4um: NY police commissioner: Internet is "the new Afghanistan"

Title: NY police commissioner: Internet is "the new Afghanistan"
Source: Yahoo News
URL Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070815 ... t=AssAVAqKhJvpIgnvQbPYtTsXIr0F
Published: Aug 15, 2007
Author: New York police commissioner Raymond Kel
Post Date: 2007-08-15 19:34:07 by Zipporah
Keywords: None
Views: 226
Comments: 17

New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly announces the bust of counterfeiters of retail goods in New York, November 27, 2002. The Internet is the new battleground against Islamist extremism because it provides ideology that could radicalize Westerners who might then initiate home-grown attacks, Kelly said on Wednesday. (Chip East/Reuters)

Internet is "the new Afghanistan": NY police commissioner

By Michelle Nichols and Edith HonanWed Aug 15, 3:51 PM ET

The Internet is the new battleground against Islamist extremism because it provides ideology that could radicalize Westerners who might then initiate home-grown attacks, New York police commissioner Raymond Kelly said on Wednesday.

"The Internet is the new Afghanistan," Kelly said, as he released a New York Police Department (NYPD) report on the home-grown threat of attacks by Islamist extremists. "It is the de facto training ground. It's an area of concern."

The report found that the challenge for Western authorities was to identify, pre-empt and prevent home-grown threats, which was difficult because many of those who might undertake an attack often commit no crimes along the path to extremism.

The report identified the four stages to radicalization as pre-radicalization, self-identification, indoctrination, and jihadization, and said the Internet drove and enabled the process.

Radicalization could be triggered by such things as the loss of a job, the death of a close family member, alienation, discrimination, and international conflicts involving Muslims, said the report by senior NYPD intelligence analysts.

"Much different from the Israeli-Palestinian equation, the transformation of a Western-based individual to a terrorist is not triggered by oppression, suffering, revenge or desperation," it said.

"Rather, it is a phenomenon that occurs because the individual is looking for an identity and a cause and unfortunately, often finds them in extremist Islam," said the report "Radicalization in the West: The Home-grown Threat."

While the September 11 strike on the United States by Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network was planned overseas, the report said the attacks had helped proliferate and accelerate radicalization, especially in the West.

"More importantly, 9/11 established the current trend of committing an act in the name of global jihad as a natural culmination of full radicalization and the ultimate responsibility for the fully radicalized jihadist," it said.

But starting the radicalization process does not mean everyone will progress to "become a terrorist."

"Individuals who have been radicalized but are not jihadists may serve as mentors and agents of influence to those who might become terrorists of tomorrow," said the report, which analyzed five home-grown U.S. attack plots.

It says Europe's failure to integrate second and third generation immigrants into society, both economically and socially, had left young Muslims more vulnerable to extremism.

While economic opportunities in the United States are better and the country's Muslims are more resistant to Islamist extremism, they are "not immune to the radical message."

"The powerful gravitational pull of individuals' religious roots and identity sometimes supersedes the assimilating nature of

because...Westerners on the internet have nothing better to do? What nonsense is this?

Raymond displays his attack dog loyalty...Mayor Bloomberg was trapped on 15min subway ride with WeAreChange...I doubt he'll do the subway ever again.

The public hearing is being held only because it is required by the city charter before the police can implement such rules. In an attempt to minimize public input the hearing is being held the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday in the middle of the work day.

Assemble for Rights NYC has denounced the Police hearing as a mockery of the democratic process, and will be holding a rally outside of One Police Plaza during the hearing to allow members of the public to gather and express their [opposition to Police rulemaking without being forced to endure the indignity of asking the Police Commissioner to reconsider his own proposal from within NYPD headquarters.

“Yes, but is this good for Jews?"

The funny thing is, if Western Civilization actually represented "rule of law" and "liberty and justice for all" and "opportunity for everyone willing to work hard", then very very few would ever be persuaded to turn against it, no matter how much invective and scorn was heaped against it. Therefore, it seems reasonable to conclude that those regimes that are most concerned about people being "turned against" them are the ones that have the most reason for people TO turn against them.

Replace "jihadists" with "communists" and you have the red scares of decades past.

When the American elite gets panicked about losing their wealth and power, they unleash their lower-class bully-boys.

It's a historical pattern of a century now of the American elite violently over- reacting to perceived threats to their power and privilege, when in fact the threats are miniscule.

..power and wealth are very intoxicating.. when threatened there isnt much those who have both would have any compunction in doing..

Consider Cheney's 2am black helicopters hovering over his 9 acres in MD and the road blocks; the neighbors complained at first (I'm sure they learned to STFU).

"It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men." -- Samuel Adams (1722-1803)‡