Syrian Refugees

ON the internet, not AT the internet.

Gees....We win again.

******quote******
“We here in Afghanistan, we see all the fighters. We learn from them,” says the 17-year-old Afghan boy, holding a gun and swaying back-and-forth. He doesn’t make eye contact as he speaks. “God willing, we want to be like them.”
His name is Naimatullah, and he says he has been trained to carry out a suicide mission. He even has a target, a local pro-Afghan government warlord that his commander wants to kill.
The commander of Chapa Dara district, who has pledged loyalty to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, says Naimatullah, as well as a 13-year-old named Bashrullah, have been trained to carry out suicide attacks.
“Our commanders get their orders from ISIS,” Naimatullah says. “If they prepare a car bomb, wherever they say do it, I will do it.”
Naimatullah is on the older side, but in the new FRONTLINE documentary ISIS in Afghanistan, ISIS fighters claimed to be teaching children as young as three about jihad."
In a country that has experienced nearly endless conflict for more than 30 years, Afghan children have regularly been recruited, joining militant groups ranging from the Taliban and the Haqqani network, to state-backed militias, and local and national police forces.
***endquote******
[boldface added - DonDiego]
Ref: P B S

Perhaps the concern about 3 year-olds and widows is not so misplaced as alanleroyII opines.

The Islamists are really different than normal people, . . . and not in a good way.

alanleroyii would opine that when gauging our short run risk of terrorism we are at far more risk from:

1. 18 - 30 year old male terrorists sneaking across our porous southern border.
2. 18 - 30 year old male terrorists overstaying their visas.
3. 18 - 30 year old American male terrorists who have been brain washed by radical Islamic propaganda.

Of course Hasna Aitboulahcen the female Paris Suicide bomber may change our perceived terrorist demographic. Her last screaming words were 'He's not my boyfriend' referring to her cousin, terrorist Abdelhamid Abaaoud. She was yelling back to French authorities as she was cornered in the Paris apartment.

From this time forth all references to Hasna should mention her boyfriend Abdelhamid Abaaoud.

As to the long run risk of terrorism, that is more of a battle of ideas. If I were king, I would completely and immediately shut down all communication coming from the ISIS controlled territory. No internet access, no smart phones, no land lines...nothing. Then, with the help of our moderate Muslim allies, I'd try to out and humiliate any Jihadi propaganda originating anywhere in the world.

But back to the vetting of Syrian Refugees, the House Bill supported by a veto proof bi-partisan majority seems like a reasonable approach. Instead attacking American legislators, President Obama should simply communicate a reasoned explanation to the Syrian Refugees and the world why we need to be cautious about not letting in a terrorist by mistake. They understand that better than anyone and probably don't want terrorists in their new home either. Instead of blaming Republicans for the delay he should blame the terrorists and war criminals from ISIS. HE is the one creating an ISIS recruitment tool by suggesting his political opposition is driven by bigotry rather than a legitimate concern over the perfidious treachery of ISIS terrorists.

DonDiego says: "Bravo !" alanleroyII offers a precise, well-reasoned statement endorsing appropriate caution in accepting refugees from Syria.

DonDiego can only quibble with one issue. Although the House Bill was, in fact, passed by a greater-than-two-thirds-majority, this does not guarantee that the Bill is veto-proof. If The Obama were to veto the Bill the House would need to actually vote to override the veto. There is a significant possibility, . . . DonDiego is tempted to say "probability", . . . that there might well be insufficient Democrat votes to provide a greater-than-two-thirds-majority to actually override the veto. Given sufficient incentives a Senator can change his vote.
Oh, and the Senate has not yet had the opportunity to vote; there may not even be a Bill for The Obama to veto.

Of course there is always the possibility that obstructionists will prevent the will of the bi-partisan majority and the will of the people from becoming law. Maybe only elections can change that. Let's hope instead that President Obama and Democrats and Republicans in congress work together on this one. ISIS is the enemy. Not Republicans. Not Democrats.

Once again DonDiego is in total agreement.

However, some people are not. On 13 October Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton declared that "Republicans" are "the enemy" of which she is most proud.

It takes almost 2 years for a refugee to be vetted before coming to America. It takes a few weeks for a middle eastern citizen to get a passport. If ISIS terrorists wish to enter the US and do harm the former means is probably the least efficient way to do so. The angry, xenophobic bill in the House wont do anything except allow xenophobic COngressman tell their uninformed base they are doing something positive...Well, that and add more fuel to the divide in our country between religions - which is exactly what ISIS wants. ISIS wants AMericans to see all Muslims as extremists and discriminate against them. People who are discriminated against are more likely to join hands with radical groups - just ask the Sunni population of Iraq that joined ISIS after the new SHite government oppressed them. People like DonDiego, Hoops, Jphelan and Boilerman are playing right into the hand of the very group they wish to defeat.


We have several million legal citizens of the US that identify with the Islamic faith. We don't need to worry about Syrian Refugees. We need to worry about knee-jerk, angry rhetoric that might cause instability within our current population. Even George Bush understood this which is why he made a major speech about it just a few days after 911.

Even W is not dumb enough to give into the radical groups' desires

DonDiego suggests the citizens of the USA also need to worry about the intentions of some of those likely to be admitted to the Country as Syrian Refugees.

******quote******
"My concern is that there are certain gaps . . . in the data available to us. There is risk associated of bringing anybody in from the outside, but specifically from a conflict zone like that."
" . . . a number of people who were of serious concern" slipped through the screening of Iraq War refugees, including two arrested on terrorism-related charges. "There’s no doubt that was the product of a less than excellent vetting.”
Syrian refugees will be even harder to check because, unlike in Iraq, U.S. soldiers have not been on the ground collecting information on the local population. “If we don’t know much about somebody, there won’t be anything in our data,” he said. “I can’t sit here and offer anybody an absolute assurance that there’s no risk associated with this.”.
***endquote******
[boldface added - DD]
Ref: The Washington Post, addressing testimony of the FBI Director James Comey before Congress in October.

And there's this from the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper: "I don’t, obviously, put it past the likes of ISIL to infiltrate operatives among these refugees, so that’s a huge concern of ours."

So there is a likelihood that ISIL operatives will infiltrate the refugees.
And there are significant concerns that the data addressing the Syrian refugees may be insufficient or absent.

DonDiego cannot speak for anyone else whom pjstroh chooses to belittle.
[n.b. DonDiego does not belittle pjstroh's opinion. And even more importantlyy, DonDiego does not waste time telling pjstroh what pjstroh thinks, especially when it may well not be what pjstroh thinks. DonDiego recognizes this is unwise.]
DonDiego does not see all Muslims as extremists; that is why he is careful to employ the term Islamist to identify those who are. But DonDiego agrees with those who are responsible for the vetting process that it is not sufficiently vigorous, . . . and lack of data in Syria may mean it cannot be vigorous. Therefore, there is a significant probability that some extremists will slip through.

DonDiego suggests that The Obama is premature calling for the admission into the United States of 10,000 Syrian Refugees next year and 100,000 in 2017.
DonDiego suggests a thorough process capable of identifying Islamists among the candidates be in place before one calls for a specific number to be admitted willy-nilly. This is only prudent behavior, . . . as opposed to a reckless politically-motivated action.

When in doubt pj & his idol obama call anybody who disagrees with them stupid or bigots or both. However they are the narrow minded bigots because they refuse to acknowledge that people can have different opinions. That is the spirit of America.

I acknowledge you have a different opinion, Hoops! And your opinions are prejudiced.

Merriam Webster:

"bigot"
"a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance"