US sniper may be linked to Bin Laden (DC SNIPER ALERT)

The Evening Standard ^ | October 14, 2002 | James Langton

[MadIvan]

Intelligence experts in Washington are increasingly concerned that the gunman known as the "psycho-sniper" could be a terrorist with links to Islamic terror groups.

From the evidence gathered so far, which includes a handwritten note by the gunman, investigators think English may not be his first language.

The shootings, which have left eight dead in fewer than 12 days, coincided with a warning that Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network is planning new attacks. The FBI warned last Wednesday that supporters of Bin Laden were "targeting key sectors of the US economy" and has long suspected that a number of "sleeper" cells are still active.

The latest victim, on Friday morning, was father-of-six Kenneth Bridges, gunned down at a petrol station in Fredericksburg.

Investigators are troubled by the gunman's behaviour, in particular his habit of selecting targets at random. Recent reports suggest he may have a female accomplice and drives a large white van.

[schmelvin]

With the boy at the school, I think he was responding to A) his own sense of invulnerability after his initial succesful shootings and B) The claim the police made that schools were safe. His initial spree left him feeling like God. Then the media/police combo tell him there are people that are immune to his power. So he purposefully shoots a kid at school to "show them" no one is exempt from his wrath.

That's entirely possible. This guy could be on an ego trip.

Another possibility is that the shooter's a terrorist acting coldly and clinically, and his mission is to make us all feel unsafe. So, the moment the police declared schools a "safe zone", the shooter then delivered a message of his own: "There are no 'safe zones'."

[beckett]

According to expert Eden Gray:

The Gypsies say that...the Tarot was originally brought to their people from Chaldea [the plain between the Tigris and Euphrates] and Egypt into Israel and thence into Greece.

E. Gray, Complete Guide to the Tarot, p 6

[Kevin Curry]

All the evidence I have seen persuades me Muslim zealots tend to be compulsive about certain religious rituals. They might be insulting, but they will be insulting in a peculiarly Muslim-zealot sort of way. I have already noted on other threads that the killings do not unduly intrude on a Muslim-zelaot's ritualistic obsessive prayer schedule. Lightweight evidence, sure. But if it cuts any direction, it cuts ever so slightly in favor of the killer(s) being Muslim.

On the other hand, a tarot card with the words "Mr. Policeman, I am God" being left at them scene strikes me as being too idiomatically alien to the Muslim mindset. If the tarot card report is true and accurate, I believe that cuts against the killer(s) being Muslim.

There is as yet no compelling evidence pushing me either way on this thing.

[ExSoldier]

"Thought I read somewhere that they wait to receive specific orders and then carry them out."

Gee I have heard the EXACT opposite. Why call them "cells" if you expect them to operate as a group with a specific chain of command? Each time there is contact between the chain of command or between individual cells, the odds of compromise go way up.

Go read the Special Forces Operational Handbook, available from Paladin Press. Another great book is: "To Break a Tyrant's Chains" by Duncan Long also available from Paladin. I learned all of this not from books but as a US Army Officer, however.

[Almondjoy]

But this guy isn't a murderer per se. It's not like watching one of those serial-killer movies where they have this need to get caught.. this need to contact authorties and make them understand.. he's in enemy terrority and you do whatever it takes to keep them off the trial.

[AntiGuv]

The only reason I pointed out the weapon - however it's being carried in and out - is to make the case that whoever this is apparently hasn't drawn any attention (looks like he 'fits' in). If he had drawn notice, then they would near certainly have found the weapon wherever it was being hidden. It's very unlikely in my view that the sniper looks Middle Eastern because it almost goes without saying that in the present mood they would not escape notice (esp. carrying a backpack..) Aside from that, I fully agree with the rest that he's almost certainly disassembling the weapon for carry purposes.

[AntiGuv]

I lot of serial killers never demonstrated much of any 'need to get caught' including some of the most notorious (Ted Bundy, the Zodiac Killer, the two L.A. Freeway Killers, the Green River Killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, the Unabomber, John Wayne Gacy, and the list goes on and on). Those who seem to want to get caught/killed are the spree killer types like Andrew Cunanan or the Texas Tower sniper and 'disorganized' lunatics like the Son of Sam. These are really few and far between as you'll find from scanning any list of prominent serial murderers.

[xzins]

exactly

Hey, you're in the know. do moslems play cards? do they use tarot?

[AntiGuv]

I've heard that there might not be any white van directly involved at all. It's been rumored in the area that for whatever reason - either to throw off the cops or as part of some weird ritual delusion - he simply waits to see a white van before he shoots a victim. That way, everyone's looking for whatever white van happens to be in the area rather than wherever the killer might really be at.

[Ronin]

Don't be so sure. He may have picked up the tarot just to get the gruesome looking death card.

[SSN558]

"and saunter right back out through the dragnet without drawing any attention while carrying an assault rifle....."

The weapon is catched, "hidden" and then the shooter retreives it just prior to making the hit. After the shot the shooter runs a short distance and ditches the gun again. The gun is retrieved later or abandoned. If the gun gets found the shooter permanently disappears, they now have a case.

[xm177e2]

a devout Muslim would have nothing to do with Tarot

That could always be misdirection. (I still think the most likely scenario is the stereotypical white guy)

[AntiGuv]

I thought about that possibility as well, but it strikes me as distinctly against reason to think that there have been 10 assault weapons hidden around the DC area for the sniper/s to pick up, assemble, fire, and then hide again so well that the dozens of cops who swarm the scene haven't found a single one of those...

[agrandis]

Wouldn't Al Queda, or any terrorist organization, want people to KNOW that it was them, if it was them? It seems like in the old days terorists always loudly claimed responsibility for atrocities. Now, we expect them to pretend it isn't them. Seems to kind of defeat the supposed purpose of the terrorism.

[a_Turk]

Never heared of Tarot back there. Plenty of poker though :)

[kennyboy509]

My theory

#1 There are 2 moslems working together.(simple deduction:Occums Razor, we are at war)

#2 A shooter is laying in the the prone shooting position in the back of a covered pick up truck. Shooting thru a peephole in the tailgate.

#3 The other guy is the calm getaway driver and lookout.

#4 They always park the truck with the bed facing the target. Its not camper type cover, that would draw attention from the cops. They are looking for a van.

#5 The lookout gets out of the vehicle and not only watches the surrounding area. But tells the shooter when its clear to pull the trigger via cell phone.

#6 The bed of the truck has a flat canopy. It is well insulated to keep the sound at a mininum. The direction of the suppressed sound is difficult to pinpoint.

#7 After the shoot, the driver calmly goes back to the truck and obeying the all traffic laws drive away while listening to the police chatter on scanners.

explanation: This is how I would do it, if I were a bad guy.

[webber]

A demented wacko would hardly use the words, "Dear Policeman". He would use words like, "Hey Pig, I'm God and I'm going to prove it to you. Catch me if you can. Remember. I'm god and will know every plan of attack before you put it into action."

[webber]

Lantos? Not likely. This sniper is intelligent. No es verdad?

[jcmfreedom]

Thanks for sharing your analysis. I obviously know nothing about Tarot cards.

[dsutah]

That could be. Also the possibility that they are giving clues that seem to point to a 'Muslim' or 'jihad' connection. This might be to get us to think of the possibility of a terrorist activity, so that they can rile people, and cause a panic.

The aim would seem to be to cause a panic, some confusion, and we go chasing shadows. Then they can go cause havoc elsewhere until they think they'll just 'take over'. It's scary, but I would hope we are a bit wiser and stronger than last year. There is also a possibility of 'copy cat killings'.