done was to add more workers, who knew nothing. G4S refused to comment on these accusations.
Belinda Kreugel, who until recently worked for G4S, says that she decided to speak up since the public interest is greater than her personal interest. She says that risk-flights to the US were inspected by beginners, and that people were sent out to do body searches and x-rays after just two weeks of training. Three quarters of the employees have been there for less than a year, after which it becomes too expensive to keep them. Airport administrators repeated these concerns.
One former employee says that some of the guards sympathized with Islamic terrorists. "Among my colleagues were friends of [Moroccan-Dutch terrorist] Samir Azzouz."
"I saw what happened among the guards during the September 11th attack. In the guard area of the 'security members' a loud cheer rose from Muslim colleagues. Several former colleagues witnessed it. There was a standing ovation. Together with other colleagues I've lodged a complaint about it by the military police."
(read article here)
Feel safe yet?
“Hikind Renews Call for Terror Suspect Profiling” (New York Observer, 12/29/09)
ALBANY—State Assemblyman Dov Hikind has revived his proposal for racial profiling by security personnel, in light of the attempted bombing of a passenger jet landing in Detroit.
"I think this is a unique situation," said Hikind, who introduced a similar bill in 2005 after the London subways were attacked and NYPD officers began randomly searching the bags of some passengers.
Hikind told me by phone that if there is a "compelling governmental interest" to consider race in college admissions, as the Supreme Court affirmed in the case of Grutter v. Bollinger, the same is true in a climate of heightened security risk.
"If this isn't a compelling government interest to do this, the war on terror, then what is? Why is there a difference?" Hikind said. "No one is saying we shouldn't check Norwegians – blonde, blue-eyed people – but we're saying let's be realistic about it. Their profile happens to be young, Muslim men of Middle-eastern and South Asian background. Is that the only thing you look at? Of course not."
(read the entire article here)
Can you say “duh?” This is where the path of political correctness has led us. Afraid of offending one group, we not only inconvenience everyone, but also put everyone in danger of losing their lives. But we suppose that the lives of a few thousand are worth not offending one young Muslim man…right?
Brought to you by the editors and research staff of FamilySecurityMatters.org.
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