Showing posts with label terrorist attack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label terrorist attack. Show all posts

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Eid ul-Fitr, and Death in Khan Bani Saad

A fifth victim died in raising recent Chattanooga, Tennessee, attack's death toll to six. (BBC News)

As I said Thursday, that's a tragedy. (July 16, 2015)

However, I think it's prudent to remember that Americans aren't the only ones terrorists kill.


(From AP, via The Australian, used w/o permission.)
(" A woman grieves at the site of the bombing in Khan Beni Saad, about 30km northeast of Baghdad."
The Australian (July 20, 2015))
"Islamic State Eid attack in Iraq kills 90 as Saudis arrest 400 "
AFP, AP; via The Australian (July 20, 2015 12:00 a.m.)
"Iraq mourned its dead yesterday as the death toll from one of its deadliest car bombs rose to at least 90.

"The suicide attack by Islamic State, which ripped through a busy market north of Baghdad, came as the country marked Eid ul-Fitr, the feast that ends the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan....

"...Muthanna Saadoun, 25, a ­municipal employee who drives a street sweeper, used his truck to help put out the fires that the blast caused in the market area.

" 'People were burning in their cars because no ambulances or fire engines were able to reach them,' he said yesterday....

"...'What we witnessed yesterday cannot be described. Fire, bodies, wounded, women and children screaming ... Khan is now a disaster zone,' said Salem Abu Moqtada, 34, who sells vegetables in the market....

"...'Every year (during Ramadan) there’s a bombing. We are guilty of being Shia,' Mr Saleh said. 'This is the biggest in Diyala since 2003.'

"Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi condemned the attack as 'a despicable crime by the Daesh (Islamic State) terrorist gangs'..."
Another spelling of Khan Beni Saad in my language is Khan Bani Saad.

Either way, the known death toll is about 130 now: 15 of them children. Apparently the attacker drove an ice truck to the market, announced that he was selling ice at a discount because of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, waited for a crowd to gather, and set off the explosion. I suppose the attack was justified — sort of — since there's a claim that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) was getting even for the killing of Sunni Muslims in Hawija. (Wikipedia)

I don't see it that way, but I come from a different culture: and have very different beliefs.

Don't expect a rant about 'those Muslims.' If all followers of Islam were this enthusiastic about killing folks who disagreed with them, or had killed someone who shared their particular flavor of Islam — the self-extermination would have been over centuries ago.

There is, I think, hope that folks in the Middle East will learn to restrain their less-reasonable citizens.

Saudi Arabia's government, for example, apparently has decided that arresting folks who plan to kill Saudis is a good idea. That's a start.

In the long run, I think changing the status quo will take a very serious review of what they believe: and hard decisions about what's necessary, and what's causing the bloodshed. Change won't be easy — as my native culture has learned on many occasions. But change happens, and change can be good.

I've said this before:
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Monday, August 5, 2013

Embassy Closings, Al Qaeda, and Looking Ahead

Embassy closings were in the weekend's news, but I decided to wait at least a day before starting this post. The State Department acting out of "an abundance of caution" is sensible. Jumping to conclusions based on what little I'd seen in the news, not so much.

So far the United States has closed 22 embassies, and issued a travel warning running through August.

England, Germany and France closed their embassies in Yemen on Sunday and Monday.

Canada apparently closed their embassies in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

England is pulling some of their embassy staff from the British embassy in Yemen.

This is a big deal: much more than something to keep folks reading late-summer news.1

Making Points, Making Sense

Taking one set of assumptions, and the fact that the countries with closed embassies are all 'Western,' I could rant about Western capitalistic imperialistic oppression.

Other knee-jerk reactions, coupled with the closed embassies being in Islamic countries, would let me denounce Muslims as being the cause of all problems from Detroit's bankruptcy to Palo Alto's looming parking shortage.

Or I could accuse the 'other' political party of everything from malfeasance in office to high treason.

If I took Frank J. Fleming's advice, I might even get taken seriously:
Since I'm more interested in making sense than making points with diehard followers of some intellectual preference, I'll do 'none of the above.'

Beware Malignant Virtue

I think there's probably a sort of Islamic connection behind the embassy closings and travel warning. The embassies are all in predominantly Muslim countries.

But I don't accuse all Muslims of being part of an Islamic conspiracy to take over the world: partly because many or most of Islamic terrorists' victims are Muslims.

As I've said before: I think Al Qaeda and like-minded outfits have the same sort of relation to Islam that the Ku Klux Klan has to Christianity. Folks with a sort of malignant virtue seem unable to sort out personal preference, cultural values, and eternal principles.

In the short run, executing your neighbors for wearing the 'wrong' clothes or playing soccer may feel good: and may even result in surviving neighbors being 'proper.'

After a while, though, I think folks become dissatisfied with that sort of rigid conformity: even if they had preferred the 'right' clothes and didn't play soccer. Even if the 'proper people' can't be voted out of office, totalitarian regimes don't seem to fare well in the long term. Afghanistan's Taliban was an example.

Looking Ahead

We'll have troubles, as we have for all of recorded history: but I'm cautiously hopeful about the next few centuries and beyond.

That's cautiously hopeful, not naively optimistic. Folks in Egypt are experiencing the sort of occasionally-lethal trouble that goes with changing a society.

Folks who cling desperately to ways of life that were ancient when Abram moved out of Ur won't be happy. Others who prefer being one of a privileged few who control their subjects' lives are almost certainly seeing the end of their era: and, possibly, their lives.

Societies are changing: fast. Too many of us have had a taste of freedom, and know that there's a world beyond our homeland's borders. Worse, for folks who like the status quo, Information Age technology makes communication easy, inexpensive, and nearly instantaneous.

Traditional information gatekeepers have lost control over what 'the Masses' are allowed to see. That's one reason that I'm very concerned about misguided responses to real online threats: and that's another topic.

Related posts:
In the news:
1 Excerpts from the news:
"U.S. extends embassy closures after intercepted al Qaeda message"
Barbara Starr. Chris Lawrence and Holly Yan, CNN (August 5, 2013)

"What started as an unprecedented move to close almost two dozen diplomatic posts for a day has broadened to week-long closures for most of them as the United States mulls the threat of a possible attack.

"A trio of factors prompted officials to extend most of its embassy and consulate closures until Saturday: an intercepted message among senior al Qaeda operatives, the end of Ramadan, and concerns over several major prison breaks in the region.

"Originally, officials decided to close 22 embassies and consulates this past Sunday -- a day when they would normally be open for business.

"But Sunday afternoon, the State Department extended embassy and consulate closures in 15 of the locations through Saturday, and added four other posts -- all in Africa -- to the list. This brings the total to 19...."
"US to extend some embassy closures over security concerns"
BBC News (August 5, 2013)
"The US says it will keep a number of embassies in north Africa and the Middle East closed until Saturday, due to a possible militant threat.

"Twenty-one US embassies and consulates closed on Sunday.

"The state department in Washington said the extended closures were 'out of an abundance of caution', and not a reaction to a new threat.

