Is politics in America so corrupt and cynical that Netanyahu, the thuggish Likud Mafioso now in control in the Holy Land, gets repeated standing ovations from the representatives of small town America?
Category: terrorism
‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less’. ‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things’. ‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all’. – Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass.
we do know that, after October 7, Israel’s leaders intended to inflict terror on Palestinians and commit genocide.
Source: Terrorism is what I say it is – Pearls and Irritations
That isn’t mental illness: it’s terrorism.
Experts across the spectrum — from those who study mental illness, crime, and gun violence — all largely agree: our crisis of mass shootings isn’t the result of mental illness. It’s fueled by hate and grievance and is most appropriately called one thing and one thing only: terrorism.
Only our media and politicians insist on calling terrorism what it isn’t, as if using the word will burn them when they type it or call it out.
So it continues. Media and politicians blame mental illness for terrorism that they, themselves, often inspire and amplify.
January 6th was an act of terrorism, killing eight people including three police officers. The plan to kidnap and murder Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was an act of terrorism. The shooting at Club Q was an act of terrorism, as are the vast majority of the over-600 mass shootings America has experienced in the past year.
It may be terrorism with big goals like getting a president elected or changing policy and laws.
It may be terrorism with smaller goals directed at a former boss or lover who fails to “respect” their male-privilege grievance, often ending in suicide or death-by-cop.
Or it’s terrorism targeting people because of their race, religion, or because of who they love.
But it’s all very simply one thing and one thing only: terrorism.
You can’t cure a problem that you refuse to identify. And if we truly want terrorism in America to stop, we damn well better start calling it what it is.
Source: Time to Call Mass Shooters — and Those Who Inspire Them — Terrorists | The Smirking Chimp
Violent Far-Right Extremists Are Rarely Prosecuted as Terrorists
Since 9/11 federal prosecutors have applied anti-terrorism laws against 34 right-wing extremists compared to more than 500 international terrorism defendants.
The Domestic Terrorism Law the Justice Department Forgot
The U.S. has a powerful anti-terrorism law — but it’s only been used once against a far-right extremist since 9/11.
How a Movement That Never Killed Anyone Became the FBI’s No. 1 Domestic Terrorism Threat
Behind the scenes, corporate lobbying laid the groundwork for the Justice Department’s aggressive pursuit of so-called eco-terrorists.
The Strange Tale of the FBI’s Fictional “Black Identity Extremism” Movement
The only connection between the men referenced in the FBI’s “black identity extremism” report, besides their race, is a thread of anger at police violence.
How Individual States Have Criminalized Terrorism
Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have their own anti-terrorism laws.
Brian Colaneri, 20, Andrew Crysel, 18, and Vincent Vetromile, 19, face weapons and conspiracy charges. A 16-year-old student at Odyssey Academy, a school in Greece, New York, was charged with the same offences but was not identified due to his age.
Islamberg was founded more than three decades ago by a group of black Muslims who follow the teachings of Pakistani Sufi scholar Mubarik Ali Shah Gilani.
The town in Delaware County has been targeted in the past. Two years ago, a Tennessee man was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for plotting to attack the enclave.
![Vincent Vetromile, left, Brian Colaneri, centre, Andrew Crysel, right, face weapons and conspiracy charges [Greece New York Police Department/Handout via Reuters]](https://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/imagecache/mbdxxlarge/mritems/Images/2019/1/23/cc99c8007190420bbd15c9f34088f148_18.jpg "Four arrested for plotting to bomb New York Muslim community")
via Four arrested for plotting to bomb New York Muslim community | News | Al Jazeera
As the nature of terrorism changes, the average “jihadi” in the United States is starting to look less like the type of person President Donald Trump wants to ban from the country.
A recent illustrative example is Damon Joseph, a 21-year-old Toledo man arrested by the FBI this December for pledging support to ISIS online, who was planning a shooting attack against a local synagogue. In conversations with an undercover FBI agent, Joseph, who is white, expressed sympathies for ISIS and repeated some of their common conspiracy theories and propaganda tropes. He also, however, expressed admiration for Robert Bowers — the white supremacist who murdered 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh this October — whose massacre also seems to have inspired Joseph’s own choice of target.
Discerning motive is always a difficult exercise, but the affidavit that accompanied the criminal complaint against Joseph gives the impression of a young man already deeply mired in a noxious brew of hatreds and conspiracies. In conversations with undercover agents, Joseph said, “I absolutely despise Jews — always have, even before being Muslim.” At another point during the investigation, Joseph was asked if he felt hate for any groups people in the United States. “Oh yeah definitely,” he replied. “The gays, the Christians, the Catholics, the Jews, you name it.”
