I remember that discussion, Ex.
We saw the evidence back after the Bali bombing in ‘02 - small two- or three-man dedicated teams fanned out from the ME, with cash in hand and orders to “go forth and be fruitful and multiply”. The teams were the “seed” for locally-recruited home-grown cells, with instant funding and intimate knowledge of the local area - stuff that an inserted team would have wasted time accumulating.
As the data rolls in, it will be telling us whether or not this was Sudden Jihad, or guys who came over, went to sleep, and got the wake-up call...
One thing I notice: they were targeting bases, not civilian targets. Ft. Dix, USCG stations, Dover AFB - imagine the symbology, what we would have done if one of the returning Angel Flights got hit!?
(Sorry, I answered that even as I asked it: absolutely nothing. But I digress...)
If this was a team of 6-7 MAM’s, achieving total surprise, with firepower significantly more that the rent-a-cops at the gates, they may have succeeded in at least one goal: displaying their tenacity and their ability to strike in CONUS once again.
I remember that discussion too.
Currently, I have a real fascination with the tendency of jihadis to seem to want to play in organized paintball or wargaming activities. I think it telegraphs their future intentions and locations quite nicely.
There were several Al Quaeda arrests in Northern Va a few years back, where an organized terror cell was found to be using paintball activities to help them hone their skills.
Seems like local mosques are even sponsoring paintball competitions as a form of “non violent jihad” to keep their warfighting skills honed as the Koran requires.
Keep an eye on that for the future.
remember the first rule of counter-insurgency warfare, as proven in the Malay insurgency: Never allow the enemy the opportunity to overwhelm law enforcement before reinforcements arrive. These guys did their homework