"The UK said its embassy in Yemen would stay closed until the Muslim festival of Eid on Thursday.

"The decision to close the embassies comes as the US government battles to defend recently disclosed surveillance programmes that have stirred deep privacy concerns.

"Security at US diplomatic facilities also remains a concern following last year's attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, where the US ambassador and three other Americans were killed.

"While details of the threats are unspecified, the BBC's David Willis, in Washington, says members of Congress who have been briefed about the intelligence seem to agree it amounts to one of the most serious in recent years - all pointing to the possibility of a major attack, possibly to coincide with the end of the holy month of Ramadan, which ends this week.

"Al-Qaeda

"A state department global travel alert, issued on Friday, is in force until the end of August.

"The department said the potential for an al-Qaeda-inspired attack was particularly strong in the Middle East and North Africa.

"Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has tried to carry out several high-profile attacks in recent years, including one on Christmas Day in 2009 when a man attempted to blow up a trans-Atlantic jet over Detroit, using explosives sewn into his underwear.

"Months earlier, the group tried to kill the Saudi intelligence chief with a bomb on the attacker's body.

"The UK Foreign Office had earlier announced it would shut its mission in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, until Tuesday.

"Meanwhile, US diplomatic missions in Algiers, Kabul and Baghdad are among those which will reopen on Monday, Washington said.

"But its diplomatic posts in Abu Dhabi, Amman, Cairo, Riyadh, Dhahran, Jeddah, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Manama, Muscat, Sanaa and Tripoli will remain closed until Saturday.

"The US state department also added African missions in Antananarivo, Bujumbura, Djibouti, Khartoum, Kigali and Port Louis to the list, meaning a total of 19 US embassies will remain closed this week.

"Embassies closed on Sunday, a working day in the Muslim world, included Amman, Cairo, Riyadh and Dhaka...."
"19 US posts to remain closed this week, as lawmakers say terror threat 'specific' and 'serious'"
FoxNews.com (August 5, 2013)

"The State Department has announced that it will keep 19 embassies and consulates in the Middle East and Africa closed throughout the week 'out of an abundance of caution' in the wake of terror threats that shut them down.

"Posts in Abu Dhabi, Amman, Cairo, Riyadh, Dhahran, Jeddah, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Manama, Muscat, Sanaa, Tripoli, Antanarivo, Bujumbura, Djibouti, Khartoum, Kigali and Port Louis have been instructed to close for normal operations from Monday through Saturday, department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

"The State Department also said some of those embassies were already going to be closed in accordance with local customs marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

"Those authorized to reopen Monday are in Dhaka, Algiers, Nouakchott, Kabul, Herat, Mazar el Sharif, Baghdad, Basrah and Erbil.

"Capitol Hill lawmakers, including top-ranking members of intelligence committees, on Sunday described the terror threat that closed 22 U.S. embassies and consulates across the Muslim region as the most serious one since before the 9/11 attacks and related to specific act or plot.

"Florida Republican Rep. Tom Rooney, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told Fox News that U.S. intelligence agents detected a 'very specific' threat and suggested they have known about it for at least several weeks.

"He was among several congressional lawmakers Sunday who said the threat was gleaned from so-called 'chatter' from phone lines, computer outlets, websites and other communication outlets.

"Rooney also said the information is not what intelligence committee members 'see on our regular briefings.'

"The Obama administration's decision Friday to close the U.S. outposts Sunday came the same day as the State Department issued a worldwide travel alert.

"Rooney suggested Sunday the travel warning will not be lifted soon.

" 'If I had plans to travel to certain places in the Middle East, I would probably go ahead and cancel them,' he said.

"Rooney's comments followed Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, telling NBC's 'Meet the Press' that the threats are 'very reminiscent of what we saw pre-9/11.'

"He also described the threats as 'the most serious … I've seen in a number of years.'

"Sources confirmed with Fox News the chatter was picked up over the past two weeks and exceeds anything in the past decade. They also said the extraordinary volume of chatter was preceded by months of 'absolute quietness.'

"The sources said the chatter included Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri demanding that key leaders of the terror network in the Arabian Peninsula step up their activities in the wake of recent killings of top terrorists.

"A Mideast diplomat said al-Zawahiri's 'pressuring' of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to launch new terrorist attacks on American and other Western targets is 'unprecedented.'

"The sources also said the U.S. outpost closings and the travel alert were prompted in part by a series of recent Al Qaeda-led prison breaks that have freed hundreds of operatives over the last month, including one this weekend in Aleppo, Syria. Other recent breaks have been orchestrated in Iraq, Libya and Pakistan and Abu Ghraib, in Afghanistan.

"Maryland Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, also said the intercepted threats came from 'high-level people' in Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

"He told ABC's 'This Week' the information was about a 'major attack.'...

"...The administration's announcements Friday said the Al Qaeda network might target either U.S. government or private American interests.

"The intelligence intercepts also prompted Britain, Germany and France to close their embassies in Yemen on Sunday and Monday. British authorities said some embassy staff in Yemen had been withdrawn 'due to security concerns.'

"Canada also announced it was closing its embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh."
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Friday, January 20, 2012

Bombs, Berserk Vendors, and Getting a Grip

About a dozen centuries after the Lindisfarne incident, Europeans decided to try the European Union as an alternative to more traditional forums for international debate: like World Wars I and II. Change happens: and folks can learn.

But change isn't easy.

Bombs and Berserk Street Vendors

What got me started today was the trouble in Kano, Nigeria. An outfit called Boko Haram says it set off the bombs. They're probably right.

According to the BBC, Boko Haram is an "Islamist" group that doesn't like Western culture. So far, they'd fit right in with some of America's more determinedly earnest serious thinkers: not that either the folks in Boko Haram or refugees from the '60s are likely to see it that way.

Dealing with Trousers, Miniskirts, and Other Threats

I've noticed that quite a few folks don't particularly like change. What sets Boko Haram and a bunch of hotheaded vendors in Malawi apart is how they deal with a world that isn't just like the one their grandfathers told them about. There's more going on in Nigeria than epic culture shock, and I'll get back to that.
"Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram - which has caused havoc in Africa's most populous country through a wave of bombings - is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.

"Its followers are said to be influenced by the Koranic phrase which says: 'Anyone who is not governed by what Allah has revealed is among the transgressors'.

"Boko Haram promotes a version of Islam which makes it 'haram', or forbidden, for Muslims to take part in any political or social activity associated with Western society.

"This includes voting in elections, wearing shirts and trousers or receiving a secular education...."
(BBC)
Meanwhile, several countries over, some other folks lashed out at the post-Magna-Carta world:
"Malawian women protested Friday to demand an end to attacks on those who were stripped naked on the streets for wearing pants, leggings and miniskirts, instead of dresses.

"Street vendors accused women of defying cultural norms and attacked them this week in Lilongwe and Blantyre, two of the nation's largest cosmopolitan centers.

