LAPD Prepares for Suicide Bombers

[El Rojo]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,161443,00.html

LAPD Prepares for Suicide Bombers

Sunday, July 03, 2005

LOS ANGELES — For several years, the preferred method of terrorist attack in Israel, Iraq and Sri Lanka has been suicide bombing (search). Fortunately, such acts of violence have not struck the United States, but some officials say they eventually will.

"It's the preferred mode, method of operation for Al Qaeda and other terrorist people around the world, so I think it's just a matter of time," said Detective Ralph Morten of the Los Angeles Police Department (search) bomb squad. "I think we all know that it's coming."

Morten is part of one of the first counter-terrorism units in the country. His unit trains local police officers and firefighters on how to spot suicide bombers before they strike.

Not only is he working to secure the safety of Los Angeles, but he has also helped prepare U.S. Marines before they deployed to Iraq.

The LAPD and several other U.S. agencies have studied Israel's methods of identifying suspicious suspects and vehicles.

"A great deal of disguises are used: pregnant women, police, military security uniforms, disguised as surfers, disguised as musicians wearing guitars," said Morten.

While profiling is typically discouraged in the U.S., police say recognizing nervousness or inconsistent characteristics could mean saving lives.

"We don't have a tradition of automatically profiling people in the street by the way they look, or the way they behave, but this is something that can be taught," said Dr. Ariel Cohen (search), a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation (search).

"The reality is, we live in a world where people are intent on killing other people to spread their message," said Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton (search).

With today's technology, anyone could become a martyr for his or her cause. Al Qaeda has released an instructional video on the Internet which outlines how to make suicide bombing belts at home. The measures being taken by LAPD may not be paranoia, but simply preparation.

Click in the box near the top of the story to watch a report by FOX News' William La Jeunesse.

 

[El Rojo]

I don't know about you all, but I don't think we will ever have a suicide bomber problem. How many people can a suicide bomber possibly kill? A 100 or so? Big deal. Al Qaeda isn't going to try and sneak agents into the US just to have them take out a 100 people or so. Not to mention as soon as Arab men or women start blowing themselves up, what do you think this country is going to do to this minority group? We interned the Japanese in WWII and I think as soon as you have a few Arabs blow themselves up, there is going to be some serious civil rights violations against Arabs and the vast majority of this country will condone and/or support it.

The United States isn't like Iraq or Israel. These suicide bombers can't mix into the crowd and they will stand out like a sore thumb. I don't mean you will know which Arab is carrying a bomb, everyone will assume all of them are. With the small population in the United States as a percentage, I just don't see it being a feasable means to wage your jihad. Crashing planes into skyscrapers was brilliant and effective. Having your moles that you have been working on getting into the country and under cover for years blow themselves up for a 100 people, not smart.

Now maybe they have all of their people blow themselves up in one big coordinated attack. That might work. Sort of like 9/11, the crashing planes into buildings only worked for less than 2 hours. Flight 93 stopped that and it hasn't happened since. As soon as a few people blow themselves up, we will put an end to it and it won't be pretty for Arab looking citizens.

 

[Warbow]

The United States isn't like Iraq or Israel. These suicide bombers can't mix into the crowd and they will stand out like a sore thumb. I don't mean you will know which Arab is carrying a bomb, everyone will assume all of them are. With the small population in the United States as a percentage, I just don't see it being a feasable means to wage your jihad. Crashing planes into skyscrapers was brilliant and effective. Having your moles that you have been working on getting into the country and under cover for years blow themselves up for a 100 people, not smart.

I'm not so sure. I've seen a few white Al-Qaeda wannabe types -- I'm sure there is a surprising number of them.

 

[50 Shooter]

Disguised as a surfer? So if Spiccoli walks into the local PD are they going to shoot him?

It's not about the number of people that they kill, it's about inflicting terror. If the LAPD is preparing for suicide bombers, the terrorists have already won.

 

[El Rojo]

It's not about the number of people that they kill, it's about inflicting terror. If the LAPD is preparing for suicide bombers, the terrorists have already won.

I disagree. The LAPD would prepare to take firearms away from law abiding citizens. Just because the LAPD does something, doesn't mean it is a rational decision fueled by logical reasoning and careful thought. I guess that is sort of my point. I think they are just finding something to do. I don't think suicide bombers will ever be a serious problem. And if the LAPD preparing for suicide bombers means the terrorists have already won, why are we bother to fight them anymore? Why are our soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan? I mean we already lost right?

