The Terrorist & The Terror Watch List
[**My Terror Gap Segment on The Big Picture w/ Thom Hartmann begins at 6:47 of this video]
Like most New Yorkers (where I grew up), other Americans, and sentient beings throughout the globe, I am elated that Osama bin Laden will no longer be able to ply his trade. It's been a long process, but the man who turned that beautiful September day back in 2001 into a nightmare for me, as I was watching from Delancey Street, and the rest of the world whether watching from the streets or on their television set, has finally been truly held accountable for his actions.
But now is not the time to simply celebrate and forget that there are many more out there like him. They may lack his funding or charisma, but they do not lack his ambition. This is why it was ironic that the same week we finally got our man, we learned that 90% of those on the Terror Watch List who have tried since 2005 have successfully purchased guns (to say nothing of explosives, which they also have legal access to).
This is a serious gap in our law that needs to be addressed. To quote from a report by Senator Frank Lautenberg:
In June 2009, Sen. Lautenberg and Congressmen John Conyers (D-MI) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) released a new GAO report finding that, from February 2004 to February 2009, there were 963 cases in which a known or suspected terrorist attempted to buy a gun. In 90 percent of those cases -- a total of 865 times -- they were cleared to proceed with that purchase. One of those cases involved the purchase of explosives.
According to the report, which the lawmakers requested in July 2008, only 10 percent of the time were terrorist suspects denied weapons because of disqualifying factors, such as a felony conviction or illegal immigrant status. Being on the Terrorist Watch List is currently not a disqualifying factor for buying firearms.
In response to this report, Sen. Lautenberg has introduced legislation to close the "terror gap" in the nation's gun laws by giving the Attorney General authority to stop the sale of guns or explosives to terrorists. Under current federal law, there is no legal way to stop someone on the Terrorist Watch List from buying guns and explosives.
We should push for Senator Lautenberg's legislation to be passed now. It has had bipartisan support in the past, including the strong backing of former President George W. Bush.
If you don't think we should get on this forthwith, just remember, there are those who will want to take revenge for bin Laden's killing. And there are those who will continue to plan attacks on the United States because it is such a tempting target. They may not have the capabilities to pull off a large scale attack like the one on 9/11. But by allowing them to purchase Jared Loughner's Glock with an assault clip, or (God help us) explosives, we are asking for trouble.
Hopefully most of remember what happened in Mumbai, India. It only took guns, some explosives, a few cell phones, and a hijacked fishing vessel to terrorize an entire city and commit mass murder at train stations, luxury hotels and in the streets. Could it happen here?
The Washington Post's David Ignatius makes a compelling (and chilling) case that it can and will:
Technology is improving for detecting radiological devices that might arrive at seaports. But defenses are thin against bioterrorism and are almost nonexistent against seaborne attackers of the sort who terrorized Mumbai.
What would happen if roving gunmen infiltrated U.S. cities and started shooting? Most U.S. police departments aren't well prepared to deal with such "active shooters," as they're called. Police are trained to cordon off an area that's under attack and then call in a paramilitary SWAT team to root out the gunmen. But what if the attackers keep moving and shooting? The response can be haphazard, as was clear in such disparate incidents as the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks in the Washington area and last year's massacre at Virginia Tech.
"Mumbai is a worst-case 'active shooter' problem," says a former CIA officer who helped organize a DHS pilot program on the subject last summer for police chiefs. "It had multiple shooters, multiple locations, mobile threats, willingness to fight the first responders and follow-on SWAT/commando units, well-equipped and well-trained operatives, and a willingness to die. Police department commanders in America should be scratching their heads and praying."
We can never render a threat such as this nonexistent. But by making it harder for those on the Terrorist Watch List than simply walking into a gun store or show and asking for a .50 caliber rifle, that can take out an airplane, or the latest cool explosive, we are increasing our chances of preventing the next bin Laden from targeting innocent Americans.
Update: Today (Thursday) there was a sudden vote on an amendment in the Judiciary Committee to close the Terror Gap. Predictably, all 21 Republicans--tough talkers on terrorism are they--decided that the financial interests of NRA arms dealers are more important than the lives of the American people.