" 'They beat them up and stripped them naked, claiming they did not follow the tradition,' said Seodi White, a rights activist and protest organizer...."
(CNN)
I suppose I could claim that these two incidents 'proves' that:
  1. Africans are crazy
  2. It's America's fault
  3. Men are pigs
  4. Squirrels are plotting to take over the world
Of those options, I pick 'none of the above:' although numbers one through four have a very tiny amount of truth in them. Here's what I mean:

People are Crazy

Logic and emotion don't play well together. It has to do with the way the human brain is wired, and I've been over that before. (December 23, 2008) I'm not making excuses: but I think the folks running Boko Haram and that bunch of street vendors are under a lot of stress. That may help explain why they're acting in what I think is a self-destructive way.

It's America's Fault

No, I don't think so. Any more than it's the architect's fault when someone gets drunk and crashes into a building the architect designed.

But women in Malawi wouldn't get in trouble for wearing miniskirts if:
  • Hammurabi and others hadn't started writing down laws
    • In stone
      • Literally
  • Ways to make a democracy work hadn't been thrashed out by ancient
  • King John hadn't signed the Magna Carta
  • An odd lot of revolutionaries hadn't made thirteen colonies into one of the world's leading producers of sitcoms and soybeans
So, in a way, what happened in Malawi and Nigeria is the fault of folks who haven't been accepting the status quo for going on 38 centuries now. In a way.

Men are Pigs

It's been a long time since I've heard "male chauvinist pig," except in context of recent American history. I am not a born-again feminist, and think that blaming all men for what ails the world makes about as much sense as blaming the commies, capitalists, or squirrels.

On the other hand, the incident in Malawi was very likely set off by some of the local 'good old boys' whose world is changing. Fast.

About two thirds of adults in Malawi are literate: 76% of the men, just under half of the women. (CIA World FactBook) I don't set quite as much stock in getting a college degree as some folks do: but I think being able to read and write are vital skills.

Or, looking at it from another angle, folks who have control of a society might not want the folks whose lives they're running to be able to read. Particularly these days, when that pesky Internet is causing so much trouble.

I've discussed SOPA in another blog, and that's not entirely another topic. Briefly, I think SOPA and PIPA are very bad ideas. But then, I'm one of those rank outsiders, and I rather like freedom of expression:Moving on.

Africa: Looking Past the Bombings

Africa as a big continent. There's a lot going on there, besides the occasional terrorist activity and dubiously-fair election.

Soccer's 28th Africa Cup of Nations

I'm not a huge sports fan, but I understand how important games like soccer, basketball, and cribbage can be in a culture. Cribbage?! Never mind.

I also think that, although 'world peace through rugby matches' won't work by itself, there's value in getting folks from different countries together - and letting them notice that they each go crazy over the same games.

it's a start.

I sincerely hope that nobody gets killed during this year's Africa Cup of Nations. The folks who organize and participate in that massive get-together have had quite enough trouble, I think:
"African ambition: Tiny nations host football feast"
Chris Murphy, CNN (January 20, 2012)

"This weekend's kick-off at the 28th Africa Cup of Nations launches a three-week explosion of color and noise in the soccer-crazy continent....

"...the 2010 installment in Angola was overshadowed by a machine gun attack on the Togo team bus that left three people dead and organizers -- the Confederation of African Football (CAF) -- having to defend the decision to stage it there...."

Drought, Famine, Death

Folks in Texas have been suffering a drought. I'm concerned about them: but I'm more concerned about folks in east Africa with the same problem.

It's not that I don't like Texas: but Texans aren't faced with a drought and rebuilding nations and cultures after centuries of colonial mismanagement. Here's what brought that to mind:
"East Africa drought update"
Vatican Radio, via NEWS.VA (January 19, 2012)

"What is the current situation like for those living in the Horn of Africa and east Africa where last year some 13 million people were threatened by famine as a result of drought and conflict? The humanitarian crisis there has mostly slipped off the radar of the international community compared to the height of the crisis last summer. The good news, however, is that the number of people at risk of outright famine has been dramatically reduced thanks to last year’s massive aid programme mounted by the U.N. and relief agencies.

"One of the agencies that were in the forefront of the relief operation was the Caritas Internationalis Confederation...."
If you never heard of that "Caritas" outfit, I'm not surprised. They don't get a whole lot of press coverage.

I've been more likely to post about the African drought situation in another blog:

Nigeria, Fuel Prices, and National Politics

"AFRICA/NIGERIA-The President cuts the price of petrol,
but the protest continues; the Bishops:
'we think of the nation's welfare' "
Agenzia Fides, via NEWS.VA (January 16, 2012)

"The President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, announced today, January 16, the reduction of the price of petrol from 141 to 97 naira per litre, although it has not re-introduced the old price of 65 naira per litre before January 1, when the government suddenly decided to eliminate subsidies for fuel prices. The President's decision is intended to contain the strong popular protest, led by the powerful local unions, which have paralyzed the country for days...."
I remember "the" energy/oil crisis. Several of them, including:I don't think high fuel prices are helping folks in Nigeria stay calm: and I've mentioned how emotions and logic get along like mongoose and cobra before.

The point is that Boko Haram isn't operating in a vacuum. Folks in Nigeria are upset about high fuel prices, and other less-than-ideal aspects of their economic and political situation. My guess is that quite a few of them have legitimate complaints.

But all that angst also makes it easier for hotheads to convince some folks that the answer is to kill someone. I don't think that's a reasonable approach: but - emotion and logic, again.

Epic Culture Shock

In a way, I'm what my culture calls "lucky." My ancestors were following the edge of a continental glacier north and west, when Hammurabi and other rulers started a reform of laws that's still a work in progress. We had centuries to get used to changes that kept upsetting apple carts in the northwestern part of Eurasia. Stuff was going on elsewhere in the world, too: but I'm talking about the melanin-deficient lot I'm descended from.

Like I said, I'm lucky. I'm from a culture that's gone through a lot of change, for a long time. Quite a few individuals still go ballistic when one more set of changes comes down the road: but as a group, I think we've become a moderately accustomed to having to re-learn customs on a fairly regular basis.

Then there are folks in places like parts of the Middle East and Africa. Until decades - maybe a generation or two - ago, life hadn't changed all that much since Abram moved out of Ur and changed his name.

Then, within one lifetime, everything changed.

It's almost as if someone with a nice, steady job in Uruk, during the Ubaid period, took a wrong turn on his way home, and landed in New York City's Times Square. Or someone living in today's Brooklyn stepped off the MTA, and found herself in whatever New York City is called, around the year 6012.

Like I said, I'm not making excuses for outfits like Boko Haram. But I recognize that they're being dragged over several thousand years of change, fast. Maybe it's no wonder that some folks in that position snapped.

