Al Qaeda's 007

This week, The New York Times ran a story about Irhabi 007. Apparently this person may reside in the U.S. and has been playing a pivotal role in keeping the Internet infrastructure working for al Qaeda operatons. It is hard to believe (actually, not hard, but we don't want to believe) that in the post-9/11 world, these activities are still going on under our noses.

I, for one, would like to believe that the government can protect us from the tragedy in New York ever happening again. But my fairy tale days are long past. When I think of the immensity of the task of securing our country...planes, trains, boats, immigrants (legal and illegal), I am overwhelmed. No doubt, the government is doing what it can, but I seriously doubt it is enough. As long as their are people determined to use terror to get their message across, we will be at risk.

The only advice I have is not to get complacent. Continue to keep your eyes and ears open. Be vigilant and don't let fear of being laughed at deter you from pointing out real concerns. A couple of years ago, my stepson was on his ham radio when he happened across a conversation that was suspicious. We reported it. I don't know what ever came of the whole thing, but we felt it was our duty to speak up.

So as we remember this horrible anniversary that is etched into our minds and hearts forever, remember, it could happen again and it is not just the government's responsibility to protect. We must help to protect ourselves.