Tuesday, May 04, 2010

A Mysterious Motive

This story came in too late for the recent news feed. I’ll include the whole thing in tomorrow’s (actually today’s) news feed, but I just wanted to touch on a couple of salient points here.

As you all know by now, a suspect in the Times Square car bomb incident has been arrested. Just one would expect, he has a suspiciously culturally enriched name, and hails originally from a country with a crescent and a star on its flag. According to MSNBC:

Suspect Arrested in NYC Bomb Attempt

Man is a Connecticut resident who bought the SUV at center of probe

First of all, notice that he’s a “Connecticut resident”. This is designed to make you think that his name is probably Ambrose or Underdonk. Just a regular suburban guy, until for some reason he snapped and decided to play with gasoline and propane tanks.

But the article itself has a little bit more to say about the suspect:

NEW YORK — Authorities arrested a suspect in the attempted weekend car bombing in Times Square, NBC News’ justice correspondent Pete Williams reported early Tuesday morning.

A U.S. citizen of Pakistani descent, Shahzad Faisal, was arrested Monday night on Long Island, Williams reported.

Earlier, an official told The Associated Press that the potential suspect recently traveled to Pakistan. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the case was at a sensitive stage.

The officials said the man was a Connecticut resident who paid cash weeks ago for the SUV parked in Times Square on Saturday and rigged with a crude propane-and-gasoline bomb.

And, yes, the “T”-word is mentioned. Not the “I”-word, though — that would be hate speech:

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported on Monday that an FBI-led terrorism task force has taken over the investigation of the failed car bombing in Times Square because of indications it was connected to international terrorism, a senior law enforcement source said.

So what’s the deal with these “international terrorists”? Why do they go to all this trouble? No one really has any idea:

Emerging from a series of briefings, several officials told the Post it was too early to rule out any motive but said the sweeping investigation was turning up new clues.

So these guys are ordinary goatherds who for some reason just up and decide to become “violent extremists”, right? It could happen to anybody, really.

There’s a lot more interesting detail in the NBC story; I recommend reading the whole thing. I do, however, feel compelled to point out this little gem at the top of page two:
- - - - - - - - -
And investigators had not ruled out a range of possible motives.

Barry Mawn, who led New York’s FBI office at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and has since retired, said suspects could range from those sympathetic to the interest of U.S. enemies to a domestic terrorist to a disgruntled employee who worked in Times Square.

This is more evidence of how successfully the Muslim Brotherhood has penetrated our law enforcement and national security agencies and managed to straitjacket their vocabulary.

“…those sympathetic to the interest of U.S. enemies…”

Which enemies? What countries? And ruled by which ideologies?

No one says.

“…a domestic terrorist…”

What motivates this terrorist? What ideology drives a “violent extremist”?

No one says.

“…a disgruntled employee…”

Oh yes, that’s a good one. Disgruntled with the kuffar, you mean.

This sort of nonsense is so depressing that the only way Vlad and I could cope with it was with humor. Here’s a transcript of our skype conversation from just after the news story came in:

Baron: Motive remains mysterious
Baron: Three suspects
Baron: Ahmed, Abdul, and Mohammed
Baron: one from NY, one from Jersey, one from Connecticut
Baron: nothing in common
Baron: hmm
Baron: motive remains mysterious
Vlad: maybe, they all are from the USA?
Vlad: They all have an A in their name…
Baron: some were dark skinned some were light
Baron: some liked pepsi, some liked coke
Baron: nothing in common
Baron: motive remains mysterious
Baron: all had big red bumps in the middle of their foreheads
Baron: there’s a clue!

That’s enough for one day. Good night, y’all.


Hat tip: Vlad Tepes.

31 comments:

Zenster said...

Then there was this priceless line from a Fox news report:

American Who Recently Visited Pakistan Eyed in Times Square Bomb Plot

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, in several interviews since Sunday, has by turns described the incident as a potential or likely terrorist act, though she said investigators need to find out more about the origin of the plot.

Got that? These "investigators need to find out more about the origin of the plot"! The bomb configuration matching both the London and Glasgow attempts just wasn't enough of a glowing neon sign. The design is straight out of the al Qaeda manual!

Nowhere, no way, no how does anybody have the ostiones to go on record saying that this was an ISLAMIC plot.

Who else has been trying to kill us in large numbers for the LAST TEN YEARS?

If this weren't so incredibly dangerous, I'd say that Obama should keep up this "Hear No Islam, See No Islam, Speak No Islam" subterfuge so that he totally voids his ability to get re-elected. It's just that a lot of Americans stand a good chance of being killed because of Obama's abject treason.