Example: Look at the DC snipers. Were people back east concerned about it? Yes. Did some people change their behavior as a result? Yes. Did it grind society to a halt all over the country? No.

Al-Qaeda wannabees are one thing. A suicide bomber prepared to die for the cause is another. How many of them are you going to be able to sneak into the United States? How many are going to carry out their task? How many are going to be able to freely roam about the country once the entire Arab population comes under extreme scruitiny by the rest of the population? I don't believe they will be very effective.

 

[gc70]

The United States isn't like Iraq or Israel. These suicide bombers can't mix into the crowd and they will stand out like a sore thumb.

Assuming that suicide bombers would be Arab is dangerously simplistic. The suicide bombers in Iraq and Israel are Arab precisely because they do fit in with the population. If the planners in Al-Qaeda have any sense, they would choose any of their members except Arabs to be suicide bombers in the US. Since Al-Qaeda has native members in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, that means that essentially anyone you meet on a street in the US could potentially be an Al-Qaeda suicide bomber.

Al Qaeda isn't going to try and sneak agents into the US just to have them take out a 100 people or so.

The lack of creative thinking got more than 3,000 people killed on 9/11. For some reason, Al-Qaeda's leadership seems to have a fixation on pulling off flashy, symbolic, "big strikes" in the US - and we should be thankful for that. Big, symbolic targets are a lot easier to defend than every street corner in the US. In the rest of the world, terrorists are perfectly happy to blow up 20 people here, or shoot 10 people there, day after day.

Fear is the real weapon of terrorists. The majority of Americans didn't live in real fear after 9/11. People in Washington and New York were somewhat frightened, but not folks in Des Moines, or Tallahassee, or Boulder. If you want to see Americans frightened, watch what happens when suicide bombers blow up a city bus in Boulder, and a Cosco in Des Moines, and a convenience store in Tallahassee. It's not the number of casualties that create fear in the population, but the realization that you could personally be involved in a terrorist attack anywhere and at any time.

 

[beerslurpy]

I think LAPD is just trying to find new ways to make itself useful. Considering that their current duties include shooting black motorists and taking bribes from drug cartels, it wont be hard to improve their image. I doubt there is any real threat of suicide bombings anymore than there is a real threat of gun owners shooting down airplanes with 50 caliber rifles.

I wish the terrorists would bomb LA, but only if they blow up the whole city and cause an earthquake that shifts the pacific coast back to las vegas.

 

[CentralTexas]

El Rojo

Where in Kali do you live???? I cant believe you said this-

"The United States isn't like Iraq or Israel. These suicide bombers can't mix into the crowd and they will stand out like a sore thumb."
I lived for almost 10 yrs in Kali and it is like a scene from Bladerunner....

CT

 

[cslinger]

The fact is it is very hard, if not impossible, to stop a dedicated person willing to give their own life in the process of taking anothers.

I sort of fall in the camp that we must make it very difficult to get those folks past our boarders and we must make it very costly for them to do such things.

Unfortunitely it like I said it is almost impossible to stop dedicated people willing to give their lives and it is very difficult to make it so costly for them without becoming them. The sad fact is whether you are Muslim, Catholic, Black, White, Yellow, Jewish, Man, Woman or child the great majority of us just want to wake up go to work, make few bucks have a few beers and come home to our families. It is that small group of a$$holes and politicians that make all us regular folks lives difficult.

What I am trying to say is I have met lots of folks from different races and backgrounds and to be honest as long as you respect their beliefs, whether you agree with them or not, the great majority of them ain't that different from you are me.

Let's face it we will be killing each other for a long time to come. If there is one thing we as a human race are good at it is killing and blowing stuff up.

Chris

 

[El Rojo]

I lived for almost 10 yrs in Kali and it is like a scene from Bladerunner....

I haven't seen Bladerunner. Sure there is diversity here, but as soon as Arabs start blowing themselves up in the United States, every Arab will be under suspicion. This isn't Israel where there are huge Arab populations. During 9/11 there was a lot of suspicion towards the Arab community, but they made it rhough because we realized most of those people are good US citizens and the threat was justified as only coming at the airports. If they start blowing themselves up all across the country, I believe people will see anyone Arab looking differently and act accordingly.

Can they get non-Arabs to do some suicide bombing in the United States? I don't think they can. I just don't see the non-Arabs as dedicated to the cause that they are willing to blow themselves up. Could they get other races to do some of their dirty work. Sure, if there is money involved.

Never say never, so there is a chance that someone can convince a white person to blow themselves up for Allah, I just don't think the odds are all that great.

 

[torpid]

I lived for almost 10 yrs in Kali and it is like a scene from Bladerunner...

