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The Challenge of Stopping Do-it-Yourself Jihadism
Townhall.com ^ | September 19, 2014 | Jonah Goldberg

Posted on 09/19/2014 6:02:21 AM PDT by Kaslin

On Thursday, Australian authorities claimed they thwarted a plot by supporters of the Islamic State to grab random people off the street and then behead the captured citizens on videotape. Australia's attorney general said that the massive raid, the largest counterterrorism operation in the nation's history, involving more than 800 police officers and raids of at least 12 properties, was necessary because, "If the ... police had not acted today, there is a likelihood that this would have happened."

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott confirmed that the raids were prompted by intercepted phone calls, from an Australian of Afghan descent believed to be Mohammad Ali Baryalei. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that he is suspected to be the "most senior Australian member of the terrorist group Islamic State, having traveled to Syria in April last year." A proselytizer for the "Street Dawah Movement," Barylei "was outspoken and wouldn't shy from speaking the truth regardless," a former fellow Dawah member told Fairfax Media. "He wasn't pleased with living in Australian society and wanted to live in an Islamic society away from open alcoholism, homosexuality, fornication, drugs and capitalism."

Baryalei is credited with recruiting at least two fellow Australians to the cause. One, Khaled Sharrouf, infamously tweeted pictures of himself executing prisoners in Iraq and images of his 7-year-old son holding a severed head in Syria. Another fellow Australian, Mohamed Elomar, has also released images of himself holding the decapitated heads of his "enemies."

So here's the troubling question: Why did Baryalei bother making the phone calls?

We've been hearing for months that the Islamic State is brilliant at social media. The terror group can reach out to supporters, sympathizers and assassins all around the world with a single tweet, Facebook post or YouTube video.

If the terror group wants Muslims in Sydney, Australia -- or in New York City, or in Topeka, Kansas -- to grab innocent people off the street and saw their heads off, all it needs to do is say so. The word will get to the intended ears quickly enough.

Now, the fact that the Islamic State didn't do this is a little encouraging. It suggests that it's either unwilling to cross that Rubicon quite yet or it has reason to believe that few people would follow through on the public command, making it look weak. That's all to the good.

But there's too much potential bad news here as well.

For starters, it's hardly as if such people do not exist in the West. The fact that, collectively, thousands of Europeans, Canadians and Americans have gone to Syria and Iraq for "jihadi tourism" is also an indicator that people willing to do such things live here. It would be nice to think they've all left for jihad abroad, but that seems unlikely.

Besides, there are probably new potential recruits to be enlisted as well. Just this week, Mufid Elfgeeh, a naturalized American from Yemen living in Rochester, New York, was indicted for trying to recruit radical Muslims to shoot American soldiers returning from the Middle East. He had already been arrested in May for trying to buy handguns with silencers from an undercover agent.

Perhaps most disturbing about all of this is that the Islamic State doesn't seem that interested in blowing up planes. Al-Qaeda always had an odd obsession with destroying aircraft and committing dramatic acts of murder. This fixation had an advantage: Such elaborate plots were easier to be foiled by law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The Islamic State has discovered that beheadings -- which are cheap and relatively easy to conduct -- have a huge impact in the West. They are also horrifyingly empowering to the losers who support the cult. It takes homework to build an IED. Beheadings require very little instruction.

How to stop the equivalent of flash-mob terrorism no doubt keeps Western officials awake at night, particularly when there's so much potential to respond in ways that further radicalize some Muslims. So far, the so-called "anti-Muslim backlash" in the U.S. has largely been a myth. But one can imagine many decent and peaceful Muslims paying a terrible price for the crimes of others if the Islamic State decided to cut out the middlemen handlers and recruiters like, allegedly, Baryalei and Elfgeeh.

One can also imagine radicals propagandizing counterterror operations into evidence of anti-Muslim bigotry -- a sentiment which in turn would help with the recruitment effort. (Sydney saw large Muslim protests against the government after the raids Thursday.)

Of course, the challenge of do-it-yourself jihadism has been with us for quite a while. But, like everything else, it seems to be changing in the era of Twitter.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: islam; jihad; muslims
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1 posted on 09/19/2014 6:02:21 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

If they start this in the US... well, we still have the Second Amendment and a lot of states with concealed carry laws.


2 posted on 09/19/2014 6:07:24 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: Kaslin
One can also imagine radicals propagandizing counterterror operations into evidence of anti-Muslim bigotry...

I think most people are fed up with the cries of anti-muslim bigotry.

3 posted on 09/19/2014 6:08:45 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
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To: Kaslin

4 posted on 09/19/2014 6:11:04 AM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Rummyfan

It’s NOT bigoted to be against the seditious tenets of Islam and its followers.


5 posted on 09/19/2014 6:12:00 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Kaslin

This problem is EASY to solve.

Every law abiding citizen should arm himself.
And the law of the land should condone citizen defense against terrorism.


6 posted on 09/19/2014 6:21:40 AM PDT by LucianOfSamasota (Tanstaafl - its not just for breakfast anymore...)
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To: Travis McGee
Young, angry, armed men...out to kill.
They kill the tourist industry too. The near and middle east rely on foreign dollars and euros to survive.

These men are killing off the ONE industry that consistently brings in cold, hard CASH. They are young, angry, armed MORONS.

7 posted on 09/19/2014 6:22:11 AM PDT by cloudmountain
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To: Rummyfan

The Hizb ut Tahrir terrorist supporters started public protests in Sydney with exactly that message, within the day. Of course the media gave them prominent coverage while failing to properly identify them as anything other than concerned community leaders.

Meanwhile, two senators are being dragged through the mud for daring to voice their support for banning burkas.


