The “Fort Dix Six” may not be the smartest group of would-be jihadists we have seen, but their story should tell us something about how lax immigration and border-security policies put this country at risk.

The six Muslims were arrested in New Jersey in May, for plotting to attack Fort Dix, which is known as a staging area for troop deployments to Iraq, and other military bases in the area.  One of six worked as a pizza-delivery driver and had scouted out the base.  The group had acquired maps of the fort and had been practicing for the attack, including firing paintball guns and Kalashnikov rifles at a Pennsylvania shooting range.  They fell under suspicion when one of them dropped off a videotape for transfer to DVD at a local retail store.  A store employee watched the tape and called the FBI.  According to the FBI report, the tape showed “ten young men” (where are the other four?) firing “assault weapons” at a firing range, calling for jihad, and shouting “Allah Akbar!”  The FBI infiltrated the group, employing a paid informant to record the details of their plans, and used another informant to catch them attempting to acquire more weapons illegally.

So far, the FBI has not linked these men to any larger terrorist organization, but recent experiences with “Sudden Jihad Syndrome,” in which Muslim immigrants unexpectedly lash out at the infidels around them, indicate that Muslims, whether attached to a “terrorist cell” or not, may be inspired to strike by the activities of more organized terrorist groups.  The six men reportedly watched videos of attacks on U.S. troops, statements by suicide bombers and by Osama bin Laden, and various “terrorist training videos.”

One of the six was born in Jordan and is a U.S. citizen.  Another was born in Turkey and is a legal U.S. resident.  The other four were identified as being born in the “former Yugoslavia” and as “ethnic Albanians”—most likely, Albanian Muslims from Kosovo.  One is a legal resident, while the other three are illegal aliens.  According to most accounts, an unnamed “federal law-enforcement source” says that the three Duka brothers—Eljvir (23), Shain (26), and Dritan (28)—are illegal aliens.  When did they enter the United States?  According to FOX News, that anonymous federal law-enforcement source says the three entered the United States near Brownsville, Texas, as children in the 1980’s.  The source also says that there is no record of them “entering by way of a regular border crossing.”  So, were they smuggled into the country?  If so, when and where?  Did the FBI track down their parents and ascertain the time and place of entry?  And each of the three uses more than one name: Eljvir Duka is also known as Elvis Duka and Sulayman; Dritan Duka is also known as Distan Duka, Anthony Duka, and Tony Duka; and Shain Duka is also known as Shaheen.  How can the authorities be sure just who these men are and how and when they entered our country?

It has become commonplace to read reports in the Texas press of aliens from all over the globe—including “special-interest aliens” from countries that have been identified as sources of terrorism—crossing the Rio Grande.  Albanians are among those riding the tidal wave of illegals.  Just last November, for instance, an Albanian illegal was killed when the SUV he was in—there were 11 passengers, including three other Albanians—rolled over near Falfurrias, Texas, along the border.  The SUV was being pursued by the Falfurrias police.

The Duka brothers reportedly owned and operated businesses—Qadr Inc, Colonial Roofing, and National Roofing—out of their residence.  They also had accumulated 19 traffic tickets among them.  In a sane country, illegal aliens would not be allowed to operate a business, and a traffic stop would be an occasion for their detention and deportation.  The Duka brothers were smart enough to operate in “sanctuary cities” whose authorities defy the law, not allowing local law enforcement to report the illegals to the feds.  (Of course, given recent history, we could not expect the federal authorities to react even if the police had reported them.)  Moreover, as Richard Miniter of the Hudson Institute commented, would-be jihadists are attracted to places with “diverse” populations—especially plenty of Muslims.  “They are looking for places they can blend in,” Miniter said.  “They want to find the biggest anthill close to population centers where they can carry out attacks.”  Our government’s immigration policies have created many such places.  The state’s refusal to carry out its duty to protect the country from invasion has left the border wide open for who knows how many jihadists to enter the country.  And the reckless, unlawful, and suicidal impulse of the “sanctuary” movement has helped provide a base of operations for jihad.

Did I mention that Fort Dix welcomed thousands of Albanian Muslim refugees during the Kosovo crisis of 1999?  At the time, one Army officer gushed that “We want to welcome these people to America the way we might wish our grandparents . . . had been welcomed to Ellis Island.”  Gen. Mitchell Zais didn’t stop there: “[T]he American soldier is loved around the world for his compassion and generosity,” he said.  Is General Zais still in the Army?  His attitude seems better suited for the misnamed Department of Homeland Security.