[VRWC For Truth]

Terrorists don't attack Arts & Crafts stores, but high viz targets ala the WTC. Why pick'em off one at at time when you could mow down hundreds like in Bali.

It's some nut case.

[Monty22]

"Terrorists don't attack Arts & Crafts stores, but high viz targets ala the WTC. Why pick'em off one at at time when you could mow down hundreds like in Bali."

Why not do both, and be more effective. This is cheap and effective method.

[WarSlut]

Terrorists don't attack Arts & Crafts stores, but high viz targets ala the WTC.

AQ's first post-9/11, post-anthrax attack was on a synagogue in Tunisia that killed 13 people. Not exactly the kind of high profile target you're talking about. The DC-area killings are getting more coverage than anything they've done in the past year (since the anthrax trial balloons). Coverage is what they crave.

Not every terror attack is going to be 9/11. Just look to Israel for proof of that. I believe they bombed an ice cream parlor, killing a single infant, just a few months ago.

To think that their playbook is limited exclusively to large scale attacks on highly recognizable targets is flat-out inaccurate.

[LaineyDee]

Terrorists don't attack Arts & Crafts stores, but high viz targets ala the WTC. Why pick'em off one at at time when you could mow down hundreds like in Bali.

I would agree except for one fact. A terrorist's goal is to "terrorize" large groups of people and these guys are terrorizing MORE by doing it this way, than if they were to just blow up a gas station/night club/etc.

[freeperfromnj]

Why pick'em off one at at time when you could mow down hundreds like in Bali.

Don't think it's not coming. I didn't realize that much damage could be done with a "car" bomb.

[jwalsh07]

Terrorists don't attack Arts & Crafts stores, but high viz targets ala the WTC. Why pick'em off one at at time when you could mow down hundreds like in Bali.

Terrorists, or their hired guns, are in the business of terrorizing. They, like the anthrax mailers, have accomplished that mission.

Whether the puppetmaster is a jihadist is beside the point, those folks down there are scared witless that thier kid is next in the crosshairs.

May the bastards die a horrible death, whoever they are.

[CIB-173RDABN]

Terrorists don't attack Arts & Crafts stores, but high viz targets ala the WTC. Why pick'em off one at at time when you could mow down hundreds like in Bali.

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I think the people who live in and around these shooting sites feel terrorized.

Is there a rule that says all terrorist acts must be big and showy?

If they are terrorist, they may have limited resources (remember we have cut off some of their financing, and we have disrupted some of their command and control). They may have been activated to do something and this is the best they can do with what they have.

[Jeff Head]

Terrorists create terror. Whom ever is doing this (and I certainly believe it could be a terror cell but am holding off on my final opinion) is certainly creating an environment of terror.

Whome ever is doing it is acting like a very cool, professional killer, or killing team. They are on a mission and are taking great care to take on shot and then cooly leave the area. Shoot and scoot. In that regard they are acting a lot like an SF Team behind enemy lines carrying out a mission IMHO.

I believe they are not in a white van, but are likely taking care to wait on their shot until a white van goes by to use our own information against us.

Could very easily be a terror cell in my opinion ... and if it is, they are creating a play book for future cells to operate off of, while terrorizing a whole region of the nation. Very economiical for such a proposition when compared to their cost in dollars and lives for the WTC.

Point is, they are capable of both kinds of operations and we'd be wise IMHO to NOT discount it until proven oterwise ... and I hope and pray it is proven otherwise.

[RobFromGa]

Terrorists don't attack Arts & Crafts stores, but high viz targets ala the WTC.

What if a terrorist wanted to terrorize a whole community for weeks with random shootings? What if they start showing up elsewhere?

Do You Think they might be able to inflict some serious terror if people in multiple large cities start staying inside, keeping their kids out of school, etc...

I think it's at least 75/25 this is a Islamic Nutcase.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I disagree regarding this case. This sniper is managing to terrorize people in the DC area more than just about anybody or anything (threat) else in the past. Seems pretty effective to me.

[DM1]

You never know, it could be either a nutjob or a terrorist. This is genuinely making people afraid - that is the goal of a terrorist. Now i am not saying it definitely is or isnt but if it does wind up being a terrorist i would not be surprised in the least.

[David]

"Why pick'em off one at at time when you could mow down hundreds like in Bali."

Because as Ossama points out in the training manual we captured in Kabul, random sniper shooting tends to demoralize the civilian population and adversely affect productivity.

If he was not concerned about what we would do in response, he might well implement this scheme in a number of metropolitan areas at the same time. This is an easy cheap way to impact your adversary with relatively low risk of casualties (detection and capture of the shooter and his spoters). You could have 100 of these out for a couple of hundred thousand dollars and knocking off 1000 civilian targets every two weeks would have a real impact.

[Polybius]

Terrorists don't attack Arts & Crafts stores, but high viz targets ala the WTC.

This guy is not know as the "Arts & Crafts Store Sniper", the "Schoolyard Sniper" or the Gas Station Sniper". He is know as the "Washington, D.C. Area Sniper".

He has our entire Nation's Capital terrorized and the entire Nation talking about our Nation's Capital being terrorized.

That's pretty high profile.

In regards to his particular targets, he is prolonging his survivability and prolonging the terror by choosing "soft targets".

A "hard target" such as the Capitol Building would result in a shoot-out at the metal detection screening area, maybe six or seven innocent casualties and a guarantee of dead terrorist/s. Two weeks later, the U.S.A. would consider the matter yesterday's news and go about it's business.

This guy's M.O. is maximizing the terrorist "Bang for the Buck".

[SamAdams76]

This could be an incremental step in a master plan by Al Qaida to ramp up terror in this country. Perhaps this sniper was sort of a "trial run" to guage how effective this technique is. If true, I'm afraid to say it was a big success (in the eyes of the terrorists). The entire country has become fixated on this sniper. Everywhere I went this weekend, people would ask if I heard anything new regarding "the sniper." Now if similar killings are suddenly made in the NYC area and then the LA area and so on, this will become as large in the public eye as the events on 9/11.

Don't write it off as "not terrorism" just yet.