The ISIS Threat in Paris and here

When GW Bush left office, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were essentially over; only security and mop up of dangerous elements plus training of local government forces remained. But "ending the war" was Obama's campaign promise in 2008 and it had been taken from him. Never mind. We lost more military in his first term than 2 of Bush. He continued with that theme, ignored the fragility of the wars' end, and foolishly let ISIL (IS) rise to the power it is today. The whole world will pay for his hungry pride. The terrorists of yesterday's French attack put us on notice by saying they thirst for America's blood.

Watching a British news source last night I notice they referred to this as "the situation," and "the event." Now that's the worst PC-isms I've ever heard. Perhaps we need to return to plain English, Mr. President.

The daughter of Geraldo Rivera of Fox News was at the Paris soccer stadium where one of the attacks took place. There was a very moving first hand account from her, after her rescue by family friends when all the public and private transportation shut down. Rivera has represented the liberal view on the Fox show,The Five, since pundit Bickel went to rehab. But last night he sounded like Donald Trump. That's what fear looks and sounds like, and that is the purpose of terrorism.

Allowing the arrest and detention indefinitely of American citizens

I was not in favor of foreign terrorists captured in middle east war zones being given the rights of Americans to our civilian trial process within the U.S., however, I believe U.S. citizens should have them. I'm very concerned about the new Defense Authorization bill just signed--especially since we've recently heard Tea Party groups called terrorists by the other team. That word is just being used too frequently. There's a lot to think about in this article (long).

Glen Greenwald on the new military authorization bill

In hindsight, the Bush administration went too far, and in watching the Obama flip flops and broken promises, I think we've started down a very dangerous road of eroded rights and pot-holed guarantees.

Threats against trains in the U.S.

I'm a little surprised that the threats against trains by al-qaeda haven't been taken more seriously. I haven't been on Amtrack since 2003, but because they come into the central city of every major metropolitan area, and there was nothing in the way of security checks that I could see in Chicago or LA, at least not like the airports, it would seem to be prudent to heed their warnings. Maybe things have changed in 7 years.

Evidence collected from Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan indicates that Al Qaeda considered launching a terrorist strike against America's rail system, U.S. officials said Thursday, though there was no sign of concrete plans to carry out an attack.

The plot was "aspirational," said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information.

Al Qaeda plot: Osama bin Laden raid reveals evidence of terrorist plot against U.S. rail system - Los Angeles Times

Ohio Alerted Of al-Qaeda Railroad Threat | WBNS-10TV, Central Ohio News

Al-Qaeda background report from Global Terrorism Database

"Al-Qa’ida’s operations were especially deadly even in comparison to other notorious, long term terrorist organizations:

ETA, the Basque nationalist terrorist group in Spain, has been responsible for approximately 820 deaths from 1972 to 2008.

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was responsible for 1829 fatalities dating back to 1970—less than half of the number of people killed by al-Qa’ida.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has been responsible for 4,835 terrorism fatalities in its history. While FARC has imposed this bloodshed over the course of more than 30 years, Al-Qa’ida’s 4,299 deaths were concentrated in just a 10-year period.

Since 1998, there have been 408 incidents of mass-casualty terrorism—single events in which more than 25 people were killed. Al-Qa’ida was responsible for 16 mass-casualty terrorism attacks—more than any other group during this same period.

Al-Qa’ida has also become a crucial “node” of a network of deadly terrorist organizations—some created in the hopes of replicating al-Qa’ida, others aligning with al-Qa’ida for ideological or practical reasons. Research by Victor Asal and R. Karl Rethemeyer at the University of Albany (SUNY) has identified 33 different terrorist organizations with direct links and alliances to al-Qa’ida."

START background report, May 2011

JAMA seeking articles on terrorism

According to today's Wall St. Journal, Islamic terrorists have been engaged in their annual tradition of blowing up Christian churches. "An attack by a radical Muslim sect on two churches in northern Nigeria killed six people on Christmas Eve. On the Philippines' Jolo Island, home to al Qaeda-linked terrorists, a chapel bombing during Christmas Mass injured 11." You'll remember last year's wealthy, educated Christmas bomber from Nigeria who came close to blowing up Detroit and was on the terror watch-list. Somali terrorists are threatening Barack Obama if he doesn't embrace Islam, so I'm sure scenes of his Christmas worship in Hawaii will not make them happy. Athens and Denmark are under attack by Islamic extremists.

JAMA is going to specifically include terrorism in its special theme issue on violence due August 11, 2011 for the 10 year anniversary of the terrorist attack of September 11, 2010. Since they are encouraging any article on the health effects of terrorism as well as any topic related to violence, war, civil conflict, and human rights abuses, I sure we'll have a mixed bag of anti-American, anti-free market articles, most supported by our tax dollars through government health grants.

Terrorist attacks, according to JAMA, target civilians and that has mental health effects on the community. However, remember that any such focus has political implications since one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, as in Turks and Armenians, Serbs and Albanians, the Catholic and Protestant Irish and Russians and Chechens. So perhaps a narrower focus on what's on our mind at this time in our history--Islamic terrorism--might be appropriate?

Henninger: Popes, Atheists and Freedom - WSJ.com

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wealthy-quiet-unassuming-the-christmas-day-bomb-suspect-1851090.html

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/12/28/radical-nigerian-muslim-group-claims-terror-attacks/

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/27/somali-islamist-insurgents-threaten-attack-627018837/

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,737115,00.html

Swedish security police: Violence was 'an act of terrorism' - CNN.com

It's small comfort, I know, but apparently the Swedes who can't define rape because of Feminism messing with their national intelligence (brain, not spying), can still determine terrorism and link it to Islamic Jihad.

Swedish security police: Violence was 'an act of terrorism' - CNN.com

Anna Ardin, Julian Assange Rape Accuser, May Have Ceased Pursuing Claims

Isn't that just like a mom?

"The mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said on Wednesday she was distressed by an international police alert for her son's arrest and did not want him "hunted down and jailed.""

If you steal something (that means it doesn't belong to you), or you put the lives of others in danger, it's called a crime, mommy, and maybe it's time for little Julian to grow up and face the music. There's no evidence that he's had a break with reality--like the local guys in Michigan and Ohio who have killed their own children in the last few weeks. The fact that he's decided he personally knows better than all the people who've elected leaders, worked for change, and negotiated treaties, shows he's just as much a megalomaniac power obsessed weirdo as those he's decided to expose. Sorry mommy. You've raised a monster.

Wikileaks: Interpol puts Julian Assange on 'Wanted' list over 'sex crimes' - Telegraph

U.S. Faces Hard Bid to Prosecute Leakers - WSJ.com

Did WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange commit a crime? - CSMonitor.com

Use of the word Terror

I subscribe to the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) reports. GTD is a project of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terror (START) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence, START, based at the University of Maryland, College Park. You may think our AG and newspapers don't use the word "terror," "terrorism" or "terrorist" much any more in describing those who would bring down the United States (although I think it's still an acceptable word in referring to Tea Party 70-year olds like Murray who marched on Washington carrying a sign, and groups of 9 or 10 Michigan militia). However, in the recent story I received about the Moscow subway bombing, I counted those words 30 times. So we know they still can use it when writing about other countries.

Speaking of that militia story, last week when I was on blogging break, I noticed that the Wall Street Journal devoted a full page to them on Wednesday. However, that same day within 7 miles of the White House, a drive-by shooter(s) killed or wounded 6 men and 3 women. I didn't see the words brown or black rage in that story (race baiters describing tea parties refer to "white rage" to describe people carrying signs, orderly assembly, and cleaning up after themselves).