'Five Jihadists Have Reached Their Targets in the United States Under Barack Obama...'

Rep. Tom Cotton skewers this terror-enabling Democrat pro-sharia administration, via Weekly Standard:

At the Breitling Shop South Coast Plaza

I stopped for sandwich at Lawry's Carvery the other day at South Coast Plaza, and there's a Breitling store across the aisle.

Very cool.

#Boston and Civil Liberties

From Julie Borowski:

Here's That 'GE Works' Commercial With 'Agent Smith'

This is pretty cool:

How to Stop Terrorists Before They Kill

From Judith Miller, at WSJ, "The NYPD's surveillance program was designed to detect local terrorists before they strike—and it's working."

She makes a pretty good case, but then, New York's resources are enormous compared to Boston's.

See also, the Verge, "They're watching: why city-wide surveillance failed to stop the Boston bombing."

Kelly Brook Bikini Photo

Via Twitter:

Obama Mismanagement May Have Allowed Bombings

At IBD, "Bureaucratic Mismanagement May Have Allowed Bombings":

Lawrence Wright, author in 2006 of the Pulitzer Prize-winning history of al-Qaida, "The Looming Tower," wrote in an open letter 6-1/2 years ago to his fellow Pulitzer-winning journalist, Steve Coll: "The reorganization of our intelligence agencies — through the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the new office of Director of National Intelligence — has done nothing to improve the bureaucratic tangles, the institutional incomprehension, and the limited skill set of our operatives; indeed, in many respects, it has only added a new overlay of confusion."

As Wright pointed out, "Communication broke down at a crucial time — exactly during the period that al-Qaida was making its plans for 9/11."

As Chambliss noted, "Information sharing between agencies is critical. And we created the Department of Homeland Security to supervise that. We created the National Counter Terrorism Center to be the collection point for all of this information." He vowed to find out whether somebody "dropped the ball."

Whoever that somebody who dropped the ball is, you can bet the establishment media won't identify him as the guy who shoots hoops at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

As a candidate, President Obama relished ridiculing what he called the Bush administration's "color-coded politics of fear" and its "rigid 20th century ideology" unsuited to fighting "21st century's stateless terrorism."

But five years into his tenure as president, Obama doesn't seem to be a very good manager of the government bureaucracies charged with protecting Americans from terror.

The Honey-Trap of Moral Equivalence

From Douglas Murray, at Gatestone:

Today, in an age that often seems of pragmatism and managerial-ism in politics, if there is a way not just to honor the late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's memory but to continue her legacy it should be to encourage and praise those rare individuals who are willing to buck such trends. In Canada recently, I have had an opportunity to reflect on the perhaps surprising fact (also surprising to many Canadians) that in recent years Canada has shown itself to be a home to convictions which ennoble the present and can stand proud before history. The Harper government's moral clarity on a number of issues –in particular religious freedom and Israel – demonstrate a stand that can be rightly admired and celebrated by free peoples around the world.

Over the last decade the issue of religious freedom has come out of the rear-view mirror to a position of utmost importance, especially among minority communities. But nowhere does it matter more than in the Middle East. As Canada's Foreign Minister, John Bair, must have been reminded on his recent trip to the region, whether you compare what is happening across that region to events in Europe in 1848 or 1991, such historical comparisons are of limited use. What is happening there now, the upsurge of Islam, is a once-in-a-lifetime event. And although none of our countries may any longer have the capability or will to have a permanent military presence in the region, the significance of what soft diplomacy we can muster, and what moral stands we insist on, may yet prove far more important.

Continue reading.

Hat Tip: Blazing Cat Fur (the essential Canadian counter-jihad blog).

Police Officer Saves Man From Being Hit by Train

A lifesaver.

At London's Daily Mail, "Pictured: Dramatic moment Colombian police officer drags man from platform edge seconds before train hurtles into station."

Syrian Rebels Direct Hit by Tank Shell

A freakin' wicked video, via Blazing Cat Fur, "Bad day for the Rebels."

Tsarnaevs Were on Welfare!

Andrea Tantaros leads off at "The Five":

Awesome Interview With Boston Bombing Survivor Adrianne Haslet-Davis

She asked for a whiskey while waiting for medical help --- that's my kind of lady.

