Terrorism in the USA:threat & response

[Bill Moore]

Glad to hear the current administration got us out of two wars and increased our safety.

The slow approach working through others is not always the best approach. Those who promoted a UW approach for this challenge have lost crediblity. When you provide time, a lot of time, for the enemy to adapt to your strategy, then they'll adapt. Denying IS a physical safe haven in Iraq and Syria is still important, but it won't be decisive.

Our half stepping has certainly contributed to creating this mess.

[AdamG]

What's an article on a drug that turns you into a naked face-eating zombie doing under an LE title on this site? Devil's in the details.

The man-made drug that's manufactured primarily in China entered the states only a few years ago, but didn't soar in popularity until 2013.
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/...o-know-w435074

If you wanted to destabilize an opponent's population and send it's emergency services into overdrive as a distraction during an international confrontation, this'd be a pretty good results delivery system.

[Bill Moore]

We don't sufficiently appreciate the adversary's use of subversion, distraction, and attrition as strategic lines of effort to weaken us over the long term.

Even if China's government doesn't support this, and I suspect they don't, they can still benefit from it by ignoring it. Just like Russia and China benefited strategically by the U.S. being distracted in the Middle East.

[AdamG]

We don't sufficiently appreciate the adversary's use of subversion, distraction, and attrition as strategic lines of effort to weaken us over the long term.

Funny you should mention this. See also
http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...829#post192829

Even if China's government doesn't support this, and I suspect they don't, they can still benefit from it by ignoring it. Just like Russia and China benefited strategically by the U.S. being distracted in the Middle East.

Why? For the sake of argument, how would that be any different than Beijing's offensive cyberwar efforts?

If you're saying officially unsanctioned, the US has elements of the Federal Government doing 'dumb####' that could qualify as 'left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing'.

Furthermore, Beijing is far better at the long game than Washington DC. It would be well within the PRC's playbook guidelines to let some of their gangsters float a new drug that - if the circumstances dictate it - could be used as an asset during a confrontation.

[AdamG]

Meanwhile, back at Soft Target USA

The briefing was held in a private banquet room about 1,000 feet from the White House. The FBI was there. The Department of Homeland Security was there. So were staffers from the 9:30 Club and the Black Cat, gay bars Number Nine and Trade, and dozens of other nightlife spots and restaurants.

The message was both dire and obvious, once unthinkable and now unavoidable: You know those terrorists who want to attack Washington?

Forget the Capitol. Next time, they might come for your happy hour.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...d0a_story.html

Note to all you inside-the-beltway readers: this is why you should be paying attention during those PERSEC briefings.

[Bill Moore]

Funny you should mention this. See also
http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...829#post192829



Why? For the sake of argument, how would that be any different than Beijing's offensive cyberwar efforts?

If you're saying officially unsanctioned, the US has elements of the Federal Government doing 'dumb####' that could qualify as 'left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing'.

Furthermore, Beijing is far better at the long game than Washington DC. It would be well within the PRC's playbook guidelines to let some of their gangsters float a new drug that - if the circumstances dictate it - could be used as an asset during a confrontation.

Why? If you are getting the desired result without getting your hands dirty, then the best decision may be simply letting it happen, you may even make a few arrests to pretend you're cooperating. In the meantime the idiots in our country consuming this junk out a burden on multiple systems (legal, medical, etc.). The majority of youth in our country now don't even meet minimal standards to join the military, this will further worsen that issue, but no need to worry we have plan. It's called the third offset strategy, and we'll use robots in the future to protect our retards who are incapable of protecting themselves.

[davidbfpo]

NYT has a short version of a post-action report on the San Bernardino attacks, by the Police Foundation; it has lots of lessons to be learnt again methinks from my armchair.

Here is a taster:

The report shows how officers from multiple agencies handled a rapidly unfolding crisis, making decisions on the fly, often with little coordination or direction. The results were quick, sometimes heroic responses that may have saved lives but also created confusion and mistakes, though none proved fatal.

Perhaps most disturbing, more than six hours passed before officers searched a bag the killers had left at the scene of the shooting. Inside were three pipe bombs.

Link:http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/10/us/it-finally-clicked-that-this-wasnt-an-exercise-report-recounts-san-bernardino-shooting.html?

The Police Foundation report, 168 pgs (un-read):http://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0808-pub

[AdamG]

ISIS in St. Cloud, just a nut case or an overlap of the two?


http://www.startribune.com/off-duty-...oud/393850931/

http://kstp.com/news/st-cloud-police...bbing/4267007/

http://www.sctimes.com/story/news/lo...dent/90607870/

[AdamG]

Why? If you are getting the desired result without getting your hands dirty, then the best decision may be simply letting it happen, you may even make a few arrests to pretend you're cooperating. In the meantime the idiots in our country consuming this junk out a burden on multiple systems (legal, medical, etc.). The majority of youth in our country now don't even meet minimal standards to join the military, this will further worsen that issue, but no need to worry we have plan. It's called the third offset strategy, and we'll use robots in the future to protect our retards who are incapable of protecting themselves.

Ok, I'll buy the 'clean hands' theory.

SHANGHAI (AP) -- For a few thousand dollars, Chinese companies offer to export a powerful chemical that has been killing unsuspecting drug users and is so lethal that it presents a potential terrorism threat, an Associated Press investigation has found.
The AP identified 12 Chinese businesses that said they would export the chemical - a synthetic opioid known as carfentanil - to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium and Australia for as little as $2,750 a kilogram

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT

[AdamG]

An Ohio college student who pleaded guilty to plotting an Islamic State-guided attack on a U.S. military employee and a police station was sentenced to two decades in prison, authorities said Wednesday.
Federal prosecutors said Munir Abdulkader, 22, was directed to carry out an attack in the Cincinnati area by Junaid Hussain, a well-known figure in the Islamic State. According to the details outlined in court documents,#Abdulkader had planned#to record the military member’s death before attacking the police station.

Noteworthy: the suggested articles linked at the bottom.

FBI says Minnesota man who survived 2007 bridge collapse got a settlement and used it to join ISIS

‘I am fed up with this evil’: How an American went from Ivy League student to disillusioned ISIS fighter

Va. man pleads guilty to helping friend who wanted to join the Islamic State

8.5-year prison sentence for Virginia man who planned to join ISIS

Police officer for D.C. subway system accused of trying to help ISIS
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.0713fbd5032e