Terrorism awareness in the Obama era

[Mornac]

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Friday, August 19, 2011

HOMELAND INSECURITY
WND Exclusive

See what Janet Napolitano believes terrorists look like
'See something, Say something' video portrays bombers as these

August 19, 2011

By Bob Unruh


Janet Napolitano

Since Ramadan began for Muslims about two weeks ago, there have been 102 terror attacks around the world in the name of Islam, costing 439 lives, according to The Religion of Peace website.

Its "Bombathon 2011 Scorecard" indicates that during the same period, there have been zero attacks in the name of all other religions costing zero lives and zero attacks by "anti-Muslim" right-wingers, again costing zero lives.

So what does U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, a Barack Obama appointee, make terrorists look like in a new public service announcement that encourages Americans to report "suspicious" behavior to authorities?

Get the prescription for reclaiming America's heritage of liberty, justice and morality – Joseph Farah's "Taking America Back," autographed only at the WND Superstore.

The DHS suggests a typical woman terrorist would be in her late 20s or early 30s, with brunette hair, stylish clothing, high heels and a shoulder bag, and Caucasian. A man? About the same age, short hair, wearing a shirt and slacks and familiar with technology, as he's wearing an earpiece cellphone. And Caucasian.

See the video that was released just days ago:

The Drop Off - If You See Something, Say Something PSA - 30 second

The video follows by only weeks an earlier DHS video that featured nearly two dozen people as terrorists, of which 17 are white males, two are white females, one is a black female, one a black male and one of Middle Eastern descent.
 
It's here:

"If You See Something, Say Something (TM)" Public Awareness video.

So people are starting to question exactly why, if the goal is to alert citizens to the behavior of terrorists, aren't the Muslims who actually commit nearly all of the world's terror attacks not properly represented.

"If you see something silly, say something: Homeland Security video portrays all 'terrorists' as white, middle class males," said a headline on the counter-terrorist website Jihad Watch recently.
 
It, like several reports of the video, dripped with sarcasm.
 
"Don't they know," wrote Jihad Watch director Robert Spencer, "stereotyping causes alienation, and alienation and poor self-esteem lead to radicalization? How these poor men are going to have to deal with those additional radicalized Misunderstanders of Middle America and worry about backlash because of their portrayal in this video! And this is going to damage our standing with middle-class white guys abroad in nations that are our Friends and Allies, and create even more terrorists."
 
The Daily Mail in the United Kingdom reported the video has caused "outrage by characterizing white middle class Americans as the most likely terrorists."
 
The July video, the newspaper noted, portrays terrorists as white and "the people who report them are either black, Asian or Arab."
 
"What would happen – it is asked – if it was the other way about?"
 
On the Jihad Watch forum, a contributor warned of negative consequences.
 
"We are sick and tired of being portrayed as helpless chumps just taking it once again on the chin. The minorities who [despise] us take full advantage and demean us at every turn. It will become ugly one of these days," said "DogWithoutSlippers."
 
The new dispute follows by just days a report that the FBI has begun handing out brochures to surplus supply stores, motels, hotels, gun shops and others asking proprietors to watch for "indicators" of terror activity that could include paying cash for items, buying supplies such as "night flashlights," and matches in a waterproof container.
 
Napolitano announced on a government website that DHS has been working to reduce risks by focusing on "hometown security."
 
"In other words, we are all stakeholders in the effort to keep our families and communities, our businesses, our social networks, and our places of meeting and worship, secure and resilient. Together, we're building a strong foundation to protect communities from terrorism and other threats, while safeguarding the fundamental rights of all Americans," she wrote.
 
And while noting, "There is no single profile of a would-be terrorist, we therefore don't have the luxury of focusing our efforts on any particular group," the videos focus on white males, along with a few females, in the role of terrorist.
 
But even on her website, the politically correct calculations were noted:
 
"Every American with any understanding of Islam is tired of the nonsense and propaganda coming out of the administration," wrote one forum page participant. "We are tired of the fact that violent terrorism is mandated in the Quran and Hadith, Muslims commit acts of terrorism EVERYDAY the world over, and the know-nothings in government sit around pretending like Islam and Muslims have nothing to do with terrorism. We are tired of 'violent extremism' being put in place of the words Islamofascists, Muslims, and Islamic terrorism."
 
