[RaceBannon]

Authorities are said to have a description of the shooters but are not releasing it. They've reviewed video tapes from security cameras at some of the businesses where the shootings took place

HUH???

[bvw]

Sort of reminds of a sniper reported in Israel a few months ago -- a brazen, yet calculating shooter who hit his targets. Chechnian, Bosnian, maybe. As I remember he'd leave the rifle, just a stock bolt action.

[AndyJackson]

We do have someone that so far has been very accurate in what they are attempting to do, and so we probably have a skilled shooter

With old Sherlock Moose on their trail I don't know why they don't just surrender now.

[exnavy]

My guess is the perps are of distinctly middleastern descent, police are trying to contain the panic.

[ET(end tyranny)]

FBI: Maryland shootings fit no category Agency profilers can see no motive other than terrorism

"If some sicko just wants to go out and essentially assassinate a bunch of random people – and he's not a terrorist – it's almost like a new category" of crime, said a veteran FBI agent.

I think people are mis-reading the above. I think what it says is... that if this were just some sicko that wanted to just kill people at random, and this person wasn't a terrorist, then they have to add a new category. They already said in the opening line that there is no motive other than terrorism.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

[Authorities are said to have a description of the shooters but are not releasing it.]

HUH???

Possible Reason #1) Member of a "protected class" -- i.e. non-white.

Possible Reason #2) Middle eastern men on their 20's-30's.

Possible Reason #2 is my bet. The authorities want to catch these perps without making an announcement that some middle eastern men on their 20's-30's are responsible. The public would be outraged, and it could very well lead to "open season" on anyone who fits the profile -- about as close to out of control as the situation could get.

[texson66]

Political correctness prevents the highly sensitized Mont Co police from desrcibing anyone with his/her racial or ethnic background, dont you know?

[meyer]

"The idea of terrorism is to spread fear," said one law enforcement officer. "If that's what they wanted to do, they've succeeded, because there's a lot of fear in the Washington area right now."

I suspect the source of a good portion of that fear is the thought that most poeple aren't legally equipped to shoot back, provided they even get the chance.

I would call this shooting spree "terrorism" regardless of who is responsible.

[Dubya]

THANKS FOR THE PING

[Demidog]

box truck" did not spray bullets, but picked targets, trained a rifle, or rifles, on their victims and aimed to kill, like trained assassins.

So who trained them? And who were the victims? What's Lon Horiuchi up to these days? These guys are using a "high-powered" rifle chambered in .223. I'm pretty sure Lon uses a .308 but somebody should see if he hasn't snapped...

[Angelus Errare]

A couple of thoughts on all the comments being poured into this thread.

Let me begin with the caveat that we have no hard evidence that this is terrorism.

There was a security report of some kind or another that was leaked to the press saying that there were around 5,000 active al-Qaeda still inside the US, with possibly more coming in from Europe, Canada, and Mexico. However, that was including the logistical people, like the financiers who run Islamic charities, set up safehouses, ect. Best estimates I've seen range between 150-200, not counting the 50 or so members of the Martyrdom Battalion that John Walker says were sent over here to hit the US.

Also, race and ethnicity ... simply doesn't matter when it comes to al-Qaeda. They could use Hispanics like Jose Padilla, Blacks from the Nation of Islam, Bosnians, Chechens, Albanians, Filippinos, Indonesians, ad infinitum. The organization is a LOT bigger than its Egyptian/Saudi core leadership. Look at the Jordanian Chechen who gots busted with $12,000,000 in bogus checks, he looks like a regular white boy.

Additionally, al-Qaeda doesn't claim responsibility for its terrorist attacks for quite awhile after they've occurred (and only then very sparingly), instead forcing the investigators to tell the public who's responsible. The reason lies in the fact that if they did claim responsibility, the authorities would have a solid lead on who to look out for, an advantage al-Qaeda wishes to deprive themselves of until after the fact. So if you're curious as to why if the group was behind OKC, TWA Flight 800, EgyptAir, the LAX shooting, ect., the fact of the matter is that they don't operate like Hamas or the Islamic Jihad.

Regarding an IRA connection, I have to say that I doubt it. The IRA and its splinter groups depend on American sympathizers for cash donations and occasional arm shipments. More to the point, they have never had any beef with the US.

The rather random selection of victims seems to rule against this being either an incredibly smart psychopath (in most cases these people know exactly who they're going after and have some grievance of some sort against them), but right now we'll just have to wait and see.

The more people who are involved in this (and at this point there's at least two), though, the better the chance that this is al-Qaeda in action. The shooter(s) have already evaded law enforcement as well as killed about as many as those who die in the average homicide bombing. And they're still out there.

[Dante3]

Best explanation IMHO is terrorists. However, I don't see how they can eliminate a serial killer. I looked up a def. and it fit.

Seems they are trying to be attuned to the concept of diversity. The victims are black, white, Hispanic, Indian from India, Haitian, male, female, young, old,

[exmarine]

The FBI has zero credibility and zero competence. My assessment is as good as theirs, and probably better, since I am not corrupt and stupid.