Finally, Our Government Acts On the Obvious!

Looking harder at people from Muslim countries? Astonishing!

The Department of Homeland Security got all bumfuzzled in the wake of Mr. Abdulmutallab's attempt to set off a underpants-bomb to bring down Northwest flight 253.  Quick as a flash, they ginned up rules forbidding passengers from using pillows or blankets during the final part of the flight, and locked them out of the rest rooms as well.

That's silly - if someone managed to sneak a bomb onto an airplane, how would denying everyone a blanket make it less likely that the bomb would go off?  There's no need for a perpetrator to wait until near the end of the flight - setting the bomb off over water would make the investigation much more difficult.  One can't help but agree with the Economist's take:

In the wake of Friday's attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, the people who run America's airport security apparatus appear to have gone insane[emphasis added]

Just as we were wondering if our government was determined to continue laying on more and more nuttiness forever, a ray of sunshine broke through the fog of bureaucratic stupidity.  At long last, and not before time, we hear that the security system is going to start paying attention to where passengers originate and examine them accordingly!  The New York Times reports:

Citizens of 14 nations, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, who are flying to the United States will be subjected indefinitely to the intense screening at airports worldwide that was imposed after the Christmas Day bombing plot, Obama administration officials announced Sunday.

As Reuters put it, "Nearly all of those are Muslim countries."  Imagine that: focusing scrutiny on people who're most likely to be hostile!  What an intellectual breakthrough!

Most of the 9-11 bombers were Saudi citizens, but rather than take advantage of that knowledge, our government, in a misguided effort to avoid offense, has treated everybody from the most furtive Muhammad to your 90-year-old granny more or less the same, and with more or less the same ineffectual but infuriatingly nonsensical results.

The forces of political correctness aren't lying down, of course; they're protesting this common-sense measure:


Law Enforcement 1.01

One of the most basic rules of law enforcement is to focus anti-crime efforts in areas where crimes are most likely to be committed.  This insight is the basis of law enforcement agencies keeping detailed track of where and when crimes occur so that they can station the most officers at the times and places they'll most likely trip over a crime.  One doesn't post the drug squad at Tiffany's, nor the vice squad at the Knitted Doily Museum.

Similarly, knowing that they can't investigate everybody, savvy police focus their investigations on people who're most likely to have committed the crime.  This strategy was immortalized in the famous line, "Round up the usual suspects," but there's a lot of truth in it.  If you look at police records, you'll see the same names popping up time and time again.

It's a well-known fact that black people are more likely to commit violent crimes than white people - FBI statistics bear this out over the years.  Thus, it makes sense for law enforcement to use a certain amount of racial profiling when investigating such crimes.

This obvious but profoundly unfortunate fact of life has predictably led to "civil rights" protests in the United States.  Using the common-sense technique of profiling by national origin is no different:

Nawar Shora, the legal director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, says the rule wrongly implies that all citizens of certain nations are suspect.

"I understand there needs to be additional security in light of what was attempted on Christmas Day," Mr. Shora said, adding that he intended to file a formal protest on Monday. "But this is extreme and very dangerous. All of a sudden people are labeled as being related to terrorism just because of the nation they are from."

Mr. Shora understands the situation precisely.  As long as ordinary citizens in Islamic countries such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the other nations on the government's list accept terrorism by their fellow nationals without protest, they, too, will be suspect.

We all know exactly who the enemy is, and our government finally seems to be admitting what we all know.  What's more, the enemy knows who they are, as do all people who have occasion to be close to them.  Dr. Abdelrahman al-Rashid, managing director of al-Arabiya satellite TV, put it very plainly:


Dr. al-Rashid also said, "We [Muslims] cannot clear our names unless we own up to the shameful fact that terrorism has become an Islamic enterprise."  What should be obvious bears repeating: These statements have been attacked as politically incorrect, which of course they are.  They can be ignored; they can be excused, but what he said can't be denied.

Not only are Dr. al-Rashid's statements true, they are so true as to be not merely stereotypes, but truisms.

