but my smiley guy's still kinda babyshi'ite green ...
Posted on 10/08/2002 11:34:37 AM PDT by SLB
This will be one of those articles our enemies will try to pick apart in order to make the accusation that the author actually condones what is happening around the nation's capital. It's expected, since it's one of the few ways the left knows how to deal with such a dilemma. Fact is: There have been at least 11 shootings, with 5 confirmed fatalities so far in the Washington DC area. Since despite all the police chest pounding, they probably won't find a suspect by the time this is article is published, there will probably be more.
In our new War on Terrorism, none dare call it that. So let's call it what it really is - war, and deal with it on those terms.
This of course, will make the spin meisters even more upset, since nothing - absolutely nothing since September 11, 2001 will be called terrorism. Not the American Airlines flight over New York City a year ago, not the string of oil refinery explosions, unexplained train derailments, not the nutcases attacking Greyhound bus drivers, and heaven forbid - that Anthrax thing was an anomaly, just like the West Nile Virus and the new cases of malaria popping up in the same area of the shooting. Just individual crazed lunatics mind you, not terrorism.
Meanwhile, the war continues.
If it hasn't dawned on you that this is an actual war in progress on our own soil (don't worry - it's not terrorism unless we tell you), take a look at the affect one lone sniper has had on the social infrastructure of the DC suburbs:
MARYLAND: Anne Arundel County Schools: . All schools locked . After-school activities canceled . After-school childcare will be provided . No evening high school classes . Indoor recess and activities
Baltimore City Schools: . No afternoon pre-kindergarten . No outdoor after-school athletic events; indoor events will be held
Calvert County Schools: . Students being kept inside schools . No after-school activities
Charles County Schools: . Heightened security . Students kept indoors . After-school activities canceled . Tuesday field trips canceled
Frederick County Schools: . Lockdown status . No students allowed outside
Howard County Schools: . Modified lockdown status . No afternoon kindergarten or special education . No outdoor recess or activities
Montgomery County Schools: . Code Blue status . No afternoon pre-k or kindergarten . Extra security in schools . All field trips canceled . Indoor recess and lunch . All after-school activities canceled
Prince George's County Schools: . Code Blue status . All outdoor activities canceled . Indoor recess and lunch . No outdoor after-school activities . No afternoon pre-kindergarten . All school doors monitored by security . Increased police presence in schools
Queen Anne's County Schools: . No after-school activities
DISTRICT: D.C. Schools: . No outdoor lunch or recess . No outdoor after-school activities . All field trips canceled
Archdiocese of Washington Schools: . No outdoor lunch or recess . No afternoon kindergarten or activities . Aftercare will be provided
VIRGINIA: Alexandria City Schools: . No outdoor recess or physical education classes . After-school activities canceled . Increased police presence for dismissals
Arlington County Schools: . All outdoor after-school activities canceled . Indoor after-school activities will be held
Caroline County Schools: . Outdoor activities canceled
Fairfax County Schools: . No outdoor activities
Falls Church City Schools: . Outdoor activities canceled . Police officers at each school
Fredericksburg City Schools: . Lockdown status . No after-school activities
King George County Schools: . Lockdown status
Loudoun County Schools: . Heightened state of alert . Outdoor activities at each principal's discretion
Manassas City Schools: . Limited lockdown status . No outdoor recess or activities
Prince William County Schools: . No outdoor after-school activities Monday or Tuesday
Spotsylvania County Schools: . Outdoor activities canceled
Stafford County Schools: . Outdoor activities canceled
Not bad for eleven rounds. Anyone want to take a guess how many of these students are children of federal employees? Now, let your brain spin. Here's a federal government planning for war, importing and exporting no goods on its western flank, and with a market in a steady freefall, and yet to even submit a budget this fiscal year. But none of that will be on their minds when they wake up - only: who's next?
Just like September 11 - brilliant war tactics. Then again, as any sniper can tell you, psychological terror is a bi-product of this time-tested, lethal art. The only thing America has going for it right now is that there is only one. Surely the profilers are trying to figure out some way of saying this lone gunman is some nut - some crazy white guy that gets a monthly high from reading Soldier of Fortune, probably hates the New World Order, and is of course, a believer in the Second Amendment, Turner Diaries, etc.. This profile (soon to come, I'm sure) will give some antigun nuts a second wind, attempting to get more gun legislation passed.
