UPDATED Person Briefed On Boston Probe: Bombs Placed In Pressure Cookers

[DonViejo]

Last edited Tue Apr 16, 2013, 02:20 PM - Edit history (2)

Source: AP/TPM

EILEEN SULLIVAN APRIL 16, 2013, 11:22 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) — A person briefed on the Boston Marathon investigation says the explosives were in 6-liter pressure cookers and placed in black duffel bags.

The person says the explosives were placed on the ground and contained shards of metal, nails and ball bearings. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.

The person says law enforcement officials have some of the bomb components but did not yet know what was used to set off the explosives.

President Barack Obama said Tuesday the bombings were an act of terrorism but investigators do not know if they were carried out by an international or domestic organization, or perhaps by a “malevolent individual.”


Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/person-briefed-on-boston-probe-bombs-placed-in-pressure-cookers.php?ref=fpb

---

This article has been substantially updated since my OP, above. Follow the link, please, for much more info.

[TwilightGardener]

1. So someone is able to place black duffel bags with pressure cookers along the marathon route--

at the FINISH line no less...that's some pretty crappy security by BPD. We've all seen bomb squads called out over little Igloo lunch bags left on park benches, for chrissakes.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Probably security relaxed after the leading runners finshed two hours earlier. nt

[Warren Stupidity]

5. The story is bullshitty because of the sourcing, but

people have their gear in bags all over the place at the finish line area. All colors, including black.

[Journeyman]

6. It's too early to condemn or defend, but to add to the general understanding, in my experience. . .

there are backpacks aplenty all over a marathon course. Many runners pack their sweats and other personal items in bags which their friends and loved ones carry to have ready for them when they finish the race. Can't say for certain that's the case in Boston, but it's what I've witnessed in every race I've run here in California.

[JimDandy]

23. Yes, they also litter the course

along the Bloomsday route in Spokane, the largest race in Washington State. Don't know how, or if it's feasible, or even necessary to search or eliminate all bags and containers from the course. Might be overboard, like having to take our shoes off at the airport.

[HughBeaumont]

55. Saw this sort of thing at the Cherry Blossom Run in D.C. last week.

Backpacks and gear among the race's 15,000 participants were everywhere, including at the finish line. I imagine this could have just as easily happened there. Who'd have imagined that pressure-cooker bombs would be in a bag among hundreds you just walk by at random?

[Journeyman]

66. I saw a picture today of dozens of yellow bags in a holding area at the end of the Race. . .

bags the Marathon organizers provide to the participants for their belongings until after the Race. These were all clearly marked as part of the Marathon, and were stored in a roped-off area. But yeah, there are bags everywhere around a large race. My wife used to bring our daughters to watch me finish, and she always packed drinks and snacks in a backpack. I'm sure there were times she set the bag down and left it unattended.

I guess what both you and I are getting at is, we can't anticipate every contingency. And to radically disrupt our lives in fear of the unforeseeable isn't the way I want to live. Nor do I suspect there are many who, in sober reflection, would agree to give up enough freedom to attain such security, especially as it would no doubt be an ephemeral safety, susceptible (again) to the forces of the unforeseeable.

[Renew Deal]

8. It's so crowded there

That I imagine it's not difficult to do.

[freshwest]

19. +1

[leftynyc]

15. While I've seen much disinformation

one thing I did read was that these devices were inside a garbage can - no idea if that is true but I can tell you all the garbage cans in Grand Central Station (NYC) this morning were covered.

[Dan Ken]

26. Boston police reporting no trash cans involved.

Some of the details get lost in the fog of this event.

[frazzled]

27. There are no public trash cans in Tokyo

(maybe all of Japan, I don't know). It was an after effect of the 1995 cult incident in which 13 people died and more than 5,500 were injured from sarin gas on trains. Why that led to removing all the trashcans I'm not sure, but it was just a general sort of security lockdown that was never removed.

[Warren Stupidity]

2. anonymous sources at this point in time are basically bullshit.

[femmocrat]

4. How common are pressure cookers anymore?

It shouldn't be too hard to track down recent purchases. (I have one that is about 20+ years old. I used it once.)

[RKP5637]

7. Haven't heard of many using pressure cookers for decades. My mom used to have one years ago,

scared the hell outta us kids.

