Posted on 05/06/2010 3:06:47 PM PDT by neverdem
New York City officials on Wednesday seized on the attempted terror attack in Times Square to urge Congress to tighten counterterrorism policies.
In testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly called on lawmakers to close a loophole that lets individuals on the federal governments terrorism watch list buy firearms and explosives.
Bloombergs Capitol Hill appearance had been scheduled before last weekends failed attack, but the incident, in which Faisal Shahzad is alleged to have tried to detonate a crude car bomb in Times Square, gave the mayors cause a new urgency.
The key element of any smart counterterrorism strategy is to make it harder for terrorists to strike, Bloomberg said. And thats why its just common sense to give the FBI the authority to keep terror suspects from buying guns and explosives.
Because of the so-called terror gap, the FBI has no authority to prevent individuals on the watch list from buying guns from licensed U.S. dealers unless they have a separate criminal record. Pointing to last weekends attempted bombing, Bloomberg and Kelly said it was imperative that Congress act quickly to change that.
A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that between 2004 and February 2010, suspected terrorists tried to purchase weapons 1,228 times. They were successful in 91 percent of those attempts.
Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) told the panel that the public would not be forgiving if suspected terrorists legally purchased weapons used to kill Americans.
Just think what the American people would think of us, King said. There would be blood on our hands.
King has introduced legislation in the House to close the loophole. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) has introduced a similar bill in the Senate.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was unsure Wednesday whether the Obama administration would push for legislation to close the loophole.
I saw Mayor Bloomberg testify to that, and Ive asked for guidance if weve taken a position on that bill or not, he told reporters.
Despite the timeliness of the hearing, gun-rights supporters said the terrorism watch list should not be used as a gun-control database.
The problem I have is that [the] watch list, when you look at the numbers, has so many problems with it that I think its not appropriate to go down the road that were going because a constitutional right is involved, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Bloomberg during questioning.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) strongly opposes the proposed changes, claiming that the terrorism watch list is full of errors. Andrew Arulanandam, NRAs director of public affairs, pointed to the well-publicized 2004 incident in which the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) was temporarily prevented from boarding a flight because his name was mistakenly on the list.
There are innocent people who are not terrorists whose names are on the list, Arulanandam said in an interview. It is wrong to deny law-abiding people a constitutional right if they are innocent.
But Bloomberg claimed that national-security concerns take precedence over any Second Amendment arguments.
Our Founding Fathers did not write the Second Amendment to empower people who wanted to terrorize a free state, Bloomberg said.
Sam Youngman contributed to this article.
It was a bomb, not a gun, that was used...
This dip s**t, the guy is a terrorist, he will find a way to kill us even without a gun.
We wouldn’t have to worry about him buying a gun in this country if he wasn’t here in the first place would we?
Bloomberg needs to GO, wouldnt surprise me if he & Soros are dining mates.
Someone should send a copy of the US Constitution to Misters Kelly & Bloomberg. There are no due process considerations for the terrorists watch-list. That's fine, there is no constitutional right to fly on a plane, really. BUT, there is this little thing called the 2nd Amendment and the 14th Amendment. Constitutional rights CANNOT be suspended absent due process, at least in my America. Bloomberg & Kelly apparently want a different kind of America.
Bloomers gets one right! How about that! Yes, Bloomie! The Founders wrote the 2nd to guarantee we'd have the means to stop tyrrany, whether it comes from YOU or from terrorists!
dining=??????????
Remind me of all the terrorist attacks using gun-show weapons.
-crickets-
I’ve been to gun shows. Aside from the occassional skin head giving me the “eye,” they’re great. Got a new GLOCK for the glove box Sunday.
‘Cause guns were the primary threat from this attempt . . . right?
Got to disarm the people ... The progressives know that an armed people are really tough to make into socialist slaves.
It’s those damn anti-healthcare nuts, we’ve got to stop them.
Bloomberg is an asses ass. Denying criminals and terrorist from buying guns legally.. yeah, that’ll stop em.
Surrounded by liberal idiots.
Pistol permit applications on the rise in Oswego County (NY)
Suspects Gun Proved Easy to Obtain (barf alert!)
Breaking: Obama Administration Removed Faisal Shahzad From Terror Surveilance List Before Attack
Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.
Why not stick to banning trans-fats, cigs and salt?
Or better yet, why not insist our feckless Dept of Homeland [IN]Security do its job and keep its eye on possible terrorist like this Islamo-Fascist who "somehow" evaded scrutiny of the DHS and was able to make 13 trips to Paki-Sthan?
That's OK, that kind of idiocy is pretty much par for the course in that office. I distinctly remember when a tourist from Utah who was in for a tennis tournament was stabbed in the subway...and Dinkass called for more gun control. WTF, over?
Exactly. I'd love to see some reporter question either of these two statists about this, but I won't hold my breath.
I'd at least be happier if the Dems would come right out and honestly state, "We want to repeal the Constitution because we don't like its restrictions on government." At least then they'd be HONEST scumsucking traitors.
If this were the 1950s, I bet he’d want to make it illegal for all citizens on McCarthy’s list to own a gun.
FR to Bloomberg: Close (Your) terror gap mouth
I don't doubt it.
This is the same mayor who didn't respect the citizens of New York City, when those citizens voted to limit NYC mayors to two terms.
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