BEANTOWN SHUTDOWN A BIG MISTAKE
The shutdown of Boston during the search for the Marathon bombers was symptomatic of a country that still has a lot to learn about dealing with terrorism. Shutting down an entire city to find two people is not only absurd and extraordinarily costly, it feeds right into the hands of terrorists, who study our responses and plan their next attacks accordingly.
Yes, to the casual observer, Boston’s reaction seemed to send a message to other would-be terrorists that we are vigilant and seriously committed to keeping America safe. Boston’s initial response to the bombing was excellent, saving countless lives. Then the terrorists were quickly ID’d — and once their pictures were broadcast, they were both caught within 24 hours.
Even here, things hardly went as the FBI had planned. It had hoped that tips from friends and family might quickly identify the two. Instead, the brothers’ inability to move freely once the photos were broadcast triggered a crime spree fatal to at least one policeman — but also to one terrorist, with the other captured within hours.
On the other hand, jihadis around the world must have noticed what can only be called a law-enforcement overreaction of gigantic proportions.