[myrna minx]

20. I was about to buy one at Target but it was aluminum.

If it was stainless I would have bought it. They expedite cooking beans etc and they're becoming popular again among the cooking nerds.

[RKP5637]

37. I think we might try one. n/t

[myrna minx]

40. If you enjoy Indian cooking, it's a dream.

I've wanted to further explore Indian cooking and it's an invaluable tool to make beans, dal and gravy. Yum. They're also wonderful for chili .

[RKP5637]

42. Sounds absolutely wonderful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[MADem]

47. Also convenient at high altitude--speeds up the process. nt

[JimDandy]

70. I've used one a lot here in the Denver area.

It is MUCH faster for cooking any kind of dried beans, rice, hard veggies and stews. Saves energy! Grew up with my dad using one a lot. He gave all of us kids a severe talking to about never fiddling with the pressure cooker when he was cooking with it. Can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.

[MADem]

79. They're popular in Iran, too. Most households have at least one, often more of different sizes.

The cooking in that country in some regards is similar to Indian/Pakistani food, and they use them a lot there as well. You can fire 'em up, heat the stuff up inside, and then take it off the heat and let it depressurize gradually.

They are great kitchen tools if, as you say, you know what you're doing! Paying attention is a big piece of it all, too, of course!

[freshwest]

78. Fagor are stainless. If you want one. I won't buy aluminum, either.

[freshwest]

22. They're getting in style again because people want to can (or cook things quickly with less energy).

My folks used them to quick cook some foods, not can with them. They always scared the heck out of me, too. I do own one though, a modern one made by Fagor I got from Macy's some years back.

[RKP5637]

30. I might try one again. My sisters and I used to go into the other room, although I was more

adventurous watching the thing in the store. Her stove had one that sunk down into the stove ... and all you saw was steam flying outta the top of the stove ... as I recall something used to pop up and then she would flick a lever on the top of it to release the pressure.

She was really good at using it ... used to use it almost for every meal. The vegetables were really good. As I recall she used to cook certain types of meat in it too. Now, my curiosity is up, we might just try one of these again... I like the idea of using less energy ... and also saving time. Sounds kinda fun!

[freshwest]

74. Sounds like a great stove. My dad obtained a vintage O'Keefe Merritt that looked a bit like this:

It had a chrome top grill in the center and a built-in crockpot in the rear left hand side. I bet that would work as a pressure cooker with the right top on it.

The knobs, handles and everything else was the same. The oven on the right was what provided the heat for the broiler underneath it. The left lower door was a drawer but the upper left door was an oven for warming, with part of the rear space used by the crockpot.

We didn't have a built-in pressure cooker, just the insert and top. My dad used a large Mirro pressure cooker for cooking pintos and making a pot of sauerkraut with polish sausage. My stepmother never would cook that. So it was his late night cooking thing that I found strange and exotic.



It would hiss and rattle angrily although I don't think the new ones are noisy. I darted in and out of the kitchen waiting for it to explode or the round device to fly off and hit something.

Fagor sells two kinds, a pot and a skillet which use the same top and seal. Naturally it has cookbooks and instructions.

There was one significant thing different on our stove. It had a chrome overhang across the top that had a lamp in it. So that the kitchen was never dark at night. Also it was gas and the pilots never went off, quite common in those days.

My dad was into retro things, it was an antique even then, I think. I still miss my dad. He died just before his 52nd birthday in February of 1965.

[MADem]

80. Your dad had taste and class!

We had an old Rayburn (and I'm talking OLD) that ran on oil--it heated the house, the hot water, AND it cooked the food. Cosy old thing! I wish we could have taken it with us, but it weighed as much as a car~!

It looked a bit like this:

[freshwest]

81. Wow, that looks a lot like a wood stove, too.

And I fully believe it heated the whole house. That one I posted about had 6 gas pilots which burned all the time.

Although my dad was modern about some things. Our kitchen had an automatic dishwasher, rather rare in the early fifties, and we had central heat and air conditioning throughout the home. I miss that house, too...

I understand about the weight. Things were more sturdy then and seemed to last forever.

I hope we don't get sent back to the Cooking and Baking galley for going off topic, LOL.

[MADem]

82. Ha ha!

They can only "punish" us in the OP portion of the thread (and neither one of us started this beauty)--the hosts in the Big Forums have limited powers, which is why subthreads can sometimes wander off in odd directions!!

