New York and New Jersey bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami is taken into custody after shootout in Linden, New Jersey, on Sept. 19, 2016 (Photo: Twitter)
Terrorism expert Harvey Kushner is dismissing the reactions of President Obama and Hillary Clinton to the terrorist attacks in New York, New Jersey and Minnesota as politically correct spin, and he says the U.S. must get much more aggressive against those who seek to harm America.
On Saturday, an explosion rocked the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, injuring 29 people. A second device was later discovered before it detonated. Those acts of terrorism took place after a pipe bomb blew up in New Jersey, along the course of a race designed to help the families of military service members. A second, intact device was also found in New Jersey, and all of the news came on the same day a terrorist stabbed eight people at the Mall of America in Minnesota.
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On Monday morning, just hours after authorities put out word that Afghan-born Ahmad Khan Rahami, a naturalized citizen who came to the U.S. with his family as an asylum seeker when he was 7 years old, was a suspect in the bombings, he was shot and taken into custody by police in New Jersey.
In his first comments since Saturday's attacks, President Obama Monday assured Americans that the terrorist threat is waning because ISIS is losing territory in Iraq and Syria.
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Kushner is not at all convinced by that logic.
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"I doubt that very much," Kushner told WND and Radio America. "Recruiting is not just because of a geographical area. It's on the web, and there are so many people here that have allegiance to ISIS inside the United States."
And Kushner said the Obama administration is failing to take proper diligence in screening who enters the country, particularly when it comes to refugees.
"We have a refugee problem which, in my book, needs to be looked at in a different light," he explained. "How do you vet so many people coming in from an area of the world that carries such political baggage?"
Listen to the WND/Radio America interview with Harvey Kushner:
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He also believes Obama's assurances are falling on deaf ears.
"He's going to put his spin on things because we have an election upcoming," Kushner said. "But the public is smarter. I think they understand that this is an issue."
Kushner was also disappointed in Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton blaming Donald Trump's rhetoric for helping ISIS recruit and giving "aid and comfort" to the enemy. Kushner said that might make for an interesting intellectual debate, but the stark realities of our enemies don't back up Clinton's claims.
"The overwhelming idea that that is a contributing factor is insulting," he said. "Those in law enforcement and intelligence gathering and the general public know better than this.
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"I might not agree with Donald Trump's approach, and I certainly don't agree with Hillary's approach, but that's using a bad situation to feather one's own bed during a political campaign."
Instead of pointing the finger at political adversaries, Kushner said the U.S. must get much more serious about defeating radical Islamic terrorism.
"We have to be very aggressive in a world in which there are many jihadis out there, ranging from al-Qaida to ISIS to individuals who want to do us harm. We need to identify who the enemy is. The American public is not fooled by this. I think they're understanding now the political correctness has run amok to the detriment of the safety of our public," said Kushner, noting that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Saturday night there was no reason to suspect terrorism, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called it terrorism at the same press conference.
Kushner said one avenue to get a better lock on terrorists is through data.
"We need to be much more aggressive in terms of looking at what's available out there by public data. I'm not saying to get inside somebody's own personal life, but there's so much public data that advertising agencies use to market their products," he said. "We have to be much more sophisticated in doing this in trying to get a handle on who out there wants to do us harm."
Kushner said the available evidence on the weekend bombings leads him to suspect Rahami was part of a cell and not a lone wolf. He's also glad Rahani was taken alive and hopes helpful information can be extracted.
"It's my experience from looking at this for many years that individuals of this type, when they're captured this way, generally talk," Kushner said. " That might be of interest. It could lead to other cells. Is there a connection outside the country? Where has he traveled? There are a lot of questions that need to be answered here."
In the wake of such chaos on Saturday, Kushner said the speed at which law enforcement zeroed in on suspects is impressive.
"The speed with which law enforcement in the New York metropolitan area were able to apprehend this person is quite remarkable," he said.
Kushner's advice going forward for all Americans is to live their lives while keeping their eyes open, noting the woman who stumbled across the second bomb in New York City and contacted police.
"If you see something, say something, but you know what? The streets are yours. This is our country, which prides itself on total freedom," he said. "You can't let the terrorists win, and I would go about your daily activities."
