While Rick Perry mobilizes his weekend warriors to “protect” the border from terrorism and Barack Obama plays immigration politics, the real danger is materializing in the middle of the US heartland. Fringe extremists and politicians looking for votes love to pontificate about the dangers of the porous US-Mexico border while the real problem lies within the US. This is because it is not about protecting US lives but rather about political expediency, at the expense of immigration reform. Believing that the US-Mexico border is dangerous and an open invitation for terrorism ignores the ample evidence that the danger is not on the border but rather within the US itself.
Take a look at the following ten US citizens that have been identified as being involved in terrorism. These are just ten individuals out of thousands that are known about so far. As you look through the list notice that all of them are US citizens, some through immigration and others through birth in the US. Notice that none have been identified as originating or having ties to Latin America much less México.
Citizenship: Holds dual citizenship – United States citizen and Syrian citizen.
Birthplace: France
Date of Birth: September 19, 1981
Notes:
1. Presumed to be the individual behind the use of social media by the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria/Levant (ISIS).
2. Currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists List.
3. Raised in Boston
Citizenship: US citizen
Birthplace: Colorado Springs
Date of Birth: 1983
Notes:
1. Served in the United States Army (586th Engineering Company) from 2000 through 2003.
2. While fighting for Free Syrian Army in 2013 he ended up joining al-Nusra, an offshoot of Al-Qaeda.
3. Pleaded guilty to lesser charges in 2014.
4. Died of an apparent overdose on April 10, 2014
Citizenship: US citizen
Birthplace: Minneapolis
Date of Birth: 1981
Notes:
1. Killed in 2009 in Mogadishu fighting for al-Shabaab
Citizenship: US citizen
Birthplace: Washington DC
Date of Birth: February 9, 1981
Notes:
1. Captured as an enemy combatant during the US invasion of Afghanistan in November 2001.
2. In February 2002 he pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Citizenship: US citizen
Birthplace: Illinois
Date of Birth: 1981
Notes:
1. Grew up in Minneapolis
2. Died in August fighting for ISIS
Citizenship: US citizen
Birthplace: Mogadishu
Date of Birth: 1985
Notes:
1. Had security clearances to clean Delta Airlines aircraft at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. This job gave him unfettered access to Delta aircraft.
2. Grew up in Minnesota.
3. Father of nine children.
4. Killed in Syria fighting for ISIS in late August 2014.
Citizenship: US citizen
Birthplace: Unknown
Date of Birth: believed to be in 1994
Notes:
1. Believed to be fighting for ISIS, as confirmed by his sister from a text message she received from him.
2. Grew up in Minnesota.
Citizenship: US citizen
Birthplace: Brooklyn, NY
Date of Birth: October 18, 1970
Notes
1. Of Puerto Rican descent, a US territory.
2. Also known as Abdullah al-Muhajir
3. Convicted of aiding terrorists on August 16, 2007.
4. On January 22, 2008 he was sentenced to 17 years and four months in federal prison.
Citizenship: US citizen
Birthplace: Pakistan
Date of Birth: June 30, 1979
Notes:
1. Arrested for the attempted May 1, 2010 Times Square car bombing.
2. Pleaded guilty to a 10-count indictment on October 5, 2010 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Citizenship: US citizen
Birthplace: Florida
Date of Birth: 1992
Notes:
1. Video purports to show Abu-Slaha ripping up his US passport before going on a suicide attack in Syria where he died by blowing himself up.
US intelligence estimates that there are an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 foreign fighters fighting for ISIS from as many as 81 countries. Of the countries have been identified that they come from; depending on the source of the data, between 1,000 to 3,000 originate from western countries. Besides the United States they originate from Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. México and Latin American countries are not on the lists that have been compiled so far. In addition, to date, there has not been any confirmed instance of a jihadist terrorist transiting through or originating from México.
That is right; there have been exactly zero acts of jihadist terrorism on US soil originating from the border. To be clear, in the many years since Bid Laden declared war on the United States there has not been one documented instance of Muslim-based terrorism originating from the US-Mexico border.
In fact, I challenged anyone to name one Mexican citizen that has been proven to be fighting or had fought alongside jihadist terrorists intent on destroying the United States. You will not find one because there hasn’t been any.
Yet, a public perception has been manufactured making many US citizens think that the US-Mexico border is a danger to the homeland. There are many reasons for this manufactured reality that range from money, politics to xenophobia. However the truth is that the US-Mexico border has been proven to be less dangerous than US cities like Minneapolis. If we apply Perry’s logic to securing the US, shouldn’t he be mobilizing the Texas weekend warriors to Minneapolis instead?
As preposterous that sounds the fact remains that it is just as preposterous to mobilize troops to secure a border that has yet been proven to be a danger to the US through jihadist terrorism.
Therefore, as Rick Perry continues to waste taxpayer resources on “protecting” the border and Obama continues to play politics with immigration the real danger to the US, continues to rise within its own borders.
Well, let no one say that Millennials have no sense of commitment, however perverse. These guys aren’t immersed in video games on their iPhones.
Bottom line, the border is not secure. The man that crossed the border, dressed as Bin Laden, the man that crossed, dressed as a member of ISIS, the two Ukrainians, etc. All crossed unchallenged. The first two wanted to prove that anyone can enter the US without any real effort.
We still don’t know who crossed the border and where they could be nor their intentions. Then, I suppose the terrorists and criminals would respect the border and not cross, just because say the border is secure.
It comes to pass that in our advanced society we have achieved a state of affairs where there are two truths, the real and the official. Moreover, we also duel in abstract, or absolute terms. A conjunction of these American fundamental principles creates a dangerous mix that is resulting in a floundering society, afraid of its own shadow.
The border will never be secure.
It does not matter which border you are referring to. No border, no matter how challenging, will be “absolutely” secure. Imaging for a moment that we are considering an intergalactic border consisting of several million light years of space, we would not be absolutely secure; as a matter of fact, the American people love to sleep in fear of “aliens” coming from the dark. Now consider for a moment the amount of time and resources wasted by our people trying to make “aliens” the official truth, so that we can be officially scared. (Please note that official is something made in an office, and we Americans love offices)
It comes to pass that officially, ISIS is in Mexico, even in Ciudad Juarez (officially, that is). Officially, ISIS is now associated with the Drug Cartels.
It has been unofficially established that the Drug Lord in Mexico and the insurgents in the Middle East purchased their guns, previously owned by the US Government, from US Government hired mercenaries.
The question to the People of El Paso is now how much more will we have to pay for the added security at the bridges, for paying for another “Punitive Expedition” the likes of General Pershing’s.
Or, are we simply going to bomb Mexico?