This article comes from a paper I wrote as part of my studies at Henley-Putnam University. Because of today's attack in Toronto, Canada, I am publishing parts of the paper here in hopes law enforcement and others will make use of it.
1. Islamic
Speeches that can be deemed contributory towards an attack
MEMRI.org
posted a video and transcript 6473 of a February 2, 2018 sermon given by Imam
Mohamed Moussa gave a sermon at the North Hudson Islamic Center in New Jersey that
called on Islamic teachers to be mindful of what they say in sermons and
schools that could be deemed incitement to violence[1]. According to his
biography on the Graduate Theological Foundation Mohamad Moussa is the
President of the Tri-State Imams Council, and is the Secretary General of
Manara Institute. The importance of this call by Dr. Mohamad Moussa, is that it
is a public recognition that a problem exists in mosques across the United
States of Imams using rhetoric that can be deemed as inciting to violence. Dr.
Mohamad Moussa is not alone in his recognition of this. MEMRI published a video
and transcript in 2015 of Imam Tareq
Yousef Al-Masri who addressed the most recent terror attack in Paris as he
spoke in the Brooklyn Oulel-Albab Mosque on January
9th of 2015. In this sermon Yousef states:
Let us admit, without lying to ourselves, that we, the Muslims, are
time bombs. When I say “we, the Muslims,” I do not mean every single Muslim,
but Muslims of the religious sector are time bombs. When a sinner repents, the
first thing he does is make a bomb. He blows it up and kills people. We must
admit this. We cannot become immune if we do not admit this.[2]
While Yousef was not inciting
violence he was recognizing that it does exist in mosques around the world
including in the USA. Further on in the sermon, Yousef recognized who he
believed were the scholars behind the violent rhetoric being spouted in
mosques. This was an attempt to place a finger of blame against certain Islamic
scholars while recognizing that a problem exists that needs to be addressed.
2. Terrorist
Propaganda of Vehicle Attacks
Dr. Ahmet S. Yayla (2017) wrote of
the Islamic State’s “Lone Wolf’s Handbook” and its possibility for cultivating
terrorist actions within the USA. Dr. Yayla shared that the fourth chapter of
this handbook was entitled “The Ultimate Human Lawn Mower.” Yayla then reminded
the reader that ISIS had released a music video on the use of vehicles to kill
in January of 2016. Yayla noted that this chapter advised the following:
a. To
get a large 4X4 truck and to weld knife-like metal blades on bumpers and around
headlights to increase the causalities.
b. Choose
the most crowded places and drive over people as fast as possible to exact the
most damage.
c. Drivers
are not to stop after the first hit and to keep driving over as many victims as
possible.
d. Choose
the routes appropriately to ensure that there would be many other victims after
the initial hit.
e. These
kinds of attacks should be considered as suicide missions.
f.
Driver assassins are advised to have
weapons if possible and fight back until the very end.
Of special note here is the
recommendation to acquire a larger vehicle to inflict maximum damage. Notable
here is that this would likely require actors to rent vehicles. In Western
society, a truck with knives protruding would likely be a target of law
enforcement before any damage could be inflicted, this may account for a lack
of reports of such vehicles in terror attacks.
a. Historical
Usage of Vehicle Attacks
When
I originally was working on this article as a paper for Henley-Putnam
University, an attack occurred in Germany. O'Donoghue (2018, April 07) wrote in the Daily
Star that in Münster a vehicle attack was carried out resulting in the immediate
death of three persons and the injuries of at least 30 others.
O’Donoghue notes with as little information that she has at present, that the
attack seemed to have similarities with an attack in Berlin in December of 2016
in which 12 people were killed and 48 others were injured. Traynor and Hickson
(2016) described this as the attack on the Berlin Christmas Market. This attack
utilized a stolen lorry. A lorry being a commercial type truck used to
transport goods.
Helsel
(2016, August 4) wrote of a vehicle attack
in France on Bastille Day, July 14. The attack claimed the lives of 85 people.
The terrorist was killed. In this incident investigations revealed what that
the terrorist selected his route than did what was called test runs in
preparation.
Prokupecz, Levenson, and
Gingras, B. (2017, November 06) wrote of a truck attack in New York City on
October 31, 2017, which claimed the lives of 6 people with 11 being injured
before the terrorist was shot but not killed. The truck was rented and a note
was found near the truck giving ISIS credit for the attack.
Counter-Extremism Project (2018,
March 16) recognized that there
has been a series of vehicular terrorist related attacks documenting 36 cases
since 2006, “collectively resulting in the deaths of at least 196 people and
the injury of at least 1,050 others”[4].
