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"Fairly Benign"

11:37 AM, Nov 10, 2009 • By MICHAEL GOLDFARB
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ABC tries to figure out how the Ft. Hood shooter slipped through the cracks even as authorities were aware that he was communicating with known radicals and attempting to communicate with al Qaeda:

"The general tenor of the communications were fairly benign and did comport with a research project that he was doing that was sanctioned by Walter Reed," a different senior investigative official briefed on the case said.

Imagine if you went to the hospital and the doctor told you, you've got cancer, but it's "fairly benign." What does that even mean? And of course, the next question that has to be asked: how many officers (and other Americans) these days are in "fairly benign" contact with al Qaeda recruiters?

Exit quote from David Frum: "Too bad Hasan didn't try to smuggle a bottle of water aboard an aircraft. Then of course they'd have thrown the book at him."

More by Michael Goldfarb

 

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