New York City Terrorism the Old-Fashioned Way: With Bombs

Two synagogues in New York City were not blown up this week: but not for lack of effort.

Four men, American citizens, 'allegedly' thought they were planting real explosives at the Riverdale Jewish Center and another synagogue in New York City. Happily, the devices were duds, given them by an informant.

I have no idea how the trial will go, but it seems clear that these four were determined to launch their own terror attack on New York City. Aside from the two synagogues, they planned to shoot at American military aircraft, using antiaircraft missiles they got from the informant.

Details about the wannabe terrorists are still sketchy, but they said that they were on a jihad.

"...'They stated that they wanted to commit jihad,' he [Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly] said. 'More information about their motives I'm sure will be developed as the case progresses, but right now, they stated they wanted to make jihad. They were disturbed about what was happening in Afghanistan and Pakistan, that Muslims were being killed. They were making statements that Jews were killed in this attack and that would be all right — that sort of thing.'..." (City Room, The New York Times)

Nothing new here.

America: 'What a Country!'

While the four home-grown terrorists were going through preparations, New York City's Muslim and Jewish leaders were very active. Not throwing epithets at each other, or worse. Doing what happens rather often in America: getting together to deal with a common problem.

"...A group of Jewish and Muslim leaders have scheduled a 1 p.m. news conference at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, one of the city's largest mosques, to condemn violence.

"Imam Muhammad Shamsi Ali, the spiritual leader of the mosque, on East 96th Street near Third Avenue, and Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and founding rabbi of The New York Synagogue, are to attend. 'We call upon Muslim leaders to stand firm against the forces of evil,' Imam Ali said...."

As Yakov Smirnoff says, "what a country!"

"America Sucks," "Little Eichmanns," and Cherished Beliefs

I think that, when a number of people die from gunshot wounds, whoever was holding the gun is responsible. In this case, I think that the people planting what they though were real bombs are responsible: as well as their lookout.

However, I think it is prudent to look at why people shoot other people, and on occasion try to blow up buildings.

Last month, I wrote: "...I think a step in the right direction would be for institutions of higher education and news media to re-evaluate some of their cultural values. Particularly the cherished belief that there is no problem that cannot be blamed on America and/or American Big [whatever]...." (April 4, 2009)

I'm not making excuses for these four would-be killers. And I do not think that America is perfect.

But, this is a country that people are trying to break into: and I think there are a number of good reasons for that. America is a country where a college professor can write that the people killed in New York City's World Trade Center had it coming because they were "little Eichmanns," and have the country's courts force a university to re-hire him.

Related posts:

• " 'America Sucks' - Binghamton, New York, Bullies, and 'Little Eichmanns' "
  (April 4, 2009)
• "Sounds of Silence: 2009"
  (March 31, 2009)
• "Pro-Life? You May be a Dangerous Domestic Terrorist! MIAC Says So"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (March 23, 2009)
• "Feeling Ungood About Doublethink? Here's Help"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (March 23, 2009)
• "Pakistan; Nawaz Sharif; Multiculturalism; and a Skewed World View"
  (March 15, 2009)
• "Banning Online Terrorist Recruiters? Be Careful About What You Wish For"
  (March 10, 2009)
• "CCSU Students Talk About Guns: Naturally, Their Professor Called the Police"
  (March 4, 2009)
• "Turkey, the Ottoman Empire, Dead Armenians, and Learning from Mistakes
  (February 28, 2009)
• "'Towelhead,' 'Retard,' and Talking Sense in a Global Society"
  (February 24, 2009)
• "Muslim Founder of Islamic Network Beheads Wife: But it's No Big Deal?"
  (February 16, 2009)
• "What is Islam? Even Muslims Don't Seem to Agree"
  (February 6, 2009)
• "Emotions, the Frontal Cortex, The War on Terror, Anarchists, and the Illuminati"
  (December 23, 2008)
• "Monkey Pirates, Jews, and Zionists? Get a Grip!"
  (October 14, 2008)
• "Liberty City Seven / Liberty City 6"
  Multiple posts (starting March 27, 2008)
• "United States of America: 232 Years in the Freedom Business"
  (July 3, 2008)
• "Empire State Building Shines Green for Eid"
  (October 13, 2007)
  • Good news, I think. A comment shows that not everyone agrees.
• Professor Ward Churchill: 9/11 Truthteller, or Nincompoop?"
  (July 25, 2007)
• "Rep. Ellison's Misconstrued Reichstag Remarks"
  (July 17, 2007)

News and views:

• "4 arrested in alleged NYC synagogue bomb plot"
  CNN (May 21, 2009)
• "Suspects in NY jihad plot due in court"
  Reuters (May 21, 2009)
• "New York terror plotters wanted to 'do jihad' "
  The Christian Science Monitor (May 21, 2009)
• "Latest Updates in Terror Plot"
  City Room, The New York Times blog (May 21, 2009)
  • Includes details of the arrest