Shootings to spread to other cities? Expert thinks Washington-area killer doing 'market research

World Net Daily ^ | 10/17/02 | Jon E. Dougherty

[GOP_Lady]

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D.C. SNIPER TERROR
Shootings to spread to other cities?
Expert thinks Washington-area killer doing 'market research'

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Posted: October 17, 2002
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Jon Dougherty
© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com

A former Green Beret and combat veteran who is an expert in Middle East-based Islamic terrorism believes the sniper killings in the Washington, D.C., area may be the opening shots of a wider, national effort directed against the United States.

John Moore, a former Missouri homicide detective and veteran of more than 57 combat missions in Vietnam, told WorldNetDaily in a wide-ranging interview that he believes the recent sniper attacks are just the beginning of a larger campaign.

"What's going on is what I like to call 'marketing research,'" said Moore, who is also the author of several Special Forces classified studies on Islamic terrorism. "It may just be a test tactic for future use."

He said if the shootings are the work of a terrorist cell – and he believes they are – they "may want to learn just how much shooting they have to do in order to get the desired effect."

A desired effect of the attacks, he said, is "a percentage reduction in productivity," as well as the creation of gridlock in and around the nation's capital. Also, such an operation would seek to damage the local economy while sowing fear and confusion.

The Sept. 11 attacks resulted in substantial losses to the U.S. economy, analysts have determined.

"If you want to create terror while expending a minimal amount of resources, they're certainly doing an excellent job of that," he said, adding the Washington-area attacks "could simply be a matter of fine-tuning this particular tactic" to achieve maximum results.

Moore said the leadership of many of the terrorist organizations aligned against the U.S. are led by well-educated men who have studied American society and culture. He also said they are well-positioned to predict how American leaders will react to certain threats.

"The people in charge of these various organizations – al-Qaida being one of about a dozen – have advanced degrees in the 'hard subjects' such as engineering and mathematics," he said. "They also know they have a finite amount of resources. So they are going to want to know how much of those resources they are going to have to use to get the desired effect."

Once they figure out what works, it's likely they'll apply the formula to other American cities, he said.

Moore's theories coincide with other evidence first disclosed by WorldNetDaily last month. An al-Qaida training videotape, captured in Afghanistan, shows Osama bin Laden's terrorists are not only planning attacks with weapons of mass destruction, but are preparing to kill Americans with drive-by shootings and home break-ins, through ambushes of law-enforcement officers and targeted assassinations on golf courses.

Analysts were surprised by some of what they saw in the latest video and believe they employ terrorist tactics and techniques meant for export to America and other nations, WND reported.

Moore said he believes the "main event" to what's happening in D.C. "will come when we attack Iraq."

"When the war begins in earnest, that would be the time to proceed with whatever [terrorist groups] intend to do [in the U.S.], expending a lot of resources in a lot of cities at the same time to get the maximum impact," said Moore. "That would be the smartest thing."

Yesterday, President Bush – joined by 100 lawmakers in an East Room ceremony – signed a congressional resolution authorizing him to use force against Iraq if Baghdad refuses to disarm and get rid of any weapons of mass destruction.

The resolution "symbolizes the united purpose of our nation, expresses the considered judgment of the Congress and marks an important event in the life of America," he said. "The 107th Congress is one of the few called by history to authorize military action to defend our nation in the cause of peace."

Moore, who says he's done more than 17,500 hours of urban, suburban and rural surveillance, also praised the sniper's choice of vehicle, and indicated that it added yet another air of professionalism to his attacks.

"Most people, most of the time, in any business area won't pay much attention to any given vehicle," he said. "The choice of vehicles was a very smart move. The color white is by far and away the most used color for work and delivery vans in the U.S."

That fact may be why the sniper – or, some believe, snipers – has eluded capture thus far.

Also, police have been unable to release a composite sketch of alleged sniper suspects. Though a number of witnesses reported seeing a sniper in action Monday night when FBI analyst Linda Franklin was shot and killed in Falls Church, Va., police said Wednesday too many factors – such as distance and darkness – have prevented them from reporting enough similarities for a drawing, Fox News reported yesterday.

Franklin is the sniper's 11th victim and the ninth to die. Each have been felled with a single gunshot.

The only common denominator, said Capt. Nancy Demme of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department yesterday, is that the alleged shooter "is male."

"We don't have a refined description to go by. I know that's not what the public wants to hear," she told reporters.

Should the sniper attacks spread to more communities and cities, Moore believes one of the first things to be sacrificed will be personal liberties.

In fact, he says martial law in some cities or states is a real possibility if attacks get out of hand. And he believes most Americans will accept it in exchange for a promise of security – though he says that kind of dramatic response would be used as a last resort because it would hamper business and commerce, making the fragile U.S. economy even more volatile.

"First and foremost, the business of America is business," he said.