Cases like this have become typical in recent years. Among other things, they seem to show a shift in emphasis in terrorism plots from foreign political grievances to personal pathology. A significant number of those implicated in homegrown plots in recent years — again, mostly ISIS-related — have had long histories of petty crime, drug use, and mental illness, factors that were already strong predictors for incarceration in the U.S.
via Most ISIS Recruits in America Aren’t Immigrants, a New Study Suggests
Following another act of fatal violence in Melbourne’s CBD last Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison dismissed claims the perpetrator, Hassan Khalif Shire Ali, had a mental illness. He said this was a “lame excuse”, saying he wanted imams and the Muslim community to pay greater attention to people at risk of radicalisation.
via The link between terrorism and mental illness is complicated, and vilifying communities doesn’t help
Australia and it’s allies US and Israel support Al-Qaeda affiliates such as Al Nusra Front in Syria. We declare them terrorists any Australian caught sending them money will be jailed. So why does our government support terrorist groups while jailing Australians? (ODT)
“Until we start to broaden our understanding of what these movements are, we are going to continue to play whack-a-mole, which is what we have been doing for years.”
Significant terror attacks on Australian soil:
- September 1972 — Croatian separatists were believed responsible for bombing a Yugoslav agency in Sydney’s Haymarket injuring 16
- February 1978 — A bomb targeting a government meeting at the Sydney Hilton Hotel left three dead and 11 injured
- December 1980 — An attack claimed by the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide took the lives of the Turkish Consul General and his secretary, while a bomb targeting the Melbourne Turkish Consulate in 1986 killed only the bomber
- 1980-1985 — A series of attacks on officials associated with the Family Court of Australia left four dead
- 1980’s — Targeted bombings and attacks on the Asian population of WA were carried out for more than a decade by neo-Nazi group The Australian National Movement
- July 2001 — An anti-abortion attack on a clinic in Melbourne left one man dead
- December 2014 — The Lindt Cafe siege left three dead, including the perpetrator, and four injured
- 2014-2018 — A series of Islamic motivated shootings and stabbings have claimed three innocent lives and injured 10
- In the GTI’s ranking of countries most impacted by terrorism, the US came in at number 32 and Australia 65.
“Defining a group as a terrorist organisation is an intrinsically political act,” said Charles Lister, the Middle East Institute’s director of extremism and counterterrorism, told the ABC.
Asked why police suspected that was the case, he said: “We know things like Inspire Magazine and some of the online publications of both al-Qaeda and ISIS can be a source of inspiration.”
“When that radicalisation occurred is the subject and real focus of the investigation,” he said.
The case highlighted “that the threat in relation to terrorism in Australia is real and ongoing”.
This sounds very much like a definitive political and irresponsible statement by the police rather than an investigative one. The trial seems to have run it’s course. If Penthouse magazines were found in Robert Doyle’s garage would that make him a predator guilty of sexual assault? Why are the police being so public and wait till Dutton and Andrew Bolt gets hold of this one? (Old Dog)
via Woman charged with terrorism after alleged ‘Islamic State’ stabbing
In 2017, 53 percent of domestic extremist-related killings were perpetrated by white supremacists, while in the period between 2008 and 2017 it was 71 percent. The report warns that the “alt-right” movement’s jump from the internet to the physical world raises “the likely possibility of more such violent acts in the future.”
via Radical White Terrorists committed Most 2017 Killings in US
The man who allegedly planned to commit mass murder on New Year’s Eve once claimed he had been approached by ASIO to spy on terror plotters.
Ali Khalif Shire Ali told a forum that ASIO attempted to recruit him because they suspected he knew Farhad Jabar, the 15-year-old boy who shot dead a police employee in Parramatta, and other extremists.
‘I thought I was in 007’: Terror plot accused said he was approached by ASIO
“And the third is, this is an act of domestic terror, which isn’t itself a crime,” he noted. In short, the government can’t file a criminal charge of domestic terrorism, but so defining the incident does allow it to investigate not only an individual suspect, but also any group the suspect may be affiliated with.
Source: Why The Government Can’t Bring Terrorism Charges In Charlottesville : NPR
Jim Pembroke ponders Malcolm Turnbull’s impressive fear-mongering that has accompanied the latest alleged terror threat.
Source: Terror bomb plot: Quick Australia, get under the doona covers!
As the US influence in the Middle East wanes, it increasingly associates itself with dictatorships like Saudi Arabia, whose “dark face” and “role in supporting terrorism is known to everyone in the region,” a high ranking Iranian Revolutionary Guard official told RT.
Source: US seeks to ‘milk’ terrorism sponsor Saudi Arabia – Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to RT — RT News
The tragic loss of innocent lives to terrorist acts will not stop until we admit to the folly of current policies.
Malcolm Turnbull was quick to wonder why that guy who committed the terrorist attack in Brighton was on parole… Now, we know it’s a “terrorist attack” because Khayre said that he was doing it for “ISIS and Al Qaeda” which some pedants have suggested was rather strange considering that there’s a major split between the…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Trump on Monday continued to troll the world, this time by …
Source: Trump’s Wrong on non-Coverage; But, Top 6 things actually Wrong with Terrorism Reporting
Canadian prime minister condemns “terrorist” attack that killed 6 during evening prayers.
