I don't consider myself the tinfoil-hat type, but the recent Universityof Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, and UCLA bomb "incidents" look a bit like dress rehearsals for something bigger.  If that's the case, then whoever's planning the big show is getting lots of intel on law enforcement response times/tactics as well as public awareness.  As far as I understand, universities have always been high up on the list of likely terrorist targets, so it doesn't seem so odd to me.  What evidence is there that these incidents are linked (or not linked)?

OU www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170992,00.html

Georgia Tech

www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=70306

UCLA

Edited to make the links hot.

www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=34408

Looks like 'Fun with Bombs Month' for science/engineering students...

Pre-9/11 this would have been an issue for the campus police/residence hall folks...

Now, it's 'TERRORISIM'....

AQ has enough experience blowing shit up that they don't need a 'dress rehersal'...

Small devices (the most recent ones may well have not even been 'explosives', but chemical reaction bombs (eg dry ice, or MRE-bomb type 'blasts), college campus...

Sounds like kids to me...

Once again, having gone to an 'Engineering School', I knew plenty of people who wouldn't think twice about setting off a 'MRE bomb' around the dorms, or in the garbage chute, if they had known how (but they didn't, so they played with fire instead)...

Heck, the FD had to come put out the trash at least twice, due to 'objects' being thrown down the trash chutes...

Sounds on par for college kids (Freshmen??) to me...

Except for the part where the fellow tried to buy 20 bags of Ammonium Nitrate, as reported by an off-duty police officer who took his license plate, I would agree with you.  That quantity of ANFO takes it out of the category of "prank".

Yes, indeed.   I do predict more fear mongering by the government to convince the people to give up their limited left-over rights more easily.

OOps.  Double tap.

No need to worry, I'm out of college! I guess those left-leaning college kids better start profiling and judging everyone they meet, eh?

Folks, you have only seen the begining of what is to come. Sit down, strap in and HANG ON!!!!!!

Its all those screwed up DU members..

They are still angry about Bush winning in 2000 and 2004, Bush winning in 1988, Reagan winning in 1980 and 1984..

They tend to hold a grudge.

I don't consider myself the tinfoil-hat type


  There is nothing tin-foil hat about your post. The terrorists see how well the suicide bomber or "martyrdom operations" have worked in Israel, so now they are going to be bringing it here.

  That said, I don't think these were organized attacks, but you can be sure that they are coming.
The Palestinians should have been smacked down hard. By the WHOLE civilized world. Now you can look forward to this coming to a neighborhood near you.

Quoted: I don't consider myself the tinfoil-hat type   There is nothing tin-foil hat about your post. The terrorists see how well the suicide bomber or "martyrdom operations" have worked in Israel, so now they are going to be bringing it here.   That said, I don't think these were organized attacks, but you can be sure that they are coming. The Palestinians should have been smacked down hard. By the WHOLE civilized world. Now you can look forward to this coming to a neighborhood near you.

The only problem is logistics...

Every case of a suicide campaign has been carried out by a population indigenous to or bordering the target country....

There is no such 'Fuel' to run a campaign here, unless AQ manages to convert the Mexicans... Not likely....

AQ ops here have been, and will stay large bomb attacks, not individual suicide bombers...

It's just not enough payback to fly them over just to blow up a vest and kill 50-or-less people...

Think logistics guys...

Next US AQ op will be (AGAIN) a car/truck sized bomb (or larger) directed at an economic/political/military target.

They have a VERY perdictable MO when attacking European/CONUS targets...

When you hear about bombings on COLLEGE campuses, the logical suspects are the TRADITIONAL perps who have been doing this since the 60s -> students with leftist ties (WWP, anti-globalization-anarchists, EarthFirsters, etc), or who are just deranged and playing with explosives

Quoted: Quoted: I don't consider myself the tinfoil-hat type   There is nothing tin-foil hat about your post. The terrorists see how well the suicide bomber or "martyrdom operations" have worked in Israel, so now they are going to be bringing it here.   That said, I don't think these were organized attacks, but you can be sure that they are coming. The Palestinians should have been smacked down hard. By the WHOLE civilized world. Now you can look forward to this coming to a neighborhood near you. The only problem is logistics... Every case of a suicide campaign has been carried out by a population indigenous to or bordering the target country.... There is no such 'Fuel' to run a campaign here, unless AQ manages to convert the Mexicans... Not likely.... AQ ops here have been, and will stay large bomb attacks, not individual suicide bombers... It's just not enough payback to fly them over just to blow up a vest and kill 50-or-less people... Think logistics guys... Next US AQ op will be (AGAIN) a car/truck sized bomb (or larger) directed at an economic/political/military target. They have a VERY perdictable MO when attacking European/CONUS targets... When you hear about bombings on COLLEGE campuses, the logical suspects are the TRADITIONAL perps who have been doing this since the 60s -> students with leftist ties (WWP, anti-globalization-anarchists, EarthFirsters, etc), or who are just deranged and playing with explosives

