The only U.S. military team assigned to New York City to support first responders in case of a disaster will remain on duty. It was just saved on the brink of elimination.
A day after the bombings at the Boston Marathon, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel rescinded his decision to disband the rapid-response unit based at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn.
His abrupt change of mind was a relief to New Yorkers amid the sudden new concerns about terrorism. During testimony on Capitol Hill, Mr. Hagel announced that the Pentagon won't deactivate the 24th National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team (WMD-CST).
#1
FTA: the nightmare that someone without a criminal record would be successful in attacking a city. The new normal, King says, could be terrorists attacking from within, without any increase in chatter monitored by intelligence prior to the attacks. The new threat is definitely from within, and we cant let our guard down.
That is the only part I agree with. Little or nothing of what has been so far disclosed about the Tsarnaevs leads me to think increased surveillance would have accomplished anything before the bombing. So far the duo appear to be a cross between the McVeigh/Kehoe bombers and the 9/11 hijackers.
#2
ABC News interviewed a college classmate of Jahar's at UMass-Dartmouth:
Andrew Glasby told ABC News that Tsarnaev lived one floor above him at the Pine Dale dormitory and he had a conversation with the alleged bomber one full day after the bombing on the campus.
"I can't believe he had the balls to come back and act like nothing happened," Glasby said.
UMass would only confirm that Tsarnaev was on the campus Wednesday, according to card swipes. Tsarnaev visited the gym and slept in his dorm room Wednesday, according to the school.
Glasby said Tsarnaev, who was often referred to as Jahar, blended right back into normal college life and was "convincing" that nothing was amiss.
"I thought as it was just regular old Jahar. We had a typical conversation, he was not startled, he was not scared, he was not anything. He was just the same old Jahar," Glasby said.
Glasby said that Tsarnaev offered to give him a lift home to Waltham, Mass., on Friday. Tsarnaev described his car as a green Honda Civic, which was the same car police initially said Tsarnaev may have been driving while at-large.
Instead, Glasby spent Friday evacuating the campus, which sits about an hour south of Boston. A screeching fire alarm woke Glasby around 10 a.m. as Blackhawk helicopters circled overhead.
"I didn't have time to grab my wallet or my phone. I only had time to grab my sweatpants and my sneakers," Glasby recounted.
"UMass Dartmouth has learned that a person being sought in connection with the Boston Marathon bombing has been identified as a student registered at UMass Dartmouth. The campus is closed. Individuals on campus should shelter in place unless instructed otherwise," the university posted on its website.
Glasby described Tsarnaev as an average Joe who played soccer, enjoyed FIFA soccer video games and smoked marijuana on a daily basis until this year.
"I think he told me from one of our conversations, 'Oh I don't smoke anymore,'" Glasby said.
To Glasby, Tsarnaev was a social, low-key guy with a messy dorm room and liked to listen to hip hop music.
"It really makes me wonder, the person next to you, are they really that person, acting like they are the best person but instead they are blowing up people?" Glasby said.
This event seems to be making a big impression on the current college-age generation.
Apparently Glasby recognized Jahar on the surveillance photos released by the police late Thursday afternoon, but the article didn't specify when. Glasby was seemingly taken by surprise when the campus was evacuated at 1000 on Friday.
#4
Once very small, the Muslim population of the U.S. increased greatly in the 20th century, with much of the growth driven by rising immigration and conversion, and a comparatively high birth rate. In 2005, more people from Islamic countries became legal permanent United States residents nearly 96,000 than in any year in the previous two decades. In 2009, more than 115,000 Muslims became legal residents of the United States.
American Muslims come from various backgrounds, and are one of the most racially diverse religious groups in the United States according to a 2009 Gallup poll. Native-born American Muslims are mainly African Americans who make up about a quarter of the total Muslim population. Many of these have converted to Islam during the last seventy years. Conversion to Islam in prison,and in large urban areas has also contributed to its growth over the years. The immigrant communities make up the majority, with mainly people of Arab and South Asian descent.
Population concentration By state According to the 2000 United States Census, the state with the largest percentage of Muslims is Michigan, with 1.2% of its population being Muslim. New Jersey has the second largest percentage with 0.9%, followed by Massachusetts with 0.8%.
48% of Arabs lived in just five states in 2000: California, New York, Michigan, New Jersey, and Florida. Just three states had an Arab population of over 100,000: California, New York, and Michigan.
