Terrorists recruited from U.S. seen as a rising threat

Washington Times ^ | 6/18/02 | Jerry Seper

[kattracks]

The detention of Abdullah al Muhajir, a U.S. citizen, has highlighted what law enforcement authorities and terrorism analysts believe is a growing threat: the recruitment of home-grown terrorists who can move freely throughout the country.

Al Muhajir, who is accused of conspiring to build and detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb," probably in the nation's capital, converted to Islam in Florida after his release from prison in the early 1990s. He later headed to Afghanistan and Pakistan to meet with leaders of the al Qaeda terrorist organization.

[goody2shooz]

It seems to me that recruiting from prison populations is a double-edged sword; one could just as easily end up recruiting a spy, or worse, end up recruiting a criminal who will turn on the recruiters and operate as a double spy. Criminals aren't known for their dedication or faithfulness.

I know it sounds like Al Qaeda has done something truly frightening but operational integrity has been compromised. We know about those camps in southern Virginia. They are not secret anymore. Secrecy is very important to terrorists and especially for spys.