Posted on 05/29/2002 5:32:47 AM PDT by MissAmericanPie
Several years ago, Osama bin Laden made an observation that has come home to haunt America: We have a soft belly. In effect, we do not, according to bin Laden, have the will or determination to do what is necessary to protect the safety and security of this nation. We do not live the Vince Lombardi credo, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
Let us review American action and inaction during this period of threat to our security.
First, the Coleen Rowley memo. She is the FBI agent who articulated how the FBI office in Washington, D.C., changed a request from agents in the field for a search warrant for Zacarias Moussaoui's computer and belongings. In effect, even though the French had warned us of his connection to Islamic fundamentalist terrorist groups and to bin Laden, we gave Moussaoui a pass.
Why? Because the FBI administration did not want to offend the politically correct crowd with racial profiling. This in spite of the fact that Moussaoui wanted to learn to fly but not to take off or land, wanted to learn New York air space, and had $20,000 in cash for the lessons.
All this raised the suspicions of the flight school in Minneapolis but apparently was not enough for our politically correct FBI leadership.
In addition, we now know that the country club at Guantanamo Bay is in full swing. The Taliban and al Qaeda fighters who would kill any American without blinking an eye are being questioned by incompetents, are being treated with movement around the grounds by golf cart, and are allowed to verbally abuse and spit at the guards with instructions to the guards not to respond.
What would the countries from which these terrorists came do with American prisoners? Perhaps we have forgotten what happened to Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
Amnesty International condemns us for our war on terrorism and accuses us of violating human rights. What are they talking about? We treat the prisoners at Guantanamo with far too much deference, we free the Afghan people from the yoke of oppression of Mohammad Omar, and yet we are the culprits? These people must have been the delegation from Mars 2 million years ago.
Human Events magazine recently reported that we have not, since 9-11, changed our immigration policies for issuing visas to residents from Middle Eastern and al Qaeda-connected countries.
This in spite of the fact that 100 percent of the terrorists attacking the World Trade Center were from Islamic fundamentalist backgrounds and had connections to Middle Eastern countries. And several were here illegally.
Notwithstanding that reality, we have admitted 140,000 new people since Sept. 11 from al Qaeda-connected countries and 50,000 from Middle Eastern countries. They have not been restricted by any new standards from our government.
And in Portland, Ore., Mayor Vera Katz refuses to allow the police to assist the FBI in the questioning of the 200 people there who fit the profile of the Islamic fundamentalists residing in that area.
Yes, Osama bin Laden is right on one point. America does have a soft belly. These examples and many others to which we all can point demonstrate that much needs to be done to improve the protection, safety and security of the American people.
The tragedy is that we have not done all we should reasonably and rationally do to protect ourselves. Even with regard to air travel, actor Jerry Orbach of the TV show "Law and Order" refused to do a television public service announcement endorsing the safety of air travel. He was not convinced.
Neither am I. Let us keep the pressure on to do what is right and not what is politically correct.
If I were the CO and someone dared to disrespect my troops, I would make sure they spent some time in the box.
I thought Bush was different when I voted for him. How sorely mistaken I was...
"So there would be no problem if your family got caught in a cross-fire on-board this aircraft?"
The short answer is, NO.
The long answer is:
1--I have taught my children the following: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety." Benjamin Franklin - 1759"
So, they would be one of the armed passengers and ready and willing to defend themselves.
2--Better to die in a proactive defense of your life, others lives, and others property than to die as herded sheep in the back of an aircraft flown into a skyscraper.
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