"Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent." That was the opening line for the well-known TV and radio show "Dragnet," which told the story of criminals and law enforcement authorities' efforts to stop them. The abbreviated version of that slogan, "
Only the names have been changed" may well be applied to the latest terror attack that occurred in Strasbourg, France. A gunman identified as Cherif Chekatt shouting "Allahu Akbar" opened fire last Tuesday on a crowd enjoying the annual Christmas Market, snuffing out the lives of five innocent people and wounding 13 others. ISIS has claimed credit for the heinous attack. A close examination of the incident and the perpetrator reveals an all too familiar pattern.
Cherif Chekatt, a French Moroccan, had
1. an extensive criminal history
2. was radicalized in prison
3. known to authorities
4. on a terrorist watch list.
We have heard that description too many times in recent years to not feel both frustration and anger.
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