If Mr. Shora desires that Arabs not be discriminated against, he'd be well advised to urge his fellow Arabs a) not to commit crimes that will get them discriminated against, b) try to talk people they know out of getting involved in terrorism, and c) tell the authorities about suspicious behavior - which, let it be said, Mr. Abdulmutallab's father did in fact do.  It's not his fault that our "protectors" had their heads too firmly ensconced in their nether regions to do anything useful about the information he supplied.

Political Correctness Rides Again

Our government is trying to have it both ways, of course:

A homeland security official said that the Obama administration did not consider this move a step in the direction of racial profiling, which the Transportation Security Administration has said it has long tried to avoid.

If the forces of political correctness require that we call it "national profiling" instead of "racial profiling," so be it.  That's actually more accurate: contrary to popular misconception, Islam is not a race.  Richard Reid the shoe-bomber was snow-white, as was John Walker Lindh the American Taliban.

Really what we need is "religious profiling", but given that adherents of the particular religion at issue have a noted tendency to clump together, national profiling is certainly an excellent start.

Either way, it's about time that the TSA and its sister agencies concentrated their efforts on the specific sort of people we all know will be perpetrating the next act of terrorism and leave granny from Poughkeepsie alone.

Reader Comments
SO how much more abuse at the hands of the TSA are Americans going to endure?
Actually the system did work: people took charge of their own destiny, instead of relegating their fears to an incompetent bureaucracy and Gestapo-looking punks called "security", the passengers subdued the fool bare handed.
It is time we abolished this TSA and be allowed to arm ourselves in public, .

January 5, 2010 10:41 AM
'Almost all terrorists are Muslims'. Why it's so? Why those Muslims are targeting only US? For God's sake remove the disparities in world all over against Muslims and there will be no 'terrorism'. And if its continuation of Crusade in Palestine ,Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir , Chechnya, and ------------ then its war ,not terrorism ; fight it at the cost of world peace till the Dooms day.
January 5, 2010 1:17 PM
"Why those Muslims are targeting only US"? Is that so?

Muslim terrorists have murdered innocents in (to provide a partial list):
The Netherlands
Sri Lanka
Saudi Arabia
...and most of all, Israel.

What's the common denominator? Muslims.

No Muslims around = No Suicidial Terrorists.
Have Muslims around = Watch out for Suicidial Terrorists.

What's the response of Muslims? "Fight it at the cost of world peace till the Dooms day." In this, they are wiser and more realistic than America's president: we do, indeed, need to fight them until "Dooms day" - THEIRS. Otherwise it will be our doom.
January 5, 2010 2:33 PM
It is equally obvious that terrorists are not stupid. If only 85 year old ladies from Detroit can get on a plane without being double checked they will find an 85 year old lady from Detroit willing to blow up a plane.
January 5, 2010 2:58 PM
I think it would be pretty tough to persuade an 85 year old from Detroit to blow up a plane. What would she do with all the virgins?

It seems that someone has to persuade these people of the relevance and imperative of the Muslim directive to kill non-Muslims. That's probably reasonably hard to do with 85 year olds.
January 7, 2010 6:08 PM
Virgins aren't the only trick Muslims have. How about 1 million dollars for her heirs? I could come up with a good many other reasons but I'd hate to give them ideas.
January 7, 2010 6:57 PM
"Why those Muslims are targeting only US"? Is that so? (Yes. Only USA. And their allies, even if they are Muslims.
India (Because India is not giving freedom to Kashmiries in violation of UN resolutions.)
Pakistan(For they are helping USA to kill Talibans,who are Afghan freedom fighters, And Al Qaida, who were planted by USA,Saudi Arabia & Pakistan to fight Russia.As regards 9/11 episode,there are lot many stories and research papers still circulating in Western media,which have weight to think of.)
Iraq (To fight out USA and its allies from their illegal occupation)
England (Obviously for their comradeship with USA in ventures.)
Spain ( For their role in Iraq)
The Netherlands (For showing disrespect to Muslim's Prophet)
France (For showing disrespect to Muslim's feelings)
Germany (For showing disrespect to Muslim's feelings)
Egypt (For watching their vested interests and becoming Buddies)
Sri Lanka (Tamils are not Muslims)
Saudi Arabia (For being His Master's Voice)
Russia (Freedom fighting By Chechnya's Muslims)
No Muslims around = No Suicidal Terrorists. (=CRUSADE?)
Have Muslims around = Watch out for Suicidal Terrorists. (Remove Disparities = Have peace, if it's really in USA's interest)