Full Disclosure: I consult for Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which--to protect American citizens--has made this legislation a priority
Twitter? Follow me if you will: @cliffschecter
I'm all for this idea...once you clean up the terrorist watch list and get the hundreds or thousands of people off it who have no business being on the list.
If this proposal passes and as it stands now, it will be easy to remove constitutional rights from law abiding Americans just by adding their names to the terrorist watch list.
I find that totally unacceptable.
Fix the list and the process for people being added and removed and then we'll talk about Lautenberg's proposal.
At least the Felon 'no sales' list has at least the fig leaf of judicial process.
It is a bill of attainder, which is forbidden under the Constitution of the US. Along with the Lautenberg amendment which prohibits people with misdemeanor domestic violence convictions from owning them. Or anyone with a less than honorable discharge from the military. Or several other reasons.
And there is actually no judicial process to it, yes there is a process where they get convicted/plead guilty, but there is no judicial process to removing their right protected under the second amendment. I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it, if it could be imposed upon sentencing, rather than just a mandatory ban. But personally I feel that if you have served your time and are now a free man, you should be just that. A free man with all the rights of other free men.
If you have evidence that someone is a criminal, arrest them. These secret lists of 'undesirables' absolutely reek of tyranny. We have the right to due process.
Which is to say I would expect every lawmaker who values the Constitution to vote AGAINST this not just lame Republicans.
Like most other New Yorkers (where I grew up), Americans, and sentient beings, I am elated that Osama bin Laden will no longer be able to ply his trade.
Cliff, I trust you do realize that the wording of this sentence implies that New Yorkers are not Americans? Yes, I realize that New Yorkers sometimes act as if they think civilization ends at the Hudson River (and that the rest of the country sometimes acts as if it thinks the same thing except in the opposite direction), but still..!
Never trust anyone who insists that patriotism requires you to blindfold yourself with the flag.
implies that New Yorkers aren't sentient beings. I'm not going to post my thoughts on that. ;)
...past the Hudson. If that is the way that sentence came off, it was my lack of talent as a writer, not my snobbiness as a former NYer :)
is a bit more clear now :)
Actually, I am not elated, but who said I am sentient?
(Not a fan of assassinations.)
far left loon >.<
I think most sentient beings would've preferred arrest, indictment and trial. But the problem is there's never a sentient being around when you need one. It's silly and wrong to be elated about bin Laden's murder. Most normal people weren't elated when Timothy McVeigh was killed. They may have been relieved. Or maybe they saw his demise as inevitable, or perhaps as another unfortunate and avoidable death. In any case, anyone who is elated about bin Laden's death is viewing it from a purely emotional point of view and not logically or with actual justice in mind.
Also, "most New Yorkers" believe the Sept. 11th attacks were intentionally allowed to happen. And 66 percent want another investigation to address the questions left unanswered by the 9/11 Commission Report. Unfortunately, in the unlikely event that such an investigation ever takes place, the most important suspect and/or witness is no longer around to testify.
But that's all right. At least you're elated. That's the important thing.
Judge wants FBI to explain possibly missing Oklahoma City bombing videotapes
And I agree with everything else you said...
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
when you have a show trial first. On the other hand, there might not have been a trial since bin Laden's lawyers would surely have argued that pre-trial publicity would have made any trial inherently unfair.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Will we?
Orwell's 1984 was all about false flag terrorism and Emmanuel Goldstein was the modern day Osama bin Laden/Tim Osman.
As far as when I read it.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
If you're on the terrorist watch list, maybe we shouldn't let you buy a car, or food, or cable TV, or internet access either. No postage stamps. No electronic devices of any kind.
What should we allow them to buy?
make me happy.
Do we all, progressive and conservative alike, need any further evidence that republicans are nothing more than a money making scheme set on ripping the people off in every way they can? That they are fakes and phonies?
