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Vehicle explodes at US Air Force base entrance. Driver dead. Being treated as potential terrorism

Inugami

Inugami

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,995
(UPDATE)



https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...ifornia-air-force-base-killing-driver-n859306

An account from an apparent witness on the forum said the vehicle was carrying propane tanks when it approached the gate. The driver "started messing with a fuel ignition source to blow the propane tanks" before driving to the side of the road, "where he burned to death," according to the account.

"We didn't know if it was a terrorist attack or a suicide, but we were using the word Bomb for the incident," according to the account, which said no shots were fired.
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Too early to tell which it was... but it doesn't seem well organized if it was an attack, but it seems far too convoluted to simply be a suicide.
 
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Deleted member 11157

User requested account closure
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Oct 27, 2017
3,880
Wasn't the last time someone drove onto a military base, it was an old person who got lost and confused? Could be something similar.
 
cameron

cameron

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
23,835
Press Release: http://www.travis.af.mil/News/Article/1473782/investigation-underway-for-travis-afb-gate-incident/


Bit from CBS News:

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A car loaded with propane tanks ran through the main gate at Travis Air Force Base in northern California on Wednesday night. Military personnel ran up to the burning car that exploded in flame after breaching the security gates.

In video posted on an Air Force forum on Facebook, firefighters are seen attempting to put out the flames.

Law enforcement sources say the car carried propane tanks and the driver deliberately ignited the fire. He died inside the car, which drove off the road into a ditch. There are no reports of shots fired during the incident. The driver has been identified by law enforcement but not been named.

Since he ignited himself, investigators are treating this as an act of terrorism. The FBI has joined the Air Force in the investigation. ​
 
OP
OP
Inugami

Inugami

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,995
cameron said:
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Added to OP. Thank you.

Pretty clear this was an act against the base itself, but I wouldn't think this was an organized attack. Propane tanks can undoubtedly make a big boom, but they wouldn't do a whole lot of damage by themselves as you can see from the final result.

Generally, if you want to create a carbomb, you use something that's going to completely destroy the car... making the car itself like a giant grenade.
 
Noroi_Kisaragi

Noroi_Kisaragi

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,711
set off 5 bombs and terrorize an entire city for weeks, not a terrorist

drive a car to a checkpoint and get turned around, terrorist

what the fuck america
 

Deleted member 3058

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Oct 25, 2017
6,728
"CBS: Law enforcement sources say the car carried propane tanks and the driver deliberately ignited the fire. He died inside the car, which drove off the road into a ditch. There are no reports of shots fired during the incident. The driver has been identified by law enforcement but not been named."

Thankfully the person was incompetent and didn't realize how propane burns.
 
Tragicomedy

Tragicomedy

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
4,310
Noroi_Kisaragi said:
Incorrect. The austin bomber was never investigated for terrorism like this guy was.

I read the article. They're treating this as terrorism right away. Wonder what his skin color was.
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You didn't read what I posted. Both are terrorists. The Austin bomber has been labeled as much by many in the LEA community, and forensic investigation will lead to them settling on that term.

Nobody pulled up to a gate and was turned around in this case, so I'm not sure what you're referencing. If you're upset that the Austin police have avoided using the terrorist word, that's fair.
 
Kotto

Kotto

CEO of Traphouse Networks
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Nov 3, 2017
4,466
How come some of the stupid shit in the past year for CONUS bases has happened at Travis AFB? There was that false alarm last year(?) and now this.
 
FrequentFlyer

FrequentFlyer

Banned
Dec 3, 2017
1,273
KingSnake said:
Funny, I thought it is terrorism only when there is a clear political motive, that's what quite a number of people were arguing in the Austin threads.
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Trying to drive a truck with propane tanks into a military base and trying to blow it up does not seem like a political motive?

At this point it feels like the only point of threads like this is for people to sarcastically display their biases and lack of knowledge on the definition of terrorism.
 
FrequentFlyer

FrequentFlyer

Banned
Dec 3, 2017
1,273
KingSnake said:
Did you miss the quote? They're treating it as an act of terrorism from the start. Which never happened with the Austin bombing even after more bombs exploded. It's a double standard.
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Did the Austin bomber target a specific group of people or vital infrastructure?

If you can't see how someone driving a truck with propane tanks into a military base and trying to blow it up doesn't give the thought of terrorism then I don't know what to tell you. Do you think he just wanted to commit suicide, closed his eyes and randomly ended up in a military base by chance?
 
Fruit&Nut

Fruit&Nut

Using an alt account to circumvent a ban
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Mar 16, 2018
520
FrequentFlyer said:
Did the Austin bomber target a specific group of people or vital infrastructure?
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Black people, and the liberal area of Austin. I mean if trying to bomb black people isn't terrorism, or targeting a specific place because of its politics, I dunno.

I never once heard the Austin bomber referred to as a terrorist in the media. Even the Guardian never called him a terrorist.
 
KingSnake

KingSnake

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,009
FrequentFlyer said:
If you can't see how someone driving a truck with propane tanks into a military base and trying to blow it up doesn't give the thought of terrorism then I don't know what to tell you. Do you think he just wanted to commit suicide, closed his eyes and randomly ended up in a military base by chance?
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Maybe stop adding things to your comments so we can have a proper discussion? My point it is not that this is not an act of terrorism.
 
