Homeland security chief worried about al Shabaab mall threat

[laundry_queen]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. homeland security chief said on Sunday he takes seriously a threat made by Somali-based Islamist militants against shopping malls, including the Mall of America in Minnesota, and urged people going there to be careful.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was reacting to a video released by al Shabaab appearing to call for attacks on Western shopping areas, specifically mentioning Mall of America, the West Edmonton Mall in Canada and London's Oxford Street.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/homeland-security-chief-worried-al-shabaab-mall-threat-141316539.html

---

No specific threat, but my kids regularly go to one of those malls, so a bit unsettling for me. Although I'm not sure exactly how one is supposed to "be careful"?

[Trillo]

1. The first paragraph tells you to "be careful"

of "Somali-based Islamist militants."

[laundry_queen]

2. I'm sure

they will be wearing signs that identify them as such.

[Trillo]

3. Shouldn't be too difficult....

This is what Google says they look like.

First thing to notice, they have dark skin.

[laundry_queen]

6. I know you are saying that tongue in cheek

but you know that's what they really want to say. I feel for the people that frequent the mall I'm talking about that have Somali roots. You just know some of them are going to be profiled.

[Trillo]

11. Yes, those are the contortions created.

My guess is just like anywhere else, 99% of Somalis are probably pretty decent people, but 1% (or less) ruins it for everyone else. I'm not really sure what the purpose of these warnings are, they seem to be highly racist and national. Just keep the fear of the other up, be very afraid when you're in public, be on alert! Call the FBI if you see anything "abnormal". Do they sound like English is their second language?

We also know these kinds of stories would seem to play into Christian discriminations quite well. They're Muslims! We've seen lots of stories about Christians vs Muslims recently. Thus this may be an example of the Department of Homeland Security playing to bible-belt or perhaps Fox-news demographics.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Shopping takes on a new sense of urgency and danger.

Run into Bath and Body Works, grab your shower gel and moisturizer, and get out!!

[freshwest]

19. No! Have Amazon deliver and hide under the bed! Their drone will beep outside your window soon.

You'll feel much safer.


Wait...

[armed_and_liberal]

5. I guess news is slow getting to Somali

Malls are all but dead in the US. They are bulldozing them everyday and they aren't building new ones.

[DustyJoe]

7. MOA

Considering it's the Somali terrorist islamist group calling for this. The fact they carried out a 4 day murderous attack in the Kenyan mall, and that the Mall of America is in the same metropolis as one of the largest Somali immigrant communities in the US. There's just a chance the Mr Johnson has found credible reason to take this threat very seriously, If he didn't, his Department would not be named 'Homeland Security'.

[CJCRANE]

8. You must be too young to remember the color-coded terror alerts

which graced GWB's first term but stopped abruptly once he was re-elected in '04.

I don't doubt that there's a threat but it's interesting how these things go in cycles. Now in President Obama's second term the GWOT is back in full swing and stronger than ever.

[Trillo]

16. These messages play to our tribal instincts,

and inflame already-existing tensions. Maybe there is a credible threat, but keep it hush. Stay vigilant and alert, if you're in security services, but civilians don't really need to know. The danger is this becomes one more reason to buy that gun and arm yourself against the hostile invaders. They have dark skin. They are muslims or more precisely, "Islamists." They have weapons. They're willing to kill. Then, the next message, they're willing to kill you while you shop at the mall. This just plays to humans reptilian and tribal instincts, whether it's true or not is not the point.

[d_r]

9. hey he warned you

Not his fault if you aren't careful

[GuntherGebelWilliams]

10. Not to worry Jeh, Minnesota is way ahead of you

[glasshouses]

15. Are those posted at every entrance?

That makes me feel better .

[mwrguy]

12. Blah blah scary Muslims are coming to get you

[Rhinodawg]

22. Gee, I hope you are right.

If it happens i'll remind you of this post. I'm sure you'll issue a humiliating apology.

[Nye Bevan]

24. "Blah blah blah Bin Laden determined to strike in United States" (from August 2001)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bin_Ladin_Determined_To_Strike_in_US

[mikehiggins]

13. How could anyone doubt this?

Just after 9/11 I had occasion to visit the Mall of America and all I could think about was how wide open and vulnerable the whole site was. Two or three armed terrorists could bring the whole thing down without any trouble.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It has to be something to the credit of local and federal law enforcement that nothing has happened as yet BUT an attempt has to be inevitable.

[Iliyah]

14. The crazy against the USA government group makes my skin crawl

The Christian brigade has me concern as well. When GOP governors want default, no funding of the DHS, that makes me wonder about their motives.

[philosslayer]

17. *yawn*

[Eugene]

18. Homeland Security says aware of no credible threat against malls

Source: Reuters

Homeland Security says aware of no credible threat against malls

BY ANNA YUKHANANOV AND WILL DUNHAM
WASHINGTON Sun Feb 22, 2015 5:50pm EST

(Reuters) - The U.S. Homeland Security Department said on Sunday it was not aware of any specific plot against U.S. shopping malls, backing away from comments by the department's chief that he takes seriously a threat by Somali-based Islamist militants against the Mall of America in Minnesota and other shopping sites in the West.

Some U.S. and Canadian officials had earlier cast doubt on the credibility of the threat made in a video attributed to al Shabaab, which appeared to call for attacks on Western shopping areas, specifically mentioning Mall of America, the West Edmonton Mall in Canada, London's Oxford Street and sites in Paris.

Asked on the CNN program "State of the Union" on Sunday morning about the threat to Mall of America, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said: "Anytime a terrorist organization calls for an attack on a specific place, we've got to take that seriously."

He advised people going to the Mall of America, which is one of the world's largest shopping areas, to be particularly careful.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/22/us-usa-security-mall-idUSKBN0LQ0IY20150222

[RandiFan1290]

20. OMG!@!!!111

Quick! Cut taxes for the rich again!!!!

Surrender more civil liberties!

Keep us safe oh wealthy overlords!

[hedgehog]

21. OK, let's start out with the fact that there was

"a threat made by Somali-based Islamist militants against shopping malls".

Given the attack on the mall in Kenya, it's not an idle threat. Don't forget what two high school seniors were able to accomplish at Columbine way back in 1999. Don't forget what two men did in Oklahoma City back in 1995. Don't forget the 2013 Boston Marathon. It is very easy for anyone in this country to buy some heavy fire power or the means to build a bomb. All it takes is some dumb kid who thinks he or she is going to be a hero and the threat is real. But how do you find out ahead of time whether or not that kid is really out there?

There is no way to even begin to protect shoppers except if all cars and packages are searched, as was done in Belfast during the Troubles. If you think the security at airports is annoying, imagine checking out all the shoppers and their cars at a mall at Christmas!

It's problems like this that make me glad I'm not the Homeland Security Secretary.

[mopinko]

23. my daughter works

in one of the outlot stores are one of these malls. hope that helps in the case of an attack.