Friday June 17, 2005

I've Been Thinking:

Is the United States up to snuff when it comes to fighting terror?

Anti-terrorist operations have vastly improved since 9-11 in terms of seeking out, finding and arresting terrorists.
After that, when it comes to punishment, the United States falls far short and fails abysmally on the follow through.

Here's an example.
This week, in Detroit, a terrorist named Mahmoud Kourani was found guilty of raising money for Hezbullah. He pleaded guilty. How did Kourani even enter the United States? He paid $3000 to a Mexican Embassy official in Beirut for a visa to Mexico and then snuck in.
What punishment did Kourani, a man convicted of raising money for a known terrorist organization, receive? A sentence of 4.5 years.

No one needs to be reminded that Hezbullah is directly responsible for the murder of hundreds of Americans in Beirut over the years.

Federal authorities have made other arrests in Detroit. Eleven Arab men caught in a cigarette smuggling operation taking truckloads of contraband from the South to Michigan. Their profits went to finance Hezbullah operations.

The men await trial and conviction. I await their sentencing.