Treachery as Public Policy

“The bombing of Air India Flight 182 on June 23, 1985, was an act of terrorism. Three hundred and twenty-nine persons – passengers and crew – died in the North Atlantic off the coast of Ireland. The majority of the passengers were Canadian; one quarter of the victims (82) were under the age of 13. … Continue reading “Treachery as Public Policy”

Soccer Bombing Should Not Prompt More US Meddling

The synchronized and unconscionable bombings by the Somali group al-Shabab –  of people doing nothing more than watching soccer games in Kampala, Uganda – counterintuitively illustrates why the United States should not be fighting Islamic militancy worldwide. Many of America’s editorial writers are screaming for stepped-up U.S. counterterrorism strikes in Somalia against the group. This … Continue reading “Soccer Bombing Should Not Prompt More US Meddling”

Being Muslim Is No Crime

How convenient that there are Muslims in America. How much harder it would be for the government to increase its power, while abridging more general liberties, if they didn’t exist. A radical Islamic preacher, who also happens to be an American citizen, is now hiding out somewhere in Yemen inciting violence against this country. What’s … Continue reading “Being Muslim Is No Crime”

Faisal Shahzad: An Ordinary Man

The day after President Obama made his Predator joke at the White House Correspondents dinner, Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani-American, was in the middle of Times Square trying to blow the place up. I’m not saying there was any connection, although you never know: yet there is indeed a link between the casual arrogance that allowed … Continue reading “Faisal Shahzad: An Ordinary Man”

Hullabaloo in Times Square

I often walk through Times Square where the Incompetent Bomber parked his 1993 Nissan Pathfinder last Saturday with the alarm clocks wired to the M88 firecrackers in the canister between the five-gallon gasoline containers and the three propane tanks, the bags of nonexplosive fertilizer, and so I take a personal interest in the case. I’m … Continue reading “Hullabaloo in Times Square”

Let’s Get Our Own Foreign Policy House in Order Before Criticizing Others

On March 31, 2010, the New York Times wrote an editorial that briefly expressed horror in response to the Moscow subway terror bombings, then warned that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin might yet again use terrorist attacks to further consolidate his power, and finally lectured Russia that the only way to defeat such extremism was to … Continue reading “Let’s Get Our Own Foreign Policy House in Order Before Criticizing Others”

Russia’s Metro Bombings

Those behind the bombing in Moscow’s Metro system, which took 39 lives – and shook the building that houses Russia’s Federal Security Bureau (FSB) – must be "scraped from the bottom of the sewers" and exposed, said Vladimir Putin. But what if that particular sewer leads all the way back to Washington and London? Russia … Continue reading “Russia’s Metro Bombings”

Excessive Intrusion, Less Security

Chicago’s O’Hare Airport – the nation’s second largest airport and one of the busiest, if not the busiest – is one of several U.S. airports (including Boston’s Logan Airport) that is putting the newest body scanner technology into use. One hundred and fifty new scanners are scheduled to be deployed along with the 40 already … Continue reading “Excessive Intrusion, Less Security”

Another Bureaucratic Paperweight

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published its first Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) [.pdf]. The QHSR – patterned after the Department of Defense’s Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) – was mandated by Congress and directed the secretary of DHS to conduct "a comprehensive examination of the homeland security strategy of the nation, including recommendations … Continue reading “Another Bureaucratic Paperweight”