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Bloomberg Warns Gun Loopholes Leave Room For Terrorists

By Ben Fractenberg

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN — Days after two terror suspects allegedly tried to buy firearms in Seattle, a coalition of 600 mayors across the country launched a video campaign urging Congress to close gun loopholes that could be exploited by terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda.

The campaign draws attention to a video released by Al Qaeda earlier this month, which urged "lone wolf" terrorists to exploit weak U.S. gun laws.

"America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms. You can go down to a gun show at the local convention center and come away with a fully automatic assault rifle without a background check and, most likely, without having to show an identification card. So what are you waiting for?" said Al Qaeda member Azzam al-Amriki in the video.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is a part of a coalition of mayors calling for stricter national gun laws.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg is a part of a coalition of mayors calling for stricter national gun laws.
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Mayor Bloomberg, who has long championed stricter gun laws, said people have been exploiting loopholes for years.

"Criminals already know how to take advantage of gaps in our gun laws, and now Al Qaeda knows, too," said Bloomberg, who is a co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. "Americans, including NRA members, overwhelmingly support stronger laws to keep guns away from terrorists and other dangerous people. You are checked against the terror watch list to board an airplane, but you don’t have to be checked when buying assault weapons. Weak gun laws aren’t just a crime problem, they’re a national security threat — and this ad should be a wake-up call to Congress."