Yes Eileen, there is a Father Christmas
EILEEN SULLIVAN,AP Within hours of the Boston Marathon blasts, government officials and Muslims in Boston called each other to offer assistance.
| I thought that nobody contacted the mosque where the brothers worshipped for days, until the imam saw their name in the newspaper and called in. So who were the Muslims that the government was so pointlessly talking to in the meantime -- the local CAIR and MSA affiliates? |
These calls were the fruits of years of cultivating such relationships in an effort to ultimately prevent the very type of attack Boston experienced April 15.
But the calls following the explosions were not about the unfolding investigation.
| Then why? Surely the investigation ought to have been the priority? |
Representatives from the departments of Justice and Homeland Security offered support to Muslim communities in case they suffered backlash or threats, even days before law enforcement connected the suspected bombers to a violent interpretation of Islam.
| That was back when they were sure it was Tea Partiers or other evil rightwing nuts. After all, all the bien pensants said so, and the great and the good as well. Even the elites, come to think of it. |
This type of outreach has been a cornerstone of the Obama administration's counterterrorism strategy. The goal is to prevent homegrown terrorist attacks by forming trusting relationships among law enforcement, government agencies and Muslim Americans.
| And looking at the Boston Marathon bombing, we can see how well that turned out. |
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