What's the response of Muslims? "Fight it at the cost of world peace till the Dooms day." In this, they are wiser and more realistic than America's president: we do, indeed, need to fight them until "Dooms day" - THEIRS. Otherwise it will be our doom. (FEEL PITY FOR YOU, Mr. Patience. You keep on but, patiently)
January 8, 2010 4:17 PM
Thank you, Mr. Puri, for illustrating the problem so excellent. Folks, we have here a self-professed moderate Muslim... who pronounces that terrorism is justified "For showing disrespect to Muslim's Prophet" and "For showing disrespect to Muslim's feelings".

That is precisely why Islam cannot be negotiated with or appeased, till everyone who is not Muslim is subservient in dhimmitude and the entire world is ruled by Muslims, just as the Koran commands all Muslims to fight for.

It's them or us, I'm afraid. I'd rather not leave the world to them, sorry.
January 8, 2010 6:02 PM
Yep, couldn't agree more. Patience said it perfectly in her last comment.

A.L.PURI is a "moderate" and yet he's willing to at least understand, tolerate and even advocate murder-for-Allah in certain situations.

No wonder groups like CAIR have such a hard time decrying Jihadism.
January 8, 2010 7:11 PM
While I certainly don't like it, killing of American soldiers can be legitimate. It is war after all. People who restrict their targets to military targets are not terrorists, keeping in mind that some collateral damage is unavoidable.

The problem is not where the fighting takes place, you are correct America and its allies are generally involved in those areas. The problem is how. The problem is how they do their fighting. A market filled with people attempting to buy food for the day is not a legitimate military target.

If you want to go to war, go to war. Do not kill men, women, and children who have nothing to do with the war. If Muslim 'freedom fighters' would stop killing indiscriminately they might get some sympathy instead of disdain and hatred.
January 8, 2010 7:12 PM
Muslims are shooting Coptic Christians in Egypt:

CAIRO, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Five Coptic Christians were killed and 10 people wounded, including two Muslims, in a drive-by shooting in front of a church in southern Egypt, security sources said Thursday.

The attack was staged at midnight on the Coptic Christmas eve.

The five Copts were leaving Mary Gergis Church in the city of Nagaa Hamady after the Christmas eve service when a dark car pulled up in front of the building and unknown assailants opened fire. Two Muslims passing the church were also injured, security sources said.

Coptic Christians in Egypt celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7.
January 9, 2010 3:43 PM
Muslims are burning down churches, too.,2933,582655,00.html

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - A fourth church in Malaysia was hit by firebombs Saturday, stoking concern among Christians as a dispute rages over the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims.

The latest incident occurred after three other churches were firebombed Friday, just days after a Kuala Lumpur court ruled non-Muslims to use the word "Allah" to refer to God in their literature.

Bishop Philip Loke said two firebombs were believed to have been thrown at his Good Shepherd Lutheran Church early Saturday but missed the glass windows, hitting the building wall instead.
January 9, 2010 8:51 PM
Hey, they are burning Cristian churces and Monasteries on Kosovo, the midle of Cristian Europe( look at: YOUTUBE).They have two new states, already: Kosovo and Bosnia!Two new bases for radical Islam adwance.
They now taking Europe by emigration and enormus birthrate, since during the history they failed to do this by arms.They are going to enslave us using demokracy...remember:one person, one vote !First majority on local level, and then...
This is what is happening now in Germany, England, France...Europe is lost; in next 100 years, they are going to be majority, unles we take a guns to protect our land, like Serbs did.And then, USA is next!
Good bye Cristian civilisation ...
Sorry for my English...
March 13, 2010 2:06 AM
Serbia has not been a part of Christendom since some time before 1500. The Ottoman Empire conquered that area and much of the population converted, although obviously not the entire population.
March 13, 2010 7:48 AM
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