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.Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to blow up flight 253 to Detroit. AP Photo JP Karas
Fox News covered the attempted terrorist attack on flight 253 this morning by hosting a discussion on the need to implement "profiling" to prevent further attacks. According to the proponents of profiling the only thing keeping us from adopting such measures is political correctness. The idea of these conservatives is that we are afraid to offend Muslims and therefore we do not search them which leaves us vulnerable to attacks.
The one government official to come out in favor of profiling has been Representative Peter KIng (R-NY). To support his argument King stated that "100 percent of the Islamic terrorists are Muslim, and that is our main enemy today." While no one would dispute King's assertion that 100% of Islamic terrorist are Muslim (which is akin to saying 100% of right-terrorists are conservative) many would dispute his contention that Islamic terrorists are our "main" enemy today. China, North Korea, and Venezuela all post significant threats to the United States (and could potentially inflict much more damage) yet these countries are not motivated by fundamental Islam.
In addition as Think Progress points out there are many reasons to oppose profiling outside of the political correctness justification. First in profiling all "Muslims" we risk alienating the very population we need the most to assist us in fighting terrorism. As the U.S. News and World Report analyst points out in the video below it was Abdulmutallab's Muslim father who attempted to inform authorities of the danger his own son posed to the United States. Had this tip been followed up on it actually would have been a Muslim who prevented an attempted terrorist attack. Our best ally in this fight is not our own high tech weapons but informants, translators, and others in the Muslim community who help us to defeat the extremist in their ranks. Why would these people help us if we view all of them as the enemy.
There are also serious questions as to whether profiling would be really effective. One of the Fox News' analyst in favor of profiling urges that all people with the name Abdul or Ahmed or Mohammed be searched. This would of course exclude Richard Reid and John Walker Lindh who both had committed themselves to supporting al-Queda. Profiling would essentially give the population as false sense of security and may cause those performing security checks to not properly inspect the "Richard Reid's" off the world while the pat down the Christian convert whose name happens to include "Ahmed."
Finally there are also criticisms about how profiling "Muslims" would actually work. If you ask people to identify whether they are "Muslim" the terrorist could simply lie and therefore avoid the profiling. If you identify people as Muslim based on how they look then you fall into the trap of racial profiling. Do all "dark-skinned" people start getting searched even if they claim to have been a Christian all their life? Then once again you would also be excluding potential al-Qaeda recruit like Lindh.
Comments
Sunday, DHS Sec Napolitano, "One thing I'd like to point out is that the system worked."
Monday, DHS Sec Napolitano, "Our system did not work in this instance."
This administration is INCOMPETENT in every aspect!
I agree that profiling should be used. Every person - including Muslims - should have the same search methods used on them. right now many can just pass through BECAUSE they are Muslim. They should be forwarned that they will have to take off their tents and scarves, if they are wearing flowing skirts and dresses they will be required to show someone what is under them as anyone else.
We know from the past that Muslim women are willing to don explosives and put them in their baby's bottles. So much for the idea that Muslim women should be excluded from any thorough search too. EVERYONE should be searched thoroughly. If they are offended - so what.
Notice that Witt never has written a critical post on this administration? Can he? Is it possible that he has not because he cannot think of anything he supports?
Jihad Watch: That is a lie. I have been critical of many of the administration's actions. Clearly you have not read all my articles on the administration. Please do your research before accusing me of such things.
I went through 7 pages of your stories and NOT ONE critical of the Obama administration.
If you want to say I lie, please reference your articles where you are critical to prove me a liar! I could not find any.
Ryan: In the past 2 months I have found your reports accurate and fair but I haven't seen any stories negatively critical of the Obama administration.
While I sympathize with those who may be moderate Muslims, i.e., those who do not hold the letter of the Koran in literal terms by exacting jihad on all non-believers, the truth is that our very way of life in under attack by those who DO interpret the Koran in literal terms. We can be all warm and fuzzy about the "peace loving" Muslims, but the truth is we greatly underestimate the power of the religion on these folks. Consider this: We have a problem in America with the religious right and their effect on same-sex marriage. We fight them tooth and nail, yet their ideology continues to affect public policy. Why on Earth should we take pause with racial profiling of Muslims, who by their only holy text, are required to wage jihad on non-believers? Can't have it both ways. And nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, has more effect on American peace than Muslim terrorism. You would think there would be a call to action with this latest incident, or maybe we're all too busy hating Catholics.
