Orlando - International Terrorism or Home-Grown Terrorism?

[Old Sweat]

Both President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau have described the Orlando attack as a home-grown terrorist attack as there are no indications that it was directed by a formed terrorist organization. I question this as part of revolutionary warfare in its early stages, which includes terrorist attacks, is to encourage attacks by individuals and groups that are not formally affiliated with any organization. My reading on and admittedly sporadic study of the theories of revolutionary warfare and the response to it date from shortly after I was commissioned in 1961. A lot of movements have come and gone since then, and the west collectively seem no less capable of dealing with it then we were fifty years ago. From my point of view, just because a terrorist attack is not conducted under the supervision or direction of a formed body does not make it any less part of an international movement such as one of the Islamist terrorist groups. It also does not make it any less serious, although that may be the rationale for a characterization such as home-grown.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The problem is that our definitions have not caught up with the changing nature of terror. AQ is very much different from ISIS, beyond the caliphate goal AQ was always a top down structure with a fair bit of control of all players, with detailed bureaucracy to support it.
ISIS has two elements, one the regional element focused on creating the Caliphate and a functioning state, which is highly organized and with strict discipline. The other element of ISIS is the one that projects outward from the region, using social media, sympathizers and organizers in various countries. The task of these people and the social media is to garner support and to encourage free lancers. Some will receive some sort of direct aid when possible, others are merely encouraged to act in their name. It’s a good strategy for them, maximum effect with minimal investment. With an audience of 1.6 billion, you only need a tiny percentage to cause chaos.
Now that AQ has been badly dismembered the remaining members are attempting to adopt the secondary part of ISIS to remain relevant. 

 

[tomahawk6]

Then in France we have a new twist,the jihadists killed a high ranking police officer and his wife at their home.Talk about terrorizing the security forces.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Then in France we have a new twist,the jihadists killed a high ranking police officer and his wife at their home.Talk about terrorizing the security forces.

And according to his final video made on scene, he was a true lone wolf answering the call of the daesh nutjobs in Raqqa.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Seems to be the pattern, indeed:

• ISIS/ISIL says anyone can carry out an act of terror in their name.
• ISIS/ISIL tells supporters they should pledge allegiance in a public forum, before carrying out an attack.
• ISIS/ISIL floods the interwebs with propaganda hoping to incite anyone (including those with mental illness), then claims responsiblity.

 

[Lightguns]

Then in France we have a new twist,the jihadists killed a high ranking police officer and his wife at their home.Talk about terrorizing the security forces.

Back in the day in England, almost everyone in uniform cleared their car for bombs daily and many carried concealed in response to the IRA.  That maybe where they are going to have to go. 

 

[The Bread Guy]

Back in the day in England, almost everyone in uniform cleared their car for bombs daily and many carried concealed in response to the IRA.  That maybe where they are going to have to go.

It'll have to get a lot worse on a consistent basis for most civilians to buy into this approach, though.

 

[Lightguns]

Here in la la land sure, but elite French police units are already carrying 24/7 and the French must be getting weary of this. Many beat cops who never thought of carrying must be getting worried about being in uniform without a gun.

Sent from my XT1563 using Tapatalk

 

[Jed]

Back in the day in England, almost everyone in uniform cleared their car for bombs daily and many carried concealed in response to the IRA.  That maybe where they are going to have to go.

It will most likely take quite a while for any public acceptance of this in Canada but I fear that this is what the future will hold. Especially if our political leaders continue to deny and / or refuse to name the primary threat.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Here in la la land sure, but elite French police units are already carrying 24/7 and the French must be getting weary of this. Many beat cops who never thought of carrying must be getting worried about being in uniform without a gun.

Based on my limited experience in Italy, I'm guessing people may actually be more used to "guns in the streets" (at least on their cops) than we are in North America.  A lot of European countries have paramilitary police (Italy's Carabinieri, France's Gendarmerie Nationale, Spain's Guardia Civil, etc.) that people are used to seeing in the street.  Add to that the fact that many European countries still have "show me ID or I can throw you in jail just for refusing or not having ID" rules, I don't know if they're weary yet.

 

[Haggis]

It will most likely take quite a while for any public acceptance of this in Canada but I fear that this is what the future will hold. Especially if our political leaders continue to deny and / or refuse to name the primary threat.

Given about a dozen armed federal law enforcement agencies, two provincial police forces (plus sheriffs) and hundreds of provincial and municipal armed agencies, coordination of such a policy would be nightmarish.

 

[Brad Sallows]

>Both President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau have described the Orlando attack as a home-grown terrorist attack

I don't buy that line; it's just the standard jumping off point for politicians to use an event to pursue other political agendas and fit the event within their preferred story lines.  This stuff is being incited abroad.

 

[cupper]

The new spin to develop will be that it was an act of desperation by someone who could not come to grips with his own sexuality. :dunno:

There has been a lot of references in the US news to the two lone wolf incidents that took place last fall in Canada that took the lives of members of the CAF.

