BCT Editorial – 5/14/07

This page was last updated on May 14, 2007.

Be prepared; Editorial; Beaver County Times; May 14, 2007.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“The arrest of six Muslims accused of plotting to attack Fort Dix in New Jersey should remind Americans that terrorists can strike at any time and any place.”

[RWC] If you recall, statements like this by anyone in the Bush administration result in fear mongering charges.

Kudos to the Times for noting the alleged conspirators are Muslims. In what has become standard operating procedure, nearly every initial mainstream media report ducked the issue. Instead, reports referred to these men as ethnic Albanians.

“Fortunately, this plot was foiled before the men - four were born in the former Yugoslavia, one was from Jordan and one was from Turkey - could accomplish their mission. (They were arrested Monday night when they tried to buy AK-47 assault weapons, M-16s and other weapons from an FBI informant.)”

[RWC] The editorial failed to note how the men got here. While three were here legally, three (the Duka brothers) are illegal aliens that came across the Mexico border during the mid-1980s when they were little kids. The parents, also here illegally, are now finally under investigation for their 20+ years illegal status, though they are not suspected of involvement in their sons’ alleged plot.

“Americans must understand that law enforcement officials aren’t always going to be able to stop an attack.”

[RWC] Not only can’t law enforcement officers be everywhere they need to be, some communities actually have laws on the books making the job more difficult. I’m talking about so-called “sanctuary cities.” These are municipalities with policies that prohibit police officers from inquiring about a person’s immigration status, even when that person is charged with a crime. Fox News reported it “learned that there were 19 traffic citations against the Duka brothers, but according to a federal law enforcement source, because they operated in so-called ‘sanctuary cities,’ where law enforcement does not routinely tell the Homeland Security Department about illegal immigrants in their towns, none of the tickets raised red flags.”

As a reminder, it was a Circuit City employee who uncovered the plot and alerted law enforcement. If the employee hadn’t become suspicious and reported his concern, who knows how far the alleged plot would have progressed?

“That’s because terrorism doesn’t require an elaborate organization or a lot of money. All it takes is a small group of dedicated fanatics who can keep their mouths shut and know how to avoid drawing the attention of law enforcement agencies. (Witness Timothy McVeigh and the 1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City that claimed 168 lives and injured almost 900 people.)”

[RWC] This is a valid example, but why didn’t the editorial use the 9/11 attack as an example?

“One day, terrorists will pull off another successful attack within our borders. Will Americans be prepared for this eventuality, react realistically and move on with their lives, or will they respond unrealistically by panicking and looking for scapegoats?

“We won’t know what the answer is until it happens.”

[RWC] Given accurate reporting (always an iffy proposition), the average American knows whom to blame when we’re attacked. Actually, the people I expect to panic and look for scapegoats are the mainstream media.