US sniper may be linked to Bin Laden (DC SNIPER ALERT)

The Evening Standard ^ | October 14, 2002 | James Langton

[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.

[ExSoldier]

Alright...pardon me but I seem to be having a DEMOCRAT moment here...I'm WAFFLING! Today a vague description of the shooter was released that cops gleaned from the first nonvictim witness who said she saw an OLIVE SKINNED MAN either Hispanic or Middle Eastern actually firing the weapon and then fleeing the scene in the Astrovan. If this indeed is a terror attack, I think the government would have good reason and so would the media in concentrating on the homicidal maniac angle to preserve some semblance of order. I wonder why this sighting hasn't gotten more "play?"

[kennyboy509]

cus he ain't devout.

an it ain't no Religion of peace.
duh!

[kennyboy509]

Dear Anti gov,

Why do you WANT it to be an every day american nut case or a Timothy Mcvey wannabe or to get to to the point "AN ANGRY WHITE MALE"
This is my theory

#1 There are at least 2 moslems working together.(simple deduction: Occums Razor, we are at war)

D.C. Police and F.B.I. are avoiding giving a description of the perp because "he is an Islamo-fasist terrorist of mid east descent and do not want the heat from liberals for PROFILING. If they (the cops) keep this nonsense up and they (the perps) do not get caught soon, terrors cells all over North America are gonna start adopting this method and the body count is gonna go thru the roof. It's going to spread FAST. This is not some NUT NRA member. Which is what the media want it to be.

#2 A shooter is laying in the the prone shooting position in the back of a covered pick up truck. Shooting thru a peephole in the tailgate.

#3 The other guy is the calm getaway driver and lookout.

#4 They always park the truck with the bed facing the target. Its not camper type cover, that would draw attention from the cops. They are looking for a van.

#5 The lookout gets out of the vehicle and not only watches the surrounding area. But tells the shooter when its clear to pull the trigger via cell phone.

#6 The bed of the truck has a flat canopy. It is well insulated to keep the sound at a mininum. The direction of the suppressed sound is difficult to pinpoint.

#7 After the shoot, the driver calmly goes back to the truck and obeying the all traffic laws drive away while listening to the police chatter on scanners.

explanation: This is how I would do it, if I were a bad guy

[AntiGuv]

Actually, I have changed my position as new evidence emerges. I am now somewhere between ambivalent to leaning toward some sort of Al Qaeda terrorist association here (perhaps nothing more than sympathizers though). I don't WANT this to be an every day American nut, I just go wherever the evidence points. At this juncture, the little evidence makes Islamist terrorism a far more viable theory than before when it appeared as idle speculation.

[kennyboy509]

thank you!

[AntiGuv]

Actually, I have changed my position as new evidence emerges. I am now somewhere between ambivalent to leaning toward some sort of Al Qaeda terrorist association here (perhaps nothing more than sympathizers though). I don't WANT this to be an every day American nut, I just go wherever the evidence points. At this juncture, the little evidence makes Islamist terrorism a far more viable theory than before when it appeared as idle speculation.

PS. In fact, I'll ping this to everyone with which I exchanged comments on this previously.

[4Freedom]

"At this juncture, the little evidence makes Islamist terrorism a far more viable theory than before when it appeared as idle speculation."

Welcome on board, finally!

If I understand you correctly, we have your permission to believe that these sniper attacks are possibly the fulfillment of the additional threats of retaliation that the Islamifascists have been making ever since we entered Afghanistan and have been contemplating going into Iraq after Sadam.

Those of us that have been following the types of terrorist training materials that our armed forces have captured in Afghanistan and the specific detailed threats of terrorist attacks, exactly like this one, by al-Qaida leaders can now give them credence without appearing irrational, IYHO.

In other words, you're admitting we may have been right all along, but we were still wrong for believing it was terrorism before now? Is that correct?

[savedbygrace]

Right now, based on the fact (if we can believe the guvmint and the media, ha) that AQ hasn't claimed "credit" for this series of murders, I am tending to think Iraq is at the root of them.

I am considering Iraq and Al Qeda as separate entities, even though the administration is telling us that AQ is being quartered in Iraq.

I think Sadaam Hussein is the silent puppet master on this. He may only have the one team on board right now, but if his plan continues to succeed, he may sponsor many AQ teams to keep up the terror. And just when we think we have a handle on this method, they morph it into different methods, most of which we've all read about recently.

[4Freedom]

Al-Qaida has never claimed responsibility for any of their attacks.