Source: Quebec mosque attack suspect liked Trump, Israeli army, French far-right | The Electronic Intifada
Better understanding the causes of social alienation is the key to solving the problem of domestic terrorism — not closing the gates on the alienated entirely, writes Christopher Elliott.
Four police officers have been injured, some seriously, after they were shot in a raid on a home in southern Germany.
Source: Germany shootings: Four police officers injured after raid on far-right group
The truth about Syria and what is happening in Syria is all here, in the video below, outlined and documented during this press briefing by the U.S. Peace Council (USPC).We cannot be sure how l…
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Every time a person of Middle Eastern heritage who ought to …
Source: Top Six US Problems worse than Terrorism | Informed Comment
The Minto terror attack raises the question: do we assign the label ‘terrorist’ to every mentally unstable person choosing to yell ‘Allahu Akbar’?
Source: ISIS Inspired or Mentally Unstable? Another ‘Terrorist’ Attack AnonHQ
Are all deaths equal? Martin McMahon looks at deaths from terrorism, mass killings, indiscriminate killings, deaths by gun-toting loonies in the U.S., malaria and hospital deaths. His verdict:
The murder of a priest in a church in the Normandy region of northern France is very symbolic and is part of terrorists’ psychological warfare aimed at demonstrating nowhere is safe and creating a gap between Christians and Muslims, experts say.
Source: Normandy church attack ‘symbolic’, attempt to ‘cultivate war between West & Islam’ — RT Op-Edge
According to the official FBI database, only 6% of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil from 1980 to 2005 can be attributed to Muslims. This compared to 7% for Jews and 42% for Latinos. No, not all terr…
Source: All Terrorists are Muslims…Except the 94% that Aren’t | loonwatch.com
Donald Trump declares that the Orlando nightclub massacre shows that he “was right on Islamic terrorism” all along, once again chiding Obama for avoiding that label. Hillary Clinton for the first t…
By David Alpher | (The Conversation) | – – Take America back from those who have stolen it. Protect America …
Source: US domestic extremists a bigger risk than foreign terrorism, but guess who Trump & GOP Coddle?
By Domenica Ghanem | (Foreign Policy in Focus) | – – The U.S. military apparently thinks Muslim women’s clothing choices …
by John Vibes at trueactivist.com In Cameroon, a terrorist group allied withISIS called Boko Haram has been attacking local communities with raids and suicide bombings. Boko Haram has been growing in influence in recent years and controls parts of Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon. However, there …
Source: In Cameroon, Christians And Muslims Protect Each Other From Boko Haram AnonHQ
Terrorism has many forms and many faces, but the most terrible of them is cold cruelty. We are asked to believe that terrorists consist of dirty lunatics, running around with bombs, machine guns an…
Source: How the West Creates Terrorism
Interpol: 1% of 2014 European Terrorism by Muslims
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Interpol report on European terrorism for 2014 would obviously look different for the horrible year of 2015. So too was 2011 an…
Hundreds of British Muslims have taken out an advert in the national press to highlight their “united condemnation” of terrorism after the attacks in Paris.
Source: British Muslims are literally paying to condemn Isis. So everyone can stop going on about it now
All remaining hostages at the Malian siege where at least three people died are now safe and out of the Radisson Blu in Bamako where they had been held, ministerial adviser Amadou Sangho told French television station BFMTV.
Source: Mali terrorist attack: At least 27 dead after Islamist gunmen storm Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako
If it seems like terrorist attacks are happening more and more often, it’s because they are.
We must mourn all victims. But until we look honestly at the violence we export, nothing will ever change
A teenage member of the Islamic State-supporting group linked to the Parramatta shooting speaks publicly for the first time about life inside the brotherhood.
After the murder of Curtis Cheng the speculation about how Farhad Jabar ‘was radicalised’ began. Any real expert will tell you it’s too soon to say
The response from authorities in the aftermath of the Parramatta shooting is far more calm and measured than what we were used to from the Abbott government, but the media is still sticking to the old script of fear and finger-pointing.
Exclusive: Before the Parramatta shooting, one man tried to help Farhad Jabar. He tells how this ‘gentle’ boy gave him the cold shoulder at their last meeting
A powerful confession by US soldier Mike Prysner on his experience fighting in Iraq. “Our real enemies are not those living in a distant land whose names or policies we don’t understand; The real enemy is a system that wages war when it’s profitable, the CEOs who lay us off our jobs when it’s profitable, the Insurance Companies who deny us Health care when it’s profitable, the Banks who take away our homes when it’s profitable. Our enemies are not several hundred thousands away. They are right here in front of us.” – Mike Prysner
olddogthoughts 
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