Health & Fitness
After Westgate Mall Attack, Interpol Chief Ponders 'Armed Citizenry'
The head of INTERPOL suggests an armed citizenry might be the best defense against future attacks on "soft targets".
The head of INTERPOL wonders whether an "armed citizenry" is an optimal defense against asymmetric terrorist threats.
The terrorist attack in Kenya fell out of the US media focus when the shutdown and debt ceiling nonsense became more "interesting". Yet, outside the USA, the 68 dead in Kenya is still an issue of primary focus and concern. So, while the USA is focused on the failures of the launch of Obamacare, others in the world are worried about the broader implications of the Kenyan mall attack.
Thus, while his purview is global, the guy at the top of Interpol, (the International Criminal Police Organization) has pondered what some in the USA have wondered, is the best defense against terrorism is an armed citizenry?
Unlike in Israel or other countries, most of the USA is considered a "soft target" meaning a location assumed to be safe enough to not be isolated under heavy security or otherwise defended. Sure, pre-2001, most of the USA could be considered a "soft target". However, in the current day, mission-critical national institutions have been hardened to the point that they are now considered "hard targets". So, given the sensibilities and experience that criminals and terrorists of all types preferring softer targets, what are their potential focus in the future? As shown in Kenya, Newtown, Aurora, etc., it is now places that the average citizen never considers to be "a target" of random mass violence. Unfortunately, where the average American considers such places to be ethically "protected" sites, the deranged or purposed terrorist sees them as "soft targets" prime for exploitation.
So, if we consider "terrorism" in its domestic and international contexts and against recent experience, the answer to the question of an armed citizenry being an effective deterrent is a qualified YES. By that, I include rampage killers and street criminals into the description of "domestic" terrorists.
Back to Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble, he said this week that the USA and the rest of the democratic world is at a security crossroads in the wake of last month's deadly al-Shabab attack at a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya – and suggested an answer could be in arming civilians.
Noble's comments came only moments after the official opening of the 82nd annual gathering of the Interpol's governing body, the General Assembly. The session is being held in Cartagena, Colombia, and is being used to highlight strides over the last decade in Colombia's battle against the notorious drug cartels that used to be the real power in the country. It must be noted that the progress Colombia made against the cartels was not by disarming the citizenry but by taking a very muscular approach to proactively attacking the cartels.
Quoting Noble:"Societies have to think about how they're going to approach the problem. One is to say we want an armed citizenry; you can see the reason for that. Another is to say the enclaves are so secure that in order to get into the soft target you're going to have to pass through extraordinary security."
So INTERPOL's Noble, the head of a long-term and respected police organization, sees two ways for society to protect itself: arm a significant number of vetted and trained citizens, OR accept a police-state type security apparatus which will require passing through TSA-level security to get to the local mall, schools, sporting events and other public venues.
As Noble explained to reporters in support of his certain-to-be controversial views:
"How do you protect soft targets? That's really the challenge. You can't have armed police forces everywhere."
In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Noble went even further:
"Ask yourself: If that was Denver, Col., if that was Texas, would those guys have been able to spend hours, days, shooting people randomly?" Noble, referring to states with pro-gun traditions continued, "What I'm saying is it makes police around the world question their views on gun control. It makes citizens question their views on gun control. You have to ask yourself, 'Is an armed citizenry more necessary now than it was in the past with an evolving threat of terrorism?' This is something that has to be discussed."
This is a profound suggestion that American gun-control advocates refuse to ponder - an armed citizenry is an effective deterrent. As I have said repeatedly on these pages, how different would the post-Dec14th discussion have been if Adam Lanza was actually named Ahmed Muhammad and he was heard to be yelling "Allahu akbar" as he pulled the trigger? Would certain Connecticut residents have been calling for more restrictive gun policies OR demanding a greater armed presence in our schools?
As Noble says:
"For me it's a profound question. People are quick to say 'gun control, people shouldn't be armed,' etc., etc. I think they have to ask themselves: 'Where would you have wanted to be? In a city where there was gun control and no citizens armed if you're in a Westgate mall, or in a place like Denver or Texas?'"
God help us should the USA experience a Kenyan-style attack by domestic or international terrorists because, as a society, we will turn ourselves inside out as we try to reconcile the desires of those who believe that "fewer guns means less gun violence" with incontrovertible evidence that the only people who can keep the people safe are the people.
I pray we never see the day where a Kenya-style attack visits the USA. I pray the Colonel Dave Grossman is wrong regarding his concerns about the "soft target" represented by our public schools. I also pray that those who genuinely believe that gun ownership restrictions are a good thing do not rule the day ahead of such an attack. As Grossman says,
"Every day, millions of parents hug millions of kids, their most precious possessions, and send those kids to school, trusting US to keep them alive. So don't just read this article and the books recommended here(2), apply them! Be like the firefighter: put the risk in perspective, pray that it will never happen, know that it COULD happen, and work with all your heart and soul to prevent it from happening. It could be YOUR child or grandchild's life that you save."
Amen brothers and sisters.....