Another added, "I agree wholeheartedly. As a friend to many soldiers who are and have been deployed in Muslim countries, I have heard again and again how unreal the image this administration is trying to project about both who Muslims are and what they truly believe. It is not the people who are necessarily violent but the teachings inherent in the religion itself. It is more a political ideology concerned with conquest and takeover than it is a religion or body of true moral and or theologically oriented guidelines. All one has to do is to look at the European countries to see the impact that Islam is having on our world. The rioting, the constant menacing threats, the rate of Muslim crime including gay beatings and murder and the rape and gang rape of girls and women. They are going after these people with intent to harm."
 
Added a third, "It seems to me that the administration and the DHS's main concern for terrorism (worst enemy) these days is the patriotic Christian American citizen. I got news for you, you better pack a lunch..."
 
On a YouTube page featuring one of the videos from the government was a snide comment:

"Good afternoon, can I help you sir."

"Yes, I would like to report something suspicious."

"Certainly sir, what is that?"

"Well, some planes are flying overhead today spraying the air with poison, someone's putting a toxic industrial byproduct called fluoride in my water, some guys at the airport tried to irradiate me, that swine flu vaccine my Dr wants to give me has toxic poisons in it and my Govt wants me to start spying on my neighbors."

"Oh sir, that's not suspicious, that's for your protection."
The DHS previously has released video public service announcements about terrorism in conjunction with the NCAA, the Mall of America, Walmart and others.
 
But an online commentary noted the 2009 report from the DHS on "Rightwing Extremism," and said, "The underlying messages of this video are incredible. Blacks are encouraged to report to the Department of Homeland Security any suspicious activities of whites. Whites are predominantly purveyors of terrorism in America. Terrorism is not connected to any religion or race, except whites."
 
"Truth is, this is a $180 million taxpayer funded class warfare propaganda film pitting Americans against Americans on the basis of race, while at the same time ignoring the very fact that the overwhelming majority of terrorist acts are perpetrated by followers of Islam."
 
The DHS on its own "Newswire" earlier this year posted a report on an analyst that looked at the "place of birth, age, religion, and affiliations" of terrorists.
 
The report, however, had not a single mention of the perpetrators' "religion."
 
Instead, the report focused on the fact that "almost half of those arrested for plotting or carrying out attacks against the United States had prior criminal records, mostly for small-time offenses."
 
The comments seemed to grow more acidic as the online discussions continued. Said one on the Patriot Update site, "Well, I for one am truly OFFENDED that a white woman and a white tax driver would be portrayed as terrorists. We already have enough to do as racists."
 
Said another, "I agree. Being an intolerant, virulent racist takes an incredible amount of time and energy … There's only so much time in the day for evil white conservatives to wreak havoc and spread mayhem. Liberals insist we want to destroy America, oppress minority communities and hate Muslim people everywhere … I don't know how we manage when most of us are working two jobs, raising our children and just trying to keep our heads above water."
 
WND reported only a week earlier on the FBI requests of business managers and owners to spy on their customers in order to determine whether there were any indicators of terrorist activities.
 
The move followed by just days the White House announcement of a community-based approach to combating terrorism in the United States.

"Indicators" to watch for included customers who pay in cash, make "extreme" religious statements or purchase products such as waterproof matches, or even "night flashlights."
 
The request from the government also went to gun shops, fertilizer suppliers, motels and hotels, authorities say.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=335629

[johnhp]

Why do you want us not to be aware of terrorist activities?  Why would you rather racially profile people?

[dustup]

Why do you want us not to be aware of terrorist activities?  Why would you rather racially profile people?

John, what you miss is the fact that HLS is racially profiling white men as the most likely terrorist to watch out for in America.....

[ivanm]

What is a "night flashlight"?   How does it differ from any other flashlight?

[dustup]

What is a "night flashlight"?   How does it differ from any other flashlight?

Night flashlight's can see in the dark.......

[dagon]

John, what you miss is the fact that HLS is racially profiling white men as the most likely terrorist to watch out for in America.....

that's because they are.  militia groups have grown exponentially in the last few years.  you know,  the mcveigh types.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=d9a140qg0

peace

[ivanm]

Night flashlight's can see in the dark.......