Related posts:
In the news:
Background:
  • "Angola"
    CIA World FactBook (page last updated January 11, 2012)
  • "Equatorial Guinea"
    CIA World FactBook (page last updated January 11, 2012)
  • "Gabon"
    CIA World FactBook (page last updated January 19, 2012)
  • "Malawi"
    CIA World FactBook (page last updated December 13, 2011)
  • "Nigeria"
    CIA World FactBook (page last updated January 4, 2012)
1 Excerpts from the news:
"Nigeria's Kano rocked by multiple explosions"
BBC News (January 20, 2012)

"The Nigerian authorities have imposed a 24-hour curfew in Kano after at least seven people were killed in co-ordinated bomb attacks in the northern Nigerian city.

"Police stations and the regional police HQ were among the targets. Gunfire was also heard in several locations.

"The militant Islamist group Boko Haram says it carried out the attacks...."
"African ambition: Tiny nations host football feast"
Chris Murphy, CNN (January 20, 2012)

"This weekend's kick-off at the 28th Africa Cup of Nations launches a three-week explosion of color and noise in the soccer-crazy continent....

"...the 2010 installment in Angola was overshadowed by a machine gun attack on the Togo team bus that left three people dead and organizers -- the Confederation of African Football (CAF) -- having to defend the decision to stage it there...."
"Malawian women protest after attacks for wearing pants, miniskirts"
Faith Karimi, CNN (January 20, 2012)

"Malawian women protested Friday to demand an end to attacks on those who were stripped naked on the streets for wearing pants, leggings and miniskirts, instead of dresses.

"Street vendors accused women of defying cultural norms and attacked them this week in Lilongwe and Blantyre, two of the nation's largest cosmopolitan centers...."
"East Africa drought update"
Vatican Radio, via NEWS.VA (January 19, 2012)

"What is the current situation like for those living in the Horn of Africa and east Africa where last year some 13 million people were threatened by famine as a result of drought and conflict? The humanitarian crisis there has mostly slipped off the radar of the international community compared to the height of the crisis last summer. The good news, however, is that the number of people at risk of outright famine has been dramatically reduced thanks to last year’s massive aid programme mounted by the U.N. and relief agencies.

"One of the agencies that were in the forefront of the relief operation was the Caritas Internationalis Confederation...."
"AFRICA/NIGERIA-The President cuts the price of petrol,
but the protest continues; the Bishops:
'we think of the nation's welfare' "
Agenzia Fides, via NEWS.VA (January 16, 2012)

"The President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, announced today, January 16, the reduction of the price of petrol from 141 to 97 naira per litre, although it has not re-introduced the old price of 65 naira per litre before January 1, when the government suddenly decided to eliminate subsidies for fuel prices. The President's decision is intended to contain the strong popular protest, led by the powerful local unions, which have paralyzed the country for days...."
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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Norway: Oslo, the Island of Utoya, Dead Bodies, Bad Motives

Anders Behring Breivik killed people with a car bomb in downtown Oslo two days ago. He also killed dozens of people - mostly teenagers and young adults - at a Norwegian youth camp on the island of Utoya.

The probable motive for that mass killing/terrorist attack in Norway started coming out yesterday. Basically, Breivik didn't like Muslims; didn't want Muslims in Norway; didn't like the idea of folks who weren't old-school Europeans in Europe: and wanted to start a war against Islam.

To 'cleanse' Europe - although I haven't noticed that phrase in the news.1

Saving Norway by Killing Norwegians?!

So he blew up a building in Oslo, Norway - killing Norwegians. Then he went to a Norwegian youth camp and killed dozens of Norwegians there.

It makes sense, in a twisted way. Breivik seems to think that by killing lots of people who look like him, he'll encourage other people who look sort of like him to kill folks who don't look like him.

A World Where Everyone Looks Like Me?!

I think killing people who don't look like me, or act like me, is a bad idea. Really bad.

I also think it's a bad idea, when someone decides that the world should consist of folks they approve of - and nobody else.

Screwball politics and ham-handed 'fairness' rules have given the idea of 'diversity' a beating. But I still think the world would be a dull - or monotonous, at any rate - place if everybody fit like some ethnic ideal. Or if we all had to stay in our little territories - for the sake of racial purity. Or whatever.

'My End of the Boat's Not Sinking?'

Why be concerned about what happened in Norway? I'm half Norwegian, for one thing: so this is a little more personal than some news. I also value freedom: and think that Niemöller made a good point. I've posted about that before.

'My end of the boat isn't sinking' is not a good attitude to take. And I've written about that before.

Related posts:
News and views:
1 Excerpt from today's news:
"Norway suspect wanted European anti-Muslim crusade"
Joern Amland, Sarah DiLorenzo, The Associated Press, via The Salt Lake Tribune (July 24, 2011)

"The man blamed for the terrorist attacks on Norway's government headquarters and an island retreat for young people that left at least 93 dead was motivated by a desire to bring about a revolution in Norwegian society, his lawyer said Sunday.

"A manifesto he published online — which police are poring over and said was posted the day of the attack — ranted against Muslim immigration to Europe and vowed revenge on 'indigenous Europeans,' whom he accused of betraying their heritage. It said that they would be punished for their 'treasonous acts.'

"The lawyer for the 32-year-old Norwegian suspect, Anders Behring Breivik, said Sunday that his client wrote the document alone. While police said they were investigating reports of a second assailant on the island, the lawyer said Breivik also claims no one helped him...."
"Norway Killing Suspect's Postings Offer Clues to Personality"
SFGate, The San Francisco Chronicle (July 24, 2011)

"Online postings from Anders Behring Breivik, detained by Norwegian police for killing 93 people in a shooting rampage and bombing, offer a portrait of a man obsessed with what he views as the threat of multiculturalism and Islam.

"In a 1,500-page English manifesto posted hours before the killings, Breivik, 32, describes nine years of planning the attacks and his vision for revolution in Europe led by the Knights Templar. Breivik has a picture posted of himself in a Freemason outfit on the Facebook page bearing his name.

"In the document entitled '2083 - A European Declaration of Independence,' which Breivik began writing while he was still a member of Norway's opposition Progress Party, he describes how the attacks would form part of a crusade against 'cultural Marxism' and the rising 'Islamization' of Europe. He writes that the massacre would serve as a tool to market the manifesto...."
"WCC general secretary shocked by unleashing of violence in his homeland"
Vatican Radio, via News.va (July 23, 2011)

" 'Norway has today experienced an unprecedented and horrible level of violence against innocent people,' said Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, a Norwegian Lutheran pastor and General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

"Tveit, who is currently in Norway, had just left Oslo when he learned of the first attack, the bombing of a government building that left several injured and seven dead.In a statement, Rev. Tveit said that 'Attacking the core institutions of a democratic society and innocent youth gathered for a workshop to discuss political issues, leaves me shocked. Being close to these events, I am deeply saddened, realizing that this has happened in my beloved country, with its people, its leaders, and its institutions.' 'In times like this the Norwegian people and government need the solidarity of international society and the prayers of the worldwide church,' he said...."
"Pope: May All Norwegians Reject Hatred"
Associated Press, via FoxNews.com (July 23, 2011)

"Pope Benedict XVI said Saturday he is praying for the victims of Norway's terror attacks and urging Norwegians to unite in a resolve to reject hatred.