Sadam and al-Qaida may be allies at this time, because they see the United States as their common enemy, but I don't believe Sadam is in charge.

If there's an alliance, it's most likely an uneasy one.

There are members of al-Qaida that probably would like to eliminate Sadam and install an ayatollah/imam, religiously fanatical regime in Iraq.

That's a real nest of vipers there. I'll bet they spend as much time plotting against each other and watching their own backs as they do plotting against the United States.

How long is it going to take Bush to order the National Guard to the borders to stop making it so easy for these killers?

His last Executive Order was to allow 16,000 immigrants in the military to skip the 3 year waiting period before applying for citizenship.

One of them was a terrorist 'sleeper' agent that we're lucky to have caught. How many more of them are there among those 16,000?

Now Bush, the RINOs and liberal Democrats are pushing legislation that will make it possible for the U.S. Taxpayers and the sniper's victim's families to help the snipers buy another safehouse.

Bush will also get back to pushing for an extension of 245(i) immediately after the upcoming elections. But, it's still out of the question to put our military on the borders for cultural and traditional reasons to protect American citizens?

Bush, the RINOs and liberal Democrats have their priorities all out of whack and we're paying for it. I wish it was only in dollars and not in blood.

[nicmarlo]

I think, initially, AntiGuv, 95% of the people thought as you did, somewhere in the past few weeks, and some still do (including me). I've moved from where you were to the fence to leaning now as you do. But I differ in what I wanted.....I wanted it to be a psycho, not planned executions of innocents by terrorists. Somehow, while the end result is sad (death of innocent people), terrorists involved seems worse and more frightening.

[4Freedom]

"I think, initially, Antiguv, 95% of the people thought as you did,..."

Define initially. Is that 1 or 2 days? Is that 1 or 2 weeks?

I don't agree with you that anyone, but 95% of the talking heads in the liberal media and the government believed the lone killer hypothesis for more than the first couple days.

Almost no-one except those same talking heads and you 2 believed it wasn't terrorism as long as you both did.

You really still believe it's not a team of terrorist snipers, Nick?

[alnick]

Thanks for the ping. The fact that some witnesses have seen more than one person makes me fear that it's AQ. I hope that it's not because if it is and one or two of them are captured for this, they can just get another AQ member or two to continue the shootings.

Another thing that worries me about the possibility of this being AQ is the idea that they could be using this to distract LE while they plot something big in D.C.

[fivecatsandadog]

bump

btw, what does LE stand for?

[alnick]

btw, what does LE stand for?

Law enforcement. Sorry. :-)

[nicmarlo]

Initially = first few days; even now, there are many "average joe" conservative folks who do not think this is the work of AQ; they continue to think it's a lone psycho, or perhaps, two idiots, i.e., American militants or Americans who want everyone to think it's AQ. They have even gone so far as to say when it's comes out it's not AQ, everyone who's saying it is will look like paranoid fools.

[4Freedom]

"They have even gone so far as to say when it comes out it's not AQ, everyone who's saying it is will look like paranoid fools."

At least you're not throwing around that 95% number anymore.

Let's see, you claim that there's some 'average Joe' conservatives out there that are going to call other conservatives "paranoid fools" for believing that the terrorists that pulled off the attack on 9/11 could make good on their threats to have snipers attack American citizens?

I don't really believe that. If it's true though, I don't have to tell you where I say they should go, do I?

[nicmarlo]

Yes, kind of like some of the "average joe" conversatives here who tell others in here to don their tin foil hats.

[It's me]

2) "PoliceMAN" - who (especially if the profilers believe that this person(s) are aged 20 - 30 still uses THAT reference... and speaks in the totally non-P.C. "man" reference, rather than "Officer?"

*****

Uh, me... :o)

[4Freedom]

I've witnessed a lot of the "tinfoil hat" comments. I can't think of one that was made to another Freeper that was concerned with a credible threat made by a terrorist organization that had demonstrated it's ability to carry out much more sophisticated attacks.

Can you? That "tinfoil hat" comment would be absurd in that respect. Wouldn't you agree?

[nicmarlo]

I have read tinfoil hat comments related to FReepers believing that the sniper is part of AQ--that was what your initial questions/comments concered and that is what I addressed.

You claimed you disblieved me when I said that there are "average Joe" conservatives I have spoken with, not in here, that have made very similar statements (to FReepers) of disbelief the sniper has connections with AQ or a form of AQ. Answer: no, my observations and comments are not absurd or a lie.