Commercial driver’s licenses can open a lot of doors for those who have them. Semi-truck drivers are always in high demand and are well compensated for their hard work. But should that door be opened for someone who is suspected to be a militant Muslim extremist?
Amir Meshal has been asked to leave two separate mosques in Minnesota alone for attempting to empathize young muslim men to his extremist cause. The concerns were great enough to land him on the “No Fly” List. In 2007 he was even held overseas and detained from entering the United States for three months by the Federal Bureau of Investigation after it was suspected that he’d recently left a terrorist training camp in Somalia. A detainment that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing the U.S. government for as well as filing a suit against Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to remove Meshal from the “No Fly” List.
The lawsuit-happy ACLU argues that Amir Meshal is just like any other American who is looking to better his life and provide for his family. Bleeding heart liberals will say that he should not be stereotyped for his race and religion, but doesn’t that argument ignore the fact that even his religion has expressed worry? A Bloomington, Minnesota mosque said in a police report, “We have concerns about Meshal interacting with our youth.” and banned him from the premises.
There is a lot of damning evidence for a case against Meshal having a CDL. Criminal activity surrounding truck transit has been linked to human trafficking, drugs, illegal aliens, illegal arms dealings, and really whatever else you’d need a truck for. On top of that, he is a suspected terrorist. He isn’t someone just getting a CDL and planning cloak and dagger activities later. The government of the United States of America has said they believe him fully willing and capable of executing an act of terror. He is not allowed on airplanes for that very reason, yet it’s okay to give him the ability to drive a vehicle that needs special licensing because it is so enormous and a risk if one is not properly trained to drive it. How much more of a risk is it if that same truck is being driven by a malintent person trained to operate what can be at his hands an 80,000lb death machine?
Is the ACLU really standing behind the idea that a man whom Homeland Security believes is capable of a terrorist attack should be given access to the ability to transport a truck load of weapons, explosives, or biological agents? Why do they think the FBI held him for three months? Why do they think he was kicked out of those mosques? If the license is not revoked, it should be requested that he garage his semi at their offices.
To make matters worse, this extremist whom Muslims don’t trust around their children is also applying to get an addendum to all this: The provision on his CDL making it okay to drive a school bus. The bus driver application is pending a background check, but who knows if the ACLU will take issue with that as well. A passenger vehicle provision would give him access to not only jobs at schools, but those at senior facilities, adult day programs for those with special needs, Boys and Girls’ Clubs, and regular transit bus routes.
Why is not granting someone deemed such a risk access to these kinds of situations up for debate? Does the ACLU really think they have a case? Or is this more liberal media whoring?
Let’s hope the state of Minnesota rethinks the issue before it’s too late.
