Hi Gang:

The news report that is the predication for this commentary appeared today on the Mail Online website. This is the website of the British newspaper, the Daily Mail.

The headline of the article certainly speaks for itself: “Islamic extremist landed job with British Airways ‘in terror plot to blow up a flight to the U.S.’ “

But, as always, it is important to go well beyond the headlines. The “extremist” described in the news report was a 31 year old citizen of Bangladesh, Rajib Karim, who according to the article had first traveled to Great Britain with his wife and infant son claiming to be seeking treatment for cancer that baby was purportedly suffering from.

Karim’s wife, Zijarin Raja is described in the article as being a British subject.

The article goes on to make the following statement:

The zealot came to Britain in December 2006 with his British wife, Zijarin Raja, to seek cancer treatment on the NHS for his baby son, now five. It later transpired the boy did not have the disease and he has now recovered.

But Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting, said that from his arrival Karim was ‘entirely committed to an extreme Jihadist and religious cause’.

What we apparently have here, according to the published news report, is a radical Islamist who gamed the visa/immigration system of Great Britain to gain access to that nation to carry out a terrorist attack that had the potential of wrecking havoc upon British Airways and all of its passengers and crew.

Also noteworthy is the fact that the article noted that Karim was also allegedly recruiting others to create a terror cell inside England to cause massive devastation.

Consider this passage from the report:

Accused: Rajib Karim is facing charges under the Terrorism Act 2006

An Islamic extremist landed a job as a British Airways computer expert with the aim of blowing up a plane bound for America, a court heard.

Rajib Karim, 31, is accused of plotting with terror mastermind Anwar al-Awlaki to commit a ‘spectacular’ atrocity that would lead to ‘widespread loss of life’.

Desperate for martyrdom, the Bangladesh-born fanatic volunteered to train as cabin crew in the hope of blowing up aircraft, it was alleged.

The software engineer is also said to have planned to hijack BA computer systems to ground flights, causing chaos for millions of passengers.

Karim had already begun to build a terror cell in Britain, recruiting a baggage handler from Heathrow Airport and a security guard, it was claimed.

What is also worth noting was the way that Chris Liu, an airline pilot was castigated by the TSA when he posted videos he took of laxity at San Francisco’s airport

Here is a link to the news report and video interview concerning this case:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/whistleblowing-%E2%80%98patriot-pilot%E2%80%99-reveals-identity-after-exposing-lapses-in-security/

While the concerns that the pilot had do not directly relate to the terror trial in Great Britain, the point to understand is that among the allegations concerning defendant Karim’s efforts to attack England included the recruitment of a baggage handler and a security guard. Clearly such employees might well have access to airliners and other sensitive areas in and around an airport.

Additionally, I believe it is significant to take note of the fact that Karim was in the midst of attempting to become a citizen of Great Britain. This would certainly have enhanced his potential ability to embed himself in all sorts of locations and take jobs with greater access to sensitive venues which might have created more opportunities for him to inflict greater damage to England. What must also be considered is that if Karim had become a citizen of Great Britain, Because of the Visa Waiver Program, he would not have needed a visa to attempt to enter the United States. While there has been no mention of any intentions he might have had to travel to the United States, it is clear that the very thought of someone who, at least according to the crimes he is charged with, should give us all “cause of pause” that had Karim naturalized, the likelihood would have greatly increased that he would have been able to enter the United States.

Clearly the United States was on Karim’s mind when you consider this quote from the news report:

Woolwich Crown Court heard that in the final encrypted email he sent to al-Awlaki before his arrest last February, Karim said he would speak to his brothers ‘to find out the possibilities of shipping a package to a U.S.-bound plane’.

Once again England and, perhaps, the United States dodged another bullet. As I have noted on a number of previous occasions, “If hope is not a strategy, then dumb luck is not a success!”

A final thought:

We are often told about how those of us who are concerned about securing our borders against the entry of illegal aliens and immigrants are unfair and/or xenophobic. There is an expression in law enforcement that says that “Just because you are paranoid, it does not mean you are not being followed!”

That statement is often said in jest- employing the sort of “gallows humor” that is common among those who routinely go in harm’s way or have to deal with terrible situations. Soldiers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and even medical doctors all have their own forms of gallows humor. It is a way of coping with a tough job.

In law enforcement questioning coincidences and being perennially skeptical can help keep you alive!

Taking that into account consider this quote from the news report:

In one email, recovered by police, he said: ‘From the moment I entered this country my niyah (purpose) was to do something for the deen (faith), it was not to make a living here and start enjoying life.’

However, he settled in at work and bided his time, Mr Laidlaw told the court, joining a gym and playing football. ‘It was as far as anybody could tell a perfectly ordinary life he was living,’ he said.

Clearly Mr. Karim was not attempting to contribute to the well being of his adopted country. While creating a facade of normalcy he constructed in order to hide in plain sight, he was working constantly at attacking the very country that invited him in and apparently even offered to care for his son. This is the sort of betrayal on his part this is the stuff of nightmares!

I have made this point on a number of occasions previously and I believe it is worth repeating here- it has often been said that an effective spy or terrorist is someone who would not attract the attention of the waiter or waitress as a “greasy spoon” diner. I have added to that expression by saying that, in point of fact, it may well be that the waiter or waitress at that establishment might be the spy or terrorist!

The fundamental principle is that in order to be effective a spy or terrorist must not call attention to himself. Clearly Karim understood this basic and essential concept and incorporated it in his daily life in the country that opened its doors to him.

My goal in writing this and other commentaries is to point out our nations many failings before more victims pay the ultimate price for the incompetence and ineptitude of our government.

The first step in problem-solving is to first identify the problems and vulnerabilities and then devise strategies to overcome them.