FrequentFlyer

FrequentFlyer

Banned
Dec 3, 2017
1,273
KingSnake said:
Now you're making your own biased definition. Most of the terrorist attacks don't target either. Unless you define a specific group of people as civilians in a city in which case Austin fits too.
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I'm not using "my own biased defintion", I'm using the common worldwide accepted definitiom of terrorism that requires a political motive. Which is why someone trying to blow up a military base is most likely terrorism and someone sending letter bombs to random people because of psychosis isn't (dont know if that describes Austin as I did not follow that too closely). That is, was and will be the definition, no matter how much you try to obfuscate it so you can derail every thread with "b-but white people!!!". Also we don't even have any info about the perpetrator yet so even that angle is currently jumping to conclusions and frankly shows some users are more interested in barfing out certain talking points than actually engaging with this developing story.

Fruit&Nut said:
Black people, and the liberal area of Austin. I mean if trying to bomb black people isn't terrorism, or targeting a specific place because of its politics, I dunno.

I never once heard the Austin bomber referred to as a terrorist in the media. Even the Guardian never called him a terrorist.
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If the guys motive was explicitly to kill black people then there is a political motive and its terrorism. Also by your logic, if racism is behind the labelling, I thought the identity of the Austin guy was not even known until the arrest, so why would they have held back before?
 
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Deleted member 3345

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FrequentFlyer said:
Did the Austin bomber target a specific group of people or vital infrastructure?

If you can't see how someone driving a truck with propane tanks into a military base and trying to blow it up doesn't give the thought of terrorism then I don't know what to tell you. Do you think he just wanted to commit suicide, closed his eyes and randomly ended up in a military base by chance?
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Sounds like hank hill.
 
KingSnake

KingSnake

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,009
FrequentFlyer said:
I'm not using "my own biased defintion", I'm using the common worldwide accepted definitiom of terrorism that requires a political motive. Which is why someone trying to blow up a military base is most likely terrorism and someone sending letter bombs to random people because of psychosis isn't (dont know if that describes Austin as I did not follow that too closely). That is, was and will be the definition, no matter how much you try to obfuscate it so you can derail every thread with "b-but white people!!!". Also we don't even have any info about the perpetrator yet so even that angle is currently jumping to conclusions and frankly shows some users are more interested in barfing out certain talking points than actually engaging with this developing story.
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One could say that your vehemence here and your lack of knowledge about Austin are determined about your conviction about who's behind this. See my other comment too. You're fighting your own invented enemy. My point is not that this is not a terrorist attack. It could very well be, once more details are unveiled.
 
starpower

starpower

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Canada
tumblr_oi51w67VW11v1z098o1_500.gif
 
FrequentFlyer

FrequentFlyer

Banned
Dec 3, 2017
1,273
KingSnake said:
One could say that your vehemence here and your lack of knowledge about Austin are determined about your conviction about who's behind this. See my other comment too. You're fighting your own invented enemy. My point is not that this is not a terrorist attack. It could very well be, once more details are unveiled.
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You mean like all the comments assuming this was a non-white guy?

We don't know the identity, as such we don't know skin color or anything else either. It seems like terrorism and it makes sense to investigate that angle (not solely though), but of course you cannot call it terrorism yet because we don't know any facts yet. I think another possible angle could be it's maybe some former soldier who has had a personal vendetta or something (although then again, one could maybe expect a more "professional" attempt).
 
MilesQ

MilesQ

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,490
Seems weird to label this terrorism without knowing the drivers intent.

What if he was a challenged young man who was crying out for help? Or had s serious mental health issue.
 
FrequentFlyer

FrequentFlyer

Banned
Dec 3, 2017
1,273
MilesQ said:
Seems weird to label this terrorism without knowing the drivers intent.

What if he was a challenged young man who was crying out for help? Or had s serious mental health issue.
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Can you provide a list of incidents where in similar situations, without any stated political or ideological motive, non-white people were convicted as terrorists?

MilesQ said:
Didn't the Austin bomber ignite himself too?
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Blowing your own car up in a ditch vs trying to ignite a truck with propane gas in a military base. Bit of a difference I'd argue. *edit* though to be fair he did injure a police officer with a blast
 
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Forearm_Star

Forearm_Star

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Oct 25, 2017
3,523
We should hold reservations until we see just how brown the suspect is.


Hot take aside, good thing no one was hurt. The fuck is this world coming to.
 
SanduleaKami

SanduleaKami

Member
Oct 28, 2017
25
Why would this be considered as terrorism when the target is military?

ter·ror·ism
noun
  1. the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.
 
cameron

cameron

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Oct 26, 2017
23,835
NBC News @NBCNews

The crash of an SUV into the main gate at Travis Air Force Base in California this week is not believed to be terrorism-related, two law enforcement officials said.
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NBC News: Terrorism not suspected in fiery SUV crash at Air Force base

The crash of an SUV into the main gate at Travis Air Force Base in California this week is not believed to be terrorism-related, two law enforcement officials said on Friday.

The motive for the mayhem, which resulted in the driver's death on Wednesday, is still not clear, the officials said.

The driver, Hasiz Kazi, 51, who did not have a fixed address, had a gasoline can on his lap that he set ablaze when he roared through the checkpoint, they said.

He was found dead inside the SUV after first responders doused the flames and a robot was deployed to make sure there was nothing else combustible in what was left of the vehicle.

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The driver "started messing with a fuel ignition source to blow the propane tanks" before driving to the side of the road, "where he burned to death," the account said.

"We didn't know if it was a terrorist attack or a suicide, but we were using the word bomb for the incident," according to the account, which said no shots were fired.​
 
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