Subscriber Discussion

New Era Of Terrorism?

KA
Konstantin Avramenko
Jul 22, 2016

Taking into account recent tragic events, it seems that the security industry cannot propose a lot to deal with the modern type of terrorists now. Terrorists that can attack anywhere with anything.

  • What do you think can be done?
  • Do we move to the Israeli model and need to implement it everywhere?

Assessing security of public places and multiple public events here in Toronto I can only pray that CBSA, CSIS and RCMP are doing their job the best to identify threats in advance.

Avatar
Jon Dillabaugh
Jul 22, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

I think that what you are experiencing as far as a "New Era of Terrorism" is, to some extent, the 24 hour news cycle, combined with social media. Terrorism has existed for a very long time on a major scale. Modern travel has made it easier for terrorists to travel. The internet has facilitated spreading the words of terrorists and allowed them to recruit world wide.

I am OK with the level of security we have here in the US. I would not want to live in a police state. I would much rather live a free life and deal with the risks involved, than have my movements restricted on a daily basis in the name of security. I don't know for sure if restrictions would hamper terrorism anyways. It could be that they would still find a way.

There is one way we could quickly make it more difficult though. If you are a terror suspect and are on the no fly list with the TSA, you should not be able to buy guns, ammo, or anything of the sort. The second amendment should not protect those who wish to do harm to innocent civilians.

On the flip side, we should allow open and concealed carry without restriction. An armed civilian is less likely to become a victim IMO. If these terrorists weren't shooting fish in a barrel, their body counts would drop significantly.

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KA
Konstantin Avramenko
Jul 22, 2016

Not exactly. I am talking more about the "chaos theory" when the terrorists switch from the large targets and complex actions to the small but constant multiple attacks everywhere that means massive pressure on the state from all point of view and continuous effect (fear) on the public.

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KA
Konstantin Avramenko
Jul 22, 2016

and of course, social media add issues by escalating it that helps to achieve the fear effect.

Avatar
Jon Dillabaugh
Jul 22, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

I see your point. You are saying they are going for small, soft targets instead of the shock and awe style (9/11) attacks? That could be due to the lack of funding they are seeing. Bin Laden was very good at rounding up funding. Now that he's gone, Syria is pretty much dismantled, and Iran is putting on a good face (for now), maybe they are having issue raising capital for weapons, training, and travel.

KA
Konstantin Avramenko
Jul 22, 2016

Maybe they do not even need in it because today we know about everything, about any even small event in a small city on another side of Earth. The four main components of terrorism:

  1. Violence
  2. Inherently political
  3. Fear
  4. Threat of more violence

can be achieved with such kind of actions. And IMO the small but constant threat is more destructive. I cannot imagine the cost of securing of all festivals and parades we have in Toronto from a car/track attack.

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
Jul 22, 2016

That could be due to the lack of funding they are seeing

in part, but also I think we see more lone-wolf attacks because it is hard for radical groups to attract members and become large enough to pull of the 9/11 type attacks. If they advertise themselves for members they get infiltrated by law enforcement right away. And the more members they have, the greater the chance of their communications being intercepted by the massive eavesdropping systems of international law enforcement agencies.

I find George Friedman's books and articles give a profound insight into this problem. He was a co-founder of Strafor, and now formed a partnership with Mauldin economics with a new company called Geopoilitical futures.

George Friedman: Brussels Attacks Prove Europe Can’t Stop Terrorism

George Friedman: Terrorism Fuels Nationalism and Deglobalization of the World

U
Undisclosed #1
Jul 22, 2016

since you point out that 'modern day terrorists' can use any thing at any time - as has been shown in the Nice attack - I personally think this leaves only one real avenue of effective defense: kill the terrorists before they do whatever it is they plan to do.

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U
Undisclosed #2
Jul 22, 2016

"kill the terrorists before they do whatever it is they plan to do"

+1

did u figure out how are we going to do it?

U
Undisclosed #1
Jul 22, 2016

I was actually being facetious...

How is any LE body supposed to know what some marginalized, possibly disenfranchised-feeling individual is thinking about doing?

Lone wolf attacks are basically invisible to the LE apparatus that is tasked to keep everyone 'safe' from such things. Their much publicized abilities to track communications are rendered toothless when it comes to lone wolf actors who don't communicate with others about their upcoming plans.

imo, the destabilization of the Middle East is the primary cause of these types of attacks.

