Edwin Lorenzo Lemmons a former New York inmate was arrested for illegal firearms possession by members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Florida after disembarking from a flight from Egypt. Authorities learned of his radicalization and tactical training he received in the Middle East through information directly provided by an individual who had recently been arrested.
Given examples like these, it would seem that the New York Times article overlooks the necessary importance of intelligence gathering and exaggerates to a fault the grievances of a few disgruntled arrestees.
This is another example yellow journalism. Akin to the previous AP articles that sought to diminish the effectiveness of the NYPD’s counterterrorism program and tarnish the reputation of the men and women who dedicated their lives to protecting the city against another attack by Islamic terrorists. In that case, the court saw through the exaggeration. Hopefully the public will as well.
Originally published at The Investigative Project on Terrorism.