I said the President was dumb to say the Cambridge Police Department acted "stupidly." TWO articles criticized the President for that. I have criticized the President's handling of the politics behind health care reform. Specifically abandoning the public option and abandoning reconciliation. I have criticized the President's lack of action on Iran. In my last article (written before these comments were made) I was critical of Janet Napalitano.
Now are these article entitled "I Ryan Witt now criticize the Obama administration"? No they are not. But none of my article are entitled "I now criticize the Republicans" either. The criticism is within the articles themselves and it is plain as day. I have taken criticism from some on the left for some of these articles (both privately and publicly) because I dared to say the President might be wrong on something. So quite frankly you both are not looking very hard. There are more example I could use by the way, that is just some
I apologize for not calling the President a racist, or a socialist, or accusing him of treason. I think I can be critical without resorting to those kind of absurd accusations. Just because it is not the criticism you are accustom to hearing that does not mean it is not criticism.
No links Witt? I'm sure you have them.
Sec Napolitano would have been correct had the terrorist been apprehended BEFORE boarding the plane.
The fact that
1. He was on a watch list and got on board
2. He smuggled explosives with him
3. He ignited the explosives
prove that the system is an abysmal failure.
The only thing that saved the day was that Al Quida was stupid enough to send an amateur with a defective device.
Everyone expects that sooner or later a terrorist is going to succeed. There really is no fail safe way to protect the public from those who are set on blowing up airliners.
The newest method is to secret an exploding device inside the terrorist body cavity. I don't think there is any technology that's going to be able to screen that out.
As for profiling...All Al Quida would have to do is employ white anglo saxon terrorists to do the job.
I mean this is silly Profiling more Muslims this has to stop, look at how many christians are Terrorists too, one of those Attempted Bombers was a Christian, so If I was FOX NEWS or the Conservative Media I would Shut Up and find the Terrorists and Leave Other Muslims alone who not Terrorists, We are not at War with Muslims Americans we are at War with Terrorists maybe the FBI and Homeland Security and the FCC Investigate FOX NEWS and Freeze their Assets and Shut them Off the Air CNN and NBC and ABC ain't promoting Protests and Racial Profiling that has to stop.
This is stupid. Why are Americans subjected to this ridiculous screening at airports, when those who should protect us ignore the obvious, such as individuals on terror watch lists and (Ft Hood) complaints from contemporaries of radical statements and FBI known Al Qaeda web communicationss.
It doesn't require profiling. It only requires common sense and diligence!
Timothy: When we no longer have freedom of the press; we no longer have freedom. Weird how 'liberals/progressives' are always calling for an end to dissent (Fox News etc. Why are you afraid of debate?
I say screen: Muslims, Evangelicals, Pro-Lifers, KKK, Teabaggers; Blacks, Whites, Jews, Catholics (pedophiles), Hispancis, Mexicans, Carribeans; I'm sure there are more lines to segregate people based on religion, race, ethics.
So the airport will have 100 lines and screen each line based on the above. That surely will end terrorist.
And lets screen Gigi while we at it--it appears that they should be on the terrorist watch list as well.
Wide Awake,
Go back to sleep.
Witt FAILS to link ANY posts critical of this administration!
Wonder why?
Gigi, why am I not to believe that you are a French national and a member of SEIU?
I would like to remind everyone that Glenn Beck is not French and has never ordered French or Russian dressing.
Sick & Twisted,
Do you disagree with something I said or are you just a bigot when it comes to the French and against unions? Just Wondering...
Yes to everything you said and I'm against fascism and the coming Oligachy and FEMA camps as well. If Glenn mentions it, I'm for it or against it as is his wish.
Sick & Twisted,
No need to take Beck's word for anything, even if he 'wishes'. We can all do our own 'fact checking', if we desire....
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