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I am always amazed at the authorities reaction to this. In the entire history of modern communications has a terrorist ever announced publicly and in advance th

by SeanDav 11y ago

I am always amazed at the authorities reaction to this. In the entire history of modern communications has a terrorist ever announced publicly and in advance that he/she/they are now going to go out to place "xyz" at time "nn:nn" and going to do "some despicable act", so please come arrest me? There are examples of course about warning about planted explosives etc (The IRA did this all the time), but these never include an invitation to apprehend the actual culprit - but rather as terror tactics in their own right.

Symbiote 11y ago
The details remain secret, but Irish terrorists often gave warnings of their bombings in Britain and Ireland. Examples: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Irish_Republican_Army https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Irish_Republican_Army and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Provisional_Irish_Republican_Army_actions_%281990%E2%80%9399%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Provisional_Iris... My hometown is mentioned, there was a successful bombing; so when a secondary school student made a bomb threat from a public telephone it was taken seriously. I was only 10 years old at the time, so beyond the evacuation of the school and surrounding buildings I don't recall any more details.
rayiner 11y ago
The recent Oregon school shooter did that.
njharman 11y ago
It doesn't matter. Authorities (at least their managers/directors) think in terms of PR/Damage Control and Risk. The fallout if they did nothing and something happened (maybe even just reporter reporting that tweet was ignored by FBI) would be enormous. Much, much worse than fallout that occurs for "overreacting". And once they've reacted it's very hard to admit they are wrong or ever let go (as in they are unwilling to accept PR/blame). Just to avoid the .001% chance of headline "FBI had perpetrator in custody but let him go!" Sadly, the public is a ignorant, fickle, short-sided, lynch mob. Public facing organizations are(have to be) driven by risk mitigation rather than being effective.

by SeanDav 11y ago

Symbiote 11y ago

The details remain secret, but Irish terrorists often gave warnings of their bombings in Britain and Ireland. Examples: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Irish_Republican_Army https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Irish_Republican_Army and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Provisional_Irish_Republican_Army_actions_%281990%E2%80%9399%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Provisional_Iris... My hometown is mentioned, there was a successful bombing; so when a secondary school student made a bomb threat from a public telephone it was taken seriously. I was only 10 years old at the time, so beyond the evacuation of the school and surrounding buildings I don't recall any more details.

rayiner 11y ago

The recent Oregon school shooter did that.

njharman 11y ago

It doesn't matter. Authorities (at least their managers/directors) think in terms of PR/Damage Control and Risk. The fallout if they did nothing and something happened (maybe even just reporter reporting that tweet was ignored by FBI) would be enormous. Much, much worse than fallout that occurs for "overreacting". And once they've reacted it's very hard to admit they are wrong or ever let go (as in they are unwilling to accept PR/blame). Just to avoid the .001% chance of headline "FBI had perpetrator in custody but let him go!" Sadly, the public is a ignorant, fickle, short-sided, lynch mob. Public facing organizations are(have to be) driven by risk mitigation rather than being effective.