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
That was funny kind of when they said the video blacked out for the 20 or 25 minutes during the raid. Or when the said they had pictures but wouldn't show them. Or when they said they already dumped his body into the big big sea. I'll take Sibel Edmonds word on Osama bin Laden.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
It was also kind of funny when they said it was a ferocious 40 minute firefight that the 25 minute blackout happened during, and funny when they said there wasn't a 40 minute ferocious firefight, and funny when they said bin Laden threw his wife at them and went for a weapon, and even funnier when they said actually they wounded his wife and bin Laden was unarmed when they shot him in the face, just like the two other guys they killed.
I wonder what funny shit they'll say tomorrow?
I would have been elated by following international law on assassination and extra-judicial execution and seeing some kind of proof of all the tales they told, but I'm old fashioned.
on the list that purchased explosives. To possess explosive legally, you have to have a license or permit issued by the BATFE. And I'm pretty sure they are allowed to make inspections at any time. I hate to say this but I trust the BATFE over the terrorist watch list. And it pains me to say that I trust the BATFE for any reason. And display fireworks (such as the ones that towns shoot off for the 4th or the ones they shoot off at sporting events) are considered explosives.
Heck they just proposed and I think implemented a new rule that "bird bombs" are a regulated explosive device. For those who do not know what a bird bomb is, it is a small 12 ga diameter shell that shoots a large firecracker out of something similar to a flare gun, and is used to scare birds out of orchards and such. Under the new rule, they have to get permits, keep them in a locked case with a log, of when they take them out, how many were taken out, who they were issued to, etc. And they can only be taken out when needed. I've talked to some farmers about it, they and their help usually keep them on them when working. So they are handy if needed.
Now what isn't considered an explosive, or at least not a regulated one, black powder and modern gun powder for reloading in quantities of up to 50lbs each. And also some stuff called tannerite, which is similar to black powder, but it is shipped in two parts that have to be mixed together. There is no limit to how much you can have at a time, only that you can't mix up more than 50lbs of it at once. All those require no back ground check or even an ID check. And except for the smokeless powder, is legal to own even for felons.
Heck I can buy black powder at my local wal-mart during hunting season. And actually from what I understand, you can make some pretty strong explosives from common things found in just about every wal-mart/sporting goods store.
Gun control intentions aside...
...there have been enough stories about people being on the list for no good reason and not being able to be get the authorities to remove their name from the list.
Such an arbitrary list should not infringe anyone's rights, no matter what right we're speaking about. Even the no-fly restriction is questionable, for we're not talking about convicted felons, but people who got their name typed into a list by some bureaucrat.
If this list is anything like the no fly list that my name was on and caused me to be pulled out for extra screening every single time I went through security for two years then this doesn't mean very much. Ted Kennedy was on the list. My name is probably more common than his. My guess is that just a fraction of a percent of the people whose names end up on such lists are actually the one that they're looking for. There are likely thousands of Ted Kennedys in the country, and every one of them who went in to buy a gun probably triggered one of these alerts, none of whom were actually the terrorist who once used that name as an alias back when he was fighting for Irish independence and has since gone back to using his real name and was never in the United States in the first place. This was a hypothetical example, mainly chosen because any Arab who chose to use Ted Kennedy as an alias would make people very suspicious, making him a very infective terrorist, whereas an IRA member could probably pull it off.
there was a pilot for one of the airlines that was on the list. He was a decorated retired air force pilot who had been cleared to keep a firearm in the cockpit. He had to go through extra screening every time he went to board the aircraft he was flying. iirc He almost lost his job because of it.
This is hilarious! You folks are too freakin funny...terrorists have the right to bear arms!
How such a sick, twisted society ever gained #1 status is beyond me...but boy, you're sure flaming out fast enough--the Roman Empire lasted at least 1000 years...the U.S. was only good for what, maybe 75 or 100?
I guess it's easy to laugh since I'm on the outside looking in, but the sad truth is, the whirlpool sucks us innocent Canadians down in the great flush too.
"With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine"
I am glad to see that most of the comments here, with the exception of Hedhnter, have a much better analysis of the issues surrounding the Terror Watch List than the Author of the blog post. There are credible arguments for gun control, using Terror and OBL is just a weak scare tactic. How many more rights are we to give up because of the mysterious "TERROR"?
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