GUNMAN: PAY OR I'LL KILL AGAIN

New York Post ^ | 10/22/02 | NILES LATHEM, DAN MANGAN, and MARSHA KRANES

[kattracks]

The Psycho Sniper says he wants blood money to end his terrifying murder spree - and he's opened a dialogue with cops to negotiate the payout.

The Beltway sharpshooter made his demand in a three-page note found after his latest attack, on Saturday night, federal law-enforcement sources told The Post.

[SarahW]

I think you may well be right. I was a little miffed when I heard they were letting some guys out of Gitmo..and its not beyond the pale to think the sudden decision to let some of the buggers go is related to the sniper's demands.

[Thinkin' Gal]

In one phone exchange with police, the sniper boasted, "I am God," the Washington Post said.

Is this a translation? Maybe he really said, "I am Allah". Considering all of the blood and death, that would make perfect sense.

[Aquinasfan]

My gut says the ransom is a diversion.

Me too. Tarot cards. Ransom. Adds up to a couple of red herrings.

[My2Cents]

The sniper must be Gray Davis.

[ezo4]

pardon my lameness but what is dnc.com?

[Thinkin' Gal]

That would mean the US is being blackmailed. If that's the case, what would make our government bow to such demands? How many nukes are poised to go off in DC or NYC or wherever? Hard to believe it's that bad. Guess the best thing to do is to observe what location all the politicians are avoiding. :-|

[joebuck]

"Sources said the sniper's money demand has them all but convinced that he is not a foreign terrorist."

I don't know why one would come to that conclusion. First, it could just be a diversion as some have suggested. Second, terrorists have to eat, sleep, travel and cloth themselves just as everyone else does. In addition, they need money for weapons and logistical support. I imagine that since 9/11 it's become much harder to wire money, transfer bank funds and finance their activities from traditional sources. Since they are on a new battlefield they will have to use some new tactics.

The only thing I've seen in this whole thing that points away from terrorists is the tarot card and that could easily be a diversion. Perhaps the killers, if terrorists, have picked up on the fact that when a violent act can be definitely traced to terrorists, whole groups of middle eastern men are picked up as part of the investigation. Maybe they have decided that spreading terror annonymously beats taking credit and sitting in a detention center.

[ZULU]

"He also may have disguised his voice in the call that led cops to his extortion note. It was made by a man with "an accent of unknown origin," CNN said."

Obviously those troublemaking Swedes again!! When are they going to stop this terrorism!!!

[SarahW]

I don't want to jump to complaining about the US giving into blackmail, before I know that is actually what happened...

But I don't like that the announcement came just after the note.

[SarahW]

This is all I could manage to dig up on the missing french marksman:

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_693976.html

There is an unofficial composite(!!)...apparently shown to students at his military school.

Still no name, but someone should be able to dig it up and the composite drawing as well.

I noticed also one radio report said he had a slav background (but he would have to have a french citizenship to go to his military school)

[rockfish59]

[kmiller1k]

I'm with you--sniper waits until a white van is in the vicinity then takes his shot. This guy is smart. The notes and ransom is not from him, just some dimwit who thinks they can make some money from the terror.

[SarahW]

Also found out his military instruction was at St. Cyr, and while I couldn't find his race )he is not being identified at this time), I was reading trhough a french newsgroup, and saw that there are some special accords - St. Cyr by agreement admits a certain number of *African Moslems* for instruction...

[Wondervixen]

First Buddhist Monks, now Snipers...That Gore can't just pull a "Trick or Treat for UNICEF" scam like normal Dumocrap constituents can he?

[John Jamieson]

Thanks for the ammo.

[Helms]

The sooner you wrap your mind around it the better- this is
a Mideastern Terrorist Cell at work.

[eno_]

To me, the phone call, rather than the ability to slip the dragnet, is more telling. The U.S. telephone network is so closely monitored (mainly for detailed billing purposes) that, in a top-priority case like this, LEAs would know a caller's location the moment the last digit of a contafct number was dialed. He would have less time to get away from a phone than from a shooting site.

While there are some alternative possibilities, it is likely the phone call came from a less-developed foreign country, maybe one with a hostile regime. This, and the fact the killer is so isolated from anyone who migh turn him in, point toward a foreigner, probably with terroristic intentions.

[StopGlobalWhining]

the two men were cleared of any ties to the sniper and turned over to the Immigration and Naturalization Service for deportation, officials said.

Does anyone here believe that these 2 guys will actually be deported?

[eno_]

Intersting angle. The Russians would have shot them instead of releasing them.

[Schatze]

If money were all the sniper wanted, there are easier ways to get it ... without killing anyone. Just start smoking and then sue the tobacco companies. Or gain a lot of weight and then sue the fast-food restaurants.

The money angle is a red herring.