Seven Taliban gunmen stormed a military-run school in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar this week, killing 141 people, mostly civilian children and teenage students. Although run by the military, early reports seem to indicate that the armed army was not present at the onset of the attack, and arrived later from outside. The 7 attackers, all wearing explosives vests, all died in the assault. The attack was apparently designed purely to terrorize and kill the children rather than take anyone hostage to further the militant group’s aims. Tehreek-e-Taliban, a Pakistani militant group trying to overthrow the government, claimed responsibility for the attack. Analysts said the militants likely targeted the school because of its military connections, sending a message that they can also kill your children.
That’s 132 young people and 9 staff members dead, with an additional 121 injured. Arming folks AT the attack site BEFORE the attack couldn’t have hurt. And I’m thinking we’re not using enough bombs ourselves. If you shoot a guy in an explosive vest at a distance, maybe he can’t detonate it. And if he can, at least he won’t be on top of you.
“We have observed over the past few decades that neither Jewish Zionists, nor Christian Crusaders, nor Norwegian folk-dancers for that matter, have presented a terrorist problem. The problem is always Islamics. Islamics are terrorists, and have been for the past 1500 years!” – John Farnam
We could be next.