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Safer? At least 19 Terrorist Attacks Thwarted Since 9/11

I personally know too many people on the left for which this will mean nothing. Because waterboarding was used (only three times by the way) or phone calls to terrorist sponsoring countries were tapped, it doesn't matter that thousands of lives have been saved. Our civil liberties have been violated! At a minimum this is a reminder that (1) just because there has not been an attack since 9/11 does not mean that there are not people who are trying and (2) our government has done an excellent job to protect us. Here is the list (remember, this is only from public info):

Richard Reid, December 2001 The so-called shoe bomber and bin Laden acolyte is now serving a life sentence in America for attempting to ignite a bomb on a US bound flight.

Jose Padilla, May 2002 Arrested by US officials in Chicago for planning to ignite a dirty bomb. While his case seeking habeas corpus is required reading for law students now, he was found guilty in August in 2007 and is scheduled to be sentenced (hopefully for the rest of his life) in December.

Lackawanna Six, September 2002 Six American citizens of Yemeni descent pled guilty to providing material support to al-Qaeda.

Iyman Faris, May 2003 Sentenced to 20 years in prison for planning to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge. The attack was thwarted after NYPD learned of the threat and increased security on the bridge.

Virginia "Jihad" Network, June 2003 A group of 11 men with connections with al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups were arrested for training to perform terrorist acts in the US. The leader of the group, Ali al-Timimi was sentenced to life in prison.

Dhiren Barot, August 2004 Barot was sentenced to 40 years in prison for planning attacks on the New York Stock Exchange and other financial institutions in the US and in England, including using a dirty bomb.

James Elshafay and Shahawar Matin Siraj, August 2004 These two were arrested after an undercover agent discovered their plans for bombing a subway station in NYC during the Republican National Convention.

Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain, August 2004 Both of these Albany NY religious leaders were convicted of plotting to assassinate a Pakistani diplomat.

Umer Hayat and Hamid Hayat, June 2005 This father and son team were convicted for training in a Pakistani terrorist camp as well as sending money to the camp.

Levar Haley Washington, Gregory Vernon Patterson, Hammad Riaz Samana, and Kevin James, August 2005 These members of a radical Islamic prison group were arrested and are still awaiting trial for planning to attack military and religious targets in Orange County.

Michael C. Reynolds, December 5, 2005 Reynolds was sentenced to 30 years after planning to blow up several oil refineries and pipelines.

Mohammad Zaki Amawi, Marwan Othman El-Hindi, Zand Wassim Mazloum, February 2006 These guys were arrested for attempting to build bombs that would be used against American soldiers in Iraq.

Syed Haris Ahmed and Ehsanul Islam Sadequee, April 2006 Conspired with Islamic extremists in London to attack the U.S. Capitol and the World Bank headquarters.

Narseal Batiste, Patrick Abraham, Stanley Grant Phanor, Naudimar Herrera, Burson Augustin, Lyglenson Lemorin, and Rotschild Augstine, June 2006 Seven men were arrested in Miami and Atlanta for allegedly being in the early stages of a plot to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago, as well as the FBI offices and other buildings.

Assem Hammoud, July 2006 An al-Qaeda loyalist living in Lebanon was arrested for plotting to bomb New York City train tunnels

Liquid Explosives Plot, August 2006 British law enforcement was able to stop a terror­ist plot to load 10 commercial airliners headed to the United States with liquid explosives. Approximately 24 British persons were arrested in the London area.

Fort Dix Plot, May 2007 Six men were arrested in a plot against Fort Dix, a U.S. Army base in New Jersey. The plan included attacking and killing soldiers using assault rifles and grenades.

JFK Plot, June 2007 Four men were arrested for plotting to blow up a jet fuel artery that runs through residential neighborhoods at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City that authorities say would have caused major damage.

Khalid Sheikh "the Woolly Mammoth" Mohammed, March 2007 (Pic top) Mohammed admitted in March 2007 to helping to plan, organize, and run the September 11 attacks and also claimed responsibility for the first bombing at the World Trade Center and the bombings of nightclubs in Bali in 2002 and a Kenyan hotel. He has stated that he decapitated American journalist Daniel Pearl and took responsibility for helping to plan the failed attack by Richard Reid, along with plots at Heathrow Airport, Canary Wharf, and Big Ben, as well as targets in Israel and the Panama Canal. He also helped to develop plots surrounding Los Angeles, Chicago, and the Empire State Building as well as U.S. nuclear power stations. He also had plotted to assassinate Pope John Paul II and former President Bill Clinton.

Full post as published by SoapBox Law on November 15, 2007 (boomark / email).