Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column today on the threat
from Iranian sleeper cell terrorists.
You can read the column via
the link below or the following text:
Davis: Feds warn of possible Iranian sleeper cell terrorists - Philly Daily
With President Trump’s bold,
decisive and historical military combat action against Iran, called Operation
Epic Fury, there are concerns that the fanatical Iranian government will
unleash sleeper terrorist cells in America.
I support President Trumps’s
actions, as the Iranian government has been at war with America for more than
47 years, and has killed many Americans directly and indirectly through their
terrorist proxy groups. We needed to finally strike back, particularly now, as
the Iranians posed a great threat to America, the middle east and the world. We
simply could not allow this dangerous nation to produce advanced ballistic
missiles and nuclear weapons.
I recall former CIA
operations officer Gary Berntsen telling me that going up against the Iranians
was like fighting the Nazis. The Iranians, he said, are ruthless religious
fanatics who are brutal and do not hesitate to kill. He noted that Iran employs a network of proxy militant groups
around the globe to carry out violent attacks against Western countries.
I followed the news with
pride as our great military pounded the Iranian government’s leaders and their
terroristic war machine.
Having served as a teenager
on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War, I wish I were
young again and able to serve on one of the aircraft carriers in the
Mediterranean Sea as they launch sorties against the Iranians.
Although the Iranian
government is being bombed out of existence, we must be cognizant of the
possibility that the Iranians may have planned for terrorist counterattacks on
the U.S. homefront.
There are concerns that perhaps
some hundreds of Iranian terrorists slipped across the southern border during
President Biden’s term in office. Law enforcement and security officials
believe that these Iranians and their proxies may have formed into sleeper
cells across the U.S. and are lying dormant until they receive orders to strike
American targets.
There is also the fear that
lone wolf fanatics will commit acts of terrorism in support of Iran.
FBI
Director Kash Patel stated that he placed the FBI’s regional Joint Terrorism
Task Forces (JTTF) on high alert as the U.S. military conducts combat
operations against Iran.
"Last
night, I instructed our Counterterrorism and intelligence teams to be on high
alert and mobilize all assisting security assets needed," Patel wrote on X. "Our JTTFs throughout the country
are working 24/7, as always, to address and disrupt any potential threats to
the homeland.
“While
the U.S. military is handling force protection overseas, the FBI remains at the
forefront of deterring attacks here at home and will continue working around
the clock to protect Americans.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi
Noem also issued an alert. “We are in direct coordination with
our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely
monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland."
Despite the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS), and many law enforcement agents going unpaid due to a
congressional spat over ICE operations, the DHS remains on high alert.
On February 28th,
The Philadelphia Police Department released a message on X “The PPD is monitoring
developments overseas with federal, state, and regional partners. While there
are no credible threats to Philadelphia, we’ve increased patrols at religious
and cultural sites out of Caution. Report suspicious activity to 911 or
215-686-TIPS.
Concerns about a sleeper
terrorist or lone wolf shooter increased after a gunman with a shirt adorned
with an Iranian flag and the words, “Property of Allah” shot and killed two
people and seriously wounded 14 others in Austin, Texas on March 1st.
The gunman, armed with a
rifle and pistol, opened fire on customers at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden at
2 A.M. The shooter, identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Senegal, was
shot and killed by police.
The FBI is investigating the
Texas shooting as a potential act of terrorism and the FBI did not place a
timeline on the national terrorism alert.
A random
street shooting like the one in Austin can happen anywhere, but if Iranian backed
terrorists and their supporters are looking to make a symbolic violent gesture,
then Philadelphia might be a target, especially as we approach the 250th
anniversary of our founding.
I recall interviewing then-Philadelphia
Police Commissioner Charles H Ramsey in his office at the “Roundhouse,” the old
Philadelphia police headquarters, back in 2013.
I asked him if Philadelphia
was a prime target for terrorists.
“Philadelphia is
geographically located on the eastern corridor between New York City and
Washington DC,” Ramsey said. “The harder the target they make New York and the harder
they make DC, the more attractive Philadelphia will look to terrorists.
“The historical monuments and
institutions we have here in Philadelphia make the city of targeted value to
someone who wants to psychologically harm the United States in addition to
actually harming people.”
Let’s hope that the Feds and
the Philadelphia Police will be able to thwart any Iranian retaliatory
terrorist attacks here.
Paul
Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to
Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached via
pauldavisoncrime.com.