Add in the statistics for this week and the number dead exceeds 200 while the
number injured rises close to 1,100.
Counter-Extremism Project (CEP), documents individual terror acts. Noting the
country of origin of the actors which never appears to be from within the
country where the attack takes place. CEP notes that in some cases such as the
attack at the Glasgow Airport on June 30, 2007 that vehicular mass was not
enough and actors placed propane canisters for an intended maximum effect. This
action has been seen multiple times, some of them in failed attempts, some of
them seen in accidental explosions such as are described by Birnbaum,
Booth, and Branigin (2017, August 17) after the Barcelona truck attack in June
2017.
The FBI saw truck attacks becoming a serious concern
by 2010 and published “Use of Vehicle
Ramming Tactics” (2010, December 13). Of special note are the indicators of a possible terror actor provided in this
release. The FBI indicators are tempered with the very real possibility that “a
ramming attack can be conducted with little to no warning”[5].
However, they indicators of a possible actor are only present when one or multiple indicators are given. Among
the indicators shown are:
·
“Unusual
modifications to commercial motor vehicles, heavy equipment, passenger cars,
and sports utility vehicles (SUVs), such as homemade attempts to reinforce the
front of the vehicle with metal plates.
·
The purchase,
rental, or theft of large or heavy-duty vehicles or equipment, such as SUVs,
trucks, or commercial motor vehicles, if accompanied by typical indicators such
as nervousness during the purchase, paying in cash, or lack of familiarity with
the vehicle’s operations.
·
Commercial motor
vehicles or heavy equipment being operated erratically, at unusual times, or in
unusual locations, particularly in heavy pedestrian areas.
·
Attempts to
infiltrate closed areas where traffic usually moves, but where crowds are
gathered, such as for street festivals or farmers’ markets.
·
A vehicle operator’s apparent unfamiliarity
with commercial motor vehicle or heavy equipment operation (unable to back up;
trouble with shifting; poor lane tracking; unfamiliarity with basic vehicle
mechanics such as air brake operations, slack adjusters, fifth wheel
operations, Jake brakes, engine type, or location of fire extinguishers and
other emergency equipment)”.[6]
Of interest is the fourth indicator which speaks of
observations of a vehicle in operation at unusual locations particularly heavy
pedestrian zones. This behavior has been discovered after reviewing truck terror
attacks that were committed. Celona,
Fenton and Fears (2017, November 01) revealed that in the case of the New York City truck attack on October
31, 2017, security camera coverage revealed what could have been a test run and
may have been multiple test runs.
3.
Why are Vehicle Attacks happening more often?
Vehicle attacks are more likely to
occur because:
·
No
affiliation with a terror group is required.
·
No
specialized training is needed.
·
Planning
can be brief.
·
Trucks and Vans are easy to rent or steal.
·
Little
to no financial investment required.
·
Propaganda
from the Islamic State and Al Qaeda encourage such acts.
·
No
collaboration or consulting is required to achieve the terror attack.
·
Almost
impossible for law enforcement to detect and prevent.
·
Death
while committing the act requires no jail time.
While it is stated that it is
almost impossible to detect, humans are communicative by nature. They write
notes to themselves, talk to others and share what is on their mind. It is
still possible that somehow, something could be known about a possible vehicle attack. Counterterrorism experts have a near impossible task to prevent all
such acts.
END NOTES
[1] MEMRI. (2018,
February 2). NJ Imam Mohamed Moussa: We Have Started a Workshop Training U.S.
Imams How to Avoid Incitement and Hate Speech. Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://www.memri.org/tv/nj-imam-mohamed-moussa-workshop-training-american-imams-to-avoid-incitement/transcript.
[2]
[3] Yayla, A. S. (2017, July 29). ISIS Tries to
Activate Amateur Attackers in the West. Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2017/07/29/isis-tries-to-activate-amateur-attackers-in-the-west/..
[4] Counter-Extremism
Project. (2018, March 16). Vehicles as Weapons of Terror. Retrieved April 08,
2018, from https://www.counterextremism.com/vehicles-as-weapons-of-terror.
[5]
[6]
REFERENCES
Anderson, J. W.
(2006, January 31). Cartoons of Prophet Met With Outrage. Retrieved April 07,
2018, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/30/AR2006013001316.html.