[freshwest]

83. Guess so. And thanks for the support the other day. Much appreciated. You are very articulate.

[MADem]

87. Anytime!

I'm into fairness and that situation just wasn't fair!

[MannyGoldstein]

9. I use one.

They're fantastic. Food cooks much faster, big energy savings too.

Just picked up this cookbook a week ago, pretty good.

[RKP5637]

35. Just saved it to my Amazon Wish List for reference. Thanks!!! n/t

[sir pball]

10. They sell them at my Target

Buy one cash, they'll come up with nothing. They aren't THAT uncommon.

[Moostache]

12. My pressure cooker is a godsend when the kids are hungry and dinner is late...

If you are cooking raw vegetables, a pressure cooker is easier and faster than a microwave - I don't know how many people actually use them, but I swear by mine.

[Marrah_G]

13. I bought one last year

I think canning has become alot more popular in new england as people move towards farmers markets and organic foods.

[Myrina]

14. Shit you can probably find them at Goodwills ...

.... good luck tracking those purchases ...

[slackmaster]

52. I got both of mine at garage sales

They're very easy to find.

[csziggy]

68. That's what I was thinking - thrift store purchases would be untraceable nt

[freshwest]

77. That was my first thought, thrift store.

[Cal Carpenter]

33. We've got one at our house

and use it regularly. We tend to cook from scratch but we aren't like super foodie types.

They are sorta 'old school' but I would think they are still pretty common.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

34. We use them to slow cook ribs.

Wait, or is that a Crock Pot?

Is a Crock Pot the same as a Pressure Cooker?

[Trillo]

41. Crock pot and pressure cooker not the same.

Crock pots cook food at atmospheric pressure slowly at relatively low temperatures for a long time (which is why meat turns out tender).

Pressure cookers are sealed (with controlled steam release), so as heat is applied, the pressure builds up, raising the pressure food is cooked at (under pressure, boiling point of water is raised). These cook food faster, as the pressure "presses" the heat as steam into the food. They're also called pressure canners, and are used to preserve foods, such as in a Ball or Mason jar (or a metal can, often called "retorting&quot , so the foods may be stored for months on end without the electrical costs of refrigeration or freezing.

[R Merm]

39. Once read an article on converting a pressure cooker into a home still.

In fact if you google topic there are instructions on doing this.

[shanti]

43. they're awesome for tough meat cuts

like oxtails, beef stew, and the like. i have two of them myself, have had them for many years.

[slackmaster]

48. I own two of them. One is a stainless 6-quart unit for cooking food. The other is aluminum...

...much larger, just for canning.

[Warpy]

60. Quite common among serious cooks

and those of us at high elevation who want our beans to get done.

The pressure cooker bomb was an old trick out of The Anarchist's Cookbook, whatever recipe was used here.

[Posteritatis]

64. What? They're slightly rarer than frying pans around here but I wouldn't go much further. (nt)

[Robb]

11. If true, it completely changes the profile of the bomber(s), IMO.

Relevantly: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8259960&mesg_id=8260010

Edited to add: the Tehreek-e-Taliban have denied responsibility, which makes me wonder about this report.

[slackmaster]

53. Or maybe...

[Solly Mack]

16. Like the train bombs in Mumbai.

Those were pressure cooker bombs as well.

[Xithras]

17. Well, that helps to narrow the bombers. We're probably looking at Pakistani Taliban.

Pressure cooker bombs were also used in the Times Square bomb a few years ago. I have no idea what the source of the bombing style is, but it's a common technique seen in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and almost nowhere else.

[arcane1]

18. Is there a special American method of bomb building, that would've been used if it was a citizen?

That seems like quite a leap. Perhaps this method was chosen simply for being cheap and effective?

[Xithras]

24. No logical leap involved. It was either Pakistani Taliban, or a false flag trying to implicate them.

There's a bit more to building an IED than simply throwing some explosives and nails into a backpack. The US military teaches some of its soldiers bomb building techniques for improvised warfare (ever see Saving Private Ryan? Remember the bomb, sock, and grease? That's one example). Russians teach their soldiers different techniques. AQ in Iraq had specific bomb building techniques that they used against our soldiers there, that are also now widely seen in Syria. The Taliban have specific bomb making techniques that they teach in their camps.

