June 5, 2017


News and Views


BRITISH POLICE HAVE MOVED QUICKLY, AND HOPEFULLY WILL CAPTURE OR KILL THEM ALL. IT WOULD BE MORE ADVANTAGEOUS TO CAPTURE THEM FOR THE INFORMATION THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO GIVE. “THE BRITS,” ARE GOOD GUYS MOST OF THE TIME, OR SO I TEND TO THINK, AND AFTER ALL, NOBODY IS GOOD IN ALL CASES.

WHAT I TRY TO REMEMBER IS THAT EVEN DANGEROUS PEOPLE HAVE TRUE FEELINGS OF SOME SORT, INCLUDING LOVE AND GRIEF. IT IS THEIR LACK OF ADJUSTMENT TO THEIR PAIN THAT MAKES THEM WHAT IN MY VIEW IS BORDERLINE INSANE. THEN WHEN THEY HAPPEN ACROSS A CONVINCING TERRORIST PROPAGANDA PIECE IN THE MEDIA OR THE INTERNET, THEY MAY BECOME RADICALIZED. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DISCOVER IT SOON AFTER THAT HAPPENS, THOUGH, AND IMPRISON OR HOSPITALIZE THEM. UNFORTUNATELY, IT’S USUALLY ONLY AFTER ONE OF THESE TRAGIC KILLINGS OCCUR THAT FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS SUDDENLY WAKE UP TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS A REAL MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM, RATHER THAN MERELY “SIN.”

A VERY INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT ARTICLE ON HOW AND WHY PEOPLE BECOME RADICALIZED RATHER THAN MAKING A HEALTHY ADJUSTMENT TO WHAT MAY WELL BE ABUSIVE ACTIONS, AND MOVE ALONG IS THE FOLLOWING:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/27/extremism-terrorism-far-right-neo-nazi-devon-arthurs
Florida
Pathway to extremism: what neo-Nazis and jihadis have in common
The case of Devon Arthurs, a former neo-Nazi who allegedly killed his friends for disrespecting Islam, sheds light on the roots of extremism
Lois Beckett and Jason Burke
Saturday 27 May 2017 05.00 EDT



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/london-bridge-terror-attacks-police-say-they-know-who-attackers-are/
CBS/AP June 5, 2017, 3:53 AM
“We do believe we know who they are,” police say of London terror attackers

Play video – CBS This Morning

Investigators were looking into whether or not the three militants who committed a car and knife attack on London Bridge and in Borough Market Saturday night, killing 7 and injuring dozens, had been supported by anyone else on Monday, and said the identities of the attackers were known to them.

"We do believe we know who they are," London's Metropolitan Police chief Cressida Dick told Sky News.

They said they would release the attackers' names, "as soon as operationally possible," the BBC reported.

In early morning raids in east London, British police detained more people on Monday after authorities arrested 12 people in the Barking neighborhood of east London over the weekend. One of those 12 was later released.

London Bridge terror attack
22 PHOTOS
London Bridge terror attack

"A very high priority for us obviously is to try to understand whether they were working with anyone else, whether anybody else was involved in the planning of this attack and to find out the background to it," Dick told the BBC.

"We've carried out searches in a variety of places in east London and we've seized a huge amount of forensic material, so we're working very quickly," she said.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday that, "this was an attack on London and the United Kingdom, but it was also an attack on the free world. She said Britain would review its counter-terrorism strategy and consider extending prison terms, and that more must be done to combat "bigotry and hatred."

Eighteen people remained in critical condition Monday, British health authorities said, and another 18 were still being treated for their wounds.

Canadian Christine Archibald, 30, was the first victim killed in Saturday's attack to be named. She reportedly died in her fiance, Tyler Ferguson's, arms after being struck by the speeding van on London bridge.

Tyler's sister, Cassie Ferguson Rowe, said on Facebook, "Last night in London my baby brother lost the love of his life on the London Bridge. In a split second his entire life was ripped away from him. Hearing his painful sobs on the phone while he's alone trying to deal with this tears me apart."

In a statement, Christine's family said she would have had "no understanding of the callous cruelty that caused her death," and that she had worked in a homeless shelter before moving to Europe to be with her fiance. They asked those who want to honor her to volunteer their time or donate to a homeless shelter and to tell them "Chrissy sent you."

One French national was also killed, France's foreign minister said, though they have not been identified. Two Americans were injured in the attack, with one in critical condition.