I believe you need to take a few additional things into your account.  I understand your analysis of traditional AQ MO against US targets, however you fail to take into account that AQ is always changing and adopting new tactics.  Why would they not take to recruiting dupes from college campuses, much like the Weathermen, Black Panthers, etc did during the 60's, to perform sporadic acts of terror.  Students from terrorist-harboring states are plentiful on many college campuses.  There is no shortage of impressionable social rejects, there are several famous ones, some who we have captured fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan, etc.  I think you may need to reconsider your analysis.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I don't consider myself the tinfoil-hat type   There is nothing tin-foil hat about your post. The terrorists see how well the suicide bomber or "martyrdom operations" have worked in Israel, so now they are going to be bringing it here.   That said, I don't think these were organized attacks, but you can be sure that they are coming. The Palestinians should have been smacked down hard. By the WHOLE civilized world. Now you can look forward to this coming to a neighborhood near you. The only problem is logistics... Every case of a suicide campaign has been carried out by a population indigenous to or bordering the target country.... There is no such 'Fuel' to run a campaign here, unless AQ manages to convert the Mexicans... Not likely.... AQ ops here have been, and will stay large bomb attacks, not individual suicide bombers... It's just not enough payback to fly them over just to blow up a vest and kill 50-or-less people... Think logistics guys... Next US AQ op will be (AGAIN) a car/truck sized bomb (or larger) directed at an economic/political/military target. They have a VERY perdictable MO when attacking European/CONUS targets... When you hear about bombings on COLLEGE campuses, the logical suspects are the TRADITIONAL perps who have been doing this since the 60s -> students with leftist ties (WWP, anti-globalization-anarchists, EarthFirsters, etc), or who are just deranged and playing with explosives I believe you need to take a few additional things into your account.  I understand your analysis of traditional AQ MO against US targets, however you fail to take into account that AQ is always changing and adopting new tactics.  Why would they not take to recruiting dupes from college campuses, much like the Weathermen, Black Panthers, etc did during the 60's, to perform sporadic acts of terror.  Students from terrorist-harboring states are plentiful on many college campuses.  There is no shortage of impressionable social rejects, there are several famous ones, some who we have captured fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan, etc.  I think you may need to reconsider your analysis.

The one thing is, however, that the AQ MO has NOT changed.

EVERY SINGLE attack (a) involved LARGE quantities of explosives, and (b) involved a trained team of operatives. While the delivery method changes, the actual operational methodology is VERY consistant.

AQ does, as a rule, not mess with petty-ante crap like this - what you are seeing happened before there was an AQ, and will continue to happen...

Now, if we end up with a truck bomb being set off outside the Physics building, then AQ becomes a valid suspect. But pipe bombs, and reaction-bombs (eg MRE, dry-ice, etc)? That's just the traditional college bullshit - Animal House on steroids....

For some reason, AQ operates like they're in some sort of spy novel - infiltrate, sabotage, and (unless it was a suicide attack, which most are NOT) exfiltrate...  This allows them to assure success if the attack goes down - as opposed to counting on some college kid to build the device properly, maintain secrecy, and carry out the attack... When attacking accross the ocean, it is far easier to send a trained & ideologically dependant strike team.... More damage, more death, and they actually manage to get away some times...

The nature of the op points to college kids who have no idea what they're doing - that is way off the reservation for AQ....

Let's say Hinrich's was able to get into the stadium, and go to a concession stand, and set off his bomb, killing 20-30 people.  How does that differ from what AQ sponsored bombings in Iraq public places, or Hamas bombings in Israeli cafes?  It does not.

Here is another unusual suicide, he could have been making drugs or bombs
(if it is drugs, don't they usually say "he had a meth lab" or something?)

Apparent suicide victim identified
North County Times wire services
October 8, 2005
www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/10/09/news/sandiego/19_21_2310_8_05.txt
SAN DIEGO - A man who fatally shot himself in his University City condominium during a standoff with San Diego police was identified Saturday as a 29-year-old student.

An autopsy is scheduled tomorrow on the body of Khaled Yasufi, medical examiner Investigator Sal Rodriguez said.

Police were sent to the 8700 block of Costa Verde Boulevard after someone reported a strong odor coming from a condo about 1 p.m. Friday, SDPD Sgt. Jim Schorr said.

A man in the condo told officers everything was fine and shut the door, Schorr said. Within a couple of minutes, a gunshot was heard, prompting police to clear the building, Schorr said.

Police eventually sent in a camera-equipped robot, which transmitted images of a body in the unit. When officers made entry after a standoff of about six hours, a chemical lab was found in the bathroom of the condo, police said.

Rodriguez said he did not know where Yasufi went to school.