Cargo Terrorism No Dry Run

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Explosives were discovered on two cargo planes heading for the United States, yesterday. Both shipments were traveling to the U.S. from Yemen, a hot bed for Jihadist recruitment and training, as well as a known seat of operations for al-Qaeda. The cargo was intercepted in Dubai and Britain. The packages were addressed to two Jewish Synagogues in Chicago.

When the story first broke the conventional wisdom of the media was that the items in the packages, toner cartridges with wires sticking out of them, were evidence of a dry run to see if such shipments would make it past security. In fact, the press was even hesitant to say that the packages were of Muslim origin, much less the real deal when it came to explosive capabilities. Either the government wasn't giving them the full story and they were coming up with ridiculous speculation, or they had the details but were holding back for fear of sounding "islamophobic."

How idiotic was the "dry run" theory? If Islamists sent packages to synagogues as a dry run, wouldn't it tip off like locations that such an attempt would come soon? Wouldn't such dry runs heighten security and make it more difficult for the jihadists to later commit their terror?

The view that the cargo terrorism was a dry run is evidence to how naive the press, government officials, and the average American truly is when it comes to the war techniques of the enemy.

Such thinking is also evidence of the ill effects political correctness has had on our ability to recognize the unpleasant truth.

Thankfully, the U.S. Government decided to take this threat very seriously, escorting one of the flights to JFK with F-15 fighters. I can only imagine the thoughts running through the minds of the passengers when they looked out the window and just beyond the wingtip of their United Arab Emirates wingspan flew an American fighter jet.

Some have speculated that such an attempt seemed unwise by radical Islamists just before the election because it would give the Republicans a better chance to win since it is the GOP that tends to have a stronger resolve against the Islamic terrorist threat. Such thinking would have to consider the possibility that the Islamic jihadists think in a manner consistent with our own thinking. Fact is, Islam could care less who the president is, or which party dominates the Congress. They hate us regardless of the make up of our leadership, and they hate us regardless of the concessions we offer or the appeasement we give them. And they will continue to hate us unless we all convert to Islam and allow Sharia to replace our Constitution, or if we are all destroyed.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

U.S. Hunts for More Suspicious Packages - New York Times