A battleground in the global war on terror
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Did you ever think you would see Washington County as a battleground in the war on terror?
We have sent our men and women in the military to fight in the Middle East, Vietnam, Korea, the battlegrounds of World War II, and countless other places to defend our freedoms and democracy.
Our county mourned when our warriors lost their lives or were injured and sent home, but we honored them the best we could and we thanked them for our precious freedoms and rights.
In January, the fight for freedom came to our backyard and Washington County was attacked via cyberspace.
We were attacked by a foreign operative identified to be in Russia. This terrorist held Washington County hostage for approximately 15 days.
Washington County paid agents to negotiate with the Russian terrorist and, in the end, our taxpayer dollars were used to pay this person (or Russia) $346,687.15. This is money that could have been used to serve our veterans, and other important needs in our county. What did we get in return for this ransom? We got a promise from an “honorable” criminal terrorist who said they will not do this to Washington County again and will not share this valuable information. It’s as if they said, “Trust me, I am a criminal terrorist with ethics.”
As a former Marine, Pennsylvania state trooper, a Washington County sheriff, and a proud American, it sickens me that these terrorists attacked our county, albeit a cyberattack, extorted us and we crumbled to their demands and paid a hefty ransom. We have had our men and women go to far-off places and fight and risk their lives for our freedom of speech, the right to bear arms and to have our personal properties protected. In January, we had those rights attacked and violated by a Russian terrorist
Did Washington County stand tall when called upon, as did thousands of men and women who have served and protected our country? I will let the people of Washington County be the judge of that.
Larry Maggi
Buffalo Township
Larry Maggi is a Washington County commissioner.