C'mon - you know this is coming, don't you?
Lest we forget that the state of Maryland already has some of the most draconian gun laws in the nation. And no gun law will slow down this sniper. In fact, only the opposite is true.
We're dealing with a professional, someone who is becoming pretty good at one shot - one kill. This person is not firing several shots at random, and is deadly accurate. Our shooter knows how to take the shot, then relocate. Some amateur could not be this skilled working behind enemy lines, if you will and, knowing there is a dragnet out there, still hit his mark at least 10 times. According to authorities, there is no common pattern with the victims that are being chosen. So if we said the only thing the victims do have in common is that none are Muslim, that would be a stretch, wouldn't it?
If what many people fear turns out to be the case ("sniper jihad"), catching this critter may be difficult, and a few more may have to die to get a bead on this SOB. Not being a sniper expert, I'd say it will take all we have inside us if and when the next round is fired. But I recall something about hitting the ground, and get a good look in the direction where you heard the sound. If it were a war zone, the next line would be lay down cover fire, and fire teams should keep their 'field of fire' in mind, but we don't want to turn the Washington Suburbs into Washington, DC, now would we?
Our little sniper is operating in an enemy environment, but he is also operating in a relatively 'safe' environment. You see, the fact that we really are at war is a concept too many people haven't taken seriously yet, especially in east coast, antigun bastions such as suburban DC. Hence, only time will tell when suddenly concealed carry laws are lifted (or simply not enforced), so that the soldiers in this new war (the citizens), may have the means of neuturalizing such threats upon discovery.
Go ahead. Call me extreme. But attending all those funerals will get old real fast. Legislators can pass all the laws they want, but no police chief or sheriff wants to spend the rest of is time in office counting innocent bodies. I'd suggest the local police make a few inquires to the Pentagon on how to deal with this problem, not the FBI or ATF. No, I'm not calling for military intervention, but gathering background information on someone that clearly has a military background.
To put it bluntly, we've have a region of the country on the verge of societal shut down. The pundits prefer calling this a lone nut than dealing with the obvious.
This person is not a 'right-wing' lunatic. This person is not a terrorist. This is a solider - waging war on our own soil.
I accede to your point.
Everyone "blends in" in that part of Montgomery County. It has a huge percentage of recent immigrants from all over the world in that area especially.
but my smiley guy's still kinda babyshi'ite green ...
This is the work of one - or more likely two - of our peace-loving religionist immigrants. Although I guess it's possible that a psycho could hold it together this long, the techniques seem too methodical. Of course, the ranges of the shots indicate that not much training is needed to make them, but remember that this area is a target-rich enviroment. Even a trained sniper will only shoot from the minimum distance needed to safely escape. It bothers me that none of the authorities involved in the investigation have even raised the possibility that this is a (muslim) terrorist act, which leads me to my second theory...
The FBI will blame it on WHOEVER THEY WANT - either to keep the public calm, to protect muslims living here from being attacked, or political expediency - take your pick. There will be suspects found, and I don't think any of them will be foreigners. Who will be the next Richard Jewell?
This whole thing will badly hurt the RKBA movement. Since 9-11, gun sales and CCW's have been up, but the anti's will do everything they can to push those numbers back down. The sheeple will be even more suspicious of anyone who owns guns. Expect some very ominous gun laws to come out of this. I've said for years that many hunters didn't worry about that assault weapon ban because it didn't affect them. I'm afraid that's about to change. All I can say is, I'm thankful that I shoot on a very private rural range.
One thing I'd like to ask. It may have been discussed before on related threads, but I missed it. Has anyone raised the possibilty of the FBI using the "shot caller" technology to catch the sniper? It's the microphone system that is set up in urban/suburban areas that triangulates the source of a gunshot. It even displays the trajectory of the bullet on a computer monitor. I understand that several dozen units would have to be in place to cover the area, but surely someone has thought of this. Some of us touched on this on the thread about the "robo-sniper" that the Israelis are fielding. Would this be effective technology, or is it one of those things that probably work in theory, like 'cold fusion'? -Or perhaps it's still in the development stage?
