Analysts: Times Square Plot May Signify Terrorist Tactical Shift

VOA News ^ | May 5, 2010 | Gary Thomas

[myknowledge]

The stunning events of September 11, 2001, were a potential template for future terrorist attacks. But since then, al-Qaida and its affiliates have been unable to mount a similar encore in the United States. The foiled Times Square attack may be a sign that these groups have been forced to shift tactics to smaller operations that are less spectacular, but are also harder to detect.

Former CIA counterterrorism chief Robert Grenier says the failed Times Square bombing last Saturday may indicate that al-Qaida and its allies have abandoned more grandiose plans for the United States and are emphasizing smaller but still deadly operations.

[myknowledge]

In this image taken from video, a police officer approaches the vehicle containing a car bomb, which stands with the door open and the police officer reaches down to lift one of the red canisters on the roadway at New York's Times Square, New York, 02 May 2010

Al-CIA-da and other terror groups are switching tactics. They know they cannot completely cripple the United States, but they can continue to intimidate by smaller operations.

[Dallas59]

Death by a thousands cuts....

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

Only a bona fide “analyst” would be naive enough to give such a sanguine analysis.

[tet68]

Amen. This isn’t the work of the masterminds, just some
thing to keep us occupied while the real effort is
put together.

[Bullish]

They should just sit back and watch Obama destroy America from the inside out.

[myknowledge]

But they don’t know that, even when Obama is the globalist elite frontman.

[wayoverontheright]

The fact that the perp wanted nothing to do with martyring himself tells us our enemy may be running out of those willing to die for the cause.

This is how we know we are winning, when the jihadis go from suicide missions to remote detonations.

I credit George Bush, but Obama's kept the pressure on too.

I don't mean to underestimate these people, but it is just as important in war to know what you may be doing right as it is to know what you're doing wrong. The fact that the Taliban couldn't convince this guy to go for the 72 virgins is telling.

[riri]

You gotta love these guys, always ten steps behind the enemy.

[DaveArk]

Almost all the suicide bombers require extensive indoctrination, dedicated handlers and drugs to condition them to carry out their mission. The innate will to survive has to be overcome.

[Peet]

Regarding this characterization:

The foiled Times Square attack...

No. It was not a "foiled" attack.

As someone on the radio pointed out a couple of days ago (sorry, I can't remember who); the attack was a success. The terrorist infiltrated, acquired bomb-making material, built a bomb, delivered the bomb, and set it off. The only thing missing was the body count.

While the terrorist, thank God, didn't achieve total success, this was in no way a "foiled" attack. Innocent lives were spared only by the terrorist's incompetence.

[Grampa Dave]

Dammit, Faisalo, in Pakistan, we told you not to use cash to buy a plane ticket. You have to blame Bush for causing you to lose your home and causing temporary insanity. Now, you will have to wait until my second term to become my Director of Homeland Security.

[myknowledge]

Look at the extreme crudeness of the car bomb; gas cans and propane tanks wired to an alarm clock. There was no explosion, just a small fire.

In addition to that, the first witnesses of the bomb-laden SUV going off were street vendors who happened to be Vietnam vets.

[Dajjal]

jihad bump