Topic: Lone Wolf Terrorism

The artwork for episode 1726, titled "The Fog," is reviewed, featuring the "Lone Wolf EV Terror Club" by Sir Shug. Other entries, including an upside-down ISIS-style flag by Mike Riley, were discussed but deemed too controversial for use. Listeners are encouraged to submit artwork to the No Agenda Art Generator website for future episodes.

A listener from Malaysia provides perspective on the Christchurch mosque shooting, arguing that "terrorism" is often used inconsistently based on the perpetrator's race. The discussion explores whether lone-wolf acts should be classified as institutional terrorism. The hosts acknowledge the frustration within the global Muslim community regarding the actions of radicalized individuals providing fodder for critics.

Abdul Razak Ali Artan, an 18-year-old Somali permanent resident, carried out a vehicular and knife attack at Ohio State University. The segment reviews a previous interview Artan gave to the student newspaper regarding his fears of praying in public as a Muslim. The hosts question the media's reluctance to label the incident a terrorist attack.

FBI Director James Comey criticized the term "lone wolf" for giving terrorists a sense of dignity, proposing the term "lone rat" instead. The hosts mock this branding attempt as a failed media strategy that ignores the individualistic nature of American culture.

Former CIA officials Mike Morrell and Philip Mudd appear on news networks to warn of future domestic terror attacks. Mudd describes the current threat as a "revolutionary movement" that is no longer connected to a core group like Al-Qaeda. The hosts compare these warnings to previous "guaranteed" attack predictions from 2008 that never materialized.

Maajid Nawaz introduces the term "self-starter" to replace "lone wolf" when describing individual terrorists. He argues that these individuals are inspired by a global Islamist ideology to "atomize" and carry out attacks independently. The hosts mock the term "self-starter" as sounding like a corporate job description.

The "lone wolf" terrorism narrative is being heavily promoted by politicians like Senator Dianne Feinstein following incidents in New York and Canada. Critics argue that the term is being applied to mentally ill individuals to justify increased funding for security agencies like the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). New legislation in Canada is being fast-tracked to expand internal spying powers in response to these recent high-profile events.

The hosts evaluate a recent FBI operation in Seattle involving Larry Gillette and alleged plots against the Space Needle and Walmart. This event is analyzed through the "six-week cycle" theory, which suggests the FBI frequently sets up patsies in manufactured terror plots to justify budget and authority. The lack of a radicalization angle and the "lone wolf" nature of the suspect are noted as deviations from the typical pattern.

House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Rogers claims that Al-Qaeda poses a greater threat to the U.S. homeland now than it did before 9/11. Rogers argues that the rise of "lone wolf" attackers and affiliates in Africa makes this the wrong time to scale back NSA surveillance programs.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a new edition of Inspire magazine, which CNN correspondent Barbara Starr and analyst Paul Cruickshank reported on extensively. The magazine praises the Tsarnaev brothers for the Boston Marathon bombing and encourages "lone wolf" attacks in the West. Analysis suggests the media coverage effectively promotes the propaganda, with Cruickshank, a member of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, repeatedly using the word "inspire" to align with the magazine's branding.

The hosts identify a recurring six-week cycle in FBI "homegrown terror" arrests, noting the latest case in Los Angeles involving four men allegedly recruited via Facebook. They argue that the FBI uses social media interactions and "likes" to build cases against individuals who are often just "talking trash" online. The segment highlights the role of *Inspire* magazine in these entrapment-style investigations.

President Obama nominated Alan Krueger to chair the Council of Economic Advisers. Krueger is notably the author of "What Makes a Terrorist," a book that examines the demographics and motivations of terrorists through an economic lens. The hosts find it significant that an expert on "lone wolf" domestic terrorism is now a top economic advisor.

The media coverage of the Norway attacks is scrutinized, specifically an interview with the father of Anders Breivik. The hosts find the controlled nature of the international press's access to the father suspicious. They discuss the broader implications of the "lone wolf" narrative and the possibility of hidden targets within such mass-casualty events.

A new media meme regarding "lone wolf" terrorists is examined, focusing on individuals not affiliated with larger conspiracies or groups. Janet Napolitano describes the difficulty the FBI and National Counterterrorism Center face in tracking these individuals. The proposed solution involves training police to recognize suspicious activities and encouraging "community resilience" among the public.

A report by Professor Michael Clarke warns that the UK faces a "severe" terror threat from a new generation of extremists radicalized in prison. The report suggests that 800 non-terrorist prisoners will soon be released and may carry out "lone wolf" attacks. The hosts characterize this as part of a government "frighten-you-as-machine" campaign.