I wrote an article about how terrorists have targeted schools and killed hundreds of children in Beslan. In this article I tried to explain how important it is for us, as police officers, to prepare now to respond to the planned attacks against our children.
I got a few emails that ranged from dismissive disbelief to outright denial, claiming that I was an alarmist. Frankly, I hope they are right. Because if I am right, and everything I have read on the subject from credible sources, such as Lt. Col. Dave Grossman and US-CENTCOM, is even remotely accurate, we will face a horror unlike anything this country could be prepared to deal with.
So, here are a few more facts that you may have heard, but just not pieced together yet. This compilation comes from the article “Imagining the Unimaginable” written by Brad Thor in the October 2007 issue of Fusion magazine.
- 2005 - Al Qaeda documents are intercepted that discuss the merits of attacking soft targets, specifically schools.
- In Afghanistan, U.S. forces capture an Al Qaeda training camp where videos were recovered showing terrorists staging takeovers of schools. The terrorists gave orders in English, violence was extreme, and childrens’ bodies were flung from the roofs for a greater media effect.
- In Iraq, U.S. forces capture blueprints and floorplans to United States schools in Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
- February 2006 - The Department of Homeland Security is reported to have started a training program for school bus drivers, in which the drivers would learn to watch for terrorists who were casing the bus routes.
- May 2006 - Two Saudi men board a school bus in Tampa, FL, in a possible “dry run.”
- June 2006 - 17 members of an Islamic terrorist cell are arrested in connection to a mass bombing plot. One of the 17 is a school bus driver.
- August 2006 - Three unidentified middle eastern men entered the United States from Canada and attempted to purchase multiple school buses.
- March 2007 - The Associated Press reported that the FBI sent out a bulletin to law enforcement agencies warning officers that terrorists were attempting to obtain driver’s licenses that would enable them to drive school buses.
- August 2007 - 17 school buses go missing in the Houston, TX area. Authorities state that this is a “homeland security concern.” Note that Texas is one of the states from which school floorplans were found in Iraq.
Look at the mass killings that happened last week in India. Terrorists attacked Mumbai, India and killed more than 180 people. Can you imagine the horror of a similar attack here in the United States? Only instead of targeting hotels and the like, the terrorists targeted schools and our children…
Pay attention to the schools in your beat. Offer suggestions to school and department administrators to improve student safety and increase police training for terrorist response. And should the worst happen, act decisively with overwhelming firepower to drop the bastards and keep them from killing our kids.
Stay safe!
7 responses so far ↓
1 The 5150 Wife // Dec 2, 2008 at 11:13 am
You are spot on; it is one of the scariest things I can imagine. I believe it’s just a matter of “when”, not “if”. In fact, I too posted about it on my blog in a 4-part series back in Nov. ‘07.
http://5150life.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html
I can’t imagine why anyone would be in denial. The evidence is overwhelming. Yet schools continue to suppress our right to carry on campuses. That’s a whole other issue you don’t want to get me started on. *insert rolling eyes here*
2 Robert // Dec 2, 2008 at 2:43 pm
This is another reason to homeschool.
Any chance at all that these SOB’s are engaged in a disinformation campaign to distract us from their real intent?
3 admin // Dec 3, 2008 at 1:28 am
Robert,
Yes, there is a real possibility that our enemies would engage in disinformation to hide their movements and objectives.
However, schools are very soft targets and contain the most precious resource we hold: our own children. Terrorists could easily strike us here, where it would hurt the most.
And, lets not forget, they have already shown us that they can and will kill children without mercy. All we have to do is look at Beslan: 172 children were killed. Can you imagine the horror of 172 little children being murdered? There were also more than 150 adults killed and more than 700 children and adults injured and maimed.
Terrorists have attacked schools. Terrorists have murdered children. Our schools are not secure and have not prepared. Schools deny trained citizens of the United States the ability to carry concealed firearms on campus. Police departments have not adequately trained to counter-attack and kill terrorists when they strike.
The opportunity for a tragic nightmare beyond our comprehension is very real.
4 admin // Dec 3, 2008 at 1:34 am
5150 Wife,
Can I get an Amen?
I’ve never understood why law abiding citizens would be denied their ability to self-defense merely because they entered a school campus. Do law makers believe that when you enter a school parking lot, you lose all common sense and you become a homicidal maniac?
Utah allows concealed carry on school grounds and they don’t seem to have a problem with law abiding citizens whipping out a pistol and going crazy because they stepped onto school property.
5 Xiphos // Dec 3, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I agree with you 100% until the end of the article. Our current training and standard protocols on active shooter scenarios don’t take into account dealing with a squad of guerrilla terrorists who are prepared for us. There will be mass casualties among law enforcement using our current tactics, which will only contribute to the panic among the public. We need to analyze Mumbai and the new tactics of combat veteran guerrillas and prepare. Right now we aren’t ready.
6 admin // Dec 3, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Xiphos,
Which part of the article do you disagree with? At the end of the article I state (1) increase police training for terrorism response and (2) act decisively with overwhelming firepower.
No doubt, there will be casualties among law enforcement officers. That is part of war. When terrorists show up and start killing children, acting immediately, decisively, and with overwhelming firepower is necessary to minimize the number of innocents killed.
7 thebronze // Dec 6, 2008 at 7:48 pm
FOFW you’re exactly right, it’s “when” not “if”. I think the next 8 years will make the last 8 years seem like paradise.
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