I haven’t said anything about the NYPD’s surveillance of Muslims because, well, I have nothing to say. If it’s legal and good, I’m for it. If it’s illegal and bad, I’m against it. If it’s illegal and good, well then it better be damn good! But I have no clue. So I’ve kept my mouth shut. But what if it’s…
Tag: terrorism
Sneak-and-Peek
There’s an interesting chart in New York Magazine that shows what the Patriot Act is used for. Delayed-notice search warrants issued under the expanded powers of the Patriot Act, 2006–2009: For drugs: 1,618 For fraud: 122 For Terrorism: 15
Agitatin’
Radley Balko has a bold post on the killing of Osama Bin Laden, “He Won.” Speaking of Balko, he has been nice enough to invite me to guest blog for a week over at The Agitator. So I’ll be posting the same things both here and there. Over there, the grass looks greener: there are tens-of-thousands of readers; here there…
Terrorist Plot Foiled in Alaska
I guess those recent congressional hearings did some good. I mean, just a few days after being inspired to focus on radicalized Muslim youth, law enforcement goes out and breaks up a real terrorist plot. According the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, five people were arrested for allegedly conspiring to kill multiple Alaska State Troopers and a federal judge. Actually, not. I…
The Problem With King
Peter King sees nothing wrong with the hearings he’s holding on Muslim radicalization in America. I can’t imagine anything productive or less radical coming from these hearings. But my main objection–even fear–is that these hearings will allow the next terrorist attempt to be successful, thus “proving” their point, and creating a horrible vicious cycle. How are these hearings dangerous? Because,…
Fight the Terror
I received an email from Richard Hughbank with a letter written by Police Major Joseph Bail, Jr. (ret.). This is in response to the Washington Monthlyarticle I linked to a short while back. Hughbank asked if I would post it. It’s too long to post. It’s very long (too long?). But I’m happy to link to it. Mostly it’s a…
How We Train Our Cops to Fear Islam
Here’s an interesting article by Meg Stalcup and Joshua Craze in The Washington Monthly. The subtitle is: “There aren’t nearly enough counterterrorism experts to instruct all of America’s police–So we got these guys instead.” Despite their different backgrounds, the counterterrorism trainers we interviewed have a remarkably similar worldview. It is one of total, civilizational war–a conflict against Islam that involves…
Pssst… Wanna Plant a Bomb?
I’m not opposed to arresting people who are willing to detonate what they think is a bomb in public places. It’s not easy to arrest a suicide bomber after an attack. But consider Glenn Greenwald’s article: “The FBI successfully thwarts its own Terrorist plot” something does smell a little fishy: Having stopped a plot which it itself manufactured, the FBI…
Read More
If you don’t read The Atlantic, you should. Not only can you act like you’re smart, you might become smart. Or at least a lot smarter than you’ll ever become reading the typical drivel in a cop magazine (yes, I know, “staying alert can save your life”–so remain in “Code Yellow” and read something worthwhile). Here’s a short piece on…
A Slow Work Day at the FBI
The FBI has slow work days? I kind of hoped they were pretty busy. But I guess we all have slow work days. But when I have a slow work day I like to listen to a Cubs game or write blog posts or play pinball. But when the FBI has a slow work day… well the the Justice Department’s…