How a bomb is made can tell you a LOT about who built it.

The pressure cooker technique is widely used in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and is seen almost nowhere else. It was used in the train bombings in Mumbai, which the Pakistani Taliban took credit for (and which was traced to them anyway). Similarly, it's one of the bomb building techniques used in the Times Square attempted boming a few years ago. That was similarly traced to a Pakistani American, credit was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, and the bomber admitted that he'd been taught bomb building techniques in their training camps.

It's a signature weapon design. It's a great, big, fat arrow pointing back to the Taliban. The Afghan Taliban have never shown much interest in striking the U.S. directly, but the Pakistani Taliban has not only professed an interest...they've tried it before.

There are no logical leaps here.

[Sunlei]

31. talabin may have been the first but I'm sure it's not a secret the 'how to' directions.

They need to catch the person who placed the bombs.

[MADem]

51. TIME Magazine: A Short Recent History of Pressure Cooker Bombs

Authorities are now saying that the explosive devices in Boston were fashioned from pressure cookers. Yes, like the kitchen pot you might use to cook rice at home. As it happens, pressure cookers have a nefarious reputation in counterterrorism circles. In 2004, the Department of Homeland Security was concerned enough about pressure cooker bombs to issue an alert to federal and state security officials: “A technique commonly taught in Afghan terrorist training camps is the use/conversion of pressure cookers into IEDs,” the bulletin warned.

That bulletin cited several plots from 2002 to 2004 to use pressure cooker bombs in France, India and Nepal. But more recently there have been at least three other instances of would-be terrorists in the west, all of them Islamic radicals, in possession of pressure cookers for reasons that seemed not to involve having friends over for dinner. One was an Army private linked to the 2010 Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, who had reportedly been taking bomb-making tips from the al Qaeda’s short-lived (literally) magazine Inspire and had various weapons and explosives along with his cooking pot. (The magazine reportedly recommended pressure cookers as explosive devices.) A 2010 suicide bomber in Stockholm had rigged a pressure cooker bomb that failed to detonate. And as a newer DHS warning about the kitchen devices noted, the failed 2010 SUV bomb in New York’s Times Square was a pressure cooker device featuring 120 firecrackers. The same DHS memo refers to a March 2010 bombing with a pressure cooker at a western Christian aid agency in Pakistan that killed six people.

Counterterror officials are surely well aware of these facts and studying any related leads. But it’s important to bear in mind that the ability to make these bombs is hardly unique to al Qaeda and its sympathizers. Members of at least one prominent white supremacist website have shared terror tips from Inspire, which one called “highly recommended reading.” Pressure cooker bombs are also discussed in detail on this anarchist site, which describes how to build what is “affectionately known as a HELLHOUND.”

...The identity of the Boston bomber or bombers remains very much unclear, and it would be foolish to jump to conclusions. It would also be foolish to ignore the twisted recent history of the pressure cooker as a method for killing innocent people.

Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2013/04/16/a-short-history-of-pressure-cooker-bombs/#ixzz2QemrptLG

[truthisfreedom]

21. Perhaps they were placed on the ground only minutes or seconds before detonation.

Perhaps that's why they weren't detected.

[Bay Boy]

25. So the bomb is placed inside..

...the pressure cooker? For added shrapnel I assume?

[hack89]

29. To increase the power of the explosion by initially constraining the pressure

it looks like they used gun powder, which is a low-explosive ie it burns slower and creates pressure slower than a high explosive. By using a pressure cooker, the pressure in the vessel is allow to build up to an extremely high level so that when the cooker finally bursts, there is much more energy released all at once.

[RC]

38. A strong container makes for a bigger explosion.

The explosion only needs to be stronger than the weakest point in the container.

Put gun power in a pile and light it and it just fizzles. Put in in a weak container and it goes "POOF" Put in in a stronger container and you get "BOOM"

[slackmaster]

49. If the explosive was not high-order, e.g. black powder, it's necessary to confine it to get...

...the maximum possible blast effect.

In air even a rather large amount of BP just goes FOOF! and makes a fireball and smoke, but no real blast.

[Sunlei]

28. sad it could be one person caused all that heartache

[onehandle]

32. BBs, Ball Bearings, Gun Powder. All readily available at gun shows. nt

[MADem]

44. There were nails in them, too, per one of the doctors. nt

[slackmaster]

56. All readily available at Wal-Mart

All of the ingredients to make black powder can be bought just about anywhere, and it's very simple to make.

