Success of lone gunmen may shift al-Qaida strategy

AP ^ | 03/11/10 | LOLITA C. BALDOR

[TigerLikesRooster]

Success of lone gunmen may shift al-Qaida strategy

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – On Christmas Day, a passenger on a Northwest Airlines flight bound for Detroit tried to blow up the plane with plastic explosives in his underwear. He failed, yet the very attempt shook the U.S. government, set federal agencies against each other and triggered months of political second-guessing.

In fact, short of mass casualties, the attack allegedly attempted by Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had exactly the kind of reaction that al-Qaida is after. And, it appears, that lesson is resonating with the terror network's leadership.

For the first time, the group that carried out the Sept. 11 attacks and has prided itself on its ideological purism seems to be eyeing a more pragmatic and arguably more dangerous shift in tactics. The emerging message appears to be: Big successes are great, but sometimes simply trying can be just as good.

[toast]

What scares me is the possible setting of wildfires.

It wouldn’t take too much coordination for 2-3 terrorists to set a fire that would take out a town. Much of the U.S. is a tinderbox for several months of the year. All they need to do is wait for a hot windy day. The National Weather Service advertises target areas with red flag warnings.

[hal ogen]

Things are getting VERY interesting.

[Little Ray]

Or a school. High profile, lots of victims, and no guns.

[Cicero]

There have been several incidents of Muslim terrorist shootings already, and perhaps many more. The mall shooting in Salt Lake City, in February 2007, was pretty certainly one instance. But it was covered up.

And I presume there have probably been a quite a few others that were also covered up before we had a chance to learn about them.

This cuts two ways. On the one hand, you don’t want to publicize terrorist crimes and inspire imitators. On the other hand, you do want to alert citizens to the danger. Or at least you SHOULD want to alert them. Unfortunately our government prefers not to.

[etraveler13]

I have been to MANY gun shows, and the rules there apply just as if you bought them from a gun store. The fact is, bad guys by guns, good guys buy guns. Its not the gun, its the guy, or gal. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.
Same with cars, or knives, or axes...

[etraveler13]

Your right, there are more veterans armed and alive in the US today than ever in our history since WWII. We will not be descriminate when they fire at us or our families or neighbors, and they know it.

[etraveler13]

I have read that if Extremists were to do something like this, Muslim mosques all over America would become rubble. I wonder if its bravado, or if it would really happen?

[panthermom]

If you go to The Mall of Georgia there is an excellent chance that there are people in the crownd carrying. Heck, I know a 70 yr. old lady that carries everywhere......Go to a mall on Long Island NY, yes, there maybe a person or so that have an illegal gun but law abiding citizens are not allowed to carry. Where do you have a better chance of terrorizing innocent people?

[Cboldt]

-- i thought the whole issue of the "gun show loophole" was that it made guns more or less "untraceable"? --

That's the same as being associated with the gun show loophole. If the chain of ownership isn't registered with the government, then the gun is in "gun show loophole" category.

[Fred Nerks]

NIGERIAN MUSLIM JIHADIST AND AL QAIDA TIES STARTED LONG AGO WITH ALHAJI MUTALLAB THE FATHER AS A LEADER OF SHARIA MOVEMENT IN NIGERIA

http://www.modernghana.com/news/257271/1/nigerian-muslim-jihadist-and-al-qaida-ties-started.html

[El Gato]

Look for an islamic jihad mass shooter in the USA.

I call 14 dead and more wounded a "mass shooting". Happened about 10 miles from where I'm sitting. The guy was a muslim. He also happened to be a major in the US Army.

But there was no "gun show loophole" involvement. He bought his FN 5.7 at Guns Galore, which is probably the priciest place in town to buy guns. He passed the background check and everything. Lot of FReaking good that did.

[El Gato]

i thought the whole issue of the "gun show loophole" was that it made guns more or less "untraceable"?

Yes that is the real issue. But the issue the grabber's push is that it allows "just anybody" to purchase a firearm. Like it was a Constitutional right or something.

[El Gato]

I still think we will see an episode like what happened in the hotel in India or something in a Mall. Probably not in a state with CC though.

Ft. Hood is in Texas, a state with CC. Of course it was in a "gun free zone", so noone was CCing, except the Jihadi. So a mass shooting could happen anywhere, where there are "gun free zones". Like at USAA's San Antonio "campus" for example. Or on any of the several military bases in Texas.

At Ft. Hood they've doubled down on the "gun free zone" business, increasing the restrictions on "lawfully" bringing firearms onto post.

[El Gato]

I have been to MANY gun shows, and the rules there apply just as if you bought them from a gun store.

Well not under federal law. The same rules apply gun show or no gun, it's true. But that means non dealers can sell at a gun show without conducting a background check. I've bought a couple that way, and others where the seller *was* a licensed dealer, and so I had to do the background check thing. Of course now I don't undergo the background check regardless, because I have a Texas CHL which exempts one from having to do the background check. Many other states' CHL/CCP qualify as well. But not all. It depends on whether the permit/license requires a background check.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks TigerLikesRooster.

[etraveler13]

I too have a CWP from Texas, and its good in 32 states. They still did a check at the Tulsa Gun Show on a purchase there, but it only took 20 minutes. Perhaps because it was from a Texas CWP??

[El Gato]

I too have a CWP from Texas, and its good in 32 states. They still did a check at the Tulsa Gun Show on a purchase there, but it only took 20 minutes. Perhaps because it was from a Texas CWP??

The Oklahoma CHL permit, nor any other Oklahoma permit qualifies as an alternate permit. Thus the dealers there are probably not aware that a Texas CHL is an alternate permit, as approved by the BATFE.

[El Gato]

I too have a CWP from Texas, and its good in 32 states. They still did a check at the Tulsa Gun Show on a purchase there, but it only took 20 minutes.

If you live in Texas, or anywhere but Oklahoma, I hope that was a long gun that you bought. It's illegal to transfer a handgun to someone from out of state. That's regardless of whether one is a FFL dealer or a private individual. If you wish to do that, you have to transfer the gun to a dealer in the other person's state and then they can do the check and transfer the gun to the reciever. (Technically even if you are giving your grandson that .22 Colt Woodsman that you've owned for decades, and got from your grandfather.)

[jveritas]

It already happened. Terrorist Nidal Hassan who killed and injured dozens of our brave troops at Fort Hood. This is called “The Lone Wolf” terrorist. A terrorist who is not directly connected to terrorist groups like Al Qaeda or other but yet they are inspired by the terrorist ideology and ready to do a lot of violence and evil.

[El Gato]

Try that again:

The Oklahoma CHL permit does *not* qualify as an Alternate permit, nor does any other Oklahoma permit. Thus the dealers there are probably not aware that a Texas CHL is an alternate permit, as approved by the BATFE.