Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Down the rabbit hole

Just the other day I criticized the local fusion center for concluding there was "no credible local threat" and then this happens today;

FBI:  Green Township man plotted to bomb US Capitol

"FBI says Christopher Cornell, 20-years-old of Green Township, plotted with a confidential informant to build and detonate pipe bombs at or near the U.S. Capitol, and then shoot employees inside the Capitol." Fox19 News

Sounds pretty credible to me but even so, I can't help but feel we are being lead down a rabbit hole.  Those doubters that didn't think it could happen over here (again) can now the see the face of a radicalized Muslim.

Then there is the Charlie Hebdo attack, yes it appears the attack was in retaliation for a cartoon about the prophet Mohammed but isn't it coincidental that France was faltering on its support for the sanctions against Russia (and also are still trying to sell their two warships to Moscow)?

Despite the absence of Obama and company, the rest of the European leaders (with notable guest appearances by the leaders of Israel and Egypt) had their waning enthusiasm for war with Al Qaeda/Daesh renewed.  Minimally, the US won't be shouldering the burden of airstrikes alone.  France, newly refocused on fighting radical Muslims, is sending the nuclear powered Charles de Gaulle to launch strikes against Daesh.

The British can't be left out so now comes the news the Al Qaeda actually had three targets; France, Britain or the US.  In response, the British have mobilized SAS to patrol the streets of London.  (This isn't unchartered territory for SAS, they used to patrol the streets of Belfast in civilian clothes at the height of tensions with the IRA. )  The news of Al Qaeda targeting Britain has triggered concurs that the Neo-Nazis will be more attractive to young people again (not surprisingly, the same concerns are happening in Germany).   Most of Europe, at least the ones that the US counts on to go to war, now have a stake in matters with Daesh and Al Qaeda.

I've never been a particularly good follower whenever I've sensed the one leading didn't know what they were doing or were being being deceptive.  We are being lead down the rabbit hole similarly to Alice in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland".   The allegory is fitting for much as Alice shrank the further down the hole she fell so do our options as we go further down this rabbit hole.  And just like Alice, we don't know what waits for us at the other end.

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