Panic and Paralyzing Fear

"If you can kill a disbelieving American or European or an Australian, or a Canadian, then rely upon Allah, and kill him in any manner or way however it may be."
"Do not ask for anyone's advice and do not seek anyone's verdict. Kill the disbeliever whether he is civilian or military, for they have the same ruling."
ISIS spokesman online

"An ideological transformation can be done in three months on the web. An individual can at night auto-radicalize himself via the [Internet] and get in touch with leaders of terrorist organizations."
"[Use of the web by terrorists represented] one of my major concerns, and one of the priorities assigned to the [security] services. This requires additional material; forces specialized in fighting cyber-criminality, legal resources."
"I want us to be able to stop the terrorist propaganda,find the operational networks, track them down and prevent them from acting."
Michele Alliot-Marie, then-French Interior minister

There was the universal Western jihad-inspired fear of well-planned and -executed group attacks by identifiable al-Qaeda groups who set themselves a target meant to inspire fear through the success gained in inflicting carnage somewhere in the West where European or North American governments had brought attention to their countries by harbouring the intent to join a coalition to battle the growing jihadi movement.

That nightmare scenario has not been entirely eclipsed, but it has now been joined by an additional nightmare, that of malcontents and would-be jihadists joining the ranks of the threats facing off against Western security. Not only the return of even a small proportion of the thousands now said to be streaming out of their new-immigrant homes in Europe and North America, bringing back with them those newfound skills that appall local security agencies, but the inspiration to jihad settling upon radicals within the society.

How to hold back the tide, emerging steadily and stealthily to present as micro-attacks taking the lives of those seen as representing the hostility of governments against Islam and Islamofascism? The Muslim society in and of itself appeals to the greater community of which it has become a part that those inflicting atrocities on both Muslims and non-Muslims are outside Islam, defaming it by their actions, but in truth they are Muslims and acting out some of Islam's very familiar urgings to the faithful.

Now, being urged that if those inspired to act within jihad on behalf of aspirational global Islam find it difficult to travel abroad, there is no need to: simply remain where they are, and seek out simple methods of adding to the universal spread of jihadist triumphalism. The message is not spanking-new, it has taken a while to percolate, but now it is streaming through the propaganda network; submit to jihad wherever and however it becomes convenient.

No links required, the message absorbed, the 'lone wolfs' go on the prowl, find their niche and enact the spontaneous scenario, and the deed is done. On occasion those conspiring within themselves to act out the message to gain acclaim within jihad as an esteemed martyr will already have come to the attention of the overworked, undermanned local security authorities. On occasion they spring up unannounced, their presence not previously known.

To properly track and follow one jihadist suspect, the national security authoirity must task about thirty officers to the task at hand. With shortages of time and personnel, there will invariably result some failures for security equating to successes for the jihadis. And when they do succeed, whether to destroy the life of one innocent, or create a bloodbath killing a dozen, the inevitable results: panic and paralyzing fear.

Mission accomplished.