At CNN, "Boston bombing survivor: I take it day by day."

David Sirota and the Definition of Hate Speech

From Sheryl Longin, at PJ Media:

So much has been written (and is worth reading) about David Sirota’s Salon article, “Let’s hope the Boston Marathon bomber is a white American,” in particular, posts by Richard Fernandez, Roger Kimball, and my husband, Roger Simon, that Sirota felt compelled to write a second piece, doubling down and attempting to justify his initial thoughts. In spite of all the scrutiny, something fundamental has been overlooked, hiding in plain sight.

It is a sometimes less than admirable but nonetheless completely understandable and basic human reaction to be protective of groups with which one has a connection. When a crime is committed, people often hope that the perpetrator is not a member of said group. I am certain that many parents and relatives of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia hoped that the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook massacre would not turn out to have a mental illness. When Dr. George Tiller, an OB/Gyn and abortion provider, was assassinated in 2009, I am certain that pro-life advocates across the country were hoping his killer would not be an anti-abortion activist. When two bombs were detonated at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, I am certain that millions of Muslims were hoping the terrorists would not be adherents of Islam.

That is not what David Sirota was doing. What if the parent of a mentally ill young person expressed publicly after the rampage at Sandy Hook that he/she hoped the killer was an Islamic terrorist? What if a pro-life advocate publicly hoped that Dr. Tiller’s murderer would turn out to be an African American gang member? That is precisely what David Sirota was doing. And that is hate speech plain and simple. When it becomes acceptable to wish in public for people you disagree with to be heinous murderers (and without even the slightest bit of evidence), we have crossed a line that doesn’t allow for a functioning democratic society. I’d like to say that I hope David Sirota isn’t an American citizen, because his words of hate shame me, but sadly, the truth is that he is one of us and if we don’t call out his crime, we are condoning it...

Oh, by all means call these f-kers out. They're despicable racist losers and terror enablers. Call them out, big time.

More at the link.

RELATED: "'Emotionally, it is very hard for me to consider such ilk as fellow Americans, let alone as decent human beings...'"

Bomb Suspect Was Put on Two Watch Lists

At the Wall Street Journal, "CIA, FBI Flagged Him for Concern, Raising New Questions About Missed Opportunities to Prevent Fatal Boston Attack":

U.S. authorities put alleged Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev on two separate watch lists in 2011 after Russian security agencies twice reached out to their American counterparts, raising new questions about missed opportunities to prevent the attack.

Russian officials contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in March 2011, then reached out to the Central Intelligence Agency in September of that year, citing concerns Mr. Tsarnaev might have been associating with extremists, according to U.S. officials.

The FBI has said it interviewed Mr. Tsarnaev and conducted a threat assessment, but found nothing "derogatory" that could prompt further investigation. A U.S. law-enforcement official said the case was closed after three months, after which the FBI asked Russian counterparts for additional information, but received none.

U.S. officials said Wednesday that at the request of the CIA, Mr. Tsarnaev was added to a broad database called Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, which holds hundreds of thousands of names flagged by multiple U.S. security agencies.

RTWT.

Also at the Boston Globe, "Russia alerted US repeatedly about suspect, senators say: Brothers may have planned to go to NYC next."

Plus, from Pamela Geller, "OBAMA'S EPIC FAIL: CIA WANTED BOSTON JIHADI BOMBER PLACED ON TERROR WATCHLIST."

Terror Widow Katherine Russell 'Should Be Jailed for Wearing Headbag (Hijab)'

Says Ann Coulter on Sean Hannity's, via Bare Naked Islam, "Ann Coulter: "“Boston Muslim Bomber’s wife should be jailed for wearing a headbag (hijab)”."

The Left and Terrorism: Stupidity or Willful Blindness?

Yeah, they're idiots alright, but for many progressives it's actually willful blindness that describes their terror enabling, and that's evil.

At Power Line, "WHY DOES EVIL MAKE LIBERALS STUPID?"