Remember, it's ISLAM! Not radical Islam. Not fundamental Islam. Not extremist Islam. Not Islamists. Not Islamism.

IT'S ISLAM. It always has been Islam and it will continue to be Islam until we beat this sh!tpot of an ideology so badly that only its hair doesn't hurt.

Islam must be brought to the very brink of extinction before it will even think of changing. Even then it might not and that is the time to push it over the brink. Our world can live just fine without Islam.

ENGLISHMAN said...

Bravo,Zenster,spot on.

Zenster said...

Thank you, ENGLISHMAN.

One other niggling little detail:

Is anyone, repeat anyone at all, willing to bet a plugged nickel that Obama is rethinking the wisdom of having osculated Muslim arse so passionately in Cairo? After delivering the diplomatic equivalent of a mash note to Islam, they're still trying to kill us!

So. Any takers on that bet?

[crickets]

In Hoc Signo Vinces† said...

In hoc signo vinces

"The surveillance video shows a white man in his 40s taking off one shirt, revealing another underneath."

Is Faisal Shahzad the same man that the media branded "white man" on the CCTV footage?

Proud Infidel said...

Two excellent posts from Zenster. And no, I wouldn't take that bet. Obama is ruled by his ideology above all, no amount of reality can penetrate an idealogue's mind. He'll just conclude we need to appease Muslims even more, probably apologize to them for us still being infidels and thus causing them to hate us.

As long as this fool and his fellow travellers run this nation we are in deep trouble.

Anonymous said...

How about this from CBS News:

"A source also tells CBS News that investigators are looking at a possible suspect, a Pakistani-American, in the botched Times Square car-bombing incident.

The source said forensic evidence uncovered in the vehicle led them to a Middle Eastern man's name that was familiar to counter-terrorism investigators."

So, he was identified as a possible terrorist and still was naturalized as a citizen.

Zenster said...

From CNN:

President Obama said Tuesday that "justice will be done" in the case and that U.S. officials "will do everything in our power to protect the American people."

Unless it requires actually speaking the word "Islam" out loud in an accusatory manner or attributing the vast majority of global terrorism to the Muslims who commit it on a daily basis. Then all bets are off.

Nothing must be allowed to interfere with the new federal policy of:

Hear no Islam. See no Islam. Speak no Islam.

The failed bombing is "another sobering reminder of the times in which we live," Obama told an audience of business leaders.

What "times" would those be, Mr. Obama? Ones of "lone wolves" and "one off" attacks that your mindset refuses to connect with the most basic elements of well established Islamic doctrine?

But the United States "will be vigilant" and "will not cower in fear," he said.

Then what do you call this? Is it merely cringing? Or was there no "fear" involved and only fealty to your unofficial masters?

Jedilson Bonfim said...

Zenster, Buraq Hussein ain't re-thinking no policies whatsoever aimed at dealing with the mahoundian world, despite the fact that such mahoundian displays of thankfulness for his outreach (i.e. Chamberlainesque appeasement) initiatives will continue to be all that the US will get in response to Buraq's spinelessness.

It's really not surprising at all that there haven't been fewer threats against the US despite Hussein's surrender rhetoric. As we all know, displays of weakness such as the one he unfurled at al-Azhar "University" can only embolden mahoundians and strengthen their resolve against us, since they only understand the language of violence, brute force and the certainty of defeat that comes with it.

This whole thing about the unsurprisingly dangerous situation the US continues to face because of real, mahound-certified, glory-ass quran-compliant ISLAM, reminded me of a sarcastic article on why no one should ever have expected anything but more of the same from those inbred bedouin savages, Hussein's fast-surrender approach notwithstanding:

Andrew Klavan: But, but we apologized!!!

. said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

Hi.
Al Jazeera reports that 5 people have been arrested in Pakistan but the parents of Faisal are on the run after they heard that he was arrested.As Contessa Brewer said "There was part of me that was hoping this was not going to be anybody with ties to any kind of Islamic country."
And yes according to me he doesn't look like the "White man"who took of his shirt because he felt hot.

Dymphna said...

It's okay to be misguided or wrong, but it's not okay to state your errors in a sneering, condescending manner -- i.e., with malice aforethought.

If you don't like our point of view or our commenters, there are lots of blogs out there. It's a big blogosphere.

Nodrog, you're done here. I may have said this before, Gordon, but if you post a comment on Gates of Vienna and I see it, I will take it down even if it's full of good tidings.