"The Vatican released the text of a condolence message the pope sent Saturday to Norway's King Harald V. In it, Benedict said he was 'profoundly saddened' by the great loss of life caused by the 'senseless violence' in the Oslo bombing and the following massacre at a youth camp on a nearby island that police say have left at least 92 dead.

"The pope invoked God's peace on the dead and offered 'fervent' prayers for the victims and their families...."
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Saturday, November 27, 2010

Oregon: The Christmas Tree Bombing That Didn't Happen

Someone tried - unsuccessfully - to kill a whole lot of folks at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Oregon. The person is a college student, young adult, resident of Oregon, born in Somalia, and a Muslim.

Depending on someone's biases, this could 'prove' that you just can't trust:
  • College students
  • Those crazy kids
    • For me, anybody under about age 30 is a 'kid'
  • Oregonians
  • Somalis
  • Muslims
Me? I think that anybody who wants to set off a bomb at a tree lighting ceremony isn't safe to have around. The same goes for folks who think it's a good idea to set off bombs in New York City's Times Square.

Motive Matters: Sort of

The motive for wanting to commit mass murder is interesting - and may be important at the trial.

In my opinion, though: it doesn't matter whether the wannabe bomber thinks God told him to kill people; is mad at the Federal Government; or believes that Discovery Channel isn't doing enough to cut the human race down to size. (You can't make this stuff up: A Catholic Citizen in America (September 1, 2010))

I do not think that blowing up people who came to watch a Christmas tree being lit is a good way to promote your religion. I think I can see how a practicing Muslim who lives in America might not want to attend a public event that's related - a bit - to a Christian holy day. But committing mass-murder? That's not the way we're supposed to act in this country.

Decades of secularist efforts to purge Christian symbols and ideas from America have made me quite aware of how disturbing an evergreen decked out in colored lights can be: to the hypersensitive anti-Christian, at least.

But - and this is an important distinction, in my opinion - I do not think that having your skivvies in a knot is a excuse for killing folks at a public gathering.

Muslims, Murder, and Minnesota

I'll admit to a bias. I think that people are individuals. I even think that people who are part of an identifiable group are individuals.

For example, not all Irishmen are shiftless drunkards who talk too much. I'm half Irish, myself, and - wait a minute. I had a drinking problem. Maybe that was a bad example.

Or, not.

Consider America's first Irish president. He did not, as far as I am aware, have a serious problem with drinking. And, whatever failings President Kennedy may have had: he does seem to have taken his job as chief executive seriously.

America's gotten over the 'Irish need not apply' attitude, as far as I can tell. These days, the sort of folks who didn't approve of the Irish and Chinese sometimes focus their hostility on America's newer citizens - like Somalis.
Muslims, Somalia, and America
Many Somali-Americans are Muslims. No big surprise there. Most Somalis are Muslims.

Many came here for the same reason that many of my forebears came to America: It's a whole lot easier to stay alive here, than back in the old country. And there's a whole lot more opportunities here for doing well, economically.

Then there are the occasional individuals who don't like the status quo: and think that committing mass murder will improve things.

Like the young Muslim who wanted to kill a lot of folks at an Oregon Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
Somalia and Minnesota
I'm particularly interested in this case of frustrated religious expression, because of the Somalia connection. I live in Minnesota, where a great many folks from Somalia are settling. They're not coming here for the climate: this is a state where they can find jobs. (December 4, 2008)

The old 'melting pot' metaphor for America doesn't seem to have been popular for years. Decades. I think what we've got is more of a 'crazy quilt,' anyway: Immigrants don't tend to entirely jettison their culture, not for a few generations anyway.

Which is fine by me. I'd start to worry if folks stopped trying to get into America.

About Muslims living in America? I've written about that before. A lot. These posts are a pretty good indication of where I stand, on living in a country where everybody isn't exactly like me:
Aren't I Afraid of Those Murderous Muslims?
I think someone from any group might go off the rails and try to commit mass murder. Remember Timothy McVeigh? (June 6, 2009)

Besides: in this case someone who is a Muslim, living in America, was worried about a young man. And told American authorities who to look out for.

No: I'm not all that worried about 'those Muslims.' Whack jobs from any group? Those folks, I'll worry about.

Here's some of the news that set me off today:
"A Somali-born teenager was arrested on Friday for attempting to detonate what he thought was a car bomb at a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Oregon, officials said.

"Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, was charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction in connection with an alleged plot to bomb the annual event in downtown Portland, the Justice Department said late on Friday.

"The bomb was a fake and had been provided to Mohamud as part of a long-term sting by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, federal officials said in a statement.

"Officials said Mohamud, a naturalized U.S. citizen and student at Oregon State University, had been in contact with an unnamed individual believed to be in northwest Pakistan and involved in terrorist activities...."
(Reuters)
Reuters may think that the important part of this news story is that Federal investigators tricked Mr. Mohamud into thinking that he was getting help building is bomb. My take is that a really important point is mentioned, briefly, deep in the article:
"...The New York Times, quoting a federal law enforcement official on condition of anonymity, reported that the FBI received a tip from a Portland Muslim who was concerned about Mohamud's increasing radicalism. The Times said that tip prompted the FBI to monitor Mohamud's e-mail activity....

"...He told FBI agents that he had thought of waging violent jihad, or holy war, since the age of 15, federal officials said.

"Mohamud proceeded with the plot despite opportunities to back away, according to the complaint, which quotes him praising the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and expressing a desire to see 'body parts and blood' in Portland.

"According to the affidavit, Mohamud said, 'I want whoever is attending that event to leave, to leave either dead or injured.'..."
(Reuters)
That, I think, is an important detail: that "the FBI received a tip from a Portland Muslim who was concerned about Mohamud's increasing radicalism...."

Most folks here in Minnesota, who came from Somalia, don't get their names in the paper. They're doing what I've been doing: getting jobs; raising their families; being part of a community.

Not long ago, quite a few young Minnesotans were disappearing - some turned up later, in pieces, in Somalia. Someone had convinced them that their best career choice was to be a walking bomb.

Their folks 'back home' here in Minnesota - were not happy about the situation. At all. And that's another topic. Sort of.

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Thursday, June 3, 2010

Falcon Lake, Texas: Sometimes Terrorists aren't 'Terrorists'

If you say "terrorist" these days, many Americans might think of an Islamic fanatic. Sure enough, the folks in outfits like Al Qaeda and the Taliban are convinced that they're defending Islam against foreigners - and 'insufficiently Islamic' Muslims.

But not everybody who wants to indulge in wholesale destruction fits that mold.

From today's news:
"Agents feared Mexican drug cartel attack on border dam"
Houston Chronicle (June 2, 2010)

"An alleged plot by a Mexican drug cartel to blow up a dam along the Texas border - and unleash billions of gallons of water into a region with millions of civilians - sent American police, federal agents and disaster officials secretly scrambling last month to thwart such an attack, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

"Whether or not the cartel, which is known to have stolen bulk quantities of gunpowder and dynamite, could have taken down the 5-mile-long Falcon Dam may never be known since the attack never came to pass.

