So often, we only seem interested when a terrorist succeeds. How about when they don’t, when the authorities succeed?
Last week a possible chemical attack was foiled in Jordan. A group of Islamic terrorists were nabbed in a series of arrests at their home. Explosives and 20 tons of chemicals were found. King Abdullah said they intended to use explosive-packed cars and that thousands of lives were likely saved. And we learned today that Saudi authorities arrested another eight suspects with three tons of explosives apparently intended for attacks on foreign embassies in Saudi Arabia.
Three weeks ago, eight British citizens of Pakistani origin were arrested in 24 raids around London, and a half-ton of ammonium nitrate fertilizer was seized—fertilizer that the authorities believe could have been used in an Oklahoma City-like bomb or bombs. At around the same time in the Philippines, the president there announced that a Madrid-style terror attack on the capital had been foiled by the arrest of four Islamic terrorists and the seizure of 36 kilograms of TNT.
And as always is the case in Israel, they say they stopped 10 to 15 terror attacks in just the past few weeks, including one where the wannabe suicide bomber intended to use AIDS-contaminated blood in the explosive. And I’m just talking about the last few weeks. Now some can argue that in certain cases the authorities may be overstating just how imminent or dangerous the attacks might have been, but who cares? There are many terror operations here and abroad that are succeeding, and while it’s important to cover the failures, it’s also important to recognize the good, hard work that so many are doing to keep these attacks off the front pages and out of our lives.
Dan Abrams is the host of 'The Abrams Report.' on MSNBC.