Peter King calls for "increased surveillance" of Muslims after Boston

It's "where the threat is coming from," the House Republican said

Published April 20, 2013 2:53PM (EDT)

Rep. Peter King, the Chair of the House subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence and the mastermind behind hearings on the radicalization of Muslim-Americans, argued Friday that in the wake of the Boston bombings, law enforcement should increase surveillance in Muslim communities.

“Police have to be in the community, they have to build up as many sources as they can, and they have to realize that the threat is coming from the Muslim community and increase surveillance there,” King, a New York Republican, told the National Review.

“We can’t be bound by political correctness,” he continued. “I think we need more police and more surveillance in the communities where the threat is coming from, whether it’s the Irish community with the Westies [an Irish-American gang in New York City], or the Italian community with the mafia, or the Muslim community with the Islamic terrorists.”


By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

MORE FROM Jillian Rayfield


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Boston Bombings House Republicans Islamophobia Muslims New York Peter King