Posted on 10/14/2002 2:44:20 AM PDT by MadIvan
Intelligence experts in Washington are increasingly concerned that the gunman known as the "psycho-sniper" could be a terrorist with links to Islamic terror groups.
From the evidence gathered so far, which includes a handwritten note by the gunman, investigators think English may not be his first language.
The shootings, which have left eight dead in fewer than 12 days, coincided with a warning that Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network is planning new attacks. The FBI warned last Wednesday that supporters of Bin Laden were "targeting key sectors of the US economy" and has long suspected that a number of "sleeper" cells are still active.
The latest victim, on Friday morning, was father-of-six Kenneth Bridges, gunned down at a petrol station in Fredericksburg.
Investigators are troubled by the gunman's behaviour, in particular his habit of selecting targets at random. Recent reports suggest he may have a female accomplice and drives a large white van.
How many shooters could achieve this kind of shooting accuracy from a moving platform? The victims at Leisureworld and in Manassas died from head shots. The Haitian on Georgia Ave. was shot in the neck.
To the Serbian it would be rational. The reason I pointed it out is that it is easy enough to come up with alternate scenarios that don't happen to have Al Queda as the evil mastermind.
....your head gets caved in here on a regular basis.
In your dreams....
I do...the point of my posts, when you combine the facts of this case with the information posted in post #115, is that it certainly seems like a theory that should not be dismissed. Again, who knows. It could possibly be a video game enthusiast(s). I think the terrorism theory at least seems as credible as some of the other theories that have been discussed.
Right. And I was responding to something that another poster said about the Murrah bombing. I notice you haven't warned anyone else that has "strayed" off the topic. Why is that?
I don't give a damn what that low down loser meant by collateral damage. He knowingly and willfully planted a bomb where human beings were congregated with the express intent of killing those people. The building "happened" to have a daycare center? This makes it ok? That's like somebody saying "well yeah I shot him, but I only wanted his money and my bullet 'happened' to kill him". My house happens to have a toilet.
Look if I drop bowling balls off the overpass randomly, whether it was in my mind properly or not that I would kill someone is irrelevent- it would still boil down to the fact that I did, in fact murder the people driving on the freeway below. I don't get to get away with it because I claim "the car just happened to be there at the same time I dropped the bowling ball". Jesus, we might as well say "My hands constricted powerfully, your Honor, and her throat "happened" to be in them at the time."
McVeigh knew there were going to be people in that building. He planted a bomb there. He meant to kill every single one of his victims whether he liked to call it that way or not. What kind of moral relativist BS is this? The people on 9/11 just "happened" to be in the WTC that day? Let us not make excuses for murderous scum. McVeigh meant to do what he did and there are numerous other killers of children out there that mean what they do as well.
Unlikely. In case you hadn't noticed, there has been a pattern of stepped up Al Qaeda activity lately, from the cells that got busted in Germany and Italy, to the attack on the Yemeni freighter. One wonders why given this pattern you so blithely are inclined to ignore the "looks like a duck, quacks like a duck" style line of reasoning.
In your dreams....
Yep, typical libertarian.
Ivan
Only if the vehicle's engine is shut down. Vibrations tend to decrease accuracy significantly over distance.
Try a new theory. 4 out of 10 shootings were at a gas station ... ooooh, call the FBI.
Because you want to go off onto a tangent which involves grinding your ideological axes, as I previously explained.
Ivan
The fact that you see Al Queda everywhere is apparent. No need to remind us. However, there isn't even the slightest bit of EVIDENCE that would suggest this is a terrorist act.
Until such evidence is produced, we can't say one way or another. My theory is just as likely as yours is.
Initially, I just thought it was a lone wacko, then I could see the possiblity of there being two, now I also agree, there's a possibility it could be terrorists. Let's just say it's possible any of the three are correct and none should be discounted.....there is also the fact that I find it more than coincidental that the sniper attacks coincide with the many bombings in the past week (the tanker, Bali, etc.) and the cells recently found in the U.S. (Oregon and NY).
We're all doing that. That was the entire purpose of this site. I'm sorry you get so upset when you can't control the debate but that's not my problem. You'll have to figure out a way to come to terms with that on your own.
The government maybe, but I think most FReepers are like me, trying to make sense of the facts. I myself thought it was AQ at the very beginning. But I changed my mind and nothing I've read so far convinced me it's AQ. But I'm open to new info that would make me change my mind. The good news is that if it's AQ, then it sure looks like they are running out of money.
Try rational supposition. I was pointing out mine was more rational than yours.
Until such evidence is produced, we can't say one way or another. My theory is just as likely as yours is
Rubbish. Point out where there has been stepped up Serbian paramilitary activity, particularly abroad. What freighters have the Serbians blown up lately? Which Serbian cells got busted in Germany and Italy? When did Serbia claim responsibility for the attack in Bali?
So on the one hand, I have a pattern of terrorist activity that is worldwide to back up my supposition, whereas you have only your own prejudices to back up yours. But I must say that you're being awfully unkind to the Serbians.
Ivan
I think by now that any kids -- especially if there are two -- would have been missed at school. With a 500k reward out, someone would put it together. So I rule out anyone still in high school.
The white van(s) are a bit of a mystery, but I believe the police are correct to believe that the white truck is connected to at least one shooting. I find it hard to believe that businesses in the area haven't inspected their trucks and checked their logs to see if any employees had deliveries consistent with the shootings. I lean against this being a rogue employee of a business that has a lot of white trucks.
This leaves me believing in an organized terror campaign, home-grown or otherwise -- having at least two, but possibly more participants. There may not be a political motive. It could be a Columbine style club, but they would have to have financial resourses. I lean towards believing there are political motives. The more different vehicles involved, the more I believe it is an organized group. The more different individuals involved, the more difficult for employers or neighbors to see a pattern. Any individual would have an iron-clad alibi for at least one of the shootings.
There is a difference between targets and collateral damage. As heinous as McVeigh's crime, I think it is pretty widely known and accepted that his target was the government and he frankly didn't care who was in the building.
DC isn't a port city. If he wants a port city, he should go on back down to Hampton Roads. Besides that, most of the attacks have been outside of DC. One shooting in DC, the rest in Maryland or Virginia. And Bull Run, the closest body of water to Manassas, isn't exactly a big highway of water commerce these days. Fredericksburg isn't anywhere close to a port, either. Can't speak to the water near the MD shootings, but none of these killings has taken place in the bosom of a port city, not even the DC shooting.
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