Click here to read WND's coverage of the Washington-area shootings

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Jon E. Dougherty is a staff reporter and columnist for WorldNetDaily, and author of the special report, "Election 2000: How the Military Vote Was Suppressed."

[Skywalk]

LOL I think I once posted the lyrics on a thread on FR!

Great message song.

[DugwayDuke]

"Only a fool takes a pistol to a gunfight"

No, the real fool is one who goes unarmed to a gun fight. Even a pistol is better than cowering on the ground.

[aristeides]

Moore said he believes the "main event" to what's happening in D.C. "will come when we attack Iraq."

"When the war begins in earnest, that would be the time to proceed with whatever [terrorist groups] intend to do [in the U.S.], expending a lot of resources in a lot of cities at the same time to get the maximum impact," said Moore. "That would be the smartest thing."

And what would be even smarter would be to let the government know about the threat. I wonder what was on the unreleased part of the message on the tarot card.

[aristeides]

Several of the recent shootings have been in CCW Northern Virginia.

[aristeides]

If it's Moslems, the attacks can presumably be shut down by a program of internments and deportations, like what FDR did to the Japanese here in 1942.

[aristeides]

What the LEOs had to say at that conference about possible legal consequences for the allegedly lying witness is not exactly going to encourage further witnesses to come forward.

[aristeides]

One question I have is if these would have been police officers being shot,would this be solved already?

The victim Monday was an FBI analyst. I notice there have been no further shootings since then.

[CIB-173RDABN]

Good question,I have no answer,but I'm wondering if police would have been able to return fire,althought I am aware one victim was shot directly across the street from a police officer and still got away.

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This is still all new and uncharted territory. These killings are still being addressed as crimes. It will take time, but at some point our perception will change, and we will view these as war.

I would like to believe that once it shown that these are not "crimes" but saboteurs the action of the authorities will change.

I wonder just how much more the American people are willing to put up with, before demanding action. I think we are getting close to that point now.

[aristeides]

If you interrupt his exit you risk a lot of return fire from one or more .223's.

We don't know that. The guy's MO is one shot. But if he does do that, that means a lot more evidence and witness ID's.

[Rifleman]

Would I CHOOSE to engage this fiend with only a CCW pistol? Nope, I would prefer my .25-06 varminter, but he is making his shots from less than 200 yards according to the cops (until the most recent killing which may have been from several hundred yards). And no MY pistol would not protect ME, but if I were a witness, I might be much closer. In any case, a CCW holder could take a rest or drop to prone and empty a magazine or cylinder full at a timed fire tempo and have a good chance of hitting this geek. Would it be safe? Hell no. But diving for cover is the wrong way to react to an ambush.

The locals had better adopt a much more agressive attitude. Anyone driving a car has a powerful weapon at hand. If a witness sees the shooter and it is possible, pull the seatbelt tight and ram as hard as you can.

[supercat]

This guys mo is one shot and leave. If you interrupt his exit you risk a lot of return fire from one or more .223's. I would not want to attract that kind of fire!

The reason the killer has been able to avoid detection and capture is his adherence to only firing one shot. If the killer gets into a firefight with someone, he'll no longer be able to escape undetected. If many nearby are armed, he'll no longer be able to escape, period.

[Johnny Shear]

This might actually be an interesting article if it wasn't from WorldNetDaily.

What's next? Art Bell agrees?

[7thson]

In that case, the citizens step in.

[cinFLA]

The reason the killer has been able to avoid detection and capture is his adherence to only firing one shot. If the killer gets into a firefight with someone, he'll no longer be able to escape undetected. If many nearby are armed, he'll no longer be able to escape, period.

Probably, BUT, one should act ONLY if he has carefully considered the situation - unless he wants to be a wounded/dead hero.

[Stat-boy]

Why not look to Israel for an example of concealed handgun policy against terrorism. The following is an article written by John R Lott, Jr. It appeared in the USA Today on June 16, 2002:

Armed citizens can defuse terrorist threat

By John R. Lott Jr.

Armed private citizens in some heavily Jewish areas of Brooklyn, N.Y., started patrolling their neighborhoods this past weekend. Some carried baseball bats or cell phones. Others had concealed handguns or shotguns.
Why such unusual behavior?

Many Brooklyn Jews were alarmed by a CBS 60 Minutes report on June 2 that the terrorists who targeted the World Trade Center in 1993 first planned to blow up Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn. The terrorists apparently switched to the trade center only because they believed that most of its occupants were Jewish. A terrorist interviewed by CBS gave the impression that Brooklyn Jews were still a prime target.
Rabbi Yakove Lloyd, founder of the Jewish Defense Group, which helped organize the armed patrols, says they "will be a very effective deterrent against terrorism directed at American Jews and other targets." But to many Americans, such behavior is more frightening than the threat of terrorism.
The FBI conducted almost 470,000 more background checks for gun purchases during the six months after Sept. 11 than during the same six-month period a year earlier. These new gun owners, claim columnists such as Nicholas Kristof at The New York Times, were not only useless in stopping terrorism, but probably would cause more deaths with their guns.

