Wednesday, December 01, 2010

The Terrorist Who Didn't Succeed

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Mohamed Osman Mohamud wanted to detonate a car bomb during a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony this past Friday where 10,000 people were gathered in Pioneer Square in downtown Portland.

It's a national news story. I'm sure you've heard about it.

It's interesting, however, how quickly the story line can turn from a 19-year-old Oregon State University student from Somalia wanting to kill people or "become operational" in terrorist terms, to, as
The Seattle Times defines the story: "Was FBI Grooming Portland Suspect For Terror?"

The story has already turned from an attempted Muslim terrorist bombing of 10,000 people, to an outreach to peaceful Islam.

This, of course, is exactly what Mohamed Mohamud's lawyers are now saying. And he has pleaded not guilty.

You have read the accounts, including the FBI report which details a number of times when the undercover agents gave Mohamed both good reason and opportunity to reconsider and push back from killing possibly thousands of people, including women and children. He didn't blink.

Mohamed's defense and local Muslim leaders are now saying the undercover agents played their role too well. It's their fault.

If the young Somalian would have succeeded, the FBI and other agency personnel would be on "paid leave pending an investigation" of why they failed to perform.

A couple of thoughts on the matter.

Freedom in America is at a crises point.

Law enforcement said Mohamed saw Portland as an area over-looked by law enforcement agents. Translated---very liberal and vulnerable. Fortunately, the federal agents do not share the extreme left position of many Portlanders. They did not overlook this would-be terrorist. They did their job.

Portland, as pointed out by The Seattle Times, has been the scene of significant terrorism activities and investigations since 9-11.

Do far left cities appear to be more fertile targets for terrorists?

Following the Friday evening attempt to kill thousands, a fire was started in a mosque in Corvallis, Oregon, where Mohamed sometimes attends meetings.

Oregon Iman, Mikal Shahazz, says according to The Seattle Times, there is now great concern for Muslim, "children who need to go to school and women who need to go shopping."

The Seattle Times reported Sunday that Omar Jamal, first secretary of the Somali mission to the United Nations in New York City, told AP his office has received "thousands of calls" from Somalis in the US who are concerned about, "tactics used by federal agents in the sting operation against Mohamud."

Do we have too much freedom in America? Or not enough freedom? Should the federal agents be required to keep hands off would be terrorists until they kill people? Is a sting operation automatically "entrapment"?

Is freedom our greatest strength? Or our greatest weakness?

Think about this:

America has enjoyed the greatest expression of freedom in human history.

John Adams, our 2nd President, who helped frame our Founding documents and create this great country said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people; It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

His term "religious" specifically referred to Christianity.

His son, John Quincy Adams, our 6th President said, "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this; it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."

Could it be possible, that as we move away from the Judeo-Christian principles that made this nation an exceptional city on a hill, toward a secular, multicultural, politically correct, so-called tolerant, all-inclusive nation, we actually become more and more vulnerable, and less and less tolerant, inclusive and free?

Patrick Henry, another Founder, once said, "When people forget God, tyrants forge their chains."

One thing is certain. Our freedoms are based on an understanding of biblical truths. As those fundamental principles are discarded, freedoms are diminished. And chains are forged.

God help us.

_________________
Gary Randall
President
Faith and Freedom

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