Posted on 07/09/2002 1:27:36 PM PDT by Drew68
No wonder the FBI failed to seek a warrant last year to search the belongings of Zacarias Moussaoui: The agency can't seem to detect an Arab extremist when the fanatic telegraphs the fact to the entire world. One did on Independence Day, but you'd never know it from what the FBI has been saying since.
Shortly before noon on the Fourth of July, Hesham Mohamed Hadayet marched toward the El Al ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport carrying two pistols and a 6-inch knife. This Muslim immigrant from Egypt pulled out a .45-caliber automatic and began to murder people. Ever since, this nation's leading investigative agency has professed uncertainty over Hadayet's motives and how to characterize the attack.
The official agnosticism began on Thursday, when there was of course still reason for caution. But the FBI continued its stance right through the weekend, as if attempting a parody of Inspector Clouseau.
On Saturday, for example, the Los Angeles Times reported that "The FBI remained puzzled by \[Hayadet's] motive. Richard Garcia, the FBI's special agent in charge in Los Angeles, said agents were looking into all possibilities, including domestic problems or depression.
" 'Whether or not it was related to a family issue or just neighborly issues,' Garcia said, 'we don't know.' "
Puzzled by his motive? "We don't know"? How could his motive be any clearer? He wanted to kill Jews.
This dim-witted pose regarding Hadayet's motives continued on Sunday, when the AP reported the FBI "says it still doesn't know why Hesham Mohamed Hadayet targeted the ticket area of Israel's national airline."
Now, a competent police agency of course keeps an open mind until all the facts are in. But why the pretense that motive is a total mystery when a Muslim immigrant from Egypt, whom a former associate confirmed hated Israel, launches a murderous, suicidal attack on an Israeli airline counter? When Buford O. Furrow Jr. shot up a Jewish community center in Los Angeles a few years ago, we didn't wring our hands very long wondering about his motive. Had he gotten a bad haircut that morning? Were his shoes too tight? Why the reticence in stating the obvious now?
Hadayet didn't stumble into the El Al counter. He chose it. And he chose July 4, too, to deliver an ugly message to the country that had given him a home. His motives couldn't be more transparent, or ominous - whatever Inspector Clouseau may say.
Vincent Carroll is editor of the editorial pages; carrollv@RockyMountainNews.com
They have to be so politically correct or they will get their pants sued off or the Congress rising in arms and cut off their funding! Jeez!
I can think of several reasons for them to fudge on their public statements.
1. Actually labeling it a direct terror attack makes it one. Not labeling it as such removes the desired "terror" effect, so that life goes on as usual. Considering the small number of them, and the vast breadth of the U.S., such attacks really have no meaning unless they can spread panic -- why should the FBI do that on purpose?
2. Public profession of confusion may make the accomplices (if any) careless. This allows the FBI's real investigation to procede relatively unhindered, and in secret.
3. Labeling this as a terror attack requires a public response. This not only complicates the WOT (who do we attack?), but also requires a very high level of certainty if we did attack. Considering the costs of being wrong, the FBI is correct to check out these other options as well.
IMHO....
That is a good point. Statistically, one has a much greater chance of getting murdered by a run-of-the-mill homegrown thug trying to steal your car than one does a terrorist.
What is aggrevating though is the FBIs refusal to possibly consider the fact that this man simply hated Jews as a motive for his murder. They are trying to read some deep meaning into this when ther simply is not one.
When a raghead blows up Jewish children, no one looks for a "motive." This is no different.
The number one reason is CYA. The other reasons are valid, but so often public agenices distort or slant information to cover their screw ups or incompetance.
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