If it really were a ME terrorist, wouldn't sniping a cop instill the most fear? Yes, it would....
It may or may not be a ME terrorist, but I am not going to jump to conclusions like most of this board has....just because there is a mosque nearby does not mean the sniper is a ME terrorist......
Moreover, this pattern does not fit anything that al Q has done....they are in for shock value and big head counts....
The jury is still out on this one, but sometimes the most obvious answer is the answer.
That is wrong. The mark of al-Q is the willingness to use NEW methodology so long as it WORKS. Our media was so kind as to carry the recent message that al-Q's leadership wants them to decentralize and focus on disruption, particularly of key economic areas.
They are not announcing their identity because to do so helps make the case for large-scale reprisal against ME supporting nations easier to sell to the American public.
Take 9-11. That was totally unexpected. That is why the passengers in the first two planes did not fight; they thought it was a conventional highjacking. Suicide pilots were not part of our imagination. When the passengers on the third plane learned about the destruction of the first two planes, they “got it” and fought back.
Sniper attacks are not part of the previous pattern. But consider the results of the sniping. It provides an insight into motive. There is no pattern to the victims, so it’s not personal. The shootings include four murders in a single day, indicating more than one shooter and the desire to make a news impact. This is not the known M.O. of previous spree killers. There are no known claims of responsibility, indicating that the sniper does not want the authorities to do anything, such as the release of a prisoner or the payment of a ransom.
The conclusion: the purpose of the sniping spree is either pure terrorism, or teenagers playing a live version of a video game. One eye witness reports that the driver of a van leaving the scene of the latest shooting appeared to be agitated and dark skinned.
To dismiss the possibility of this being a Middle Eastern terrorist is not reasonable.
Wrong. I did not assume you were a liberal democrat because you "don't buy the Al Qaeda connection." I don't think there's evidence to conclude that one way or the other. I made that assumption because you took a cheap shot at FR in general:
Gotta love FR, where the boogie man is lurking around every corner.
Remember that one?
Anyway, I never argued that the tape constituted "proof" of Al Qaeda involvement. In fact, I agree with your statement that it may or may not be a ME terrorist.
What I was arguing against was your seeming dismissal of the relevancy of this tape. The tape certainly isn't conclusive, but it certainly is relevant because it refutes one of the reasons you gave for this probably not being attributable to Al Qaeda:
Moreover, this pattern does not fit anything that al Q has done....they are in for shock value and big head counts....
The tape shows that Al Qaeda has trained in methods other than "big head counts", including random attacks on civilians and drive-bys. So your argument that "this argument doesn't fit anything that Al Qaeda has done" is made significantly weaker by the tape. That's why its relevant, and that's why your flippant dismissal of FR as a haven for people who believe in the boogie man was weak as well.