Somali terror plot reminds U.S. of backyard enemies

By Joseph L. Giacalone / joe@theklaxon.com / 06.07.2010

Updated on: 06.07.10 at 12:34 pm

Once again, two “men” were detained at JFK airport in New York, on their way to Somalia for jihad. Mohamed Mahmood Alessa, 20, and Carlos Eduardo Almonte, 24, are the latest suspects in a series of attempts and plans from the far-reaching corner of Africa. They also are part of a new disturbing trend: Americans going abroad to train and fight. Sometimes with the plan to bring the fight back to the American people. The way it looks, though, it seems they already have accomplished such a task.

During the past year-and-a-half, the United States has been under a constant state of attack and it appears that the terrorists are stepping up the pace. But, is the news media and the White House paying attention? No.

The majority of these attempts have come from Somalia and our Pakistani “friends,” let alone what Osama bin Laden and company have planned. Remember them? “The Base” still is out there, lurking and waiting very patiently. Patience is an al-Qaeda trademark and America’s attention span is that of a flea.

Terrorists that answer to a higher cause will not negotiate. Like a serial killer that gets more comfortable with their environment, they increase the frequency of attempts and so do the terrorists. They are more than comfortable with how the White House, President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder view them and how the administration will continue to “drop the ball.”

The terrorist world views the Obama administration as weak. And so do I. The daily drone attacks inside Pakistan have come to a trickle, if at all, since the attempt to blow up Times Square. Makes sense, right?

As a result of all this, Obama and company can take a lesson from law enforcement in the fight on terror. The way you catch a serial killer is to identify the location of their first crime. It is the location where the killer felt most comfortable. So, we should employ the same tactic and look for the terrorists where they feel most comfortable: in our backyard.