national security
391 pieces tagged “national security”, newest first.
Trump Finds an Ally
Ladies and gentlemen, he has done it again. Donald Trump has, with a few lines uttered in his gamy style, set off a cacophonous controversy that threatens to overwhelm just about every other controversy in this controversy-bountiful nation. It has even overwhelmed global warming or climate change, or whatever they are choosing to call the delusion this time. Last week, Trump called for a 10-year moratorium on Muslim migration into America, and all hell broke loose. In light of Muslim violence around the world this brouhaha caught me off guard, especially when one considers the violence in Texas, Tennessee and most recently San Bernardino, California. In Paris, the violence was against unarmed civilians by Muslims both indigenous and foreign born. In San Bernardino, it was much the same. Is it not time to at least temporarily tighten the immigration laws?
Vetting Obama's Witless Vetters at DHS
Gaping holes in the K1 fiance visa interview process. Reckless bans on scrutinizing visa applicants' social media posts. Ignored alarms over marriage fraud. New details keep seeping out about all the "red flags" Obama's immigration officials missed in the case of the San Bernardino jihadists. Color me unshocked. The American public and Capitol Hill politicians should have been more vigilant about vetting Obama's vetters in the first place. What do you expect when you put crony know-nothings, political hacks and identity politics zealots in charge of our safety?
Obama's Social Media Mishap
No, the president did not accidentally tweet an embarrassing photo. Regrettably, this is far more serious. Over the weekend, The New York Times reported that Tashfeen Malik "talked openly on social media about her views on violent jihad." "She said she supported it," the Times wrote. "And she said she wanted to be part of it." Yet as Malik sought entry into the United States, she ultimately passed three background checks. Not once did those posts raise any red flags ... because the Department of Homeland Security never checked her social media profile.
We Aren't The World
To believe his critics, Donald Trump has ripped up the U.S. Constitution and sprinkled its shreds on the smoldering embers of what was once the Statute of Liberty. He did this, of course, by proposing a temporary ban on Muslim immigration into the United States, which might be the most roundly and fiercely denounced idea in America since the British Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts (in 1774). There is no doubt about it: Donald Trump's proposal is invidious; not all Muslims are a security risk. It is unworkable; among other things, airlines would have to screen travelers from Europe for their religion. It is imprudent; we don't want to send a message of generalized hostility to Muslims.
'Misunderestimating' the American People
As the week began, I planned to write this column about some implications of Barack Obama's Sunday night Oval Office address. I noted that he devoted about one-fifth of this 13-minute speech to pleas that Americans not discriminate against Muslims. "It is the responsibility of all Americans — of every faith — to reject discrimination," he said. "It's our responsibility to reject proposals that Muslim Americans should somehow be treated differently." At one level, this is an anodyne statement. As a general proposition, discrimination by religion is against the best in American tradition and the letter of American law. George W. Bush, you might recall, made similar statements in the days after Sept. 11, 2001.
Guns and the 'No-Fly' Grandstanders
The bodies of the San Bernardino victims were still warm, and President Obama conceded that officials didn't "know that much yet" about the circumstances or motives of the killers. But that didn't stop him from exploiting the moment to call for more gun control. There was the usual shopworn pitch for "stronger background checks." There was also a demand that anyone on the "no-fly" list be prohibited from buying guns. "We have a no-fly list where people can't get on planes," Obama told CBS News, "but those same people who we don't allow to fly could go into a store right now in the United States and buy a firearm. ... That's a law that needs to be changed."
Liberty, Fraternity, Security
What should we do about terrorism? After the attacks on Paris, the French government passed a law that allows anyone suspected of being a security threat to be placed under house arrest and searches to be conducted without warrants. Reason's Anthony Fisher reports that this can lead to nasty experiences for anyone who associates with people from the Middle East.
National Security Profiling Is a No-Brainer
Calm down and think, America. While everyone's undies are in a bunch over Donald Trump's proposal for a Muslim immigration moratorium, it is undeniable in a time of "heightened alert" — when violent jihadists have no problem targeting their enemies here and around the world — that national security profiling is imperative to our survival. Yes, that means taking politically incorrect criteria such as ethnicity, nationality and religion into account when battling radical Islamist throat-slitters, suicide bombers and hijackers who incinerate children on airplanes traveling to Disneyland, plant bombs in their shoes, underwear, soda bottles and belts, and shoot up concert halls, restaurants, malls, Army bases and social services centers.
Should We Religiously Profile?
Months ago, a concerned American at a school in Texas spotted a 14-year-old Muslim boy toting around a contraption that looked very much like a bomb. That Texan called the police, who came and detained the boy; after learning that the boy's device was actually a disassembled clock, they released him. Weeks ago, a concerned American in San Bernardino spotted a "half-dozen Middle Eastern men" in the area of an apartment housing Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik. He didn't know what they were doing there, but they seemed suspicious. He didn't call the cops.
Military Pros Split From Obama
White House aides were reaching for the Maalox [Tuesday] as their messaging strategy clearly went off the tracks. While Obama was in Paris this week marshaling world leaders to tackle the threat of climate change, his top defense chiefs were on Capitol Hill asserting that Islamic terrorism is a greater danger to our country. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing [Tuesday], Rep. Ryan Zinke, a retired Navy Seal commander, asked Secretary of Defense Ash Carter whether ISIS and other Islamic terrorist groups represented the most imminent and dangerous threat facing the country today.
America Should Be Cautious as Well as Compassionate When Accepting Refugees
Americans always have welcomed those fleeing danger and oppression abroad. Some of the earliest Americas crossed the Atlantic to escape religious persecution in Great Britain. We should continue to offer sanctuary to those in need. Christians, especially, should be compassionate to those who face death for their beliefs. But in today's world we must be cautious as well. After all, the first responsibility of the government in Washington is to those who already are here. We can enjoy our liberties only when our lives are secure.
Making the Nation More Secure
You'll find charts galore in the 2016 Index of U.S. Military Strength, but two at the start of the detailed report are particularly troubling. One shows the overall state of our military. It's not "very strong" or even "strong," according to the foreign-policy experts who wrote the index, but "marginal" for all branches except one — the Army, which is rated as "weak." The other chart notes the threats to our vital interests. They range from "elevated" for Iran and Middle East terrorism, to "high" for Russia, China and Afghanistan-Pakistan terrorism, to "severe" for North Korea.