Following the terrorist attacks earlier this year at Charlie Hebdo, Westgate, and Mumbai, the Secretary General of International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Ronald Noble recommended that having armed civilians is an effective way to prevent or halt terrorist attacks.
Noble pointed out that the terrorist look for locations with many soft targets so they can maximize the damage. But, if citizens are armed, the attacks could be stopped quickly.
In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Noble said there are really only two choices for protecting open societies from attacks like the one on Westgate mall where so-called “soft targets” are hit: either create secure perimeters around the locations or allow civilians to carry their own guns to protect themselves.
“Societies have to think about how they’re going to approach the problem,” Noble said. “One is to say we want an armed citizenry; you can see the reason for that. Another is to say the enclaves are so secure that in order to get into the soft target you’re going to have to pass through extraordinary security.” …
Citing a recent call for al Qaeda “brothers to strike soft targets, to do it in small groups,” Noble said law enforcement is now facing a daunting task.
“How do you protect soft targets? That’s really the challenge. You can’t have armed police forces everywhere,” he told reporters. “It’s Interpol’s view that one way you protect soft targets is you make it more difficult for terrorist to move internationally. So what we’re trying to do is to establish a way for countries … to screen passports, which are a terrorist’s best friend, try to limit terrorists moving from country to country. And also, that we’re able to share more info about suspected terrorists.”
In the interview with ABC News, Noble was more blunt and directed his comments to his home country.
“Ask yourself: If that (Westgate terror attack) was Denver, Col., if that was Texas, would those guys have been able to spend hours, days, shooting people randomly?” Noble said, referring to states with pro-gun traditions. “What I’m saying is it makes police around the world question their views on gun control. It makes citizens question their views on gun control. You have to ask yourself, ‘Is an armed citizenry more necessary now than it was in the past with an evolving threat of terrorism?’ This is something that has to be discussed.’”
This is obvious to many Americans. The Second Amendment gives us the right to be armed. This right differentiates us from most of the world. While nobody wants to be in a situation where they would have to use their sidearm, people carry them with the purpose of protecting themselves.
When the Interpol Secretary General said this back in January, it didn’t lead to any effective changes.
Do you believe after the coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris last week that the world may be waking up to the need for citizens to be armed rather than sitting ducks? Please join the discussion.
H/T: 10 News DK