Reuel Marc Gerecht: Major Hasan and Holy War

“For those of us who have tracked Islamic militancy in Europe, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan’s actions are not extraordinary. Since Muslim militants first tried to blow a French high-speed train off its rails in 1995, European intelligence and internal-security services have increasingly monitored European Muslim radicals. Whether it’s anti-Muslim bigotry, the large numbers of immigrant and native-born Muslims in Europe, an appreciation of how hard it is to become European, or just an understanding of how dangerous Islamic radicalism is, most Europeans are far less circumspect and politically correct when discussing their Muslim compatriots than are Americans.

A concern for not giving offense to Muslims would never prevent the French internal-security service, the Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire (DST), which deploys a large number of Muslim officers, from aggressively trying to pre-empt terrorism. As Maj. Hasan’s case shows, this is not true in the United States. The American military and especially the Federal Bureau of Investigation were in great part inattentive because they were too sensitive.”

(Source: Reuel Marc Gerecht: Major Hasan and Holy War – WSJ.com)

Federal travel tips: Get H1N1 shot, have papers in order

“Directives issued Thursday by federal officials advise holiday travelers to have their papers in order, suggest what kind of shoes to wear and encourage those about to travel to get seasonal and H1N1 flu shots.

The federal agencies also guide travelers on how to cough and sneeze.

The U.S. Homeland Security Department, Transportation Security Administration, Centers for Disease Control and other federal agencies issued the travel tips and suggestions for those planning to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday.”

(Source: Federal travel tips: Get H1N1 shot, have papers in order – Phoenix Business Journal:)

ICE to Audit 1,000 More Companies in Immigration Crackdown

“Immigration enforcement officials said Thursday that they were expanding a program for auditing companies that might have hired illegal immigrants and had notified 1,000 companies this week that they would have to undergo such a review.”

(Source: ICE to Audit 1,000 More Companies in Immigration Crackdown – NYTimes.com)

Fort Hood Shooter Tried to Contact al Qaeda Terrorists, Officials Say

“U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC News”

(Source: Fort Hood Shooter Tried to Contact al Qaeda Terrorists, Officials Say – ABC News)

Multiple people shot at Orlando office building

“Multiple people were shot in an Orlando highrise office building and the shooter remains at large in the area, according to Orlando police spokeswoman Barbara Jones.

Police have identified the suspect as Jason Rodriguez, 40, a former employee of one of the businesses in the building. They said he drives a silver 2002 Nissan SUV with license plates D119UX, but said they do not yet know if he is still in the building or has left the scene. “

(Source: Multiple people shot at Orlando office building; suspect at large – washingtonpost.com)

Officials: 13 killed, including gunman, in Fort Hood shootings

“A soldier opened fire on a military processing center at Fort Hood in Texas on Thursday, killing 12 people and wounding 30, officials at the Army base said.

The gunman also was killed, Col. Benton Danner said.

Two other soldiers who were detained have been released, but another person of interest is in custody, said Christopher Haug, chief of public affairs at Fort Hood.

The gunman, slain by emergency personnel, was identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, a law enforcement source told CNN. “

(Source: Officials: 13 killed, including gunman, in Fort Hood shootings – CNN.com)

E. coli outbreak hits East Coast, kills 2

“Two people — one in New Hampshire and a second in New York — have died, 16 have been hospitalized and 28 have been sickened in an outbreak of E. coli that may be linked to ground beef distributed on the East Coast, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

As of October 28, there have been 28 persons whose illness appears to be associated with this outbreak, all but three from the Northeast. Eighteen of the 28 are from New England, says the CDC’s Lola Scott Russell. There have been two cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome, which causes kidney failure. “

(Source: E. coli outbreak hits East Coast, kills 2 – USATODAY.com)

H1N1 flu virus kills 16 people in Michigan, hospitalizes 396

“Swine flu has killed 16 Michigan residents, hospitalized 396 and sickened scores of people as demand exceeds supply for the H1N1 vaccine, Michigan Department of Community Health officials said Monday.

‘We are at number you might see at the peak of a bad flu season,’ said Gregory S. Holzman, state Chief Medical Executive. ‘This is unprecedented.’

The news comes as the number of people reporting flu-like illnesses continues to spike, schools are closing across Michigan, hospitals are starting to ban children from visiting and health departments are administering the H1N1 vaccine to groups deemed most at risk. “

(Source: H1N1 flu virus kills 16 people in Michigan, hospitalizes 396 | detnews.com | The Detroit News)