Could any of the fires have been terrorism?

This is a big "what if," and definitely thinking out loud. But let's approach this question by first acknowledging the things we do know:

1) Al-Qaida has expressed a desire to attack Los Angeles

2) Al-Qaida's attempts to attack L.A. thus far have been thwarted, including the millennium bomber caught at the Canadian border and the foiled plot to fly a plane into the U.S. Bank Tower downtown

Now, in 2003 an al-Qaida operative in custody reportedly told officials that the terrorist group had tossed around the idea of starting wildland fires in Western states, and the FBI alerted agencies about such potential plots:

"The (Arizona) Republic reported that the detainee, who was not identified, said the plan involved three or four people setting wildfires using timed devices in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming that would detonate in forests and grasslands after the operatives had left the country.

The memo noted that investigators couldn't determine whether the detainee was telling the truth."

Investigators in Orange County have determined that the Santiago Fire, one of many burning across the Southland, was deliberately set -- at three points:

"'Some of the contributing factors that made us kind of look towards an arsonist from the get-go was it was very obvious to the investigators when they got here ... (that) whoever did this knew what they were doing,' Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Stephen Miller said.

Miller said the three points of origin all fall within the intersection of Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon roads.

'They're searching for any evidence,' Miller said, adding that one side of the road is 'completely burned away.'"

The Orange County Register notes that the blaze spread three miles in its first 20 minutes.

And this is just an observation -- the fire site is about 20 minutes from the Islamic center in Garden Grove where Adam Gadahn, everyone's favorite al-Qaida spokesman "Azzam al-Ameriki," was first recruited. This is also the center where Gadahn would later beat up the mosque chairman because he and other young radicals there thought the guy was too friendly to Jews.

There's no question that when the Santa Anas are kicking and fire danger is at its peak, nutbars tend to run to the hills with their matches. But what's to say that a group intent on harming America and Europe wouldn't take advantage of the red-flag fire conditions as well?

Comments

[Senthil]

Come on Bridget. That's too extraordinary a piece of conjecture, mixed with alarmism and a healthy dose of fear mongering for your standards.
How about waiting for a police investigation before singing, "If you go down to the woods today, you might catch al-Qaeda operatives with a boxes of matches."
Otherwise it's just a conspiracy theory on par with, "Well the twin towers fell at free fall speed so it must have been George Bush personally placing dynamite in the twin towers."

[kishke]

Was thinking - wondering - the same.

[Bridget]

Senthil, maybe you actually have to live down here to understand this, but there's a reason why, for years, many of us have had a nagging thought in the backs of our minds about the potential for pyro-terrorism. Terrorist groups operate to cause fear and a high body count, right? Well, the Los Angeles area is spread out so far and wide that you can't get the good concentration of people in one place to pull off a World Trade Center-style attack. So you have to think outside the box. The reason terror groups have previously discussed Western fires is because when conditions are just right, they quickly grow out of control, causing panic, destruction and loss of life. There are few other attack methods that would have such an impact in this sprawling country -- on the people themselves, granting that attacking the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach would have ginormous economic repercussions.

It's also an easy crime to commit: Only about 10 percent who commit such arsons ever get brought to justice. Also, before accusing me of alarmism, please note that I carefully stressed I was just throwing those facts out there as food for thought.

[Ned]

I have no idea whether the fires are intentionally set by terrorists, but I have often thought this would be a possible and simple method of attack.
If I were they and I had the resources I would set the fires in several states at the same time. While everyone’s attention and equipment was devoted to wildfires I would set fires in the cities.
I don't think it is alarmism to keep an open mind about all possibilities for the origin of these fires. I have heard at least one of the fires has been determined to be arson. If suspects are caught it will be interesting to learn their names and motives.

[songdongnigh]

Let's not forget the recent spate of arson in Greece by anarchists. Arson is a cheap, easy method to create panic and mayhem, just the ticket for terrorists. Islamic terrorism must surely be a high priority for investigation.

[scrapiron]

All of the fires set on purpose are terrorism, maybe not by the usual suspects, but terrorism none the less.

[Senthil]

Fair point Bridget.
But how about this one good reason why it's not Islamic terrorism. The idea of terrorism is to inflict as much actual damage as psychological damage. If this really were an attack from Al-Qaeda we'd have videos from every jihadist group declaring victory in a grainy, poorly made video. We would have every attempt to incite fear into the hearts of Americans. In fact, if the jihadists were smart, they would have claimed credit already, regardless of who did it.
It's all very well to throw food out for thought, but you have to consider that people are going to run with the idea, and make it a reality for them. To create this kind of fear is to do the terrorists job for them, since the psycholigical battle is of equal importance. Fear from terrorism impacts the way we live, the places we go to, the rhetoric we use, the way we view 'us' and 'them', the way we look at dark skinned bearded people, and at the end of the day, that's just as important a goal.
Ned: "If suspects are caught it will be interesting to learn their names and motives." Would you care to expand on why it would be interesting to learn their names and motives? Pyromaniacs often start fires just to see something burn, which is not so much interesting, more typical.
Unless you're implying that the name will be Mohammed al-Jihadmonkey and his motive will be 'death to the infidel', in which case, just say it please, instead of insinuating.

[ardeshir dolat]

One mustn't forget that you have been the target of the Islamic Jihadist terrorists for decades now. So it is natural to suspect terrorism and if this is indeed a terrorist act, then it just shows the vulnerability of the US to terrorist attacks.
The sustained terrorism against the US will probably go on for ever unless you get the bastards and stop them from multiplying. The US is in a very unfortunate position of having to get involved in military operations against them. There is no other way. You cannot negotiate with the terrorists because the concessions you have to make are basically complete surrender to the rule of Islam and to commit suicide. The Islamist Jihadists won't accept anything other than a complete destruction of America's political, economic and social influence around the globe. Any of your politicians who states a desire to negotiate with the Islamist terrorists is overlooking this and is basically an accomplice to the Islamic terrorism to end the world order. If the Islamist terrorists succeed to weaken the US, the main protector of the free and democratic world order, then that would be the end of it. No other country in the world has the resources to fight back. When the Islamic regime makes its first nuclear arsenal, it will be the end of the present free and democratic world order and the beginning of the Islamist world order headed by the Islamic regime of Iran.

The little war against the terrorists now will be like fireworks compared to the bigger war the world would have to fight later if the little war is not fought now.

[Ned]

Senthil, If the name is Bill, George, or Sue I will suspect a pyromaniac. If it is Mohammed al-Jihadmonkey I will lean towards jihad inspired terrorism. Won't know, just suspect.