Oooh- I hope it's the scene in the nightclub with Zhora and the snake!


.

 

[2nd Amendment]

"Arabs" won't be blowing themselves up on the street. Arabs and white guys and black women and Asian children will blow themselves up in a crowded theatre or the middle of large malls, etc. They'll kill far more than 100, initially, and they'll do it for the effect, not the body count.

The effect will make certain such a form of attack only lasts a short while. The effect will be that people stay home, don't group up in areas where unfamilar people can get to, don't go to public events, etc. The effect will be all public areas will become closely scrutinized and CCW/self-defense will be ended because telling the good guys from the bad is impossible... The effect will be a weakened America, economifcall, socially and in credibility.

Won't take much to get that job done, either.

 

[beerslurpy]

Oddly enough, I predict the opposite effect. If terrorists start attacking, more people will get CCWs, just like what happened during the carjacking days, etc.

The politicians can talk all the want, but getting rid of CCW now will mobilize a huge block of voters who were dutiful enough to fill out an application and jump through several hoops to get the CCW once it was legal. You can bet they have the perseverence necessary to remember to vote.

In a way, rights are a lot like entitlements. You get enough people addicted to doing stuff without the govt interfereing and suddenly govt interference becomes difficult to reimplement.

 

[JJpdxpinkpistols]

just further food for thought...profiling for terrorists?

Can they get non-Arabs to do some suicide bombing in the United States? I don't think they can. I just don't see the non-Arabs as dedicated to the cause that they are willing to blow themselves up.

Indonesia? Those folks don't look "Arab"
Somolia? Heck, those folks don't *even* look Arab.
Kyrgyzstan?
Chechnya? These folks tend to look like eastern Russian.

There are a bunch of non-Arab countries that are Islamic, and the general populace doesn't look like your average Iranian or Afghani.

And these countries all have Islamic law in place in one area or another. Existence of Sharia could very well be used as a barometer for the fanatacism of the populace.

I know that Indo has a HUGE fanatic Islamic population. They have terrorists events all the time.

Its pretty clear that race based profiling won't work in this circumstance, and in this country.

Now...how much is AQ in those places???? Dunno. I would hope that the CIA is keeping an eye on those places, but I have my doubts. :banghead:

 

[El Rojo]

Part of me might being naive, but I just don't see non-Arab Islamic radicals making the trek to the United States to wage war against the great Satan. Their toe holds where they are at are not strong enough as it is.

Second, even if they are Asian, it won't take much to get a redneck to be able to tell the difference between a Indonesian or a Phillipino and the other Asians. I bet they can even tell the difference when looking through a peep hole sight!

Non-American Islamic blacks are going to have to practice their English because if you can't tell the language difference, you might have issues.

Again, this isn't the Middle East. This country has a good chunk white, black, and Hispanic population so if any one not from those three groups start blowing themselves up, it won't be hard to keep an eye on all of them or even start ignoring their civil rights. You don't think whites will say, "No Arabs, Indonesians, or Phillipinoes allowed in this Mall."? If people start blowing up I think civil rights be damned, people are going to get effective at rooting out terrorists. And again, I don't have much faith in a rash of white Islamic converts suddenly having faith in the 72 virgins doctrine, giving up their precious worldly possessions, and zapping themselves and a crowd of civilians all against their western up bringing of the value of possessions and wealth vs. eternal pleasure with Allah and a supposed 72 virgins. Plus I am hoping these converts will be smart enough to figure out 72 virgins won't last long in eternity.

Think of the Los Angeles riots. When liberals suddenly couldn't rely on the police or government to protect them and they went to buy guns, they didn't just relax and ask the government to restrict their gun buying anymore. They went and bought guns anyway. If this starts happening, people will start carrying guns. Wasn't there an increase in carrying after 9/11 even? I think sometimes people underestimate the sheeple. They are sheeple as long as they don't have to worry about the wolf. As soon as the wolf shows up and that survival instinct kicks in, they take action.

 

[Kamicosmos]

Have you all forgotten about that nightclub bombing in Austrailia shortly after 9-11?


I am surprised that there hasn't been a couple homicide bomber attacks in the US yet.

As far as 'America' going ballistic on 'Arabs' in the US if they start this tactic...yeah right.

Old ladies get patted down at the airport while the guy in the turban gets priority seating.

There is no way The Powers That Be would tolerate any kind of anti-homicide bomber campaign that was aimed at people of Middle Eastern origin.

