Were Alleged Dix Plotters "Terrorists?"
On the "Evening News" last night, Correspondent Bob Orr referred to a "homegrown terror cell," and over at ABC Charlie Gibson spoke of a "terrorist plot." Today CBSNews.com is calling the attack "terror" in its headline. Writes Tyndall: "It is hard to escape the conclusion that 'terrorist' is used as a sloppy synonym for 'Moslem gunmen.'"
I asked Orr for his take.
"I think you're talking about guys that surveiled targets, trained with weapons, and stated more than once that they wanted to kill Americans," he said. "So at a minimum they were terrorist wannabees. Now, there are difference kinds of people who sponsor terror. We're not saying they're Al Qaeda."
Orr noted that federal officials have been calling the men "terrorists."
"I think it's an academic debate on what you think qualifies," said Orr. "I would suggest one person with an automatic weapon in a crowded area could terrorize people."
Orr added that there was not much of a debate when putting the piece together about whether the group should be called a terror cell. "These were guys who aspired to terror, no doubt about it," he said.
You can find definitions of the word "terrorism" here.