Earlier today the FBI classified the San Bernadino shooting as an act of terrorism. Real journalists, who actually know what they’re talking about, have described what happened as Tafsheen Malik self radicalizing to the doctrine of the Islamic State over a period of time after she moved to the US. And the attacks as not particularly well planned or professional. She then seems to have radicalized her husband. This could change, and as the investigation proceeds it is possible it was the other way around, but either way this appears to be leaderless resistance/lone wolf/stochastic terrorism. They made a subjective identification with the Islamic State and its teachings and took action on their own.
This makes sense. The choice of targets was bizarre for a terrorist attack, the homemade bombs thankfully never detonated, and the majority of the shooters ammunition was left at home. The Islamic State has also played a lot of catchup. Their impressive information operations section couldn’t capitalize on the attacks, because, apparently no one at the Islamic State was checking Ms. Malik’s Facebook page…
Irresponsible journalists, basically all the cable news stations and the major networks and a whole bunch of other media knuckleheads, including one particular pillock from The Times of London who tweeted about helping the landlord, broke into the shooters’ residence. This has led to dueling announcements and tweets from the San Bernarndino Police Department claiming its still an active investigative/crime scene and journalists claiming someone at the FBI’s LA Field Office said they’d released the scene. Charles Johnson, the decent one, at Little Green Footballs and his merry band of lizards* have captured a great deal of the tweets about what happened at this link. These includes reports of reporters doxxing one of the shooter’s mothers by showing footage/pictures of her driver’s license and social security card.
* This is what they call themselves. Personally I’d have gone with ballers or footballers, but I’m sure there’s some in joke I’m missing. Probably has to do with Jim Morrison.
PS – if anyone can find the Bloom County strip where they’re having a legal cull of journalists, please put the link up in the comments. I’ve been looking for the thing for 1/2 an hour and I’ll throw it up at the top of the post. Seems somehow apropos.
San Bernardino Update: Perils of Modern Journalism EditionPost + Comments (74)