Amor Ftouhi is accused of stabbing a Flint, Mich., police officer on Wednesday. Authorities have described the incident as a Islamic terrorist attack. But while it’s fortunate that Ftouhi was unable to kill anyone, he does raise an alarming concern.
A Canadian citizen, Ftouhi apparently entered the United States just five days before his attack. Once again, we’re seeing how a citizen of a close U.S. ally can carry out a terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
This is nothing new. Remember the shoe bomber and British citizen, Richard Reid? In December 2001, Reid attempted to blow up an airliner over the Atlantic. His target was the American citizens on that flight. Or how about the 2006 transatlantic “liquid” bomb plot? In that incident, eight Britons were convicted of plotting to destroy transatlantic flights.
It’s an ongoing challenge. As I’ve explained, the United States remains ISIS’ main target. And today, ISIS is determined to use European passport holders or refugees to infiltrate America. They know that if a terrorist has a European passport, his or her ability to infiltrate the U.S. grows exponentially.
Under the visa waiver program, the ability of American authorities to scrutinize prospective travelers to the United States is largely dependent on European authorities. And if suspects are not known to those authorities, these so-called “clean skins” may evade no-fly lists. It is a testament to the effectiveness of no-fly lists that terrorist attacks against the U.S. have remained relatively few and far between.
Still, the risks are significant. British citizens visiting the U.S. have their passports carefully examined. If they have been to Pakistan within the past couple of years, they are likely to be interviewed by a customs officer before being granted entry.
Another interesting case is that of Umar Abdulmutallab. A Nigerian citizen who attempted to blow up a U.S. bound airliner on Christmas day 2009, Abdulmutallab was able to evade the intelligence net. He had traveled from Ghana to the Netherlands and then on towards Detroit. But what’s interesting is that Abdulmutallab, acting under al-Qaeda direction, did not attack the Netherlands. He could have left the airport and attacked a target there. Instead, he chose the added risk of a connecting flight to Detroit, because al-Qaeda, like ISIS, are always desperate to kill Americans.
I disagree with President Trump’s travel ban, but I recognize his concerns. They are real.
Ultimately, intelligence sharing is the greatest defense against these attacks. But sooner or later, a terrorist is likely to get through.