[bigworld]

45. Not sure how close they were to the bombing, but there were lots of catering trucks and tents there

... a great way to "hide" a pressure cooker in plain sight.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

46. Briefed by who? Before there are demands that all pressure cookers be registered, or banned, or

whatever, at a minimum, can't the alleged facts be verified?

This may not even be true.

In Afghanistan where there is a general absence of hardware stores selling pipes, it may be that the Afghans only have a ready access to pressure cookers.

[slackmaster]

50. How about micro-engraved serial numbers on all ball bearings and nails?

It's only Common Sense.

[marions ghost]

54. sick comment

----------

[AnotherMcIntosh]

57. Sounds right,

or at least consistent with some thinking.

[GeorgeGist]

58. You're the master.

[happyslug]

62. You forget about the Unibomber?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kaczynski

The main reason he lasted as long as he did (and the FBI was no nearer to catch him, till the FBI agree to publish his manifesto) was he went out of his way to make parts of his bomb, parts he could have obtain from local hardware stores. If he had used such common parts, the FBI could have tracked down to where such items were sold, just by knowing who made the part and how that part was distributed. Ted Kaczynski frustrated those attempts for he made ALL of the parts of the bomb himself, even parts he could have purchased at his local hardware store.

Thus, given the nature of most items, who made them, when, what batch etc, most can be traced without any number on them. You can NOT trace each pieced produced, but you can see where it was made and how it was distributed. If you have more then one piece that can be "Traced" this way, you can often get down to the store the items were sold in.

Thus the FBI will pick up the nails, and anything else in the debris, and try to trace all of them and see where all of them could be obtained. This includes the black duffel bags and the pressure cooker. Collectively this is almost as good as having engraved serial numbers on the ball bearings and nails and what else was in the bomb (including the explosive used).

[slackmaster]

63. I have great confidence in the ability of the FBI and BATFE to track down the perps

It will take a lot of careful work, but that's what their forensic people do best.

[happyslug]

73. I do NOT expect these people to do what the Unibomber did

That was a lot of work, and why he lasted as long as he did (and that he was a one man terrorist organization helped him stay out of the sight of the FBI). How the Unibomber was able to to avoid arrest is an example of the old adage, "Three can keep a Secret, if two of them are dead". With the Unibomber, he was the only one in his network and thus was impossible to catch for that reason. This group does NOT have the intelligence of the Unibomber and they are to many in this terror cell for them to avoid being found, the FBI should be able to track them down quickly.

[happyslug]

59. Who uses "black duffel bags"?

I hate to say this, but most US residents who would commit an act of violence tend to be associated with right wing groups who in turn tend to be oriented to the US Military (notice I use the term "oriented" as opposed to associated with the US Military. I use the term "oriented" for most such groups use US surplus or other US military gear in their groups organization, as opposed to be actually associated with the US Military).

I bring this up, for the US military tends to use GREEN duffel bags NOT black duffel bags. Why go out of your way to obtain a black duffel bag, when you have plenty of green ones just laying around?

On the other side, most runners and other people associated with the Boston Marathon tend NOT to be ex-military, and thus were never issued a green duffel bag and thus may have had to buy one, and purchased a black one instead of a green one. This could be seen by some right winger who decided to spend the money and obtain a black duffel bag to cover up the fact he is a right winger AND to better blend the duffel bag with the bomb with the other black duffel bags in the area.

Now, buying a black duffel bag is NOT out of the picture for a right wing group, but given how common green duffel bags are when you deal with military and ex-military personnel, and given the tendency to the right wing groups to imitate the US military, green duffel bags would be a more nature fit for them.

Just a comment that the color of the duffel bag may indicate some group other then a US right wing group.

[slackmaster]

61. Goths, or possibly Emos.

[Posteritatis]

65. That's some pretty amazing speculation from a color alone. (nt)

[happyslug]

71. It is something to consider, given the nature of America's right wing.

I use a green duffel bag myself, it stands out on an airport baggage claim among all the black suitcases (and is one of the reason I recommend a COLOR suitcase NOT a black one, a color will stand out among all the black suitcases in a baggage claim area).

