New York in the Crosshairs of Global Terrorism

Originally posted September 16, 2013.

If you thought that all was quiet on the terrorism front, you’ve been out of contact with the views of New York police chief Ray Kelly. I have written often that I regard Ray Kelly as America’s number one defender against Muslim radicals. Chief Kelly’s New York anti-terrorism unit sets the global gold standard. And NYPD indeed has a worldwide intelligence reach. Here’s a great update from National Review’s Deroy Murdock on Ray Kelly and his efforts in New York.

Critics claim that the NYPD profiles Muslims. However, as long as militant Islam kills Americans, the NYPD’s surveillance of potential Islamic suspects is no more anti-Muslim than sending organized-crime specialists into Little Italy is anti-Italian.

Kelly outlined his department’s outreach to local Muslims.

“We hold an annual pre-Ramadan gathering with more than 500 religious and community leaders,” Kelly said. “We sponsor youth soccer and cricket leagues whose members are predominantly young Muslim men. We assign a direct liaison to the Muslim community and train all of our officers in the diverse cultural and religious traditions of the faith. We have a Muslim police officers’ society with more than 300 members and a Muslim Advisory Council made up of prominent community leaders.”

“Our enemies are smart, patient, and committed,” Kelly commented. “In addition to the recent cases I mentioned, since 9/11 there have been plots to blow up the Herald Square subway station; to attack synagogues in the Bronx and Manhattan; to detonate the fuel lines that run under John F. Kennedy airport; to conduct suicide bombings on three rush-hour subway lines; to explode a car bomb in the middle of Times Square; and to attack post-office buildings and returning U.S. troops with pipe bombs, just to name a few. . . . What we can’t count are the additional plots that did not take place as a consequence of our vigilance.”