[Chief Inspector Clouseau]

Several people on this thread, including me, think this is possibly terrorism from Islamic extremists, although it's all just speculation at this point.

I'm sure this issue has been addressed, but I don't have time to look through the whole thread (sorry!) so I figured I'd ask:

*IF* this is Islamoterrorism (which I think is a strong possibility), why has no one claimed responsibility yet? It seems that the M.O. for those groups is to make headlines and quickly say "Yep, I done it!." But we're a week into this, the whole area is in a panic, but no claims yet...it doesn't seem to fit the pattern.

Any thoughts appreciated...

[r9etb]

*IF* this is Islamoterrorism (which I think is a strong possibility), why has no one claimed responsibility yet?

Because if it's AQ terrorism, they gain a lot from it being anonymous and seemingly random. Once you've got a perp and a cause, the mystique is gone. Once you claim responsibility, the focus shifts from fear and uncertainty, to anger and "hunt the bastards down." The whole point of the exercise -- which is to set the stage for something else -- is subverted.

[relee]

Channel 9 TV s reporting the Secret Service is providing manpower to PG County as per plans drawn up after September 11, 2001, and the Secret Service will provide security at some of the schools this afternoon when the children go home.

[dinasour]

why has no one claimed responsibility yet?

Because the operation is still in progress. Why tell the cops to be on the look out for Moose Limbs.

[valleygal]

Only Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Arafat's group (Al-Aksa sp?) claim responsibility right away, not Al Queda.

[Peach]

Steven Ambrose, in his excellent book, American Jihad, makes mention of several cases of Islamic extremist terrorism, in this country, which no one took responsibility for, but for which the feds and Ambrose knew were terrorism. They included individual sleeper cells murdering individual Israelis and Jews who were visiting and/or living in NYC, and shooting up a school bus loaded with school kids. It's a highly recommended book, filled with information you probably won't read or hear about elsewhere, and explains how these terrorists operate.