If you find yourself to be in agreement with this commentary, I ask that you forward it to as many of your friends and family members as possible and encourage them to do the same. We need to create a “Bucket Brigade of Truth!”

The practice of good citizenship does not end in the voting booth, it only begins there.

The large scale apathy demonstrated by citizens of this nation has emboldened elected representatives to all but ignore the needs of the average American citizen in a quest for massive campaign funds and the promises of votes to be ostensibly delivered by special interest groups. There is much that we cannot do but there is one thing that We the People absolutely must do- we must stop sitting on the sidelines!

The collective failure of We the People to get involved in make our concerns known to our politicians have nearly made the concerns of the great majority of the citizens of this nation all but irrelevant to the politicians. I implore you to resolve this year to get involved!

I believe our nation’s is greatly benefited by the rich diversity of our people which is why I could never imagine living anywhere except New York City, arguably the most diverse city in our nation if not, in fact, the world. However, my idea of diversity most certainly does not include members of MS-13, the Mexican drug cartels or members of other transnational gangs or members of al-Qaeda!

If this situation concerns you or especially if it angers you, I ask you to call your Senators and Congressional “Representative. This is not only your right- it is your obligation!

All I ask is that you make it clear to our politicians that we are not as dumb as they hope we are!

We live in a perilous world and in a perilous era. The survival of our nation and the lives of our citizens hang in the balance.

This is neither a Conservative issue, nor is it a Liberal issue- simply stated, this is most certainly an AMERICAN issue!

You are either part of the solution or you are a part of the problem!

Democracy is not a spectator sport!

Lead, follow or get out of the way!

-michael cutler-

Please check out my website:

https://www.michaelcutler.net/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352552/Islamic-extremist-Rajib-Karim-BA-job-terror-plot-bomb-flight-US.html

Islamic extremist landed job with British Airways ‘in terror plot to blow up a flight to the U.S.’

By
Rebecca Camber

Last updated at 5:42 PM on 2nd February 2011

Accused: Rajib Karim is facing charges under the Terrorism Act 2006

An
Islamic extremist landed a job as a British Airways computer expert
with the aim of blowing up a plane bound for America, a court heard.

Rajib
Karim, 31, is accused of plotting with terror mastermind Anwar
al-Awlaki to commit a ‘spectacular’ atrocity that would lead to
‘widespread loss of life’.

Desperate for martyrdom, the
Bangladesh-born fanatic volunteered to train as cabin crew in the hope
of blowing up aircraft, it was alleged.

The software engineer is
also said to have planned to hijack BA computer systems to ground
flights, causing chaos for millions of passengers.

Karim had
already begun to build a terror cell in Britain, recruiting a baggage
handler from Heathrow Airport and a security guard, it was claimed.

Woolwich
Crown Court heard that in the final encrypted email he sent to
al-Awlaki before his arrest last February, Karim said he would speak to
his brothers ‘to find out the possibilities of shipping a package to a
U.S.-bound plane’.

Yesterday the jury was told that Karim acted as
a terrorist mole for American-born al-Awlaki – the commander of the
Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula – passing him crucial
information on the airline’s computer and security systems.

Rajib Karim is accused of sharing details of his BA contacts with a radical cleric (file pic)

Rajib Karim is accused of sharing details of his British Airways contacts with a radical cleric (file pic)

The zealot came to Britain in December 2006 with his British wife,
Zijarin Raja, to seek cancer treatment on the NHS for his baby son, now
five. It later transpired the boy did not have the disease and he has
now recovered.

But Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting, said that from his arrival
Karim was ‘entirely committed to an extreme Jihadist and religious
cause’.

‘Karim believes that terrorism, including the murder of civilians, is
permissible to establish, as he views it, a true Islamic state’

‘He believes that terrorism, including the murder of civilians, is
permissible to establish, as he views it, a true Islamic state,’ Mr
Laidlaw said. ‘Karim was anxious to carry out such an act and he was
determined to seek martyrdom.’

Karim had been given indefinite leave to remain in the UK in January
2009, and just a month before had completed an application form for
naturalisation as a British citizen.

But the court heard that when he first travelled from Bangladesh to
the UK it was to see if the country ‘could be exploited for terrorist
purposes’.

In one email, recovered by police, he said: ‘From the moment I
entered this country my niyah (purpose) was to do something for the deen
(faith), it was not to make a living here and start enjoying life.’

However, he settled in at work and bided his time, Mr Laidlaw told
the court, joining a gym and playing football. ‘It was as far as anybody
could tell a perfectly ordinary life he was living,’ he said.

Karim, already a fund-raiser for the Al Qaeda-linked terror
organisation Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), began plotting with
al-Awlaki after being introduced by his younger brother, Tehzeeb, also a
member of the JMB.

The father of one signed up to BA’s graduate training programme in
Newcastle in 2007, becoming a software engineer in ‘as good a job as
could be obtained’ for terrorist purposes,

His pass gave him ‘unsupervised access’ to BA computers running its
website, email, crew roster, engineering systems, HR and finances.

In late 2009, Karim became depressed that he had failed to achieve an attack and offered to wage war in Afghanistan.

But al-Awlaki said he should remain in position, from where he ‘might be able to provide us with critical information’.

Karim responded saying he had ‘knowledge of key people in BA’ as well as key computer hardware locations.

Following strike action by cabin crew in 2009, BA sought volunteers from its ground staff to train as cabin crew.

Karim completed an application form for a customer support role – he
did not have enough service for cabin crew duty – two weeks before his
arrest.

He has admitted several charges including fund-raising for terrorism,
but denies four counts of engaging in the preparation of terrorist
acts.

The trial continues.

"Islamic extremist landed job with British Airways ‘in terror plot to blow up a flight to the U.S.’ "

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