Bullying and name-calling is an ugly thing.

I suppose this could possibly set off a chain of invective comment bombs, Gordon, but that's okay. Repetitive bullying is common in situations like this and I'm prepared to go through the steps necessary to contain the assaults on ourselves and our commenters. I do it with robo comments and with Islamic ugliness when it shows up on occasion. I can do it with you.

But I'd prefer that you do the right thing and simply depart as requested.

If you can't do this, it says far more about you than it does about our blog.

Zenster said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dymphna said...

@ Zenster--

Since I saved you having to respond, please do me a favor?

I'd like you to remove and repost your comment, leaving out just the two word description after the word "latest"? This appears in the first sentence.

You judgement call on the "blatant antagonism" is spot-on.

Being impeccable, even with unpleasant people, is important. I mean, look at the first part of your nic-- it's a Zen thing, right?

I could do it but I'd rather you did.

As I told our former commenter, name-calling is beyond the bounds here, even with trolls.

In return for your cooperation, here's a humdinger of a sign. One of our daily email commenters sent it to us:

You Owe Me Everything, Sucka

The sign-holder takes many more words to address what he's owed, but I think my "everything" description covers it.

The resentful greed is astounding.

As the blogger at Infowars put it,

Imagine a Tea Party activist with a placard calling for the murder of cops. He would be arrested immediately and slammed in jail. The corporate media would have a field day.

Imagine. Yes, indeed.

That's why immigration should be strictly controlled. And why integration or assimilation is crucial. This fellow appears fluent in English so that's a start. Other than that, he has a long row to hoe to being an American.

Zenster said...

Thank you, Dymphna. It was tempting in the extreme to sit down and respond to Nodrog's latest bit of long-line fishing but, for once, my better judgement won out.

Holding Shahzad Faisal to be as American as you or me was simply too much. Any response of mine would have contained accusations of intentional trolling or worse and, after these last few days of unpleasantness, I felt this board already had gotten its fill of negativity.

Again, thank you for preempting this bit of blatant antagonism.

Zenster said...

Dymphna: The sign-holder takes many more words to address what he's owed, but I think my "everything" description covers it.

The sign holder is just one more reason why rallies held in favor of "rights" for illegal immigrants should be an invitation to closely inspect the documentation of all who attend.

Agitating in favor of illegal immigration is advocacy of law-breaking and should be sufficient to establish probable cause for law enforcement.

These demonstrations would be far less well-attended if illegal aliens did not have any immunity to protest the laws they are in the process of breaking.

Anonymous said...

Zenster, that's like Maddoff talking about how great Ponzi schemes are. So yes, if I was a politician there, I'd give a call to the cops to raid the immigration rallies and document everyone.

On the other hand, as long as ethnically being an American is nothing, then yes, I have to agree with Gordon. If someone comes up with what being an American is better, I'm listening. But right now, Americans themselves say that anyone who lives in the US legally is an American. Obviously, I don't believe that this Pakistani is as American as Zenster, but in general, it's true.

Zenster said...

rebelliousvanilla: But right now, Americans themselves say that anyone who lives in the US legally is an American. Obviously, I don't believe that this Pakistani is as American as Zenster, but in general, it's true.

While I'm no expert on espionage laws, I do know that people who apply for American citizenship must swear an Oath of Allegiance:

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God. [emphasis added]

Starting at the very end, that "mental reservations" clause is specific language that is intended to eliminate anyone who has an ulterior motive. Especially if their agenda is inimical to American interests.

Should the allegations against Shahzad Faisal prove true, then he has violated his oath to "support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic". From all evidence to date, it appears as though he did this with malice aforethought.

This was what I found supremely offensive about Nodrog's equivalency. A spy or saboteur who has obtained citizenship under false pretenses solely for the purpose of inflicting harm upon the host nation has forfeited all legal rights by those acts and becomes a enemy combatant who can be subjected to a military tribunal in order to determine his guilt or innocence.

Saying that such a person is just as American as you or me (within the context of Nodrog's comment), went well beyond the pale.

Anonymous said...

Well, I agree with you, since he was an immigrant. I forgot that, I thought he was born there. Still, in order for you to be right, he must have wanted to do this at the moment in which he took the oath. If I move there and become a citizen(even though it's hard to immigrate to the US, unless you're brown) and I am honest in the moment in which I take my oath, but then I become a jihadi, I am a citizen in a legit way. Obviously, this is an aspect for those that are so concerned with laws and see them as the supreme goodness. I don't, so I agree with you. :P I wasn't fully serious on my opinion earlier, I was ironic related to how anyone can claim that they're American, regarding of their origin.