Anyone with an axe to grind about their own lack of 'success' (whatever that means) in their lives, careers, etc now have a convenient excuse to do bad things in the name of some 'cause' - when in actuality, they are simply doing these bad things because they don't like what life has served up to them, and they can't think of any other way to be perceived by others as 'important'.

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U
Undisclosed #2
Jul 22, 2016
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MC
Marty Calhoun
Jul 23, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Elect DONALD TRUMP and we will see the terrorists run for the damn hills, and if they are to stupid to do that (which of course they are) I hope bombs the s*** out of them, 50 days and 50 nights....

The LAW and ORDER Candidate....

(1)
Avatar
Jon Dillabaugh
Jul 23, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

I voted funny! This whole election is the biggest joke I've ever seen. Two of the worst potential candidates and nothing we can do about it.

MC
Marty Calhoun
Jul 23, 2016
IPVMU Certified

You could be right BUT you must admit a governing body with a 5-8% approval rating is BAD. You want to pick one of those fools to be your president?

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
Jul 23, 2016

Two of the worst potential candidates and nothing we can do about it.

U
Undisclosed #2
Jul 23, 2016

Copy of the email I received today

"If you don't have much respect for Egyptian television news reporting, think again.

They solved much of the world's problems in a few minutes.

Watch this, and try not to laugh or cry too hard.

It is poignant, riveting, true, and insightful.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/UXodRLLkth4 "

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #4
Jul 24, 2016

Video is fake. Just listen to 0:47 and 1:48, the same clip with different translation and the rest of the video is not discussing Obama at all.

U
Undisclosed #1
Jul 24, 2016

what video are you referring to?

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #4
Jul 24, 2016

Undisclosed 2 posted a link for a youtube video before my comment.

U
Undisclosed #2
Jul 24, 2016
KA
Konstantin Avramenko
Jul 25, 2016
U
Undisclosed #2
Jul 25, 2016

So,

Not once a month or week

now almost every day

Wow

KA
Konstantin Avramenko
Jul 25, 2016

It looks like that some of them are not linked to the external groups like ISIS but people won't feel safe anyway thus it works for ISIS.

MM
Michael Miller
Jul 26, 2016
Avatar
Ari Erenthal
Jul 26, 2016
Chesapeake & Midlantic

The best defense against a diffuse threat is a diffuse response. As Jon says, the era of big, 9/11 style attacks are probably over, as they're too difficult to plan, staff, train for, and implement without detection. What we have to worry about now are self-activated lone wolves. And while surveillance is an awesome tool for solving incidents like that, they're essentially useless at preventing them. Therefore, target hardening is probably the only possible response.

Part of target hardening is raising public awareness, including making sure that people know they will expected to be responsible for their own defense in an emergency situation. You know why it's impractical to hijack an airplane nowadays? Because you'll get your butt kicked by the passengers if you so much as look at flight attendant nowadays, like the time a Jetblue pilot went crazy and he got jumped by the passengers (including a couple of security industry names headed to ISC West).

What the government should be doing is greatly expanding Project Appleseed and selling military surplus handguns at or below cost to graduates. Want to slow down a mass shooting? That'll do it.

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KA
Konstantin Avramenko
Jul 26, 2016

What the government should be doing is greatly expanding Project Appleseed and selling military surplus handguns at or below cost to graduates. Want to slow down a mass shooting? That'll do it.

It can work if people will get the concealed carry permit and the right to use it for self-defence and defence of public in case of terrorist attack. Even in the USA it is limited Concealed Carry Permit Reciprocity Maps. In Canada we have much stricter gun laws and it is illegal to carry a product designed for personal protection against a human attack (bye-bye pepper sprays and tasers), according to the Criminal Code of Canada.

There is a good article Wave of terror 2015/16 that provides statistics for the Israel. Listed data is obviously support the proposed model of armed citizens. But I do not think that it can be directly applied to situation in Europe.

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Avatar
Ari Erenthal
Jul 26, 2016
Chesapeake & Midlantic

It can work if people will get the concealed carry permit and the right to use it for self-defence and defence of public in case of terrorist attack.

Agreed, that is a necessary component.

KA
Konstantin Avramenko
Aug 12, 2016

The lone suspect killed by police in an anti-terrorism operation on Wednesday had called for a cab to take him to a downtown shopping mall in London, Ont., according to a local taxi company

RCMP has got him in a last second.

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