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Homeland Security A Superb Cell Phone Alternative by Rich Arland, K7SZ |
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Paul Stroud, AA4XX, avid
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Hello and welcome to the first installment of “Homeland Security” (“HOMSEC”) in the New Year. My name is Rich Arland and I will be assuming the editorial duties of this column effective this month. Before going any further, let me compliment Alan Dixon on the outstanding job he has done in getting “HOMSEC” off the ground. Alan started this column about six months ago as a means to alert and inform the readers of Popular Communications about pertinent communications issues in these unsettled times. In the last year and three months, since the cowardly acts of terrorism were committed against our country, Americans have become more attuned to the need for increased awareness and security in their daily lives. This is where “HOMSEC” comes in. The main thrust of this column was envisioned as a clearinghouse for information for the technically savvy folks who want to be on top of their personal security with a slant towards communications. The mission of this column remains unchanged. I am writing this column shortly after the one-year anniversary of the tragedies of September 11, 2001. Today Fox News reported yet another homicide bomber detonated a device killing six and injuring over 40 in Tel Aviv. Last weekend in Buffalo, New York, five alleged Al Qaeda-aligned American Citizens were arrested, suspected of possibly planning terrorist attacks on our country. A sixth member of this supposed cell was apprehended earlier this week. This brings up the ugly reality that American citizens, recruited by Islamic extremists, are targeting our country. Why? How could anyone who has experienced the American lifestyle possibly want to undermine our country, its freedoms, and its way of life? For that you’ll need to understand the mindset of the terrorists, which is no easy task. Recruiting Americans to perform terrorist actions in the U.S. brings up rather interesting situations. As citizens, these folks fall under the protection of the Constitution and, therefore, have all the rights and privileges guaranteed therein. Also, these terrorists, once apprehended, cannot be legally “exported” to other countries that might employ rather drastic interrogation methods, which we in America would be prohibited from pursuing. Finally, these folks “fit in.” They are cognizant of the ways Americans do things and they don’t stand out in a crowd. We are dealing with an extremely cunning enemy, one we are just beginning to understand.
Return to January 2003 Highlights Page
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