i don't think there's a city where they've reached critical mass yet for it to happen, when thy do, all bets are off
Posted on 01/23/2016 11:22:44 AM PST by SeekAndFind
A number of U.S. experts on policy and migration have shot down fears of the shootings in Paris and the sex attacks in Cologne happening in America, noting that a direct link with the influx of refugees has not been established in either case, and affirming that America has a strict vetting system.
There has been significant debate in the U.S. over the question of whether 100,000 refugees fleeing war and terrorism should be allowed into the country. Some notable voices, such as evangelical preacher the Rev. Franklin Graham, have directly suggested that attacks, such as the major shootings in Paris, France, in November that led to 130 deaths, and the gang sex assaults in Cologne, Germany. on New Year's Eve, could very well be repeated on U.S. soil.
Dr. Robert P. George, chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and Susan Fratzke, policy analyst and program coordinator at the Migration Policy Institute, an independent, non-partisan think tank, told The Christian Post in separate interviews, however, that it would be unfair to suggest that welcoming more refugees will heighten the risk of such attacks happening in America.
"The 2015 terrorist attacks in France were mainly perpetrated by citizens of the European Union, not refugees. The three attackers in the January 2015 attacks on Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher supermarket were French citizens. Of the nine attackers in the November 13, 2015 Paris attacks, 7 were EU (French or Belgian) citizens. The other two attackers seem [to] have entered the EU in 2015 among refugees and migrants, but their identities and citizenship are still unclear," George told CP.
"These cases illustrate the risks of allowing people to enter without screening, which is not the case with U.S. refugee resettlement," he said.
Fratzke added that the Syrian passports found on one of the suspects in the November Paris attacks were shown to be fake, and stressed the importance to withhold judgment until all the facts are known.
"In addition, refugees who enter the U.S. through the resettlement program are heavily vetted before arriving and screened against several security databases. No refugee resettled to the U.S. has, to our knowledge, ever carried out a terrorist act," she said.
George noted that the perpetrators of the terror attacks in Paris were individuals who subscribe to the extremist ideology of the Islamic State and other similar groups, and said that many of the refugees are fleeing precisely such violence.
"The United States can and must take the strongest possible security precautions in receiving refugees, but we must not fall prey to the fear that refugees who happen to be Muslims are terrorists in disguise," he urged, adding that many of victims of terror in Syria and Iraq are Shia and Sunni Muslims who have resisted violent ideology.
Fratzke said that regardless of whether the Paris and Cologne attacks are connected, there is some validity to concerns regarding the lack of registration or identity verification in Europe.
"Authorities in Greece and along the route have been overwhelmed. Refugees and migrants arriving in Europe are not properly fingerprinted, nor are their identities, biometrics, and histories verified against known databases. Systems to do this exist in Europe, but they are not being enforced," the MPI policy analyst highlighted.
She added that unlike the case in Europe, refugees coming to America are screened and their refugee claim status is assessed before they ever step foot in the country. The refugees are also required to pass extensive security and biographic checks before they arrive.
"While both systems (asylum and resettlement) are valuable, the resettlement system offers a safe path to safety for refugees, that negates the need for them to use smugglers and undertake dangerous sea journeys," Fratzke said.
"Resettlement also allows more control for the state taking the refugees in terms of who is coming, when they arrive, etc. A robust resettlement system from the Syria region could perhaps be to Europe's benefit by allowing some of the current flows to happen in a more orderly way."
In a previous interview with CP, Stefani Weiss, director and expert on European politics at Bertelsmann Stiftung, an independent, nonprofit German foundation, also talked about some of the particularities of the vetting systems in Europe, noting that because of the Schengen Agreement that created borderless areas, it is up to countries with outer borders, such as Italy and Greece, to deal with the initial influx of refugees and properly vet and register them.
There will be drip drip drip.
5 here, 6 there.
But the next big attack will not happen until the next President.
A conspiracy theory that I keep hearing.
Shoot a Muslim, make sure it is front of me so I can help you come up with an alibi.
I think you're forgetting the gun free recruiting office that was shot up in Chattanooga.
Of course not. We are perfectly safe here due to the federal government’s incredibly tough immigration entry standards, the highly secure wall on the southern border with Mexico, the FBI keeping close tabs on those Muslims here already, and an ever vigilant public that is praised for identifying suspected terrorist tells before they attack. /s
5 here, 6 there. True that until the day their overlords in some middle eastern pig sty simultaneously unleash fifty 5-man squads all over the country.
Has anyone forgotten 911 ?
Read “Dies Irae: Day of Wrath.” The true believers welcome death for allah. They’ve been brainwashed since birth.
Not to mention Ft. Hood. That was jihad even if the government won’t admit it. And it was jihad that the Army knew he was in favor of.
i don't think there's a city where they've reached critical mass yet for it to happen, when thy do, all bets are off
The gang-bangers in Houston and DFW shoot back.
Absolutely but their success would be limited in those areas with concealed or open carry.
You can be sure the illegitimate and corrupt politicians in Congress and the White House wouldn’t care. They simply do not care about us, the citizens any longer. And it’s our fault for not voting them out of office and for being so pacific when our rights are abridged and we are ignoted.
Ya, the San Bernardino attack was very similar to the Paris attack. I can’t believe the very subject of the article, asking if it could happen here, when it already has.
It could happen. But the will of the Americans to do anything meaningful (except for marching and protesting) is not there. Show me an instance in the last 50 years where we’ve done anything of any significance outside of protesting and phone calling. Big whoop.
We let enough terrorists in the US, and they latch on to the Black Lives Matter crybabies, the results could easily be catastrophic.
Riiiiiight. After all, the two San Bernardino killers were THOROUGHLY vetted, and look how nicely THAT turned out.
When you “vet” someone, the first requirement is that you actually LOOK for disqualifiers, and are prepared to sieze upon them if you find any.
It’s OBVIOUS that the democRAT administration merely conducts a faux, unserious vetting. This opinion is borne out by their unwillingness to link terrorism with islam; lieing to themselves and to the Nation. Just like the speaker in this article lied to us just now.
Of course there will be more shootings. The thing that’s been missing, other than at that muhammad cartoon contest last year, is for some of OUR people to shoot back at them.
Direct link with migrants not yet established???
BULLSHI@!!!
With open borders, Obama and his fellow Muslims and socialists in control of immigration, and zero accountability with regard to the “migrants” who jump the fence, it’s just a matter of time. We’ve done EVERYTHING to make it easy for them, with the exception of delivering an invitation.
It does not need to be in any case
affirming that America has a strict vetting system
It does not. It is a lie!
Picture a health/fitness center with all the patrons unarmed and vulnerable.
It will happen.
All the tripwires are being set in place,and it is only a matter of time before one or more of them gets hit, opening up a sizable amount of whup-azz on ALL Muslims in this country. The calls for either detention in remote areas, or enforced and assured deportation of every practicing Muslim, who attends mosque ANYWHERE, on the next plane or boat heading out, will become deafening.
Every mosque will be shuttered and either razed, or converted to some other purpose, preferably as a barbecue restaurant specializing in pork products, or as a liquor store.
Any Muslim who wishes to convert to Christianity will be considered for permission to remain as a resident alien, but any backsliders face immediate rendition to a remote area or deportation.
Give Muslims no more respect or privilege than would be extended to a practicing Nazi. Association with such ideologies is good and sufficient grounds for immediate house arrest.
Have Islam declared a non-religion. Islam is an ideology, and not a religion. Muslims are ideologues who try to color their criminal behavior as their “religion”, but which is incompatible with existing law standards in the US.
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