Birnbaum, M.,
Booth, W., & Branigin, W. (2017, August 17). Van plows into crowd in
Barcelona, killing 13; second, related attempt is thwarted. Retrieved April 08,
2018, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/van-swerves-into-crowds-in-barcelonas-popular-las-ramblas-district/2017/08/17/01556ed2-8365-11e7-b359-15a3617c767b_story.html?utm_term=.1965ad5dad7b.
Celona, L., Fenton, R., & Fears, D. (2017, November 01).
Probers believe terror suspect made dry runs before NYC attack. Retrieved April
09, 2018, from https://nypost.com/2017/11/01/probers-call-terror-attack-suspects-nyc-visits-dry-runs.
Counter-Extremism
Project. (2018, March 16). Vehicles as Weapons of Terror. Retrieved April 08,
2018, from https://www.counterextremism.com/vehicles-as-weapons-of-terror.
DOJ. (2008,
September 30). Shareef Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Foiled Plot to Bomb
Shopping Mall During Holiday Season. Retrieved April 08, 2018, from https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2008/September/08-nsd-872.html.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2010, December 13). Terrorist Use of
Vehicle Ramming Tactics. Retrieved
April 07, 2018, from https://info.publicintelligence.net/DHS-TerroristRamming.pdf.
Fernandez, M., Pérez-Peña,
R., & Santos, F. (2015, May 04). Gunman in Texas Shooting Was F.B.I.
Suspect in Jihad Inquiry. Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/us/garland-texas-shooting-muhammad-cartoons.html.
GTF. (2017).
Shaykh Mohamed Moussa, Ph.D. Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://www.gtfeducation.org/faculty-staff/Moussa.cfm.
Helsel, P. (2016,
August 4). Injured Man Dies Three Weeks After France Truck Attack, Bringing
Toll to 85. Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/france-truck-attack/injured-man-dies-three-weeks-after-france-truck-attack-bringing-n623231.
Jolly, B.,
Trayner, D., & Hickson, A. (2016, December 20). Lorry terror nut kills 12
and injures 50 by driving truck into crowd at Berlin Xmas market. Retrieved
April 07, 2018, from https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/571672/Berlin-Christmas-market-truck-crash-Germany-disaster.
Kosárová,
D., & Ušiak, J. (2017). The role of identity in the contemporary global
terrorist movement. Politické Vedy, (4), 113-133. Retrieved
from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1980909120?accountid=136858
MEMRI. (2015). Brooklyn Imam Tareq Yousef Al-Masri on Paris
Terror Attacks: We Muslims Must Admit That We Are Time Bombs and We Hate
Christians. Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://www.memri.org/tv/brooklyn-imam-tareq-yousef-al-masri-paris-terror-attacks-we-muslims-must-admit-we-are-time-bombs.
MEMRI. (2018,
February 2). NJ Imam Mohamed Moussa: We Have Started a Workshop Training U.S.
Imams How to Avoid Incitement and Hate Speech. Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://www.memri.org/tv/nj-imam-mohamed-moussa-workshop-training-american-imams-to-avoid-incitement/transcript.
Nowrasteh, A. (2016,
September 13). Terrorism and immigration: A risk analysis. Retrieved April 08, 2018,
from https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/terrorism-immigration-risk-analysis.
O'Donoghue, R. (2018, April 07). Germany van
HORROR: Truck rams crowds killing multiple people and injuring 30. Retrieved
April 07, 2018, from https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/694396/munster-truck-attack-terror-germany-crash-dead-injured.
Penketh, A., & Weaver, M. (2015, January
14). Charlie Hebdo poster burned in protest as Muslim leaders condemn cover.
Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/14/charlie-hebdo-poster-burned-muslim-protests.
Prokupecz, S., Levenson, E., & Gingras, B.
(2017, November 06). Source: ISIS note found near truck used in Manhattan
terror attack. Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/31/us/new-york-shots-fired/index.html.
Smith, S. (2005, August 31). Four Accused Of
L.A. Terror Plots. Retrieved April 08, 2018, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/four-accused-of-la-terror-plots.
White, C. (2015, January 19). Deadly riots
erupt in Islamic world over new Muhammad cartoons in Charlie Hebdo. Retrieved
April 07, 2018, from https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/19/islamic-riots-kill-as-charlie-hebdo-prophet-muhamm/.
Yayla, A. S. (2017, July 29). ISIS Tries to Activate Amateur
Attackers in the West. Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2017/07/29/isis-tries-to-activate-amateur-attackers-in-the-west/.
Please support my work by giving through PayPal or by sending a check to Paul Sutliff, PO Box 12846, 4455 Lake Avenue, Rochester, NY 14612.
Thanks Pauli! Will use it on my show tomorrow.
ReplyDelete