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[Zironic]

It's also less dangerous. As a general rule, single deranged individuals are less of a threat than larger, organized terrorist networks

Imagine the efforts of 10 Timothy McVeigh's, consecutively striking 10 buildings with no care for who is inside.

[ChairmanPoo]

I dont have to imagine anything. Just add up the hiscore of loner terrorists, and compare it to the organized one's.

I think we can all pretty much guess who will come on top.

[Jude]

I dont have to imagine anything. Just add up the hiscore of loner terrorists, and compare it to the organized one's.

I think we can all pretty much guess who will come on top.

Actually, depending on what places and  time periods you include, and what definitions you use, I am not at all sure which one would come up on top

[Servant Corps]

Here's a terrorist search engine showcasing terrorist attacks between Sept. 12, 2001 to the end of 2007. 87 Terrroist Attacks was committed, altough most of them appeared to be caused by animal right groups and eco-terrorists. The database ends at 2007, and it doesn't include several Lone Wolf terrorist attacks that Wikipedia mentioned.

Here's a list of terrorist attacks that had actual deaths:
*2001 Anthrax Attack at Senator Patrick Leahy's Office, 2 people died
*2001 Anthrax Attack At Senator Tom Daschle's Office, 2 people died
*Kathy Nguyen, Hospital Worker, died of Anthrax in 2001 (Doubtful)
*
Ottilie Lundgren, Eldry Woman, died of Anthrax in 2001 (Doubtful)

2002 Terrorist Attack on Israeli Airline, 2 Dead

So, at least according to this database, 6 people died from the Anthrax terrorist attacks...which is interesting, since the US investigation concluded that the attack was done primarly to protect the budget of an Anthrax vaccination program...

EDIT: 14 terrorist attacks was done by the Animal Liberation Front.
20 terrorist attacks was done by the Earth Liberation Front.
1 Terrorist attack done by a splinter group, Revolutionary Cells Animal Liberation.

So , 35 out of 87 terrorist attacks (40%) was done by eco-terrorists. It seems eco-terrorism is pretty much the greatest (organized) terrorist threat to the United States. (Caveats: This 87 figure does not include other Lone Wolf terrorism that is on Wikipedia, and the eco-terrorists never killed anybody...which is why they aren't seen as a threat.)

[Ampersand]

Is it accurate to call eco-terrorists the greatest organized threat to the United States, since their stated goal is not necessarily to kill every American they see on sight?

[Servant Corps]

Greatest organized terrorist threat. They're the ones actually doing terrorist attacks (as opposed to planning the 'big hit' and then getting caught beforehand). And these attacks, while not killing anyone, does end up causing property damage.

[Jude]

The other thing about lone wolf terrorists is that it can be hard to draw the line between an act of terrorism, and a crazy person snapping. Was Columbine terrorism? What about some guy that shoots up his office? Does it have to be politically motivated? How do you determine if it is? What if somebody hates the government, but just shoots up their neighborhood mall?

Also, let me predict that the next real terrorist attack in the US is going to be committed not by al Qaeda or Muslims, but by one of those right-wing anti-government second amendment nutjob groups like the one they just arrested in Michigan. Anybody remember Timothy McVeigh? Terrorists don't have to speak Arabic or pray towards Mecca...

Also, that Michigan group shares another feature in common with the Muslim Brotherhood (the Egyptian group that eventually gave birth to al-Qaeda). The Muslim Bros thought by killing the leader of Egypt, they'd spark a simmering cauldron of populist anger which would result in a nationwide uprising against the corrupt, westernized dictatorial government. It didn't work, partly because there was no such cauldron, or it was orders of magnitude smaller than they thought. This Michigan outfit was apparently hoping to do the same thing.

[Little]

The other thing about lone wolf terrorists is that it can be hard to draw the line between an act of terrorism, and a crazy person snapping.

That was one of the issues around Fort Hood. Was he motivated by Islamic radicalism or was he just in an environment where he was socially rejected and under a lot of stress?

As for the Michigan group, I read on BBC that they were planning to bomb the funeral procession with roadside explosives and landmines. You have to have something loose in your head if you think bombing a funeral is going to convince the masses to rise up against the Federal Government. Waco and Ruby Ridge inspired anger because the victims were people who were fed up with the government and decided to live in relative isolation until the FBI came knocking on their door(for one reason or another).

Big difference between illegally defending yourself/defying the government and blowing up a funeral packed with cops. Well, I guess you can't expect people who think going to war with the government when your force consists of 18 people is a good idea to think their stupid plots out.

[Jude]

Turns out 4 of them were a husband (the leader) his wife and their 2 sons. I would bet a large amount of money on there being several generations of inbreeding behind that.