Hmmm. Must be an Obama invention.  I thought maybe it was one that came with batteries.

[ivanm]

Is there a difference between a jihadic terrorist and a garden variety infidel terrorist, in terms of motivaton?

[JC3.0]

John, what you miss is the fact that HLS is racially profiling white men as the most likely terrorist to watch out for in America.....

You may be insulted and shocked by their finding, but right now there probably are more of the angry white ex military/military/militia/skinhead/teajhadist types showing up on the radar than the stereotyped 'death to America" middle eastern person. And when you factor in things like the Giffords shooting, the college and high school massacres,abortion clinic bombings and doctor killings-you should understand why. 9/11 was big, no doubt....but so was Oklahoma City......There's a lot of home grown crazy white people out there ready to lash out. Don't blame HLS...they are analyzing the data, the numbers and trends and calling 'em as they see it....you don't see a connection between how easy it is to walk into a knife and gun show and walk out with gear under the radar, or, folks telling people to stock up on ammo? The average citizen isnt the one stocking up on guns and ammo-it's the hate groups,militias and such.....Like it or not, that's the way it is....

[dustup]

You may be insulted and shocked by their finding, but right now there probably are more of the angry white ex military/military/militia/skinhead/teajhadist types showing up on the radar than the stereotyped 'death to America" middle eastern person. And when you factor in things like the Giffords shooting, the college and high school massacres,abortion clinic bombings and doctor killings-you should understand why. 9/11 was big, no doubt....but so was Oklahoma City......There's a lot of home grown crazy white people out there ready to lash out. Don't blame HLS...they are analyzing the data, the numbers and trends and calling 'em as they see it....you don't see a connection between how easy it is to walk into a knife and gun show and walk out with gear under the radar, or, folks telling people to stock up on ammo? The average citizen isnt the one stocking up on guns and ammo-it's the hate groups,militias and such.....Like it or not, that's the way it is....

JC, when you talk about how easy it is to buy at a gun show, are you speaking from experience or repeating what you have heard?

Also,  you said " Don't blame HLS...they are analyzing the data", wasn't the true intention of Homeland Security to protect against Transnational terrorists? No place does it mention Domestic Groups or terrorists.

Homeland Security

Progress

    * Launched a comprehensive, cutting-edge strategy to fight transnational organized crime.
    * Presented President Obama’s National Strategy for Counterterrorism in a speech at SAIS named “Ensuring al-Qa’ida’s Demise."

Executive Summary

The Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime applies all elements of national power to protect
citizens and U.S. national security interests from the convergence of 21st century transnational criminal
threats. This Strategy is organized around a single unifying principle: to build, balance, and integrate the
tools of American power to combat transnational organized crime and related threats to national security—
and to urge our foreign partners to do the same. The end-state we seek is to reduce transnational
organized crime (TOC) from a national security threat to a manageable public safety problem in the
United States and in strategic regions around the world. The Strategy will achieve this end-state by
pursuing five key policy objectives:

1. Protect Americans and our partners from the harm, violence, and exploitation of transnational
criminal networks.
2. Help partner countries strengthen governance and transparency, break the corruptive power
of transnational criminal networks, and sever state-crime alliances.
3. Break the economic power of transnational criminal networks and protect strategic markets
and the U.S. financial system from TOC penetration and abuse.
4. Defeat transnational criminal networks that pose the greatest threat to national security by
targeting their infrastructures, depriving them of their enabling means, and preventing the
criminal facilitation of terrorist activities.
5. Build international consensus, multilateral cooperation, and public-private partnerships to
defeat transnational organized crime.
The Strategy also introduces new and innovative capabilities and tools, which will be accomplished by
prioritizing within the resources available to affected departments and agencies.
A new Executive Order will establish a sanctions program to block the property of and prohibit transactions
with significant transnational criminal networks that threaten national security, foreign policy, or
economic interests.
A proposed legislative package will enhance the authorities available to investigate, interdict, and
prosecute the activities of top transnational criminal networks.
A new Presidential Proclamation under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) will deny entry to
transnational criminal aliens and others who have been targeted for financial sanctions.
A new rewards program will replicate the success of narcotics rewards programs in obtaining information
that leads to the arrest and conviction of the leaders of transnational criminal organizations that
pose the greatest threats to national security.
An interagency Threat Mitigation Working Group will identify those TOC networks that present a sufficiently
high national security risk and will ensure the coordination of all elements of national power
to combat them.