It does not fit the mondus operandi of Al Queda. Such an organization uses tactics that are nebulous, well cordinated, and with an intent of causing mass disruption and localized destruction! Also they are supposed to provide the most bang for the buck. Most of all they are meant to create a major statement ...for example the Khobar bombing and the Africa Embassy bombings saying US military (in the Khobar case) and political installations (embassy) abroad are not safe; the USS Cole being meant as an attritive attack to show the American warmachine is vulnerable( this was directed at the Arabs to show the Americans are 'vulnerable' ...in essence Al Queda propaganda); and 9-11 to show that even targets within the US and that are centers of political (Pentagon and the presumed Whitehouse/congress target that was never hit) and financial (WTC) power are vulnerable. The mark of a terrorist attack is the strive for a statement.
This sniper may have caused disruption (and it is mass disruption) and by killing 6 people caused localized destruction, but the only message inherent in his slayings is the quest for carnage! This is more applicable to some kook who is American and is trying to vent his rage (or madness .....i would say both) on innocents.
If it was Al Queda they would pick a target such as a kindergarten and go and slay all the kids in it! That would be more to their M.O than shooting 7 people last week and a kid this monday! Why do that when taking out a kindergarten would cause even greater disruption and have reverberations that would be felt around the world?
I know most people would rather not think an American could do such a thing but based on what is known right now this is the work of some crazy kook on some bloodthristy vendetta!
Were it Al Queda the carnage would be greater, more organized, more ruthless, better played for the media, with a target that is either of profound social/political/financial importance or would cause great anguish (eg the kindergarten example), and so forth.
Using .223 shots to pick off random people is something that is in the league of those sickos who storm into a Post Office and kill everyone in it with an AR-15, or the dude who got fired who walks into his workplace with two carbines ,pockets full of ammo, and veins full of stimulants. In essence your homebred psycho with a good gun and a bad brain! Al Queda on the other hand would try to get something that would cause more ripples than shooting 8 people.
And as for Al Queda being on a tight budget ....i know a lot of their funds have been frozen but they still have 'dynamic funds' from the Sauds and they definitely have enough funding to ensure they do not have to resort to .223 ammo. And why use such ammo when they could easily get some Frag grenades and lob them in the subway system terminal during rush hour and with 4 grenades take out scores of people?
In essence i highly doubt Al qeuda would waste an operative on a mission of picking off a few people at random. They would try their best to ensure that every operative they have is used to the fullest extent possible. In essence maximizing their minimal resources. Sending off an operative to do what this sicko is doing, even if it is just one operative, would be a total waste of resources.
The muzzle velocity of a .223Rem is 3,240fps. The muzzle velocity of a .308Win is 3,270fps. As you can see, there's very little difference between the two where speed's concerned.
If it matters to you, the speed of sound in Baltimore today was about 1,130 fps.
NOVEMBER 1998 : (FAZUL REHMAN KHALIL, HARAKAT UL-ANSAR, HARAKAT UL-ANSAR) Harakat ul-Ansar and current Harakat ul-Mujahedin leader Fazul Rehman Khalil vowed to kill 100 Americans for each dead Muslim.
1998 : (LASHKAR-I-JHANGVI) The leader of the Lashkar-l-Jhangvi party vowed publicly to kill U.S. citizens and offered his support to Usama Bin Ladin after US strikes on training camps.
However, it is difficult to surmise what the jihadis are planning to do in the coming months. There are rumours that they may launch more strikes to thwart peace initiatives. Intelligence agencies say the unusual silence may be broken by a mighty attack.
Liberal policies of the Musharraf government have reduced the influence of religious organisations, and some people believe Musharraf will be able to erase terrorism from Pakistan. "I can't believe a military man reacting like this," said Fazul Rehman Khalil, a Harkatul Ansar activist. "The coward has left us at the mercy of the Indian forces. But we never forgive people who betray us." - The Week, an Indian news site
He was/is the original leader of Harkat ul Ansar, which was originally a splinter group of Jamait-e-Ulema-Islami. Harkat ul Ansar is now is now defunct; it formed the base for Jaish-e-Muhammad , Harakat ul-Ansar.
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