Lodi Lo-Lifes' Arrests Timely

As Congress debates various Patriot Act extensions and expansions, the timing of the arrest of four Muslims in Lodi, including the local Mullah, is well timed. For every made-up fear of Patriot Act abuse raised by pre-9/11 Dems, here's a real example of why we need the Act.

For extensive coverage of the terrorist arrests in Lodi, see the SacBee.

What's particularly freightening is that the primary suspect, Hamid Hayat, was born and raised in the U.S. Follow the thread. Also arrested were Muhammed Adil Khan, the Mullah at the local mosque, and Shabbir Ahmed, who with Khan was working to open a local Muslim school.

Where do you think young Hayat got his encouragement to train with al Qaeda in Pakistan? Where do you think he got the money?

Prediction: As U.S. citizens, the two Hayats will present nightmares for the prosecution, and the ACLU will champion their cause, seeing it as another opportunity to put America's freedoms at risk. They should re-read the affidavit:

"After approximately two more hours of questioning, Hamid indicated that he had, in fact, attended a jihadist training camp in Pakistan."

"Hamid later confirmed this camp was run by al-Qaida. Hamid described the camp as providing structured paramilitary training, including weapons training, explosives training, interior room tactics, hand-to-hand combat and strenuous exercise."

Part of the weapons training included sessions where photographs of Bush were pasted onto targets for trainees to shoot at, the affidavit states.

Classroom sessions also focused on "ideological rhetoric" against the United States and other non-Muslim nations, the document states.

Hayat told agents he had not participated in all facets of the training, but that he knew of all the types being offered and that "he and others at the camp were being trained on how to kill Americans," the affidavit states.

"Hamid advised that he specifically requested to come to the United States to carry out his Jihadi mission," the affidavit said.