[johnhp]

John, what you miss is the fact that HLS is racially profiling white men as the most likely terrorist to watch out for in America.....

HLS is profiling BEHAVIORS.

[ivanm]

You may be insulted and shocked by their finding, but right now there probably are more of the angry white ex military/military/militia/skinhead/teajhadist types showing up on the radar than the stereotyped 'death to America" middle eastern person. And when you factor in things like the Giffords shooting, the college and high school massacres,abortion clinic bombings and doctor killings-you should understand why. 9/11 was big, no doubt....but so was Oklahoma City......There's a lot of home grown crazy white people out there ready to lash out. Don't blame HLS...they are analyzing the data, the numbers and trends and calling 'em as they see it....you don't see a connection between how easy it is to walk into a knife and gun show and walk out with gear under the radar, or, folks telling people to stock up on ammo? The average citizen isnt the one stocking up on guns and ammo-it's the hate groups,militias and such.....Like it or not, that's the way it is....

Gun sales are up, and even housewifes are learning to protect themselves from the vermin infested mob of parasites that are plaguing our land. When you have low grad thugs threatening to come to your house and assault you then I have one answer for that fool.  A .45 between the eyes. I  saw a demo of a Colt 45 on  tv the other day, and those old girls were built to take care of business.

As usual you fail to look for the cause of this anger.  Someday bubba is going to rise up and clean house in this snake pit.

[dagon]

Gun sales are up, and even housewifes are learning to protect themselves from the vermin infested mob of parasites that are plaguing our land. When you have low grad thugs threatening to come to your house and assault you then I have one answer for that fool.  A .45 between the eyes. I  saw a demo of a Colt 45 on  tv the other day, and those old girls were built to take care of business.

As usual you fail to look for the cause of this anger.  Someday bubba is going to rise up and clean house in this snake pit.

ivan, do you take paranoia pills or something?  what low grade thugs are threatening to come to someone's house and assault them?

do you realize that violent crime is DOWN over the last few years?  i'll say it again,  violent crime is DOWN,  not up.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/13/national/main6861533.shtml

peace

[Mornac]

do you realize that violent crime is DOWN over the last few years?  i'll say it again,  violent crime is DOWN,  not up.

--He does have something of a point there ivan.

[Observer]

You may be insulted and shocked by their finding, but right now there probably are more of the angry white ex military/military/militia/skinhead/teajhadist types showing up on the radar than the stereotyped 'death to America" middle eastern person. And when you factor in things like the Giffords shooting, the college and high school massacres,abortion clinic bombings and doctor killings-you should understand why. 9/11 was big, no doubt....but so was Oklahoma City......There's a lot of home grown crazy white people out there ready to lash out. Don't blame HLS...they are analyzing the data, the numbers and trends and calling 'em as they see it....you don't see a connection between how easy it is to walk into a knife and gun show and walk out with gear under the radar, or, folks telling people to stock up on ammo? The average citizen isnt the one stocking up on guns and ammo-it's the hate groups,militias and such.....Like it or not, that's the way it is....

That isn't true, at all.

I graduated a New Mexico Concealed Handgun License class a couple of days ago.

The class consisted of the following people...

A female veterinarian
A male farrier
A female engineering student
A male restaurant manager
A female CPA

THESE are the sorts of people I see taking classes such as that one and arming themselves all the time. Your stereotypes are way off and don't even come close to reflecting reality. I also teach defensive handgun, shotgun and patrol rifle classes. The handgun classes run pretty close to 50/50 male/female. The shotgun classes have a higher percentage of male students, but that is largely because the shotgun tends to beat shooters up. Still, the percentage of female shooters in those classes runs around 30%. The patrol rifle classes tend to be most active law enforcement officers, with probably about an 80/20 mixture of male and female students.

Most of my students are well educated, professional people with absolutely no connection to any kind of militia or paramilitary organization. They are people who want to be able to protect themselves and their families against anyone who would do them harm. I have trained housewives, doctors, lawyers, cops, soldiers, retired folks... all good people who recognize that there are people out there who, given the opportunity, would use force to take what they want.

You really don't know what you are talking about.