We now know the Boston Marathon terrorists were Muslims with roots in Chechnya, the Russian province in an ongoing conflict with Moscow, with a large Muslim population and a history of violent conflict with the Kremlin in a long struggle for independence. They were likely not right-wing Americans, as some on the left had predicted and hoped.
We do not yet know whether they are part of a larger cell or whether these attacks were directed from abroad versus being exclusively the idea of these two terrorist brothers. Experts note that on one hand terrorist groups have put information on the Internet on how to make the specific types of bombs used in the attack, but also say it is very possible these brothers also received terrorist training overseas. We may learn the answers to these questions in coming days.
Either way, it’s disconcerting that the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was “sharing intel“ with authorities in the investigation of this bombing. SPLC is the ultra-left group that has a habit of demonizing conservative organizations as “domestic hate groups,” but has now been linked in federal court to a convicted terrorist. Even some outspoken liberals take issue with the SPLC’s outrageous bias, saying SPLC is “essentially a fraud.”
Recently, a U.S. army officer used SPLC’s material to say the military should watch out for soldiers thought to support various Christian organizations targeted by the SPLC, as well as immigration-reform groups (suggesting they’re “anti-Muslim”) and Tea Party groups.
It’s critically important to recognize that there are countless peaceful and patriotic Muslim Americans, and they must not be lumped in with terrorists. But given our history, it’s not “anti-Muslim” to note when a terrorist is Muslim and motivated by fanatical religious beliefs.
The Obama administration’s decision to prosecute the Ft. Hood shooter, Maj. Nadal Hasan, as a perpetrator of “workplace violence” instead of a terrorist attack–while refusing to give military honors, such as Purple Hearts to those shot by Hasan–showcases a profoundly disturbing political correctness that has no place in national security circles.
As the recent sentencing of convicted terrorist Floyd Corkins, who confessed that he planned his terrorist attack based on information provided by SPLC, approaches on Apr. 29, it is increasingly important that no law enforcement agency lends any credibility to the SPLC. Its partisan agenda focuses so much energy going after conservatives and Christians instead of real terrorists.
Ken Klukowski is legal columnist for Breitbart News.
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