They'll just tell us to watch out for the quiet overworked single white guy that keeps to himself, and is probably a gun nut too. :banghead:

 

[Selfdfenz]

I thought good American's weren't supposed to be profiling each other. At least that's the impression I got. Now several years into the WOT perhaps it's gonna be OK?

I wonder if this isn't another attempt at:
- One piece of the government trying to get $$ and recognition from another bigger part of the government.
- When was the last time you guys heard any of the color coded alerts being dialed up or down? Wore that one out IMO. Perhaps "they" need something new to scare all of us.

S-

 

[El Rojo]

Have you all forgotten about that nightclub bombing in Australia shortly after 9-11?

That wasn't in Australia. It was in Bali. http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/terrorists/laden/7.html?sect=22

I am surprised that there hasn't been a couple homicide bomber attacks in the US yet.

You shouldn't be. It just proves my point. It isn't feasible here!

Think of it this way. Why are so many younger people liberal? Why are so many older people conservative? Once you start paying taxes and life turns more into reality than theory, working hard to support people other than your family suddenly isn't as compassionate and trendy as it once was.

If suicide bombers start hitting in waves and hitting everywhere, suddenly people are going to care less about civil rights and this reason with them bleeding heart attitude and they are going to want their families to be safe.

Over time will things settle down and will order be restored? Maybe and then we will start patting down old ladies again and stop the evil racial profiling. I think during a crisis though, all of these theoretical pleasantries will be out the window.

 

[2nd Amendment]

Rojo, they don't need to come here. They are already here. You think there are not 36 men, women and children of various races willing to blow themselves away for Allah, in a nation of 300 million?

Now, say only one third of those are successful. Over a two month period. What do you think the national economic and social result would be? I already offered mine, Slurp disagrees...next?

 

[El Rojo]

Ok, lets go with the 36 people theory. 36 people blow themselves up in 36 different towns across the United States. Is that probably going to alter all of our lives significantly? Maybe if you live in one of those 36 towns. The rest of us will treat it like 9/11 with that "Sucks to work in New York" or "it won't happen to me" attitude. And how do we solidify the "it won't happen to me" attitude? You crack down on anyone who fits the profile and you crack down hard. Then again, you said only a third of them need to be successful so only 12 towns suffered losses.

So if these suicide attacks are so successful at spreading fear and if Al Qaeda already has agents in place, why not use them? I contend they don't have them in place and the suicide bomber in the United States is not as effective as in places like Israel. They get new converts all of the time because the Israelis and the Palastinians kill each other all the time, giving way to fresh new martyrs to step forward to avenge their loved one's death.

Get an operative in place here, why would he want to blow his cover to kill a hundred people? Why give up his cushy life, his family, and his worldly possessions for 72 virgins that won't last two months?

Now get one of those agents in here, help smuggle in a nuke, cook it off with the possibility of escaping, sure why not. Or heck, being able to nuke some Americans in a suicide attack, I would believe that. A hundred people at the mall, and that is assuming a good attack, forget it. Maybe if they had a huge plan with over a 100 bombers, sure. The only problem is coordinating such a large scale attack in a country on edge about terrorism and with a handy Patriot act at their disposal would probably be rather difficult without tipping your hand.

Again, I don't think suicide bombings are going to happen in the US and my proof is they haven't happened. If they were the great weapon of fear and destruction some of you are claiming they are, why wouldn't they have used them already. I would be interested in seeing those answers.

 

[another okie]

Look up Bath, Michigan school bombing. That is the worst school killing ever, done by an an American suicide bomber, a local resident angry about taxes. (Let me add that if you keep reading about this bombing you will discover that they guy was seriously insane.) If Al Qaeda did a few of those there would be some disruption in our society.

 

[walking arsenal]

I guess it's time to practice watching for oddly shaped nervous looking people and practicing head shots.

 

[beerslurpy]

I never even heard of the bath michigan bombing.

 

[MarkDido]

Disguised as a surfer? So if Spiccoli walks into the local PD are they going to shoot him?

Damn, I hope so!

 

[gc70]

Again, this isn't the Middle East. This country has a good chunk white, black, and Hispanic population so if any one not from those three groups start blowing themselves up, it won't be hard to keep an eye on all of them or even start ignoring their civil rights.

Yep, racial profiling is a great idea to identify terrorists in the US.

Let's do some racial profiling on these people:

• John Walker Lindh - California - white
• Jose Padilla - Illinois - hispanic
• Richard Reid - U.K. - English/Jamaican
• radical Black Muslims - U.S. - Afro-American

Darn; maybe we don't need to keep an eye out for the Arabs after all.