Lessons from Israel
These Brooklyn Jews can point to Israel to counter such criticism. Israeli Police Inspector General Shlomo Aharonisky has repeatedly called on all concealed-handgun-permit holders to carry firearms at all times. In March, Israeli police announced they wanted to increase the number of Israelis carrying handguns by 60,000.

"There's no question that weapons in the hands of the public have prevented acts of terror or stopped them while they were in progress," Aharonisky says.

Examples this year:
- A woman shot a terrorist twice in the head before he could set off a bomb in a supermarket.
- A man at a disco shot to death a Palestinian who had started firing a machine gun.
- A private security guard saved hundreds by shooting a terrorist before he could drive his car bomb into a disco.
- A grocer fatally shot a terrorist armed with grenades, "explosive devices" and a machine gun.

Police won't step up protection
Some New York City Jews, concerned about civilians running around with guns, are not supporting the patrols. Their reaction would be more understandable if the police were willing to provide additional protection. But despite concerns voiced by Lloyd and local politicians that there is not adequate protection, the police have not publicly offered more help. Instead, New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said last week that police would not tolerate people "brandishing weapons under the guise of protecting others" and that "anyone attempting to patrol the streets armed with a weapon" would be arrested.
The biggest practical problem with the patrols is that they will not operate on Saturdays, the Sabbath. Except in emergencies, Orthodox Jews are banned from even touching guns on holidays and the Sabbath. But everyone recognizes that synagogues could be targets of terror attacks. The unfortunate irony is that to the extent that the armed patrols deter attacks on other days, being disarmed during the Sabbath actually encourages attacks to take place then.

Recognizing this problem, Israel's rabbis this year agreed to allow some armed worshipers in synagogues there during Passover and on the Sabbath.

Given New York City's stringent gun-ownership rules, those who carry guns during the patrols are surely among the most law-abiding citizens. It takes six months or more to get a gun; so they hardly ran out and bought one right after 60 Minutes. Those who have a permit to carry a concealed handgun have had extensive police scrutiny. And despite Kelly's warning, it is lawful for city gun owners to carry their unloaded shotguns in enclosed cases.

City police seem more concerned about monitoring law-abiding citizens than in protecting them. If the Second Amendment means anything, surely it applies in such a case as this.
John R. Lott Jr., an American Enterprise Institute resident scholar, wrote More Guns, Less Crime.

[cinFLA]

My advice to you is to never assume someone else shares your limitations in a combat situation. You can take that advice or disregard it at your pleasure.

My limitations? Never underestimate someone elses limitations OR overestimate your own limitations in a combat situation. What I can say, is that at at 75 plus yards, most pistols do not have sufficient accuracy to guarantee a kill shot (excluding match grade pistols with scopes and rests).

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

it could mark the vehicle, cause the guy to wreck on the way out, disable the vehicle, pinpoint him for more witnesses...

exactly. Unless a witness is comfortably capable of making a shot on the shooter's person, it might just be best shoot the h*ll out of the van. Much easier target, "tag, YOU'RE IT, Muhfuh!" type stuff.

[RLK]

What I can say, is that at at 75 plus yards, most pistols do not have sufficient accuracy to guarantee a kill shot ----

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What I have is "what you can say" against against my own empirical experience. For some reason every jackass on this forum and elsewhere fancies himself an authority on guns. It's a fact that getting hit in the gut with a .44 cal slug is like getting hit with a 300 degree railroad train. It's all over at that point. If you can't put a slug there at 75 yards that's your problem. Discussion ended.

[cinFLA]

What I have is "what you can say" against against my own empirical experience. For some reason every jackass on this forum and elsewhere fancies himself an authority on guns. It's a fact that getting hit in the gut with a .44 cal slug is like getting hit with a 300 degree railroad train. It's all over at that point. If you can't put a slug there at 75 yards that's your problem. Discussion ended.

Let's look at some details. Assume your "monster gun" groups 6" at 75 yds. Allow 1" for unknow windage and loading factors. That would mean that you would have to have ZERO error in your visual aim and ZERO movement of the pistol inorder to ensure hitting a person, much less killing him.

[cinFLA]

It's a fact that getting hit in the gut with a .44 cal slug is like getting hit with a 300 degree railroad train. It's all over at that point. If you can't put a slug there at 75 yards that's your problem. Discussion ended.

1. Are you referring to .44 special or .44 magnum or some other pistol.

2. I have no idea what a 300 degree railroad train is.

3. The term "slug" is normally used when referring to a shotgun.