Debunking the lone wolf myth

Since the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001, government officials have said their greatest fear is self-radicalized individuals they call "lone wolves." The March 12 terrorist attack on Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, prompted a Department of Justice news conference on Monday which offered new information about the attack and a debunking of the lone wolf theory. Jerome Gorgon Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said: "I've seen some odd attempts to explain away or even lessen this terrorist attack by claiming that (the attacker) was an isolated lone wolf, but that is misleading. Terrorist propaganda is designed to activate the so-called lone wolf to act on behalf of the terrorist organization, and it makes no legal difference if the current leader of Hezbollah himself, Naim Qassem, called this man and told him to attack Temple Israel, or whether he simply heeded Hezbollah's call to kill Jews, and in his words, 'burn (their) world.'" The alleged terrorist, Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, was a 41-year-old Lebanese national and a naturalized U.S. citizen. The FBI said Ghazali purposefully targeted the Jewish community when he drove his vehicle into Michigan's largest synagogue and opened fire. He then killed himself before he could fulfill his mission. The Department of Justice alleges Ghazali was directed by Hezbollah. It said this was confirmed by an investigation into his electronic devices and online activity. Questions abound. Among them, if the FBI knew about Ghazali's electronic devices and online activity, why didn't they more closely monitor him, or did they become aware only after the fact? FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan said Ghazali bought an AK-style rifle, 10 magazines and 300 rounds of ammunition from a gun store on March 9 and practiced at a shooting range. His Ford F150 was stocked with commercial-grade fireworks and containers containing more than 30 gallons of gasoline. He is said to have driven to different gas stations to avoid suspicion. Michigan has laws related to the purchase and use of fireworks, including payment of a "safety fee." Restrictions are tougher for commercial- grade fireworks. It would appear those laws were violated. Did the person who sold the fireworks to Ghazali not know this? Ghazali sent, received and viewed so many messages and videos from the terrorist organization Hezbollah that they should not have been seen as red flags, but large flashing red lights. At the news conference, Runyan said that while Ghazali sat in his truck in the Temple Israel parking lot, he also sent numerous videos and posts to his sister in Lebanon. In them, said the agent, he reaffirmed his commitment to carry out a terrorist attack on behalf of Hezbollah. Some of the posts referenced martyrdom and his desire to carry out an attack on "the largest gathering of Israelis in Michigan." One of the posts Ghazali sent to his sister stated that "jihad is the gateway to heaven." Were there no security cameras that covered the parking lot? Did no one find it strange that a truck sat there for some time with a man inside? Had Ghazali succeeded in his evil mission, many Jewish children might have been killed. This time the synagogue and school got lucky (or they might say God protected them), but the antisemitism that is sweeping the country and the world helps fuel this hatred. Whatever law enforcement is doing to combat it and its inevitable consequence of murdering Jews appears insufficient. More must be done, because unchecked this will only get worse. Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.