Amine El Khalifi is an Arab illegal immigrant accused of attempting to commit a suicide bombing. He’s a Moroccan, a Muslim (an “Islamic fundamentalist” or “Islamist” if you think there’s a difference) and he’s a visa overstayer. He’s also a problem for headline writers, because you must never say that an immigrant or an Arab is accused of something wrong—that would be pandering to normal people with normal instincts.
So there are a variety of stupid, unhelpful headlines in the stories about Amine El Khalifi—“man arrested” “Terror Suspect Arrested” but the worst is this one:
Virginia Man Accused of Attempting to Bomb US -
For god’s sake–“Virginia Men” haven’t been a threat to the Capitol since Appomattox. Who did this stupid headline? NPR? The New York Times? The $PLC? No, it’s…wait for it…wait for it…
It’s Eric Holder’s Department of Justice! Yes, the headline on the official press release, by the Justice Department involved in prosecuting alleged Arab Terrorist Amine El Khalifi calls him a “Virginia Man.”
Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 17, 2012
Virginia Man Accused of Attempting to Bomb U.S. Capitol in Suicide Attack
Explosives Had Been Rendered Inoperable by Authorities and Posed No Threat
WASHINGTON – A 29-year-old man residing in Alexandria, Va., was arrested today for allegedly attempting to detonate a bomb in a suicide attack on the U.S. Capitol Building as part of what he intended to be a terrorist operation.
The charges were announced by Neil MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office.
Amine El Khalifi, an immigrant from Morocco who is illegally present in the United States, was charged today by criminal complaint with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against property that is owned and used by the United States. He made his initial appearance today at 4:15 p.m. before Judge T. Rawles Jones Jr. If convicted, El Khalifi faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.[More]
By the way, I hope they get through prosecuting him before they start the prosecution of the FBI agents involved for “national origin discrimination.”
