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from the geeks-who-can't-handle-their-guns dept.
BBC News reports that French police have arrested a 24-year old Algerian man accused of plotting a terror attack against churches who called an ambulance after suffering self-inflicted gunshot wounds:
The man, a computer science student who had lived in France for several years, was detained on Sunday after he apparently shot himself by accident and called for an ambulance. Police followed a trail of blood leading to his vehicle, where they found notes "unambiguously demonstrating" he planned an imminent attack, according to [Minister of the Interior] Mr Cazeneuve. "Several war weapons, hand guns, ammunition, bullet-proof vests, and computer and telephone hardware" were discovered at his car and home, Mr Cazeneuve added.
No links between the man and other terror groups was found, although he was previously flagged by police after he expressed the desire to travel to Syria to fight with militants, a sentiments shared by hundreds of other French citizens already fighting with ISIS. The man has also been connected to the death of a woman found in her car near Paris, although no details have yet been released concerning his link to that case.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by bob_super on Wednesday April 22 2015, @07:01PM
he was under surveillance after he "vanished" a week in Turkey last year, but the police apparently didn't have actionable elements.
That adds to the evidence that, in the fight to protect people, massive surveillance and specialists' judgment calls are often no match for the sheer dumbness of many criminals (too bad not all are quite so dumb).
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Thexalon on Wednesday April 22 2015, @07:19PM
Also relevant are the significant number of truck bombs that explode long before they reach their intended target. Many a terrorist attack, particularly on Israel, has been thwarted that way long before the defenders even knew about it due to sheer stupidity on the part of the would-be terrorists.
As it turns out, explosives are hard to get right.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 4, Informative) by frojack on Wednesday April 22 2015, @09:07PM
Is it true that this was for sure stupidity on the part of terrorists?
After all, many suicide bombers do not have control of their own bomb. Its controlled remotely by their handler with a cell phone (usually via a text message, sometimes by simple wake up alarm). (Prevent's sudden onset of cold feet).
Delay in getting to the target could trigger the alarm one, so that method had fallen into disfavor by terrorists.
Random texts from intelligence agencies have been used trigger the text ones. (Probably using stingrays).
Deviation from the assigned route, or bolting from the vehicle can cause the handler to trigger it.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by AnonTechie on Thursday April 23 2015, @06:34AM
Darwin strikes again !
Albert Einstein - "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 23 2015, @01:08PM
Wonder if any bombs have been triggered by telemarketer calls?
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2015, @09:13PM
"Nooo body expects the Religious Inspired Terrorism! Amoungst our weaponry are fear, surprise, and self-inflicted gunshot wounds!"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2015, @09:53PM
Want to come back in and try that again?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by TheRaven on Thursday April 23 2015, @09:08AM
sudo mod me up
(Score: 5, Interesting) by The Archon V2.0 on Wednesday April 22 2015, @07:43PM
> That adds to the evidence that, in the fight to protect people, massive surveillance and specialists' judgment calls are often no match for the sheer dumbness of many criminals (too bad not all are quite so dumb).
You don't need to compare it to the dumbness of criminals: it's just still more evidence that massive surveillance is next-to-worthless. I mean, look at this guy. The article says he "was known to security services as having expressed a wish to travel to Syria to fight with Islamist militants". I don't know how they got that tidbit, but it hardly matters. Here they had a guy they knew was pro-militant who collected guns and bulletproof vests, planned an attack, maybe murdered someone as implied by that whole 'linked to Aurelie Chatelain' thing, and wasn't caught until he shot himself! If they can't do surveillance well enough to catch a known militant getting weapons what the hell good will MORE surveillance do?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Wednesday April 22 2015, @08:22PM
All of you are barking up the wrong tree.
Maybe the authorities knew and wanted to let it happen so they could justify even more crackdowns on civil liberties and other quaint things?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 23 2015, @09:31AM
Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence
(Score: 2) by The Archon V2.0 on Thursday April 23 2015, @12:18PM
Something tells me they'd have done a better job of it. A conspiracy to gain power for themselves by looking like better-armed Keystone Cops doesn't seem productive.
(Score: 1) by mvdwege on Thursday April 23 2015, @12:12PM
Who says they weren't waiting for him to start making his move before arresting him, and were pre-empted by the gun accident?
(Score: 2) by The Archon V2.0 on Thursday April 23 2015, @12:25PM
If he's "making his move", then he's already armed, armored, and expecting police intervention. That's a good way to end up with a lot of dead cops and bystanders.
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Thursday April 23 2015, @08:30AM
This will be marked down as a win for mass-surveillance of the population in France, as otherwise, the individual would never have been found prior to completing his mission.