Posted on 12/14/2014 3:37:33 PM PST by naturalman1975
A hostage has been forced to hold up an Islamic State flag in the window of a shop in Martin Place that is currently under siege.
It is believed there are 12 hostages in the store and an ISIS flag has been placed in the window.
Martin Place is the main financial area of the Sydney CBD.
(Excerpt) Read more at heraldsun.com.au ...
Sort of picturing a Monsieur Creosote event here.
The SAS is a long way away. But 1st Commando Regiment and 2nd Commando Regiment and Clearance Diving Team One are local - and all are trained to do whats needed.
Sorry, I thought Aussie Commandos were more Ranger than Delta. I know they did a lot of ops in the WOT.
He said no direct contact...the hostage taker may be using a hostage to communicate with police.
Good catch. I agree.
Commandos do have a bit of a different job from the SAS in combat situations, but when it comes to anti-terror, they do basically the same job.
2nd Commando Regiment supplies one of Australia’s two Tactical Assault Groups. The SAS supplies the other. And those are the peak groups for this type of work.
Clearance Diving Team has the same type of training as well, primarily to operate on ships - but they can certainly do it on land if they need to.
And any other Commando group could do it if they had to - but you’d use one of the specialist groups if they’re available.
Snipers cannot hit them because they are behind glass. A bullet hitting glass will be deflected to a great degree or at least some degree. Maybe three could fire at the same time.
One bullet breaks the glass and maybe one of the next would get a clean path.
Other than that, breaking in, with flash bang grenades hoping to startle them just long enough to kill them sounds like the best chance.
On the other hand if that doesn’t work and they set off bombs they will kill the rescuers too.
No, I can’t read Arabic at all. I just Googled ISIS flag and shahada flag and looked at the images. I already knew the ISIS design was different from the one used in Sydney. But the writing looks different than anything I saw on any of the flags. I have no idea what it says but we know it isn’t anything good.
“Conflict News”, a newser ID with a big Twitter following, is reporting that the displayed flag is from “Hizb ut-Tahrir” which is a pan Islamist movement w/ branches in many nations.
News reports say it says “There is no god but Allah”
Prayers for your countrymen and keep your resolve.
I just got a bad feeling when those cops were standing around in the video feed. Reminded me of Columbine where the cops stood around while the kids died.
The Aussies should have moved before the pig humpers got comfortable.
Now they’ll put the hostages in the most secure room and kill them first sign of an assault.
“I am shocked it isnt on national TV news here (USA) yet. I know it is Sunday here, but still.”
CNN goes live with its Internationl Feed at 2AM EST on Sunday nights/Monday Morning.
Bloomberg will start at the same time, from London with live news.
Many Aussie Twitter types appear to be using:
#MartinPlaceSiege
https://mobile.twitter.com/search/?q=%23MartinPlaceSiege&s=hash
Good info, thanks. Praying for you guys here.
Exactly correct. I'd be surprised if CT Troop (or equivalent, from among the units that Naturalman1975 mentioned) didn't train in that very technique.
You don’t know that so stop talkin.
I did not realize that. That makes the SEALs rescue of Capt. Phillips even more impressive.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/world/africa/13pirates.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Two of the captors had poked their heads out of a rear hatch of the lifeboat, exposing themselves to clear shots, and the third could be seen through a window in the bow, pointing an automatic rifle at the captain, who was tied up inside the 18-foot lifeboat, senior Navy officials said.
It took only three remarkable shots one each by snipers firing from a distance at dusk, using night-vision scopes, the officials said. Within minutes, rescuers slid down ropes from the Bainbridge, climbed aboard the lifeboat and found the three pirates dead. They then untied Captain Phillips, ending the contretemps at sea that had riveted much of the worlds attention. A fourth pirate had surrendered earlier.
Dittos to prayers for the hostages.
It will be difficult to sleep tonight, but sleep I must as there is still the work a day world here tomorrow in the U.S.
Hope to hear GOOD news in the morning.
God bless these innocents and their families!
“ABC7 News is posting under both #sydneysiege and #MartinPlacesiege
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