Anti Christian Islamic terror attack in Sri Lanka

[Tannin]

Cheers Stui,

It's not that the PM doesn't even attend security meetings, it's that the government is split into warring factions. The former leader who lost the last election, (harder-line Buddhist/Sinhalese than the incumbent; populist, left-leaning, and aligned with Chinese interests) staged an attempted coup last year. After some argy-bargy, the high court ruled against him and the elected government resumed. It takes a more moderate line, leans more toward India, and tends to the centre-right. Nevertheless, the warring factions within the present government do not talk to one another and the security services, apparently, are aligned with the previous PM and the current president, not the current PM. So they don't tell him 'nuffin.

Much the same as the Australian coalition government, really. But at least they haven't had six PMs in six years, three of them certifiable fruitcakes. Not like some countries I could name.

[Morrigu]

Hey Tannin not for this thread obviously but would love to hear about your travels to Sri Lanka - we were looking at going this year but then got sidetracked so hopefully next year.

Maybe here? http://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/viewtopic.php?p=1643631&highlight=holiday#1643631

[stui magpie]

ISIS claims responsibility for the attack, and seems to have some credibility.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/23/asia/sri-lanka-investigation-ntj-intl/index.html

Apparently the Indian police got info from interrogating an ISIS suspect who correctly named the leader of the bombings, same bloke was featured in the ISIS video.

This was passed on to Sri lankan authorities but it wasn't followed up. This could have been prevented.

Other sources attribute Sri lankan authorities as ssaying the attack was payback for Christchurch. I expect security to be out in force at the ANZAC game tomorrow.

[David]

Good analysis here. Seems like the Christchurch link is pretty speculative at this stage:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/23/isis-sub-contracted-sri-lanka-bombings-to-serve-its-own-ends

[stui magpie]

[Wokko]

The Christchurch guy was apparently quite well off as well, the whole "poor desperate terrorist" thing is just an excuse. Ideologies cause terrorism, not economics.

[David]

I wouldn't be so quick to draw conclusions from individual cases. It may well be true that there's no correlation between socioeconomic disadvantage and involvement with terrorist groups – or, at least, enough exceptions to show that the link is overstated – but finding a few examples of middle-class tertiary-educated terrorists doesn't prove that. My own guess would be that a lot of the people higher up the ranks in organisations like ISIS as well as some of the lone wolves (like Breivik) would tend to be more educated, whereas the footsoldiers would be drawn from working-class backgrounds.

[stui magpie]

No doubt the ISIS leadership would be educated and intelligent, they have a plan. The foot soldiers, the ones who strap bombs to themselves aren't just usually working class but cannon fodder. 18th century and earlier standard military tactics and hierarchy.

Lone wolves having access to cash isn't surprising, Martin Bryant had loads of it but had the IQ of a cantaloupe. The las Vegas shooter was cashed up. Having educated and cashed up people willingly being the cannon fodder in religious idealism is worrying.

[swoop42]

I was left wondering how so much death was caused by these suicide bombers but from the little bit of footage I've seen it would appear some at least had backpacks which I assume were laden with explosives.

Far bigger payload than what could be strapped to the body.

[Woods Of Ypres]

wheres Waleed ?

[Pies4shaw]

Here, for those who don't have the attention span of gnats: https://radio.abc.net.au/programitem/peJDG7qneD?play=true

[stui magpie]

When Police went to the house of one of the bombers, his pregnant wife detonated a suicide vest killing herself, her children and 3 Police.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/sri-lanka-bombings-the-wealthy-family-behind-the-suicide-attacks-20190425-p51h0n.html

[Pies4shaw]

Here are a few things - all pre-dating the attacks last weekend - that may interest people who have been wondering, like me, why the terrorists in this case targeted Christians rather than the Buddhist nationalist majority (which has a recent track record of persecuting Christians and Muslims) - I do not suggest that any of the articles present an answer to that question:

2017 US State Department report on religious freedom in Sri Lanka: https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/281278.pdf

http://colombogazette.com/2018/02/27/ampara-tense-following-attack-on-shop-and-mosque/

https://nation.com.pk/07-Mar-2018/sri-lanka-declares-emergency-to-quell-anti-muslim-riots

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43305453

https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/MRG_Rep_SriLan_Dec16.pdf

[David]

[stui magpie]

Article by Aly that also touches on why the target that didn't make sense, does.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/the-sri-lankan-attacks-are-uniquely-senseless-20190425-p51h2v.html