The Observer said...

According to FBI, Muslim terrorists have only perpetrated 6 percent of all terrorist acts on US soil in the period between 1980 -2005. Jewish terrorists have committed 7 percent, communists 5 percent, the extreme left 24 percent, others 16 percent and Latinos 42 percent.

Dymphna said...

@kritisk_borger:

If the FBI said that then they're delusional. It took Islamic terrorists two tries to blow up the Twin Towers. Remember there was a failed attempt in 1993? Clinton didn't even show up to inspect the damage.

Here's the wiki:

1993 WTC Bombing

The 1993 World Trade Center bombing occurred on February 26, 1993, when a car bomb was detonated below the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The 1,500 lb (680 kg) urea nitrate–hydrogen gas enhanced device was intended to knock the North Tower (Tower One) into the South Tower (Tower Two), bringing both towers down and killing thousands of people. It failed to do so, but did kill six people and injured 1,042.

Over one thousand people were injured and Slick WIllie never got around to visiting the site or his wounded citizens. The terrorists must have been asking themselves what it took to get his attention.

BTW, that was treated as a civil trial, too. Call us a bit dense, hmm?

Tehran in 1979
Beirut, 1983 - US Embassy & Marine barracks
Beruit, 1984 --once more with feeling, U.S. Embassy annex
New Delhi 1994 - US nationals kidnaped by Pakistanis
Yemen, 2000 - USS Cole
New York City 2001
Pennsylvania 2001
Washington, D.C. 2001

And any number of routine attacks on US embassies in the Middle East.

How about Saudi Arabia:

1995
1996
2001
2002
2003
2004

Saudi Arabia is special. They go after British nationals, too.

The US is full of terrorists waiting for the chance to do as much damage as possible. In a way, I don't blame them: the govt blackout on mentioning any kind of "terrorism" is pathetic.

But the real damage is the burrowing being done by the Muslim Brotherhood through all levels of our rotten-to-the core bureaucracies.

Our problems with thos Latino "terrorists" are mundane when compared to the Islamists.

Dymphna said...

[Note to KB: It doesn't matter if they kill us here or abroad. We're still dead and it's still Islamist terrorism]
------

rebelliousvanilla--

It's a sign of multi-cult insanity that you and others like you are already here. You'd be such an asset.

Amazingly suicidal are these rules, but then those in charge don't like us or you. Just as the oligarchs in Europe don't like the citizens they purportedly 'serve'.

Becoming an American citizen, beyond passing the test, means earning a living and participating in the community with the idea of adding to it.

In fact, that is the hallmark of citizenship here: volunteerism. Even de Tocqueville remarked on the phenomenon.

The hardest part of being set back with fibromyalgia is not belonging to community groups anymore. I miss that sorely.

People are frequently defined by their jobs here, but just as often their public identity lies in what they do for others.

My mother said that this was what she liked best about her adopted country: people's willingness to assist others. It was a marvel to her, and she pitched right in until she became elderly and frail enough that others started caring for her in return.

They mowed her small yard, did house repairs, brought food to her, etc. When she moved in with us, leaving behind all her friends in Florida, there was soon a delegation of folks from around here who came to see her when she could no longer leave the house.

But the list of "giving" is endlessly varied. Lots of people in each locality keep their own "weather stations" in their yards and houses. They report the information to the govt weather people and the collected data is simply more distributed (and accurate)information. Real handy during severe weather.

There are literacy programs, volunteer library folks, community projects like Habitat for Humanity (one of my favorites).

There are free church lunches, community food banks (hard hit in this economy...the shelves are becoming bare), and lots of clothing 'closets', especially for poor women who need clothing for work or those who need warm jackets.

When we were poor, I shopped there for our family clothing. Looks like i will again.

Obama never mentioned the Free Clinics where doctors and nurses (and local hospital labs and pharmacies) donated their time to treat the working class uninsured in the evening after work. I went to one of those for years.

In fact, I not only went there, but i was a volunteer. Once a month I cooked dinner for the twenty people who would be on duty for that particular day. It was lots of fun to make it a bit special with linen napkins (from the used clothing store, washed & folded) and flowers from the garden.

And I haven't even mentioned the emergency medical squads, volunteer (and well-trained), the volunteer fire brigades, the school volunteers who serve as aides to teachers, the hospital volunteers who deliver books and flowers, the community newspapers with volunteer reporters, and so on.

