The Threat Within is a lot clearer...

I have several times mentioned to people my fear of a U.S. or western citizen perpetrating the next terrorist attack here in America. The fact remains clear that courts are beginning to lose the motivation that pushed them to give counterterrorism agencies the power to crack down on not only the actual terrorists, but those who sponsor and endorse it. I remember reading a New York Times article published last year that spoke of a 22-year old living in North Carolina who provided jihadist material on his website, as well as pictures and videos of bombings committed against U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Finally, somebody in the media decided to discuss this in the form of an article posted on Foxnews.com. In the article, an official calls Samir Khan's Revolution.Muslimpad a "gateway drug to terror." It is clear that officials understand that bloggers like Khan are just as, if not more, dangerous than a suicide bomber's handler. Just like the handler, authorities can not arrest Khan because he holds no blood on his hands. People suggest that Khan's site is just his version of practicing freedom of speech, but when someone's words promote the taking of life universally because others do not subscribe to your belief system, it has crossed the line.

Freedom of speech is a precious ability that should be used to voice opposition. The fact that some 22-year old wants to encourage some jihadists in the Middle East to kill our soldiers is quite disgusting to me. My problem does not lie with Khan's opposition to elements of American policy, but rather his acceptance and promotion of a violent means of opposition. There is a serious problem with the law-enforcement community and its inability to crack down on the terrorist propaganda. Mark my words, when bin Laden and the other figureheads have lost all power, which it is pretty clear their ability to dictate and lead is dwindling, it will be the bloggers like Khan who provide the propaganda to motivate and enable the next wave of terrorists.