8 posted on 09/19/2014 6:22:15 AM PDT by fluorescence
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To: Kaslin



9 posted on 09/19/2014 6:25:42 AM PDT by MeshugeMikey (Please RESIGN Mr. President Its the RIGHT thing to do_RETIRE THE REGIME!)
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To: Kaslin

The islamists will eventually force our hand, and it isn’t going to work out well for the 1 billion muslims world wide. It is true that we have a segment of the population that is very liberal and appeasement driven, but if you put the screws to them, that number will drop to insignificant in no time flat. I can’t see too many libs preaching appeasement if they conduct a few head lopings over here. Very sad to say, but maybe thats exactly what we need to happen. A bullhorn loud wake up call right in their ear. If the barbarians push it too far, the libs will set the mosks alight themselves.


10 posted on 09/19/2014 6:35:31 AM PDT by phs3 (FUBO)
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To: Kaslin

So long as there is one Muslim left alive, there is a significant chance that Muslim will go “Full Muslim” and cut off some innocent person’s head.

The Koran commands that Muslim to so do.

The Koran is the source of Koranimals.

Wipe Islam off the face of the earth before they kill us.


11 posted on 09/19/2014 6:46:55 AM PDT by GladesGuru (Islam Delenda Est. Because of what Islam is - and because of what Muslims do.)
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To: phs3

It’s less likely to happen here thanks to the amount of guns owned by average citizens. If I see a couple of weirdos grab an American soldier on my street (highly unlikely) and start cutting his head off (like Lee Rigby in Britain), I’m grabbing my .357 and blasting them. What are the mostly unarmed citizens of those progressive, gun-hating European countries going to do? Nothing, just like they did nothing for Lee Rigby.


12 posted on 09/19/2014 6:50:26 AM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
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To: Kaslin

The first step would be.....QUIT letting them in!


13 posted on 09/19/2014 6:53:44 AM PDT by sheana
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To: Kaslin

Post FBI agents in every mosque. Monitor muslim TV and radio stations. Arrest citizen muslim citizens found inciting violence & immediately deport muslim immigrants guilty of inciting violence.


14 posted on 09/19/2014 7:03:33 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: Rummyfan

“If they start this in the US... well, we still have the Second Amendment and a lot of states with concealed carry laws.”.....

While I DO like the Second Amendment and Concealed Carry laws, they will not be of much help AFTER THE FACT. Trying to detect a terrorist BEFORE he/she sets off their bombs or whatever they planned to do is extremely difficult. Which one do you shoot, the kid wearing a camo jacket or the guy wearing a business suit, the woman with a burka or the mother with little kids in tow? The decision could turn out to be totally wrong. Killing a terrorist AFTER he has already killed someone would still be a good idea, IF YOU CAN CATCH THEM QUICKLY.


15 posted on 09/19/2014 7:08:59 AM PDT by DaveA37
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To: Kaslin
We've been hearing for months that the Islamic State is brilliant at social media. The terror group can reach out to supporters, sympathizers and assassins all around the world with a single tweet, Facebook post or YouTube video.

"Brilliant at social media....a single Tweet, Facebook post or YouTube video."

You mean "Brilliant", like The Kardashians, Lady Gaga or Pamela Anderson?

16 posted on 09/19/2014 7:10:02 AM PDT by BwanaNdege ("Gang Green and the Government Staff Infection " - Glen Morgan, Freedom Foundation.)
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To: Rummyfan

WARNING TO JIHADIS: AVOID TENNESSEE!
Or Georgia or Alabama or Texas — especially in TEXAS (except for that circle of leftist weenies around Austin) — or anywhere in the SOUTH. If these murderous thugs are looking for soft targets, they should head to NYC, Chicago, LA, Boston, etc. where no/low info voters have been effectively disarmed by the “progressive” idiots they elected to “lead” them (to hell).

And if you jihadis forgot your official beheading blades or couldn’t get them through the border (yeah, like THAT would happen!) obama is considering a federally subsidized “Rent-a-Blade” program or many of those tolerance and diversity dorks up there will be more than happy to loan you a quality pocket knife!

http://politicaloutcast.com/2014/09/happens-isis-attacks-tennessee-second-amendment-response/


17 posted on 09/19/2014 7:14:58 AM PDT by Dick Bachert
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To: Rummyfan
If they start this in the US... well, we still have the Second Amendment and a lot of states with concealed carry laws.

Likely, they will start in states like New York and New Jersey and Illinois. Not in the urban criminal housing areas, of course.
Too many guns there.

18 posted on 09/19/2014 7:33:48 AM PDT by TangoLimaSierra (To win the country back, we need to be as mean as the libs say we are.)
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To: Kaslin
"He wasn't pleased with living in Australian society and wanted to live in an Islamic society away from open alcoholism, homosexuality, fornication, drugs and capitalism."

Hey, I've got a novel idea.

These people aren't genuine Australians - or even Americans or Europeans. They just pretend they are and the governments go along with the charade for PC reasons. Why not just revoke their citizenships and send them packing back to Muzzie-Land where they will be "happy" and can murder to their heart's content?

Oh, wait. Ted Cruz has already tried to do that and it was shot down by the Democrats. Never mind. Carry on with the usual Muslim murder and mayhem.

19 posted on 09/19/2014 7:41:06 AM PDT by Gritty (ISIS is Islam. It is the naked religion. It is Mohammed. - Daniel Greenfield)
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To: GladesGuru

“Wipe Islam off the face of the earth before they kill us.”

I can’t say that I disagree with you but that sentiment puts us in the same boat with Hitler. I’m not very comfortable with that but when I consider the options I fail to see a viable alternative.

God help us.


20 posted on 09/19/2014 8:15:49 AM PDT by oldfart (Obama nation = abomination. Think about it!)
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