 

[Remius]

The new spin to develop will be that it was an act of desperation by someone who could not come to grips with his own sexuality. :dunno:
.

And so far it seems to be spin. 

http://www.snopes.com/2016/06/25/fbi-no-evidence-that-orlando-shooter-was-gay/

 

[The Bread Guy]

And so far it seems to be spin. 

http://www.snopes.com/2016/06/25/fbi-no-evidence-that-orlando-shooter-was-gay/

Thanks for sharing that - another critical tile in the mosaic from a usually pretty good source.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Somewhere to go if you're ever in Orlando and need to take a piss. 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3658190/Pictured-unmarked-grave-Muslim-cemetery-near-Miami-Orlando-shooter-quietly-buried.html

 

[mariomike]

Somewhere to go if you're ever in Orlando and need to take a piss. 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3658190/Pictured-unmarked-grave-Muslim-cemetery-near-Miami-Orlando-shooter-quietly-buried.html

The perp is on findagrave,
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=mateen&GSfn=omar+&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=166041382&df=all&

I hope they turn his flowers off.

 

[a_majoor]

The story becomes stranger: where is the wife of the shooter? While this is a bit tin foil hat, the author does raise an interesting point: a very high profile case like this is normally the subject of a media feeding frenzy. Where is the frenzy?

https://medium.com/@LilMissRightie/where-is-noor-salman-and-the-media-that-covered-up-here-disappearance-f578b39bfc6e#.smz7gnxt0

Where is Noor Salman and the media that covered up her “disappearance”?

Where is Noor Salman? More importantly, where is the media on her overnight disappearance in the wake of her husband’s terrorist attack on the Pulse nightclub?

Three week ago today, the nation woke up to the news about the worst terrorist attack to hit U.S. soil since 9/11. The one woman who may hold answers (and who may also share responsibility for the attacks) is “missing” according to government officials and no one in the media is asking about her whereabouts. It was obvious given the facts of the case the media was going to bury this story as quickly as possible. But there is a woman missing who may be a co-conspirator and not one inquiring journalist asks about her whereabouts? What a sad state of affairs for that dying profession.

The last update on Noor Salman, second wife to Omar Mateen, was that a grand jury convened to deliberate 49 counts of being an accessory to murder, 53 counts of attempted murder, failure to notify law enforcement of a pending terrorist attack, and lying to investigators. A Google search on the update on these proceedings yields no results since June 15th. The Google search results are all the same: “Sources: Grand Jury to Investigate Noor Salman, Orlando Shooter’s Wife”. That information too is fuzzy. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney General’s Office for the Southern District of Florida won’t comment on the proceedings or where they are taking place, however, that is not uncommon. Grand jury proceedings, especially at the federal level and for high-profile cases are sealed. At least the contents are sealed. It’s also not uncommon for the location and dates of said proceedings to be sealed. Those caveats aside, it has been three weeks since it was announced a grand jury was convened, therefore, isn’t it peculiar no one in the media thought to ask about the outcome of the grand jury proceedings?

Around the same time, the last update from federal authorities on Salman’s whereabouts was June 20th when Attorney General Loretta Lynch stated, when asked if Salman was still in the state of Florida, “I believe she was going to travel but I do not exactly know here location now”.

Pardon? Federal authorities have “lost” the wife who texted “I love you” to her husband as he was carrying out Jihad at the Pulse Nightclub. This is also the same woman who admitted she bought ammunition with him and drove him to the club to scope out the location and other details as he planned his attack. And authorities have lost track of her? Is anyone buying what they’re selling here?

It is safe to assume they know where she’s at — more than likely they have her in protective custody — so why doesn’t the public know this information? More importantly, why is no one in the media, national, and especially local media, asking the pertinent questions here whereabouts?

The local Florida papers are less than helpful on providing any information on where she may be. The Sun-Sentinel has provided no information since June 16th; the Miami Herald’s page looks similar. The Tamp Bay Time’s last update on her was also mid-June.

Even looking outside of Florida papers to the national papers is less than instructive. There’s virtually no update on her from any major paper on her since mid-June as well. Both Google and Bing confirm this.

One does not have to don a tin-foil hat to raise an eyebrow in the general direction of the federal and local authorities here. Floridians deserve to have answers on the whereabouts of the women who may be a co-conspirator to the worst terrorist attack to hit U.S. soil since 9/11.

Maybe Democrats can hold their next slumber party down in Orlando so the media can begin to properly cover this horror.

 

[The Bread Guy]

The story becomes stranger: where is the wife of the shooter? While this is a bit tin foil hat, the author does raise an interesting point: a very high profile case like this is normally the subject of a media feeding frenzy. Where is the frenzy?

https://medium.com/@LilMissRightie/where-is-noor-salman-and-the-media-that-covered-up-here-disappearance-f578b39bfc6e#.smz7gnxt0

Oh, I think we'll hear about her again in due time ...