MS-13

WASHINGTON – The government on Monday announced the arrests of 103 alleged members of MS-13, a street gang rooted in Central America..

Yahoo! News – 103 Alleged Gang Members Arrested in Sweep

No comment on this just now, but let’s follow this story and see how it develops.

==Update 3.16.05==

“Gang Arrests Had al-Qaida Link” is the headline on Newsmax, a website with a palpably pro-administration bent that calls itself “America’s News Page.”

This is the connection they draw between MS-13 and al-Qaida..

Homeland Security Deputy Secretary James Loy called MS-13 an emerging threat to the United States, referring to the gang and al-Qaida in the same breath in testimony to Congress. Besides al-Qaida, Loy said, “We are seeing the emergence of other threatening groups and gangs like MS-13 that will also be destabilizing influences.”

Ok this is how “they” are going to frame this story. Let me refer to the original article to which I linked..

..former Homeland Security Deputy Secretary James Loy called MS-13 an emerging threat to the United States, referring to the gang and the al-Qaida terrorist organization in the same breath in testimony to Congress.” [Emphasis mine.]

That much is the same. However, the same article went on to say,

[Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Michael J.] Garcia said Monday that while there is no definitive link between MS-13 and al-Qaida, the gang’s operations show that “you have to accept that as a homeland security risk as well.” [Emphasis mine.]

Hmmm.

The Newsmax article persists..

Local law enforcement officials are aware of MS-13’s al-Qaida link.

“The terrorist aspect, especially when you think in terms of 9/11 and how intent these terrorists are, will turn the heat up on our efforts with MS-13,” Boston police Detective Joseph Fiandaca told reporters at the time.

“MS-13 is the most dangerous gang in the area,” he said. “They are big. They are mobile. Now they have a terrorist connection.”

Did this “terrorist connection” materialize when Mr. Loy mentioned MS-13 and al-Qaida in the “same breath?” Or, are these quotes so far out of context that they don’t even relate to one another? Seems like a tenuous connection to me, anyway. It is reminicent of how the Iraq/al-Qaida connection was established.

These gang arrests will be pointed to as successes in the so-called war on terrorism. They will also serve nicely to nurture the fear of terrorism at home.