"It may have been derailed by a stepped-up presence by the Mexican military, which was acting in part on intelligence from the U.S. government, sources said.

"The warning, which swung officials into action, was based on what the federal government contends were 'serious and reliable sources' and prompted the Department of Homeland Security to sound the alarm to first responders along the South Texas-Mexico border.

"Mexico's Zeta cartel was planning to destroy the dam not to terrorize civilians, but to get back at its rival and former ally, the Gulf cartel, which controls smuggling routes from the reservoir to the Gulf of Mexico, said Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez, head of the Southwest Border Sheriff's Coalition, as did others familiar with the alleged plot.

"But in the process, massive amounts of agricultural land would stand to be flooded as well as significant parts of a region where about 4 million people live along both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border...."
Good news: the dam is in one piece, and will probably stay that way. Those "allegeds" notwithstanding, I'm willing to assume that there really was a plan to destroy that dam - and that it was stopped.

I hope that the folks involved in law enforcement continue to look out for the rest of us - and that they're allowed to do so.

No rant about 'those foreigners.' For one thing, my ancestors were 'those foreigners,' not all that long ago. For another, I'm rather glad to be living in one of the nations on Earth that folks are trying to break into.

About the issue of undocumented immigrants / illegal aliens / whatever? I think there are problems to correct - but I also think that's it's silly to either assume that all people who are in America without the right government papers are:
  • Troublemakers
  • Victims of racist oppression
I also think it's a huge mistake to assume that maintaining the polite fiction that the Mexican national government is either capable of, or interested in, controlling its 'drug lords' is dangerous - for folks on both sides of the border.

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Sunday, May 9, 2010

New York City Times Square, The Pakistani Taliban, and Being Prudent

Three headlines this morning, with pretty much the same story:That's The New York Times, FOXNews, and CNN: There's the usual listing at the end of this post.

Isn't this a reversal of earlier claims that the New York City Times Square bombing wasn't related to terrorism? No. What's been said before by various authorities is that there is no evidence to support the idea that a terrorist organization is behind the failed bombing. (May 2, 2010)

Now, it looks like they've got evidence.

But, rather prudently, we're not being told exactly what the evidence is.
"...Mr. Shahzad, who was arrested at Kennedy International Airport aboard an Emirates Airlines airplane bound for Dubai little more than two days after the bomb was discovered, soon told police that he trained in Waziristan, the main base for the Pakistani Taliban and Al Qaeda. Neither Mr. Holder nor Mr. Brennan indicated what new information led them to the firmer conclusions about the role of the Pakistani Taliban."
(The New York Times)
Exactly, no: generally, yes:
"...Attorney General Eric Holder and White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan said the investigation has led authorities to believe that suspect Faisal Shahzad trained with the Taliban in Pakistan and was funded by them.

"Brennan told 'Fox News Sunday' that Shahzad had 'extensive interaction' with the group, which he described as virtually 'indistinguishable' from Al Qaeda...."
(FOXNews)
The 'public has a right to know' - but I think law enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security also have a responsibility to keep terrorists from leaning exactly how much they know.

"Loose lips sink ships" is an old saying, but the principle still applies.

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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

New York City Times Square Wannabe Bomber: and We Still Don't Know Everything

It looks like Faisal Shahzad is very involved in the Times Square wannabe bombing. He's a Pakistani-American, according to the news: and it sound like there may be an international conspiracy involved.

Or, not.

Oh, yeah: The Miranda thing:
"Alleged terrorist Faisal Shahzad was initially questioned by authorities under the public safety exception to the Miranda rule, Deputy Director of the FBI John S. Pistole said today at a press conference. Shahzad, who faces terrorism charges for a failed attempt to blow up a car in Times Square, was later read his Miranda rights and continued to cooperate with authorities after that, Pistole said...."
(CBS News)

Times Square Bombing, Protecting People, and Politics as Usual

Maybe things have changed in the last several years: but I'm pretty sure that some of the more overheated minds in America are already busy warning us that
  • Miranda warnings are
    • Part of a commie plot to enslave us all
    • Nowhere near strong enough to protect us from those brutal police
  • All foreigners are terrorits
    • And they smell funny
  • Any foreigner questioned by law enforcement is the victim of racial profiling
    • And/or police brutality
Me? I'm glad that the investigation is progressing - and I still hope that Congress keeps its hands off the investigation. They can grill the folks who are trying to protect us later.

At the rate this case is going, there should be plenty of time before the next election.

Cynical? Pessimistic? No, getting over some sort of an annoying bug.

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Sunday, May 2, 2010

Car Bomb in New York City's Times Square: An Update

Two updates on yesterday's incident in New York City's Times Square.
"Car bomb found in New York's Times Square"
BBC (May 2, 2010, 13:07 GMT/UTC)

"New York City police have defused an improvised car bomb parked in Times Square, one of the city's busiest tourist areas.

"They say propane tanks, fireworks, petrol and a clock device were removed from a parked sports utility vehicle.

"So far, there is no evidence that it was more than a "one-off event", the US homeland security chief said.

"Forensic evidence including fingerprints had been recovered, Janet Napolitano told NBC television.

" 'We're treating it as if it could be a potential terrorist attack,' she said.

"Early on Sunday the vehicle was towed to a forensic lab in the city's Queens district and Times Square was reopened...."
I'm often - impressed? - at how local news becomes national news in America: if it happens in New York City, Los Angeles, or another 'important' big city. (Places like Chicago, Kansas City, or Dallas - not so much. But that's another topic.)

In this case, even if this had been another case of an abandoned vehicle setting off an alert, I think this international coverage might have been warranted - at least for the initial clearing of Times Square. After the 9/11 attack, anything that might be an attack in New York City is "news."

While I'm thinking of it: The Associated Press gave an ultra-brief recap of some related recent incidents:
"...In December, a parked van without license plates led police to block off part of the area for about two hours. A police robot examined the vehicle, and clothes, racks and scarves were found inside.

"In March 2008, a hooded bicyclist hurled an explosive device at a military recruiting center, producing a flash, smoke and full-scale emergency response. No suspect was ever identified...."
(AP)
Reuters has more detail on yesterday's near miss:
"Failed NY bomb a potential terrorist attack: Napolitano"
Reuters (May 2, 2010, 9:39am EDT/13:39 UTC)

"The United States views a car bomb that failed to go off in New York's Times Square as a potential terrorist attack, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said on Sunday.

"Police tipped off by a street vendor found and defused the bomb inside a sport utility vehicle in the business, shopping and entertainment area of Midtown Manhattan when it was packed with tourists and theater-goers on a warm Saturday evening.

" 'We're taking this very seriously,' Napolitano told CNN's 'State of the Union' program. 'We're treating it as if it could be a potential terrorist attack.'

