Concern has been mounting recently over a trend on U.S. soil: Radical Islam is trying ever-new ways to sow destruction here. The examples are disturbing.
Over the past several weeks, six Minnesota men have been charged with terrorism, accused of traveling or attempting to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group; two men were arrested in New York as they prepared to join militants in Syria and a third man was arrested in Florida for helping to fund their operation.
Two women from Queens suspected of being a terrorist sympathizer's were arrested in New York for allegedly plotting to detonate pressure cooker bombs in New York City, and a U.S. Army National Guard member and his cousin were arrested in a terror plot, which included bombing an Illinois armory and attacks on law-enforcement that could've killed up to 100 people.
By all accounts, there have been about 70 attempted attacks on American soil since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but the arrests over the past several weeks shows a dramatic increase in activity in the radical Islamic movement against the West, specifically the United States.
Australia and Europe has also seen substantial increased radical Muslim terror threats. Just last week five teenagers were arrested for planning terror attacks in Australia.
For anyone in our country who doubts the threats of radical Islam for the U.S., just take a look at the numbers.
In the aftermath of 9/11, our intelligence capabilities and the coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement is better than ever. Our local and state police departments are consistently training to address and respond to possible terror attacks in their communities. And, as has been said over and over, it's not
if we will be the victim of an attack — it is
when.
There's never been a more important time to remain vigilant, than today. Complacency and the mindset that it cannot happen here will be our demise.
It's hard to believe that there are still some in this country that will watch TV and be surprised by these arrests, or the threats we face, given the communications networks of radical Islam that continue to say publicly and globally that they intend to wipe Israel off of the map, that they want the demise of Christianity, and that they have the right to kill anyone that doesn't believe in or support Islam.
They are telling you what they believe, and what they intend to do about it. They are increasing their recruitment - creating more training camps then ever in the Middle East and Northern Africa, and Asia. No one should be surprised, no one.
The fight against this evil must continue abroad as well as home. We have to ensure that our local state and federal law-enforcement agencies have the resources, intelligence and training they need in the years to come to defeat this enemy.
Kudos to the FBI and state authorities with regard to these recent arrests, but no one should be naïve to think that it has actually made a dent. This threat is here to stay for decades, and until the American people come to that realization and take this flight to the enemy our chances of victory are slim.
Negotiations will not work, and there are no diplomatic solutions when you’re dealing with an enemy, that wants to die. The reality is, that with this enemy, it’s kill or be killed.
The sooner we all realize that, the better.
In 1986, Kerik joined the New York City Police Department where he earned the medal for valor. In 1991 he was transferred to the U.S. Justice Department's New York Drug Enforcement Task Force. In August 2000, Kerik served as police commissioner of New York. He led New York City through the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. After retiring from the NYPD, Kerik accepted a request by the White House to lead Iraq's provisional government's efforts to reconstitute the Iraqi Interior Ministry. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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