Combating Jihadism: Moderate Vs. Conservative Perspectives

Dennis Sanders: "The Case For Trying 9/11 Terrorist In New York"

The moderate Republican blogger in Minnesota opines: "There has been a lot of talk about how a trial could result in [Khalid Sheikh Mohammed] walking free. Senator Chuck Grassley, a politician that [I] respect, has nonetheless come out with one of the most asinine statements, likening the upcoming trial to the OJ Simpson trial. Please. The judicial system has tried terrorists before and did a good job of it. The thugs that plotted the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center were given a trial before a judge and were put away for a long time. As for this being a place where KSM could start ranting and raving….well, as frustrating as that can be, I think the American judicial system can handle a crazy man spouting inanities. As for the risk of a terror attack in New York? Well, we could not try KSM and NYC would still have a target. The recent arrest of plotters in different parts of the country proves that there are people plotting to do harm regardless. Just because we don’t try KSM in New York doesn’t mean that the city is now safe. Yes, going this route has its weaknesses, but it is the system of justice that we have. And it also shows something to KSM and other terrorists. Even though they treated us with no respect by their wanton killing, we will not respond in kind and stoop to their low level. We are their superiors and they will be brought low and get the justice they deserve."

Kevin Martin: "How Political Correctness Kills"

The conservative Republican member of Project 21, a black conservative group, opines that it's time to profile Muslims: "Nidal Malik Hasan faces murder charges in the shooting deaths of 12 soldiers and one civilian at Fort Hood. His co-conspirator, 'political correctness,' remains at large. While political correctness runs amok, no one is safe. In Hasan’s case, political correctness protected his extremism and apparently allowed it to fester until it exploded with deadly consequences. Why? Apparently no one wanted to be considered a bigot. To act against Hasan would open up allegations that one was anti-Arab or anti-Muslim. Hasan’s embrace of radical Islam - including advocacy of violent jihad and trying to contact al Qaeda terrorists - was known to fellow soldiers, people at his mosque and even our government’s intelligence community. Lt. Colonel Val Finnell, Hasan’s classmate at the Uniformed Services University, told Fox News: 'They should’ve confronted him - our professors, officers - but they were too concerned about being politically correct.' Rather than confronting Hasan’s radicalism, his superiors passed the buck. Walter Reed Army Medical Center sent him to Fort Hood. Fort Hood tried sending him overseas, but that set him off."

Mr. Martin continues his commentary about profiling: "John Allen Muhammad was recently executed in Virginia for his part in the 10 'D.C. sniper' murders of 2002. He was discovered sleeping in his car in Baltimore by police early in his killing spree, but it is likely concern about charges of racial profiling may have led police not probing further at the time and allowing him to simply drive away. After authorities stopped obsessing about a white van and a presumably white suspect did police once again find the black Muhammad and black accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo sleeping in the same car and brought them to justice."

He adds: "Even 9/11 attacks could be blamed in part on political correctness. How many of the hijackers who overstayed their visas did so with impunity because someone was worried about racial profiling? Indeed, what would Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-CA) - who thinks the Bush Administration knew the hijackers’ plans but did nothing - do if former Attorney General John Ashcroft had ordered federal agents to storm airliners throughout the nation that morning detaining Arabs at will? Might there have been a call for his head for racial profiling? As we salute and bury our dead, it is time for Americans to wake up and understand that our enemies are not allowing political correctness to get in the way of their mission of inflicting as much damage to our way of life as they can. So it shouldn’t be a distraction to us either."