"Police said no motive or suspect had been identified. Napolitano and other officials have not specified whether the suspects are Americans or foreigners.

"Authorities said the failed bomb -- made of propane, gasoline and fireworks -- could have killed many people.

" 'This wasn't make believe. This wasn't a false alarm. This was the real deal -- to hurt people,' said Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano, adding the force of the bomb could have taken down the front of a building if it had gone off.

"New York has been on high alert for an attack since the September 11 attacks in 2001 in which hijacked airliners toppled the World Trade Center's twin towers, killing thousands of people...."
The really good news in this incident is that nobody got hurt.

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Saturday, November 28, 2009

Russian Train Derailment: Sabotage on the Moscow-St. Petersburg Line

Train wrecks can cause no end of a mess, but generally don't leave a crater a yard across - and explosives residue.

It looks like someone caused a Russian express train to derail near Uglovka. That's a town about 400 kilometers, or 250 miles, northeast of Moscow. Hundreds of people were traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Over two dozen were killed - different news articles give slightly different numbers: which isn't all that surprising. The accident scene is, literally, a train wreck.

And, as I said earlier today, it's just about certain that this wasn't an accident. Particularly since a second bomb went off, after the first explosion. I understand that's a fairly typical approach: one explosion to draw a crowd and rescue crews, then a second to kill even more people for Allah, the motherland, or whatever.

Inspired - maybe - by the derailment, someone said that a bomb had been planted at Moscow's Kievsky train station. The building was evacuated and searched, and no bomb found. Folks are being let back in now. (RIA Novosti)

The bomb at the Moscow train station may have been a hoax. Since they didn't find one, I certainly hope it was.

Luxury Train Hit

The Moscow-St. Petersburg express was a luxury train, designed to travel at around 124 miles / 200 kilometers an hour: a sort of analog to Japan's Shinkansen, or "bullet trains."

As a target for terrorism, it was a choice which almost guaranteed nation-wide - and, as it turned out, world-wide - news coverage. There was another derailment, similar to yesterday's, also caused by an explosion, on the same route, in August of 2007. (RIA)

Obviously, This is the Work of - Somebody

There are a few "obvious" sorts of groups to blame for yesterday's wreck.
  • Islamic terrorists, because
    • They blow up people
    • Russia wasn't being sufficiently Islamic
  • Chechen rebels, striking a blow for freedom
    • Or killing innocent people, as usual
  • Organized crime
    • Someone refused an offer they couldn't refuse
Me? I don't have enough information to make a reasonable guess as to who's responsible. That said, one of the less-unlikely parties would, I think, be someone with an interest in the Russia-Chechnya situation.
Chechen Terrorism?
Chechnya is a part of Russia, just north of Georgia - or a territory brutally ground under the heel of oppression. Depends on who you're listening to. Quite a few people think it's part of Russia. But then, a lot of folks say the same about Montana and America: and I'm sure that someone, somewhere, disagrees.

If Chechnya sounds familiar, it should. Separatists, insurgents, whatever, dedicated to freeing Chechnya from oppression, or something like that, managed to kill a school-full of kids and teachers in Beslan back in 2004. I suppose it was easier than attacking soldiers. (CNN)

Apparently that glorious victory didn't sit too well, even among Chechen separatists. (Global Security) The Chechen leader who may have been responsible was Shamil Basayev, who died in an explosion in 2006.

Which isn't to say that someone whose heart is in Chechnya and whose conscience is on vacation might not have decided that, since murdering a school-full of kids didn't win freedom for Chechnya, maybe killing a bunch of people on a train would.
Organized Crime: No, Really
Or, like I said, maybe a businessman in Russia made someone an offer he couldn't refuse: and was refused. Back in the 'good old days,' in - say - Chicago, it wasn't healthy to refuse to do business with some of the more influential members of the community. From what I've heard, Russia has been experiencing growth in the organized crime sector of their economy.
Islamic Terrorists?
And, of course, there are Islamic terrorists. Why they'd hit a train going from Moscow to St. Petersburg, I've no idea. But it's possible. Not very likely, though, I'd think.

A Russian news article ended with what I think is one of the more sensible comments on the question of what the two recent explosions mean:
"...The blast has raised fears of a resurge [!] in terrorist attacks in the Russian capital and other major cities. Russia was hit hard by terrorism in the 1990s and the early years of this decade, but there had not been a major incident outside the volatile North Caucasus region since 2004.
(RIA)
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

In the News: Shaking it for Islam; Wannabe Jihadist Stopped

The war on terror (which no longer exists, officially (March 30, 2009)) was in the news this week: quite a bit.

Since I'm more limited than, say, The New York Times when it comes to having resources to research and write about events and issues, I have to pick my topics. Out of the welter of bombings, talks, and assertions this week, two items stood out.

Shaking It for Islam

Or, 'with friends like these, Islam doesn't need enemies.'
"Women in Somalia forced by hardliners to shake their breasts"
Zimbabwe Star (October 20, 2009)

"Somalia's hardline Muslim extremists have ordered women to shake their breasts to determine if they are wearing 'un-Islamic' bras...."

"...The Daily Mail has reported that some women have been publicly whipped for wearing hidden undergarments, with insurgents claiming that it is a 'deceptive' act to violate Islam by wearing bras...."
American psychologists in the fifties and sixties would have had a field day with an item like that. If any of them had decided to write a book about Al Shabaab's 'shake it, babe' version of Islam, they'd have probably outsold "The Naked Ape" (1967).
"Somali Islamists whip women for wearing bras"
Reuters Africa (October 16, 2009)

"Somalia's hardline Islamist group al Shabaab has publicly whipped women for wearing bras they say violate Islam by constituting a deception, north Mogadishu residents said Friday.

"The insurgent group, which seeks to impose a strict form of sharia Islamic law throughout Somalia, amputated a foot and a hand each from two young men accused of robbery earlier this month. They have also banned movies, musical ringtones, dancing at wedding ceremonies and playing or watching soccer.

"Residents said gunmen had been rounding up any woman seen with a firm bust and then had them publicly whipped by masked men. The women were then told to remove their bras and shake their breasts.

" 'Al shabaab forced us to wear their type of veil and now they order us to shake our breasts,' a resident, Halima, told Reuters, adding that her daughters had been whipped Thursday.

" 'They first banned the former veil and introduced a hard fabric which stands stiffly on women's chests. They are now saying that breasts should be firm naturally, or just flat.'..."
Islam isn't the only religion that's had its crazies. Back in 1616, Thomas Tuke, a Puritan, won lasting fame of a sort with "A Treatise against Painting and Tincturing". his strong antipathy toward women who 'deceive' men by dying their hair or using makeup has been discussed for decades. I was introduced to the story in the sixties, and I found a reference to it as recently as 1994.

I'll say this for Al Shabaab, although I certainly don't support their actions: Having their guys tell well-stacked chicks to shake it for Islam is probably great for their morale. The Al Shabaab dudes, I mean. I get the impression that the women aren't quite so happy about the situation.

