"A classified radiation monitoring program, conducted without warrants has targeted private U.S. property in an effort to prevent an Al Qaeda attack, federal law enforcement officials confirmed Friday," according to an AP report at Fox News. While declining to provide details including the number of cities and sites monitored, the officials said the air monitoring took place since the September 11, 2001 attacks that killed approximately 3,000 innocent people and maimed and bereaved may thousands more.
The monotoring took place from publicly accessible areas such as parking lots — which law enforcement officials said made warrants and court orders unnecessary.
U.S. News and World Report first reported the program on Friday. The magazine said the monitoring was conducted at more than 100 Muslim sites in the Washington, D.C. area — including Maryland and Virginia suburbs — and at least five other cities when threat levels had risen: Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, New York and Seattle. To read the original U.S News story, click here.
The magazine said that at its peak, three vehicles in Washington monitored 120 sites a day, nearly all of them Muslim targets identified by the FBI. Targets included mosques, homes and businesses, the magazine said.
This is exactly the kind of proactive law enforcement monitoring that we need. Kudos to the FBI for its excellent and very diligent work.
By the time you see the mushroom cloud, it is too late.
Some will attempt to portray this monitoring as a "crime" of some kind.
The only crime here is the one committed by those who leaked this classified information to U.S. News and World Report. Those involved in revealing this top secret program have done incalculable damage to our national security. The terrorists hell-bent on destroying America now know one additional way to avoid being detected as they prepare to inflict massive death and destruction upon American civilians.
Those who disclosed this top secret program should be criminally charged and convicted.
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Related Post: Go Get 'Em! No--Wait--STOP! But Go Get 'Em!
More commentary at Jihad Watch, Clarity and Resolve, Texas Fred, Conservative Outpost, Pardon My English and Iowa Voice
I'm happy that our president aggressively pursues the people who love watching the WTC jumpers.
Posted by: Ed Poinsett | December 26, 2005 at 08:57 AM