Did We Just Have a Close Call in Michigan?
The threat is grave, President Bush warned the nation. With 9/11 days away, terrorism experts believe Osama bin Laden will strike again to mark the anniversary of his most horrifying attack on America. It is possible that we have already narrowly avoided another disaster.
The annual Mackinac Island bridge walk was held last week. Thousands of Americans marched shoulder to shoulder across the famous bridge that separates the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. Scant weeks before, three Texas men of Middle Eastern heritage were arrested in Michigan with hundreds of cell phones and thousands of dollars in their van. They were suspected of plotting to blow up the Mackinac bridge. While the original terrorism charges were dropped for loss of prosecutable evidence, the men remain behind bars for other, lesser crimes. It is possible that this timely arrest by homeland security forces saved America from another disaster.
Political and news pundits have been arguing about whether America's homeland security efforts are effective. I say yes. While there have been fewer prosecutions for terrorist activities in the past year, federal prosecutors say it is because suspects are being arrested well in advance of potential terrorist acts. Prosecutors are often forced to try possible terrorists for lesser crimes or expel them from the country under immigration violations rather than try them for terrorism with insufficient evidence. At least they're putting them behind bars or getting them out of the country.
I think this is a tribute to America's vigilance and the effectiveness of our homeland security forces. Responding to a homeland security alert, a store clerk alerted police about suspicious cell phone purchases which lead to the Michigan arrest. Cell phones can be used by terrorists to detonate bombs, raise funds overseas for terrorist activities, and provide nearly untraceable communication. I'd much rather have these individuals arrested for a minor crime and stopped than wait to see what they planned to do with all those cell phones and cash within miles of the Mackinac bridge only weeks before it would be crowded with American men, women, and children. Because of American vigilance and quick response by homeland security forces, I think we just avoided another horrific tragedy. In the days and months ahead, we need to remain vigilante. The life you save could be yours or your neighbor's or your child's.
The annual Mackinac Island bridge walk was held last week. Thousands of Americans marched shoulder to shoulder across the famous bridge that separates the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. Scant weeks before, three Texas men of Middle Eastern heritage were arrested in Michigan with hundreds of cell phones and thousands of dollars in their van. They were suspected of plotting to blow up the Mackinac bridge. While the original terrorism charges were dropped for loss of prosecutable evidence, the men remain behind bars for other, lesser crimes. It is possible that this timely arrest by homeland security forces saved America from another disaster.
Political and news pundits have been arguing about whether America's homeland security efforts are effective. I say yes. While there have been fewer prosecutions for terrorist activities in the past year, federal prosecutors say it is because suspects are being arrested well in advance of potential terrorist acts. Prosecutors are often forced to try possible terrorists for lesser crimes or expel them from the country under immigration violations rather than try them for terrorism with insufficient evidence. At least they're putting them behind bars or getting them out of the country.
I think this is a tribute to America's vigilance and the effectiveness of our homeland security forces. Responding to a homeland security alert, a store clerk alerted police about suspicious cell phone purchases which lead to the Michigan arrest. Cell phones can be used by terrorists to detonate bombs, raise funds overseas for terrorist activities, and provide nearly untraceable communication. I'd much rather have these individuals arrested for a minor crime and stopped than wait to see what they planned to do with all those cell phones and cash within miles of the Mackinac bridge only weeks before it would be crowded with American men, women, and children. Because of American vigilance and quick response by homeland security forces, I think we just avoided another horrific tragedy. In the days and months ahead, we need to remain vigilante. The life you save could be yours or your neighbor's or your child's.