London Bridge opened to pedestrians early Monday, and traffic was allowed to cross in the northbound direction. London Bridge Station, which is a major hub for trains and subways, was fully operational Monday morning.

U.K. politicians also resumed campaigning Monday, three days ahead of a general election which polls show is much closer than previously predicted. U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May said that "violence can never be allowed to disrupt the democratic process." She chaired a meeting of the government's emergency response committee, COBRA, on Monday to discuss the response to the attack.

The assault unfolded over a few terrifying minutes late Saturday, starting when a rented van veered off the road and barreled into pedestrians on busy London Bridge. Three men then got out of the vehicle with large knives and attacked people at bars and restaurants in nearby Borough Market until they were shot dead by police.

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James Yates @Yatesy17
London bridge bar now. Police everywhere
6:06 PM - 3 Jun 2017
8,505 8,505 Retweets 6,986 6,986 likes

London police said officers killed the attackers within eight minutes of arriving at the scene. Eight officers fired some 50 rounds, said Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, the force's head of counterterrorism.

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)'s statement Sunday from its Aamaq news agency claimed the group's "fighters" were responsible, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. ISIS has urged supporters to weaponize vehicles in attacks against the West.

It was the third attack in Britain this year that ISIS has claimed - after a similar attack on Westminister [sic] Bridge in March and the Manchester attack: Police make more arrests as investigation widens two weeks ago - and one of several involving vehicles in Europe, including last year's Bastille Day rampage in the French city of Nice.



TO MY WAY OF LOOKING AT THE SITUATION, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND INTELLIGENT ARTICLES I’VE SEEN ON THE WHOLE SUBJECT OF ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE, OR “TERRORISM.” AS THE SAYING GOES, “EVERY TERRORIST IS SOMEBODY’S FREEDOM FIGHTER”; AND THE SAME IS TRUE LOOKING AT THE SENTENCE BACKWARD. I OFTEN HAVE SYMPATHY WITH A GROUP WHO AREN’T ENTIRELY PACIFIC, BUT WHEN THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO BUILD HOUSES ON THE PALESTINIAN LAND, OR THE PALESTINIANS GO INTO AN ISRAELI AREA AND PROCEED TO KILL RANDOMLY, THE RESULT IS WHAT I CAN’T AVOID CALLING “EVIL.” BETWEEN THE ISRAELIS AND THE PALESTINIANS, I CAN SEE THE ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES. LET’S SAY THAT NEITHER OF THE GROUPS ARE “SPAWN OF THE DEVIL,” BUT THE FIGHT ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO STOP.

I CARE ABOUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH, INDEED, BUT LIKE ALL OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS ISSUES, ALL “FREEDOMS,” CAN BE AND WILL BE ABUSED, SO THEY SIMPLY CAN’T BE ABSOLUTE. THIS CASE OF USING A FREE SPACE AS A BATTLEGROUND, IS AS UGLY AS USING A FREE SPACE AS A BATHROOM. WE DON’T ALLOW THAT. RADICALIZATION OF SUSCEPTIBLE MINDS IS A MUCH MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM – LIFE AND DEATH, LITERALLY. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHILE WE NATIONS BOND TOGETHER AS ALLIES TO ERADICATE THE DEADLIEST INFLUENCES, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, SADOMASOCHISTIC AND WORSE THINGS. THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED A “SNUFF FILM,” WHICH IS A FILM IN WHICH A HUMAN BEING (OR EVEN AN ANIMAL!) IS KILLED IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF SICK PEOPLE. THANK GOODNESS, FACEBOOK PAGES THAT ARE ABUSIVE HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN BY FACEBOOK, BUT I THOUGHT PM MAY’S FURTHER SUGGESTIONS WERE VERY HELPFUL.

TRUMP WANTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY KEEPING ISLAMIC PEOPLE UNDER TIGHT CONTROL. THAT IS TOO SIMILAR TO THE GHETTOES IN EUROPE UNDER HITLER AND BEFORE. MAY’S WAY IS BETTER, I BELIEVE. IT FOCUSES ON THE MEANS OF TAINTING THE PUBLIC MIND, RATHER THAN EXACTLY WHO IS BEING RADICALIZED. WE MUST NOT FOR A MOMENT FORGET THAT OUR NEO-NAZIS, WHITE SUPREMACISTS, ETC. ARE ALL EXTREMISTS AS WELL; AND TEND TOWARD BEHAVING WITH CRUELTY AND VIOLENCE TO MANY OTHER GROUPS. THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN A FEW CASES OF VANDALISM AGAINST JEWISH TARGETS, ESPECIALLY, SINCE TRUMP WAS ELECTED. ANY OUTSIDER MAY BE TARGETED BY PEOPLE OF THAT TURN OF MIND. THERE IS SO MUCH HOSTILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE NOWADAYS THAT I DO FEAR WE MAY END UP IN ANOTHER MAJOR WAR.

