HERBERT LONDON: THE SLEEPERS WE CHOOSE TO IGNORE
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The Sleepers We Choose To Ignore
by HERBERT LONDONMay 31, 2012
There is no doubt the U.S. is facing an exogenous threat from al Qaida, the Iranian Guard and a variety of other Middle East grown radicals, but very often Americans down play or underestimate the endogenous, or internal, threat that is at our doorstep but unrevealed.
Recently Erick Stakelbeck, the CBN News analyst, explained how Iranian diplomats and other assets are present in the United States and are prepared to launch an attack on our soil. Congressman Peter King issued a report indicating that hundreds of operatives are in the U.S. and that several Iranian diplomats at the U.N. were apprehended photographing sensitive sites.
The report also noted that Mosques are very often operational centers for reconnaissance and a sanctuary for the “sleepers,” conditions acknowledged by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. In fact, the Iranian regime mocked reports that play down the potential influence of these terrorists in our midst. Another 9/11 need not involve planes flying into buildings, but rather bombs set off on trains, power plants, food distribution centers, bridges, water supplies, the electoral grid, etc.
As Steve Emerson, among others, has noted prisons are often centers of recruitment to the most radical form of Islam and many of these potential terrorists are ensconced in positions of authority and in jobs at strategic locations. Moreover, religious doctrines urges violence against infidels including suicide bombings to enhance the imperial aims of Islam.
It is instructive that even though radicals transparently state their goals and tactics, authorities in the U.S. deny this reality. For example, Obama administration officials take pains to avoid even uttering the phrase “radical Islam” opting instead for the generic “violent extremism.” At the same time radicals contend defeat of the U.S. is imminent and inshallah (God willing) will lead inevitably to the much awaited Muslim caliphate, which is “the only true world order.” In fact, as they see it, one cannot be true to the faith unless violent action is taken. To deny this religious imperative is to deny salvation under their faith.
Yet amazingly the Fort Hood shootings committed by Nidal Malik Hasan are regarded as an “isolated case” by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, unrelated to his Muslim faith. As long as the administration refuses to recognize acts like this one as terrorism, combating internal threats and violence is almost impossible.
First Amendment provisions also make apprehension of terrorists complicated. Since Islam promotes violence through Verses of The Sword and other suras, it is an inherent part of Constitutionally protected expression. Of course, a discussion of violence is not the same as violent acts, albeit the former often precedes the latter. This condition explains why Islamists often speak favorably of the American criminal justice system.
Establishing a balance between freedom and security is not easy. But in the absence of clear lines of demarcation, the nation is vulnerable to terrorism hiding behind Constitutional guarantees. Moreover, with Iran threatening violence should it be attacked by Israel or the United States, sleepers must be taken seriously. Perhaps it is time for government authorities to accept what our enemies are saying. The truth may be difficult to imbibe, but ignoring reality has consequences far more dire than anything we choose to ignore.
Herbert London is president of Hudson Institute and professor emeritus of New York University. He is the author of Decade of Denial (Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2001) and America’s Secular Challenge (Encounter Books).
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