By city New York City had the largest number of Muslims with 69,985. In 2000, Dearborn, Michigan ranked second with 29,181, and Los Angeles ranked third with 25,673; although Paterson, New Jersey, in the New York City Metropolitan Area, was estimated to have become home to 25,000 to 30,000 Muslims as of 2011. Of cities with at least 100,000 people, Sterling Heights, Michigan had the highest percentage of Arabs with 4%. Warren, Michigan and Jersey City, New Jersey rank second and third with 3% of their populations. Dearborn, which had a population of 98k, had an Arab population of 30%, the largest concentration of Muslims in the United States.
Mosques The number of mosques in the United States in 2011 was 2,106.
The top five states with the most amount of mosques were: 1. New York-257 2. California-246 3. Texas-166 4. Florida-118 5. Illinois-109 5. New Jersey-109
In reference to the suggestion by the Honorable Peter King for increased surveillance, I would like to suggest that Americans consider instituting a program possibly called "Adopt An Immigrant Muslim" to help shepherd and acclimate the subject to America. Communities could make an effort to further the American spirit in the new arrivals, and it would be better to institute AIM rather than take AIM at a minority community. Just my 2 cents.
#6
This is how Singapore manages its Muslims population.
They are incapable of managing themselves so something like this should be instituted while they are in dar al Harb.
#7
Nota bene: In America, according to WikiAnswers, 2/3rds of Arab-Americans are Christian.
Also, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2008 there were 2,680,000 self-identified adult Jews and 1,349,000 self-identified adult Muslims in this country, out of a total adult population of 228,182,000. Y'all can calculate the percentages, I'm sure.
[An Nahar] Global hopes that democracy could replace dictatorships in Arab Spring nations risk being crushed by repressive regimes, the United States warned Friday in its annual human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. report.
"The hope of the early days of the Arab Awakening has run up against the harsh realities of incomplete and contested transitions," the State Department said in its assessment of the global situation of human rights in 2012.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
04/20/2013 00:00 ||
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#6
The "Arab Spring" isn't just one set of conditions in one country. While Islamists have pushed to the fore in the countries who've tossed their old (literally) dictators, the results haven't been uniform.
Morocco: Islamists in parliament, king remains in power. When Islamists push, liberals shove back. I wish we had better press coverage, because it's an interesting process.
Mauretania: Ould Whatsisname out, cracking down on Qaeda stomping back and forth across its burnin' sands. Who ever heard of the place a few years ago?
Mali: Half the country stolen away by Tuaregs, who then had their ill-gotten gains hijacked by AQIM. La Belle France steps in and chases them out in approximately no time flat.
Algeria: Same old regime in power, but AQIM (ex-GSPC) no longer controls territory.
Tunisia: Islamist Ennahda government, Salafists acting up sufficiently for most people to be sick of Islamism.
Libya: Qadaffy & Sons gone, slowly emerging from a state of anarchy. Benghazi's a problem center, as are a few revanchist tribal areas, but Tripoli's going about the process of turning into an actual country.
Egypt: Mubarak gone, Moslem Brüderbund in power, large segments of the population already sick of them. Sinai's a problem area because of Qaeda infiltration.
Yemen: Saleh's out of power, his influence (and relatives) slowly being discarded. Qaeda took Zinjibar and most of Abyan, plus lots of other territory in the south while Saleh was being dumped--he helped them do it, so he could have a threat to point to--and then when Saleh was out the Yemeni army tossed Qaeda with relative ease. Houthis present a problem because they're Iranian catspaws, and the southern independence movement presents a problem because it's genuine.
Bahrain: Shiites gripe against Sunni king with Iranian support. Low-grade fire that'll likely burn out with time and moderation from the regime.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/20/2013 10:25 Comments ||
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#7
As one can see from Fred's most excellent synopsis, the whole problem with the ME is the Juices. (yeah, that's snarkasm)
Actually, despite all the turmoil, I read this as a net positive. Egypt, for example, is going to crash hard, but the people will realize the Mozzie Bruders are just the same old thugs in a new package. It will eventually become tiresome. How long is eventually? Ah, there's the rub!
#9
You mean the food riots turned out to be just....food riots?
Posted by: no mo uro ||
04/20/2013 12:44 Comments ||
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#10
Sorta No Mo... the food riots had the underlying cause in Climate Change. The US took all the Egyptians maize and turned it into cheap motion lotion for our SUVs. It was BusHilters idea. If the 1% had paid their fair share (1%) well things might have been different.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[An Nahar] Global hopes that democracy could replace dictatorships in Arab Spring nations risk being crushed by repressive regimes, the United States warned Friday in its annual 
