To the Point
Terrorism, Shoot-to-Kill and America's Local Police
After transit attacks in London, terrorism is considered inevitable in the United States, with the burden falling on local police.
By Warren Olney • • 1h 0m ListenAfter transit attacks in London, terrorism is considered inevitable in the United States, with the burden falling on local police. That means 18,000 separate departments with little specialized training and no access to the centralized intelligence said to be "key" to preventing attacks. Is it really possible to stop a determined suicide bomber? Will ethnic profiling antagonize moderate Muslims at the time they're most needed in the fight against Islamic extremists? We hear about crash training programs, Israeli guidelines and the policy of "shoot to kill" from Muslims, civil rights advocates, security experts and law enforcement, including a police chief who says, "It almost seems to be a question of when in this country, not a question of if."
UK Police Arrest Bombing Suspects in Birmingham
Four men were arrested today in Birmingham, England. One reportedly is Yasin Hassan Omar, the 24 year-old Somali shown on videotape after a bomb failed to go off last week at London's Warren Street Tube Station. Neil Connor, who reports for the Birmingham Post, updates today's raid, which many residents feared was the response to another suicide bomber.
CAFTA Vote in the House, More Politics than Economics
When they want something badly, Presidents usually invite members of Congress to the White House. Today, President Bush and Vice President Cheney headed for Capitol Hill to push for the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which would establish free trade with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Paul Blustein of the Washington Post says that although CAFTA's passed the Senate, success in the House is not guaranteed.