April 16, 2015

Postal Worker Delivers a Cause on Capitol Lawn He had a gyrocopter and something to say, so a 61-year-old
Florida mailman symbolically delivered letters to the lawn of the Capitol building on Wednesday, garnering plenty of national media
attention on his well-planned flight from Gettysburg, Penn. to D.C., while avoiding being shot down. The newsworthy stunt left many
Americans, and some federal officials, asking two primary questions: what is a gyrocopter? And how can someone fly to the doorstep of
Congress undetected and unchallenged?
Assessment: One question that did not need answering, however, was why did he do it, as media outlets reported that he was
disgruntled over campaign finance reform and hoped to stir a debate. Second only to survival of the stunt, the postman was very
successful at getting his message out, which may be viewed a problematic, in that it paves the way for the next guy. The same
reasoning which is applied to the concept of refusing to negotiate with terroristsso as not to reward and perpetuate terrorismis not
applied to individuals spreading messages through dangerous, illegal, illicit, and sometimes deadly means. In addition to stunts, which
may be range from harmless to security risks (if not sometimes humorous), messages of causes are often delivered with fatal impacts,
including murder/suicide. It may be better for response officials to keep it general as a message revealed equals methods propagated.

FBI Thwarts Army Base Bomb Attempt A 20-year-old man was arrested as he attempted to arm a purported 1,000-pound bomb in a van
aimed at the Fort Riley military base near Manhattan, Kansas, in what was to be a suicide mission in support of the Islamic State group. John T. Booker Jr.,
aka Muhammad Abdullah Hassan, first expressed a desire to engage in violent jihad to an undercover FBI agent in October 2014, and the two met several
more times. In addition, the young Topeka man wished to make a video threatening Americans and scaring the nation and its military, exclaiming that we will
be coming after American soldiers in the streetspicking them off one by one. Eventually he was provided with materials that lead to the construction of an
inert bomb. A second man was later arrested for providing Booker with money to rent a storage unit for building and storing the bomb.
Assessment: Unlike several other FBI-infiltrated plots, such as the Oregon Christmas Tree lighting ceremony and the NYC Federal Reserve, this jihadist quite
clearly indicated a desire to die in the act. He believed a suicide attack would offer a greater degree of control over the outcome, destroy evidence and lessen
the chance of being caught. This plot hits on some repeated themes that responders should be aware, including use of storage facilities for bomb materials
and devices, danger in transporting such devices to proposed targets, and that military personnel and bases are preferred targets of the Islamic State and their
sympathizers. Also, any successful suicide VBIED attack in the homeland would significantly impact the threat environment.

Jihadist Trained in Syria Plotted Attack in U.S.

A naturalized citizen appeared before and was indicted by a federal grand jury in Ohio
on terror-related charges after it was revealed that he received training in Syria from al Nusra Front and was directed by a cleric there to return to the U.S. to
commit an act of terror. Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud, 23, bought a one-way ticket to Greece with a stopover in Turkey last April, shortly after becoming a U.S.
citizen, enabling him to obtain a passport. He then left the airport at the Istanbul stopover and went to join his brother who was fighting with jihadists in Syria.
Shortly after the brother was killed in June, he was directed to return to the U.S. for an attack.
Assessment: Unlike others apprehended prior to journeying to Syria and other jihadist venues, Mohamud is a rare boomerang jihadist, who successfully
makes it out his home country to go abroad to receive training and then return to conduct an attack. His experience included training in weapons, hand-to-hand
combat, and breaking into houses. The indictment revealed his desire to kill armed forces, police officers, or any uniformed individuals.

Lighting Cigarettes in Cars with Explosive Results

Bedbug Extermination

A Long Island man suffered second-degree burns

when his rental car exploded in flames in a parking lot after he saturated the seats with alcohol and then deliberately lit a
cigarette. He told police that he used the alcohol to kill the bedbugs that were infesting the vehicle. The blaze spread to two
adjacent vehicles before it was extinguished. A Norwell, Massachusetts man was also burned under similar circumstances when
he lit a cigarette while driving late Saturday night, causing an explosion due to bomb-making material in the car. Im an Idiot,
he was alleged to have said to a Good Samaritan, after temporarily recovering from being blown clear from the moving vehicle.
He then removed multiple items to the trunk that the Boston Police bomb squad later removed14 liquids and powders, some
which could create explosives. Precursor components, detonators, and one completed incendiary device, were also discovered
upon search of the 36-year-olds home after a warrant was obtained.
Assessment: These incidents are a good reminder that so-called routine responses may have extenuating dangers, whether
hazardous materials, or potentially criminal (or terrorist) connections. In another recent incident, two people locked themselves in
a car at a gas station while trying to avoid a carjacking by three men with possible gang ties; the assailants doused the vehicle
with gasoline and lit it on fire. At vehicle fires, firefighters must consider many things, including flammable liquids, possible arson
and burn victims. Reports of explosions, in particular, should prompt heightened situational awareness and a slower approach.

Islamic State Techies Target French Television

Hackers claiming affiliation with the Islamic State group blacked out 11 stations of the
TV5Monde network for several hours on Wednesday and bragged about it on their social media sites. The CyberCaliphate continues its cyberjihad against the
enemies of Islamic State, was posted on one of its affiliated Facebook accounts. The cyberattack coincided with significant kinetic events, as an Islamic State
offensive on Ramadi continued into Thursday after the Sunni militants captured three villages on the outskirts of that city on Wednesday. Two thousand
Ramadi families were forced to flee their homes ahead of the aggression.
Assessment: Some experts believe that terrorists now view the success that criminals have achieved with their cyberattacks as indicators that the time to
invest in cyberattacks has arrived, whereas they previously saw cost-to-benefit as uncertain. Such criminal attacks have increasingly include cryptowall
ransomware infections aimed at fire, police, and local municipalities. One police department in Maine recently paid ($300) for the release of their records.
Emergency responders should be aware that their agencies may be targeted, and standard precautions should be made on work and personal computers.

Looking on the Bright Side A 50-year-old triathlete fell into despair when he could no longer compete after a heart
attack, but a short time later, he turned the episode into a positive by enjoying leisurely jogs and spending more time with his
family. Narratives help people process information and make sense of events, according to researchers, and these story
constructions have a big impact on health. Personal narratives keep us sane, said a leading Australian behaviorist. While we
may not like them at times, they enable us to make sense of others and the roles we play.
Assessment: The importance of keeping a positive outlook is not necessarily a medical breakthrough, but when people control
their own story, they feel better. Also, some therapies exploit the malleability of memory to treat PTSD, though it is still considered
controversial. The lessons of controlling the narrative apply to agencies, and not just individuals. The Royal Canadian Mounted
Police (RCMP) in British Columbia posted a picture (right) of one of their corporals wearing his red serge while playing a pickup
hockey game in the Canadian Rockies. Though they didnt plan on the photo becoming a social-media sensation, it is a wonderful
example of how an organization is controlling the narrative in a positive way through the latest communication means.

RCMP Posts Most Canadian

Picture Ever

Watchline@fdny.nyc.gov - (718) 281-8399

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