Thread: N.Y. Senate hearing turns nasty as Islamic terror discussed

Rational testimony on the threat of radical Islam interrupted by Koran wielding Senator.

April 10, 2011

N.Y. Senate hearing on security turns nasty as Islamic terror threat is discussed

Phil Boehmke
22 Comments

On Friday as the nation’s attention was focused on the budget showdown in Washington, the New York State Senate convened a special hearing in Manhattan to assess potential of a terrorist attack on the city. With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaching, the chaos in North Africa and the Middle East combined stunning incompetence of the current administration, a serious assessment of the city’s vulnerability and security precautions would seem to be a worthy undertaking.

The Senators engaged in discussions with law enforcement officials, emergency responders and experts on counterterrorism regarding a variety of preparedness and response measures however the hearing turned nasty when the discussion focused on the more specific threat of radical Islam. The New York Times reports that testimony offered by Nonie Darwish sparked an angry response from Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn) which overshadowed the proceedings. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/nyreg ... aring.html

Gregory Ball (R-Putnam County) the chairman of the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs, invited Nonie Darwish an American citizen who was born and educated in Egypt to share her unique insights with the lawmakers. Ms. Darwish who serves as the director of Former Muslims United told the hearing that “The education of Arab children is to make killing of certain groups of people not only good, it’s holy.â€

Until those who are responsible for the security of our nation can dispassionately address the very real threat of terrorism with open minds, homeland security will be nothing more than an expensive and impotent bureaucracy.