as seen on tv
Senator
First of all, let me apologize for linking yesterday (NY Post) to photos which were widely distributed but not originating from the FBI. I was duped, along with dozens of media outlets. Kudos to the two PJ posters who pointed out that the NY Post is “always wrong”. (full disclosure - this definitely includes the weather. not sure about box scores, horoscopes, and pleas to re-elect the democratic mayor)
That said – I’m reviewing the PJ threads of the past several days, to see who predicted “commies”, as the Boston Terrierists. Um . . . nobody.
Technically, these ARE white males, but it’s looking less and less likely that there’s a tea party or tax protest angle here. These guys apparently never paid taxes. Not sure how they felt about the 1%. For sure they hated the 99%, because the bombs targetted main street, not target Wall Street.
We’re not even sure that the brothers Tsaramazov, caught in a nightmare of Dosteyevski-esque confusion about god, morality, and free will, were actually commies. The latest word is that they were “Russians from a region near Chechnya”. This is sort of like profiling someone as “an American from a region near Tijuana”.
Morning drive time with NPR was fascinating. First up, some pundit whose head was twisted so far to the left that I thought it would fall off. He asserted – without a trace of satire or irony – that this should “still be regarded as an act of domestic terrorism” because the brothers appear to have had relatives who lived in the area for some time, and who sponsored their emigration to this country last year.
Next up, NPR allowed an actual resident from planet earth to speak. He referred by names and dates to several incidents of Chechen inspired terrorism, noting that in each case the perpetrators had funding or ideological guidance from Al Qaeda in Chechnya.
Again, the FBI has been crystal clear about this – they don’t know if these guys were commies, al Qaeda, or even what sort of visa they used to secure residence in this country. Keep up the good work, G-men.
If this lack of context about why there in this US disquiets you, you’re not alone. I imagine some right wing senator will rise in congress this morning, to announce solemnly that the immigration bill is flawed. Well, it might be – nobody has actually deconstructed it yet. But until we know more about how the brothers got here, it’s unfair to say that immigration reform would either make it worse, or tighten things up. What is certain, however, is that the visa status of "Jokar" (phonetic spelling) and his brother won’t advance the cause of liberalized immigration rules.
And now, a word on our FBI guys. I know you’re doing your best. But releasing fuzzy photos more than 48 hours after you had them, with a plea for info, is an admission of intelligence failure. Then, to rush to the cameras this morning to tell us that the brothers were on your “short list”, but THAT YOU HADN’T EVEN INTERVIEWED THEM, AND DIDN’T KNOW WHERE THEY LIVED . . . well, that’s pathetic. It’s self serving.
These guys were caught (well, one at least) because they were idiotic enough to rob a 7-11 for gas money, shoot a campus cop in the head, then engage in a shootout with more local police. The FBI, CIA, Homeland Security? Completely missing in action.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel any safer. It turns out the system doesn’t work after all, if two “off the radar” radical tards without even a semblance of an escape could cause 170 casualties.
Further details – or retractions – as they develop
Full disclosure – Chechen Islamic separatists are perhaps most notorious for attempting to kill hundreds of Russian elementary school kids several years ago in a chilling hostage situation.
