Japanese Internment and Muslims
Reader comment on item: The Guantánamo Arrests – What Do They Mean?

Submitted by Bob Price (United States), Oct 3, 2003 at 12:15

It always amazes me to see people like these Muslim supporters base their knowledge and concerns without the benefit of Intelligence Sources.

These 'revisionist' thinkers would have America and 'especially' America's school age students believe that; the Japanese were interned because of a 'feeling' about the Japanese following Pearl Harbor..and that is because many people today react to 'feelings' instead of 'knowledge' based on intelligence information.

And Good Intelligence doesn't depend on how we 'feel' about someone or some group; but depends on hard intelligence gathering.

Even a cursory examination of the 'secret' communications released following World War II clearly states that the Japanese intended to use the Japanese Americans in their war against the US; whether the individual Japanese American knew this or not.

America (and Daniel Pipes) owe no apology for actions taken during WWII based on 'rock solid' intelligence.

These documents were not released until 'after' the war and they are not 'common knowledge' even yet; even though some of them are available on the internet.

The Japanese 'believed' that the Japanese Americans would fall in with the Japanese war machine; in part because of the God like status and loyalty demanded for the Empire of Japan and its leadership.

With the secret communications copied through Morris-Code Intercepts the Americans were aware that Japan had war intentions using 'citizen operative' in part; though it was felt that the Philipines would be the most likely target; (Roosevelt dispatched a small boat working covertly to try and discover Japan's intentions in and around the Philipines); and while the Japanese had control of their Pacific operations the Empire of Japan felt they 'could' depend on the Japanese citizens to rally round the rising sun and fight America from within.

The threat was a 'real possibility'.

If the Japanese felt they could depend on Japanese Americans; then how could the American's be expected to feel any different. This was especially true after it was discovered that America's freedom of movement, free speech and freedom of association was used against us by agents of the Japanese Intelligence community to plan and carry out the actions at Pearl Harbor.

All this time and long long before; the US Intelligence community was gathering evidence and using ways, means, and sources of intelligence to build a case that Japan intended and 'needed' the Japanese Americans to win the war.

Also kept secret from the public in general were attacks on the California coast by Japanese submarines, attacks on Alaska proper, and the war for tha Aleutian islands. Those islands were to be used as a stepping stone by the Japanese in their planned land invasion of the America's.

Because of the ferocity of the Japanese; America had to act in a way that would insure security within our borders.

That security was 'essential' to a US victory; and security could either be maintained through blind trust; the kind that gave us Pearl Harbor; or, some other action. And while people today would base that policy on 'feelings'; the government had to see the Japanese threat as real and threatening and you only have to look at Nanking China to see what the Japanese intended to do to American men, women and children.

One of governments jobs is to see the bigger picture based on intelligence and act in the US best interest in general. When the Japanese Americans were locked up; this was not an action to humiliate and shame and punish them; but it was an action designed to 'preserve the union'. The future of democracy in the world depended on America winning WWII.

The threat to America today is no less substantial; given the possible use of WMD's.

Today these 'feel good' Muslim supporters would have America put a blind trust in the Muslim community. This has already been proven to be a disaster.

Whether the US wants to admit it or not; this is a war of terror based on Muslim Extremism and aimed at toppling the West.

Because of the blind loyalty and extreme views of Islam; every Muslim in America must be held under suspicion until 'proven otherwise'; and not because we have 'good feelings' about them.

A good case in point is the professor from Florida; Sami Al-Arian who was proven to be a 'sleeper agent' and head of a terrorism ring in the US. He had been allowed to operate in this country using 'our freedoms' against us; because people 'felt good' about him.

The truth though is Sami Al-Arian is an enemy of the state; and this has been proven in part by the good work of our Intelligence community.

Intelligence is not the work of proven fact. Intelligence is 'the best guess' and provides the highest probability and possibilty that an event could, might or would take place.

And intelligence is best used 'before' an event takes place; not after a Pearl Harbor or a 9-1-1 attack. If we have Muslims in this country who do not have our best interests in mind; then they need to be found as soon as possible.

If America is to stop this war on terror; then the Muslim community within the government must be singled out and scrutinized and either cleared or purged.

We do not have a choice. To do otherwise is an ignorant assumption; and the attack on New York City gave us more than 3400 reasons we can not afford to 'feel' that good about the Muslim community; and pre-9-1-1 proves that assumtions along those lines give false security and are deadly ideas.

If the future of the West hangs in the balance in this war on terrorism (and I believe it does) then any action necessary to stop terrorism is an action necessary. And if our enemy has chosen to cloak itself as Nazi, Japanese, or Muslim then so be it.

But, the lines are clearly defined; the war against terror is also a war against against a 'wing' of the Muslim community; and there can be a 'reasonable assumption' made that looking at Church of Christ ministers (for example) rather than looking at Muslim's Clerics would be a pretty stupid way to run such a 'war'.

Muslims must be looked at in a more critical light than other religious sects. This is unfortunate but true.

America didn't start this war; but we can't afford to lose it based on how people 'feel' about becoming suspects simply because they are Muslim.

Reality will tell you; the world judges people by who you associate with, what organizations you belong to, your speech and your religion.

As an American your rights are protected by law. You can think, feel and worship any way you want to.

But, if a religion or a branch of a religion has declared war on America; then all its adherants and all branches of that relgious movement become suspect; until proven otherwise.

Americans do not understand 'any' war based on religion; this is difficult for free people to understand. And some people confuse Constitutional Rights with treasonable behaviour. But, America must set aside 'feelings' of fairness; and move forward with what is going to protect America and Americans in general; and if that means singling Muslims out for investigation; then that is what must be done.

(Bob Price, journalist and former member of the Army Security Agency)

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