I’M GLAD TO SEE THAT, BUT THEY NEED TO DO MORE OF IT. I DIDN’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT PM THERESA MAY UNTIL RECENTLY, BUT I BELIEVE I AM A FAN OF HERS. SHE IS STRONG, INTELLIGENT AND FAIR. I HOPE WESTERN AND OTHER FAIR-MINDED NATIONS WILL FOLLOW HER LEAD IN MAKING SERIOUS AND EFFECTIVE MOVES AGAINST ALL SUCH HATE GROUPS, WHETHER RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL. IN OUR COUNTRY IT IS THE BREITBART CREW – THE GREAT UMBRELLA GROUP WE ARE NOW CALLING THE “ALT-RIGHT.” THEY ALL NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE INTERNET. I AM NOT SAYING TO REMOVE ALL POLITICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL MATERIAL, BUT THOSE THINGS WHICH FOSTER VICIOUSNESS NEEDED TO BE WEEDED OUT AND DEALT WITH STRONGLY. RIGHT? RIGHT!

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/london-terror-attack-cyberspace-tech-companies-fran-townsend/
CBS NEWS June 5, 2017, 12:47 PM
Are tech companies providing "material support" to terrorists?

After Saturday's deadly London terror attack, British Prime Minister Theresa May said technology companies need to do more to stop terrorists from working together online.

"We cannot allow this ideology the safe space it needs to breed. Yet that is precisely what the internet and the big companies that provide internet-based services provide," May said Sunday. "We need to work with allied democratic governments to reach international agreements that regulate cyberspace to prevent the spread of extremism and terrorism planning."

Why has the U.K. become a major target for terror?
Play VIDEO
Why has the U.K. become a major target for terror?

CBS News senior national security analyst Fran Townsend, who was President George W. Bush's homeland security adviser, agreed, calling cyberspace the "single most important component right now" in addressing terror.

"Let's remember, using the Telegram channel, the encrypting messaging application, ISIS called for Ramadan attacks using cars, knives and guns. And we've seen this incredible rise in these Ramadan attacks right now. And so I think what Theresa May is trying say is we need to battle the cyberspace just as you would the physical space – air, sea, land. We need to approach it in that way to confront them, deny them the use of the internet," Townsend said Monday on "CBS This Morning"

While Twitter suspended 376,890 accounts in 2016, Townsend said tech companies need to do more.

"[Twitter was] very late to the game and had to be sort of shamed into doing it. They have an understandable and righteous concern about First Amendment. I get that. By the same token, you can't allow yourselves to provide – these social media companies – material support, right? That's a criminal offense, to provide material support," Townsend said. "And so you have to do more. They have to deploy technology that will allow them to identify video, audio, pictures and take them down."

But videos spreading the message of extremism still exist online. Townsend gave the example of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born al Qaeda cleric who was killed by a drone during the Obama administration.

"If you go online right now and you Google him, you can bring up his sermons, and so that stuff's still online and he's permitted to terrorize us from the grave," Townsend said.

Seven people were killed in Saturday's van and knife attack on London Bridge and Borough Market, and at least 48 people, including two Americans, were injured. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks. Investigators have carried out a series of raids and are detaining people, looking for connections to the attackers. Over the weekend, British police arrested 12 people in east London, and one was later released.

This was Britain's third terror attack since March.


GOOD VIDEOS OF THE DAY:

http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/trump-displays-opposite-of-loyalty-in-tweets-960258627795
MORNING JOE 6/5/17
Trump displays 'opposite of loyalty' in tweets
President Trump is doubling down on calls for a 'travel ban' while attacking the Justice Dept. The panel discusses the Trump WH and how tweets like these will make staff recruiting difficult. Duration: 8:44


http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/what-is-driving-recent-wake-of-uk-attacks-960227907713
MORNING JOE 6/5/17
What is driving recent wave of UK attacks?
Top Talkers: Police continue carrying out raids Monday in the wake of London's terror attack, the third UK attack in as many months, while PM Theresa May called for unity in England. Duration: 5:43