Terror in America gets a new colour - white

New York: South Asians travelling to the United States often experience being pulled over for an additional pat down or questioning-even Shah Rukh Khan experienced it. But the recent arrest of two white Americans allegedly involved in a plot to assassinate Swedish cartoonist, Lars Vilks has put the spotlight once again on the debate over racial profiling on the basis of skin colour or nationality.

First there was David Headley, an American allegedly involved in extremist plots abroad.

Now, in Ireland, a 31-year-old American woman, Jamie Paulin-Ramirez was arrested in an alleged conspiracy to kill a Swedish cartoonist who made fun of Prophet Mohammed.

Another American woman, 46-year-old Colleen LaRose was arrested in October in the same case. She allegedly went by the name "Jihad Jane" to recruit other conspirators online.

After the Christmas day bomb scare, the Obama administration made mandatory the airport screening of citizens from thirteen Muslim countries.

Human rights activists say the case of Jamie and Colleen are proof that racial profiling is an ineffective anti-terrorism tool

Mallika Dutt, Executive Director of Breakthrough says, "Simply thinking about a terrorist in these very stereotypes terms as a Muslim, or a Male I think is really limiting our effectiveness to be safe and create secure communities."

Ramirez and LaRose are the latest in a long line of white American terrorists - from Timothy McVeigh to Ted Kaczynski the Unabomber. But counter terrorism officials are especially worried about this new trend of Americans involved in global terror plots. For they can operate freely in the US with a good command over the language, American culture and sensibilities and can travel with relative ease all over the world as was proved by the case of David Headley.