For all our flaws, we're a generous people who care about one another. Only in the current generation and younger do you see the ME folks who polarize along political lines. This is particularly true of the Left, who sneer at anyone outside their circle of belief. Nodrog is a good example of that kind of rude, unkind behavior. I'm sure he's perfectly friendly to his own kind.

But we didn't used to draw those distinctions. Political views were more private. There was less divide and conquer back then, too, and no one would have thought to assign greater or lesser intelligence based on party affiliation. Unfortunately we did do it by race and religion, and I well remember being on the receiving end of that stuff.

This trait is going to be put to severe testing in the coming years.

Dymphna said...

Correction:
Rebvan--

I changed that sentence and in doing so made hash of the meaning. It should read:

rebelliousvanilla--

It's a sign of multi-cult insanity that you and others like you are NOT already here. You'd be such an asset.

The Observer said...

Dymphna, here’s the link to the FBI page;

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for terrorist incidents from 1980 to 2005 carried out in the US.

And yes I’m aware that Muslim fanatics are behind most of the terrorist acts in the world today, but in this particular case I was referring to terrorist acts committed on US soil as this latest incident took place there. And no, the FBI are not delusional, Muslim fanatics have only been responsible for 6 percent of those terrorist acts in the US in this period. Jewish extremists on the other hand have been behind 7 percent of these attacks.

And yes, I am aware that Muslim terrorists were behind 9/11.

Dymphna said...

K_B

I already know that page. And I know the govt drill about no terrorism.

If you find FBI reports credible, go for it, but I'm not following you there.

The FBI has slowly become a laughing stock in this country. Didn't you read the very post you've put this on??

Good luck with that.

Profitsbeard said...

kritisk_borger-

The FBI clearly is delusional if they consider "tree spiking" by Earth First! types (who appear, by this ludicrous calculus, to be the most dangerous and active terrorists inside America) and 9/11 somehow equal examples of "terrorism".

If someone tries to set fire to an SUV to vapidly protest "gas guzzzlers", that is not on par with slamming jetliners filled with civilians into the WTC and Pentagon and field in Pennsylvania.

"Terrorism" should be valued on two scales, at least: those that intentionally caused fatalities, and those that only damaged property, because that was all they were intended to do.

The FBI makes the use of the word "terrorism" into an insultingly ridiculous form of illegitimate equivalence by their indiscriminate use of one word to cover a preposterously broad range of activities, from vandalizing a bulldozer at a logging camp to killing 3,000 people.

They are not the same in any sane universe, and the FBI abuses reality to yoke these extremes under the same definition.

It insults our intelligence.

And shows a poor Intelligence department at work.

Dymphna said...

@ Profitsbeard--

Yeh. Like that.

Dymphna said...

Forgot to tell y'all -- this is going to be played in the MSM as a disgruntled, foreclosed homebuyer who blamed Bush.

I kid you not. Tomorrow, with links.

The Observer said...

Profitsbeard,

Nobody claimed that spiking trees is somehow worse than crashing two airliners into a skyscraper. Anyone with half a brain realizes that terrorist acts have different severities, depending on the amount of damage caused and the amount of explosives used, but even so both these incidents are classified as terrorist acts and rightly so. It’s a mistake to trivialize a spiked tree as it can cause severe damage to a tree logger with a chain saw. The chain can snap off when it hits the spikes and seriously maim the person handling the chain saw, and in worst case scenario kill him, just like an IED in Iraq could kill and maim an innocent person.

Dymphna said..

“If you find FBI reports credible, go for it, but I'm not following you there.”

So you’re claiming that the incidents on this list never took place and that it’s all a bunch of lies?

Jedilson Bonfim said...

Zenster wrote: Saying that such a person is just as American as you or me (within the context of Nodrog's comment), went well beyond the pale.

Until I read that, I had always had the impression that Nordog/Gordo (the "n" is missing on purpose) wasn't really American, but one of those Brits who are more than happy to vote for Red Ken Livingstone and Hamastan passport-holding George Galloway, so that the cultural suicide of their native Western countries can be put on a fast-track, for their sheer delight.

Well, if he voted for Buraq Hussein in 2008, we might call it just an equivalent of Livingstone and Galloway, but for the highest public office in America instead.

. said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I'm still amused that people still take kritisk seriously. I stopped doing it. Anyway, I wonder if they classified Fort Hood as a Muslim terrorist... Or the lap bomber and the like.

Dymphna, I like that my society still has some degrees of that help each other thing. It's weird that in the same time, we really don't trust each other. Still, I agree with you. In group altruism is a great thing when it is done voluntarily.