Terrorists Stopped or Religious Expression Repressed: Take Your Pick

This story is getting attention in traditional American news media. I suspect the choice of targets helped.
"Feds: Boston terror suspect planned to kill officials, attack mall"
CNN (October 21, 2009)

"A Massachusetts man was charged Wednesday with one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists abroad, the acting U.S. attorney for Massachusetts said Wednesday.

"Tarek Mehanna, 27, of Sudbury, Massachusetts, traveled overseas, sought training from the Taliban, wanted to kill U.S. soldiers in Iraq and hoped to kill one or two members of the executive branch of the U.S. government, said Michael K. Loucks, the acting U.S. attorney for Massachusetts....

"... Mehanna and the others were unable to get automatic weapons to carry out the mall attack, Loucks said.

"The complaint affidavit alleges that Mehanna and co-conspirators sought to participate in 'violent jihad against American interests and ... would talk about fighting jihad and their desire to die on the battlefield.'..."
From the looks of it the 'battlefield' might have been a place like Mall of America, here in Minnesota. As I said, I think that targeting politicos and American shopping malls got the American press's attention. I even heard something about this on NPR.

Times being what they are, I doubt that anybody's going to try excusing Tarek Mehanna and company on the basis of religious freedom. After all, the argument could be made, all he wanted to do was follow his (sincerely held) religious beliefs.

After 9/11, that sort of open-mindedness seems to have been on the wane.

But, as I've said before, I could be wrong.

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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Somalia, America, Assumptions, Terrorists and the Press

It's a fact: Somalia is not a shining example of a law-abiding, peaceful, prosperous nation. Somalia has
  • Pirates and Al-Shabaab (or the Shibab, al-Shabab, the Shebab (November 23, 2008) shooting it out from time to time
  • A national government that has occasionally controlled many parts of the capital city
  • An economy that would be better off if pirates and religious crazies weren't fighting each other
Somalia is not a very pleasant place to live.

It's gotten to the point where many Somalis have come to America, looking for a better life. Quite a few came to Minnesota, because there's work here. (December 4, 2008) I'm pretty sure they didn't come to the gopher state for its climate. Somalis in Minnesota have been doing pretty well, as far as I can tell, apart from some oftheir sons dropping out of sight now and again, to reappear in pieces, over in Somalia.

Meanwhile, back in Somalia, "crucial humanitarian aid" is being delayed by America. Whether it's big, bad America or sensibly cautious America depends in part on your preferred reality, and on which papers you read. Here are some of the more reasonable examples:
"The U.S. government is delaying 'tens of millions' of dollars in crucial humanitarian aid over concerns that the money is being diverted to a notorious militant group, a senior U.N. official said...."
(CNN)

"For the first time, the FBI director has stated on the record that the Al Qaeda-linked group al-Shabaab is no longer content to strike within the East African nation of Somalia...."
(FOXNews)

"One in five Somali children is wasting away from malnutrition. Tens of thousands need urgent medical care to survive. The whole middle belt of the country is teetering on the brink of famine. United Nations officials say Somalia has not been in such perilous shape since the central government collapsed in 1991 and is in desperate need of help...."
(The New York Times)
People try to break out of some countries, in the world where I live. (June 20, 2009) They try to break into America. Some may be drawn by government handouts. I think many come for the same reason my ancestors did: it's better here, than where they came from.

Quite a few people, of course, don't "break into" America at all. They enter the country legally, find jobs, and go about the business of earning a living and raising a family.

Which brings me to the point of this post.

From "Irish Need Not Apply" to "What is Radicalizing Young Somali Men?"

It's been a long time since some of my ancestors kept seeing "Irish Need Not Apply" signs, and the Chinese Exclusion Act was finally repealed (January 22, 2009)

America hasn't been perfect, and isn't now. Take the FBI, for example. I remember when J. Edgar Hoover inadvertently became a sort of poster child for mandatory retirement, doing the FBI no favors in the process.

Some people in Washington may not have gotten the memo, and don't realize that J. Edgar is no longer with us. Or, maybe they like the idea that the FBI can be counted on to trample rights, bungle investigations, and generally be available when a Congressional Investigation might boost voter confidence. Confidence in the deeply caring congressperson, of course. Not in the oppressive FBI.

That may not have been what a congressman had in mind, when one of his staffers came to Minnesota and asked, 'what is radicalizing young Somali men?' (March 22, 2009) I think it's quite possible that the staffer didn't realize the implications of that question.

Not all young Somali men were "radicalized." Only about 20 have disappeared, presumably drafted by Al Shabaab or a similar group in Somalia.

And not all young Somali men are the same. Somalis, as far as I can tell, are individuals who by and large are members of families, live in a neighborhood, have jobs, raise their children, and worship - or not - as their conscience guides them.

Nobody's going to mistake someone whose ancestors came mostly from Somalia with someone whose ancestors came mostly from Sweden. But they're not a homogeneous mass. They're people. Individuals.

And, it looks like a few of them haven't been behaving themselves at all well, by American standards. American law doesn't approve of the actions like the Oklahoma City bombing - Timothy McVeigh was executed for his roll in that attack. And American law (finally) regards the disappearance of young Somali men as kidnapping - and again, doesn't approve.

Actually, I think America may have, as a country, learned that immigrants aren't intrinsically dangerous. I think it helped that we rather liked our first Irish president - and that by now quite a number of people in responsible positions are the children and grandchildren of 'smelly, shifty, dirty foreigners.'

That's the Good News

Problem is, it's possible that some Somalis in America will try to replicate the 9/11 attack. I doubt that airliners will be used: The TSA has gotten a little crazy about protecting the flying public from flash cards and nipple rings.

I'm not sure that a terrorist leader would try to get a real terrorist through a system with that sort of full-bore paranoia.

On the other hand, Minnesota has targets like the Mall of America - it's not inconceivable that someone would take a shot at blowing that up, or releasing poison gas inside.

I rather hope that if an attack like that is planned, it'll be stopped as effectively as the latest one on New York City apparently was.

If Somalis are involved, which again is not inconceivable, I also hope - sincerely and strongly - that 'real Americans' don't assume that all Somalis are terrorists. I don't think all Somalis are terrorists, any more than I think all Irishmen and -women support the IRA.

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Blogroll

Note! Although I believe that these websites and blogs are useful resources for understanding the War on Terror, I do not necessarily agree with their opinions. 1 1 Given a recent misunderstanding of the phrase "useful resources," a clarification: I do not limit my reading to resources which support my views, or even to those which appear to be accurate. Reading opinions contrary to what I believed has been very useful at times: sometimes verifying my previous assumptions, sometimes encouraging me to change them.

Even resources which, in my opinion, are simply inaccurate are sometimes useful: these can give valuable insights into why some people or groups believe what they do.

In short, It is my opinion that some of the resources in this blogroll are neither accurate, nor unbiased. I do, however, believe that they are useful in understanding the War on Terror, the many versions of Islam, terrorism, and related topics.