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, we are suffering through the inevitable period of liberal hand-wringing. Liberals can’t help themselves: while normal people are reviling the bombers, celebrating their capture or death, and debating measures that can be taken to prevent future atrocities, liberals’ thinking (if you can call it that) goes in a different direction. Liberals call for understanding; tell the rest of us we don’t realize how complex mass murder is; recommend introspection (But why? I didn’t do it.); and warn against various forms of overreaction to the latest terrorist outrage. The reality of evil, a constant in human affairs for millennia, renders liberals not speechless–that would be too much to hope for–but incoherent.

PREVIOUSLY: "'Emotionally, it is very hard for me to consider such ilk as fellow Americans, let alone as decent human beings...'"

Image Credit: The Looking Spoon, "Fool America Once, Shame On You. Fool America Dozens Of Times, Shame On Liberals."

Our Welfare State Terrorists

For the left, the hits keep coming, at Lonely Conservative, "Boston Bombers Were Welfare Recipients." Also at My Pet Jawa, "Terrorists & Family Living Off Welfare." (Via Memeorandum.)

Zubeidat Tsarnaeva: 'I Don't Care if My Youngest Son Is Killed...'

This is truly bizarre, at Gateway Pundit, "WHOA!… Zubeidat Tsarnaeva Tells CNN: “I Don’t Care if My Youngest Son Is Killed. I Don’t Care If I Am Killed. I Will Say Allahu Akbar!” (Video)

And at London's Daily Mail, "Mother of Boston Marathon bombers may be ARRESTED if she returns to U.S. after failing to appear on shoplifting charge."

Most Expect 'Occasional Acts of Terrorism' in the Future

At Pew Research, "Six-in-Ten Say Post-9/11 Steps Have Made Country Safer":

Last week’s bombings at the Boston Marathon attracted broad public interest: 63% of Americans say they followed the story very closely, among the highest interest in any news story in the past decade. And the bombings drew far more public attention than any terrorist event since Sept. 11, 2001, which 78% reported following very closely in mid-October of that year.

While the Boston bombings riveted most Americans, the incident appeared to confirm the public’s long-held belief that occasional terrorist acts are to be expected. Over the past decade, majorities have consistently said that “occasional acts of terrorism in the U.S. will be part of life in the future.” This sentiment has spiked to 75% in the wake of the Boston bombings from 64% a year ago and now matches the previous high of 74% in 2003.

Continue reading.

Naturally, Democrats are less likely to say that government action has made the country safer, no doubt a lingering indicator of Bush Derangement Syndrome.

Denmark Rethinks Its Much Too Generous Welfare State

That Abe Greenwald piece reminded me of this one, at NYT, "Danes Rethink a Welfare State Ample to a Fault":

COPENHAGEN — It began as a stunt intended to prove that hardship and poverty still existed in this small, wealthy country, but it backfired badly. Visit a single mother of two on welfare, a liberal member of Parliament goaded a skeptical political opponent, see for yourself how hard it is.

It turned out, however, that life on welfare was not so hard. The 36-year-old single mother, given the pseudonym “Carina” in the news media, had more money to spend than many of the country’s full-time workers. All told, she was getting about $2,700 a month, and she had been on welfare since she was 16.

In past years, Danes might have shrugged off the case, finding Carina more pitiable than anything else. But even before her story was in the headlines 16 months ago, they were deeply engaged in a debate about whether their beloved welfare state, perhaps Europe’s most generous, had become too rich, undermining the country’s work ethic. Carina helped tip the scales.

With little fuss or political protest — or notice abroad — Denmark has been at work overhauling entitlements, trying to prod Danes into working more or longer or both. While much of southern Europe has been racked by strikes and protests as its creditors force austerity measures, Denmark still has a coveted AAA bond rating.

But Denmark’s long-term outlook is troubling. The population is aging, and in many regions of the country people without jobs now outnumber those with them.

Some of that is a result of a depressed economy. But many experts say a more basic problem is the proportion of Danes who are not participating in the work force at all — be they dawdling university students, young pensioners or welfare recipients like Carina who lean on hefty government support.

“Before the crisis there was a sense that there was always going to be more and more,” Bjarke Moller, the editor in chief of publications for Mandag Morgen, a research group in Copenhagen. “But that is not true anymore. There are a lot of pressures on us right now. We need to be an agile society to survive.”

Yeah. That's not going be sustainable. But I'm sure leftists can still find ways to argue the European social model beats America any day. Idiots.

But read it all at that top link.