Posted on 11/17/2015 11:41:51 AM PST by amorphous
A former FBI counter terrorism expert claims the bloody Nov. 13 Paris attack wasn't a full-fledged assault, but a cold-blooded ISIS "test" to assess its ability to launch small, randomized attacks in a major Western city.
That expert, Eric O'Neill, told The Daily Caller News Foundation that ISIS was testing the model he called, "small randomized attacks" when it went on a shooting and bombing spree throughout Paris, killing 129 people and wounding another 352.
"I think this was a test to see how well this could work in a city. Can we coordinate it? Can we effectively carry it out," O'Neill told TheDCNF. "My sense is they are benchmarking themselves. They are going to see if this could be deployed somewhere else because if this was a test, then they passed."
The same test "could have happened in a Washington, D.C. or New York, or Los Angeles and San Francisco, yeah, easily," he said.
In February 2001, O'Neill helped capture the most notorious spy in United States history, Robert Phillip Hanssen. In the three months preceding Hanssen's arrest, O'Neill worked with the spy within the newly minted information assurance division, created to protect all classified FBI intelligence. O'Neill was charged with gaining Hanssen's trust and then using that relationship to slowly draw the traitor out of deep cover.
O'Neill believes the U.S. is next on the terrorist group's target list. He said it is now more likely in the post-attack assessment stage.
ISIS leaders are probably saying, "let's go back to the white board. Let's figure out what we did wrong and what we did right? How could we do better," he said.
Another counter terrorism analyst who requested anonymity agreed, telling TheDCNF that ISIS has abandoned the al-Qaida model, which targeted "symbolic" targets such as the World Trade Center and the Pentagon which were attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.
The ISIS model is to target smaller, "softer" venues that are hard to protect like bars, restaurants, concert halls and public events.
O'Neill said the tactic generates fear because when random attacks occur, no place is safe. "Small randomized attacks cause a much greater sense of terror than one large attack."
The new tactic maximizes fear "because you don't know where the next one is going to hit," O'Neill told TheDCNF.
Not everything went well for the terrorists, according to O'Neil. The bombers at the soccer stadium arrived late and detonated themselves outside.
"If he had been there a little earlier, he might have gone in. It would have been far more devastating," O'Neill said. "My sense is the coordination was off. They started the other shootings too early, or the one with the main bomb at the stadium was too late."
Have not been hit. Yet.
Tokyo was hit, but not by islamists. It was a home grown group. They released Sarin on a subway train.
Interesting, yes. Not long either, about 100 pages.
It’s not a “fun” book.
Author really didn’t want to write it, but felt compelled to issue the warning.
Ok crapweasels, what in all holy hell makes you think that for some reason, Washington D.C. would NOT be the FIRST place terrorists gather and attack? YOU PEOPLE ARE DELUSIONAL BEYOND ALL NORMS OF SANITY!
New York
Washington D.C.
Boston
Chicago
San Fransisco
Berserkly
o other liberal cities
The Philly marathon is this weekend.
I was referring to moslem attacks, not the local screwjobs. Tokyo and Beijing might be difficult targets for the moslems. They don’t “blend.” All the more desireable just for the challenge.
Is it Delusional or Intentional??? I think the latter makes more sense - we just don’t know the why and that strains our ability to accept it.
With the element of surprise a small group, even with minimum training, could pull off a Paris style attack. Easy peasy.
So they show their hand with a “test” knowing the entire world is on alert? I don’t buy it.
They have extremely well educated and trained people working on their logistics.
They most likely know more than me about logistics.
Yes. The message conveyed is we can hit you anywhere, anytime. Small town USA doesn’t have the resources of the major urban areas.
It’s a twofer.
Thanks!
“it’s on my reading list now”
You should read it now.
Like _today_.
All of you.
BTW: major terrorist attack in Germany was just thwarted. https://twitter.com/dw_sports/status/666698740108009472
Cool, the places we leave our kids all day!
Christmas shopping at the Malls in middle America.
Great Mexican restaurants?...............
Must be scary for liberal elites who eat in upscale Washington DC restaurants... and shop in small, but expensive boutiques...
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