Thus, a green duffel bag is something most people in those right wing violent group would use, for they have them.

On the other hand, people who observe people at such races will often see other types of duffel bag and want to blend in with whatever is most popular in usage in that area (i.e. does NOT stand out). Thus, by the use of a Black Duffel bag, I can NOT rule out a right wing group, but it is a factor when considering who did this.

It is like the earlier comment about a pressure cooker, the use of which is generally in Pakistan and Afghanistan. If that is TRUE, it is another indication that this is from Pakistan or Afghanistan NOT domestic. The use of a Black Duffel bag implies it was purchased NOT in a war surplus shop (where a lot of US right wingers go for equipment) but a more upscale shop, where someone NOT from the US would go. War Surplus tend to be individually owned, unlike department stores (and even stores like Gander Mountain) and thus a place people from overseas would know of. On the other hand, Gander Mountain, K-Mart, and other stores they could be briefed on and see on the net and be instructed what to buy where,

I suspect the Pressure Cooker and the Duffel bag was purchased in the US, along with whatever was the ingredients in the explosive. Maybe even purchased in the same place (Gander Mountain or Cabelas, or maybe Walmart or K-mart as far as I know). All I am pointing out is the Duffel Bag is NOT the type of Duffel bags most right wing groupies would have.

[Posteritatis]

72. There's "consider" and then there's "build a huge, elaborate theory around." (nt)

[Codeine]

86. That's a positively staggering amount of speculation

based on something that is probably more likely related to whatever was least expensive in WalMart's sporting goods aisle on the day of purchase.

[Posteritatis]

67. The terrorists are winning allllllll over this thread. (nt)

[SunSeeker]

69. Daily Beast has a story that the pressure cooker is associated with Al Qaeda,

citing unnamed "U.S. counter-terrorism officials." However, as one commenter noted, the same bomb "recipe" can be found on a white supremacist website.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/16/al-qaeda-s-recipe-for-pressure-cooker-bombs.html

[octothorpe]

76. Pressure cookers are also used by Chick-fil-a...

[tclambert]

75. What kind of terrorist doesn't claim credit and doesn't tell you why he made the attack?

Hey, stupidhead terrorist! How are we supposed to know what cause you're fighting for if you don't tell anybody?

[greyl]

84. "From the late 1990s until 2004, the percentage of claimed acts of terror plumetted to 14.5%,"

From this interesting paper:

Aaron M Hoffman : Voice and silence: Why groups take credit for acts of terror

Terrorism is designed to draw attention to particular issues and causes. Yet, perpetrators often keep their involvement in acts of terrorism secret, resulting in confusion among target audiences. The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing is a case in point. Timothy McVeigh’s decision to hide his participation in the attack led some authorities to speculate that Islamic militants were to blame (Johnston, 1995). McVeigh’s silence permitted observers to overlook his message (which was one of frustration with federal police actions in Waco, Texas and Ruby Ridge, Idaho) and to focus instead on other groups and issues.
Given the importance of publicity in terrorist campaigns, why are claims of responsibility issued for some terrorist attacks, but not others?

Claims of responsibility are worthy of analysis because they provide a window into what perpetrators of terrorism want and the incentives that influence their behavior. For example, anonymous attacks are often taken to indicate that groups are disinterested in building grass-roots support for their movements and closed to efforts at political compromise (e.g. Enders & Sandler, 2006). Claimed attacks, on the other hand, are seen as signifying that groups are unafraid of retaliatory strikes (e.g. Hoffman, 1997a,b), which might further imply weaknesses in certain counter-terrorism efforts. In short, credit-taking has the potential to tell observers a great deal about the nature of the threat groups pose and the adequacy of the responses to their attacks.


PDF: http://scholar.princeton.edu/austinlw/files/Wright_Paper.pdf

journal of PEACE RESEARCH

[tclambert]

85. Thank you. I had no idea the majority of terrorists tried to keep their motives secret.

It still makes no sense to me. They don't want to get caught. OK, got that. Yet they want to influence public behavior. The tumult, the furor in response to the attack becomes the goal itself rather than any political message. They must desire the feeling of secret satisfaction rather than the ability to publicly gloat over their actions. How frustrating for them that they can't brag about their most significant act. I'd bet that a lot of them, like serial killers, secretly want to get caught, so they can talk about it.