If, on September 12, 2001, I were to tell you that in eight long years there would not be another single terrorist attack on America soil, you would have understandably told me that I was absolutely crazy. Well, astoundingly, that is precisely what the Bush administration delivered to the American people. Eight long years of peace and security within our borders. Thank you, President Bush! Now, within just one year of the Obama administration there have been two Islamic terrorist attacks in the American heartland.
On June 1, 2009, in a cold, calculated, pre-meditated act of terrorism, Abdulakim Margahid Muhammad drove up to a west Little Rock military recruiting station and indiscriminately opened fire killing one young American serviceman and severely injuring another. Muhammad described this attack as a justified act of “Jihad” against America. He was arrested and charged with one count of homicide and 15 counts of “terroristic threatening.”
On November 5, 2009, Nidal Malik Hasan calmly walked into a crowded personnel area of Ft. Hood, Texas armed with two hand guns, one a semi-automatic. He reportedly yelled in Arabic: “Allah Akbar” (God is Great) and then proceeds to gun down 43 American servicemen and civilians, killing 13 and wounding 30. Authorities quickly release preliminary information about Hasan, a Major in the U.S. military, showing that he had on numerous occasions expressed sympathy and support for various terrorist activities. He is reported to be associated with various internet postings and blogs praising suicide bombers, among other activities. After much of this information came out, approximately some four to five hours after the massacre, Obama made his first public comments at a Tribal Nations Conference of native Americans. The president spent several minutes bantering with the crowd and even offered a light-hearted “shout out” to his pal, “Joe Medicine Crow” before addressing the terrorist attack.
Obviously, neither of these horrific attacks were of the scope or scale of the terrorist attacks of 09/11, though for the innocent victims that makes absolutely no difference. The fact remains, President Bush kept the American homeland safe from terrorist attack for eight long years; President Obama unfortunately, cannot say the same thing for even the first short year of his administration. “Hope & Change?” Well, when it comes to preventing terrorist attacks on American soil, all one can say of President Obama is: No He Can’t.