Counterterrorism Expert: U.S. Gun Policy Poses a National Security Threat

National Counterterrorism Center Director Nicholas Rasmussen, who has held senior positions at the NCC and the White House in both Democratic and Republican administrations over the last 27 years, said recently, "We find ourselves in a more dangerous situation because our population of violent extremists has no difficulty gaining access to weapons that are quite lethal."

Indeed, an al Qaeda spokesperson said in a 2011 training video, "America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms. You can go down to a gun show at the local convention center and come away with a fully-automatic assault rifle, without a background check, and most likely without having to show an identification card. So what are you waiting for?"

And just yesterday, ISIS released a video in which Abu Salih al-Amriki urges allies in the United States to "take advantage of the fact that you can easily obtain a rifle or a pistol in America" to carry out attacks.

The possibility that Islamic State followers in the United States will acquire powerful weapons by legal means has been a growing concern of American counterterrorism officials, and should be part of the public debate about guns.

Interesting. They say it's easy to get guns here. Walk me through the steps of what I'd need to do to legally purchase a gun. To me needing to go through background checks, etc. doesn't make it "easy".

And if you're talking about them illegally obtaining guns, okay, explain which of our policies makes it easy to illegally obtain a gun.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
National Counterterrorism Center Director Nicholas Rasmussen, who has held senior positions at the NCC and the White House in both Democratic and Republican administrations over the last 27 years, said recently, "We find ourselves in a more dangerous situation because our population of violent extremists has no difficulty gaining access to weapons that are quite lethal."

Indeed, an al Qaeda spokesperson said in a 2011 training video, "America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms. You can go down to a gun show at the local convention center and come away with a fully-automatic assault rifle, without a background check, and most likely without having to show an identification card. So what are you waiting for?"

And just yesterday, ISIS released a video in which Abu Salih al-Amriki urges allies in the United States to "take advantage of the fact that you can easily obtain a rifle or a pistol in America" to carry out attacks.

The possibility that Islamic State followers in the United States will acquire powerful weapons by legal means has been a growing concern of American counterterrorism officials, and should be part of the public debate about guns.

Yes, so what is your position regarding this?

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
And just yesterday, ISIS released a video in which Abu Salih al-Amriki urges allies in the United States to "take advantage of the fact that you can easily obtain a rifle or a pistol in America" to carry out attacks.

Great...

Originally posted by Surtur
Interesting. They say it's easy to get guns here. Walk me through the steps of what I'd need to do to legally purchase a gun. To me needing to go through background checks, etc. doesn't make it "easy".

And if you're talking about them illegally obtaining guns, okay, explain which of our policies makes it easy to illegally obtain a gun.

If you purchase a firearm from an unlicensed or private seller, you do not need to undergo a background check at all.

Up to 50% of vendors at gun shows are unlicensed, and approximately 22% of people who purchased firearms in 2015 did not undergo a background check.

So your "burdensome" background check is not even a requirement to legally purchase a firearm.

Originally posted by snowdragon
Yes, so what is your position regarding this?

If your gun laws are being exploited by terrorists, then you need new laws.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
If you purchase a firearm from a seller unlicensed to sell firearms, you can legally avoid background checks.

How does that work? 🤨

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
If you purchase a firearm from an unlicensed or private seller, you do not need to undergo a background check at all.

Up to 50% of vendors at gun shows are unlicensed, and approximately 22% of people who purchased firearms in 2015 did not undergo a background check.

So your "burdensome" background check is not even a requirement to legally purchase a firearm.

Are those new guns being sold or used guns?

Originally posted by NewGuy01
How does that work? 🤨

It is a law that licensed gun sellers must perform background checks, but it is not a law that gun sellers must be licensed.

Originally posted by snowdragon
Are those new guns being sold or used guns?

What difference does it make? Are old guns somehow less able to be used by terrorists? This is precisely the sort of loophole that terrorists are exploiting.

I believe both new and used guns are to be found for sale at gun shows.

Though I believe what Abu Salih al-Amriki was referring to was how easily someone can get guns and then go Jihad in America. eg Omar Mateen purchased both a pistol and AR-15 type legally, he walked out the same day with the AR-15 and waited the three day period for his handgun before killing 49 people.

Originally posted by Robtard
I believe both new and used guns are to be found for sale at gun shows.

It should also be noted that a terrorist can just as easily kill people with a used gun as with a new gun.

I have been to said "shows."

I just want to get a better view from the person setting the narrative of this topic. Since I know for a fact there are background checks from various vendors at gun shows.

I edited, as Adam already covered the lethal point of a used vs new gun.

Let me also clarify my position.

If there is a loophole, I want it closed. I don't want high capacity magazines to be legal, bumper stocks, silencers etc

Can you cite your resource material for me please adam.

I'm actually curious why someone can walk out same day with an AR-15 type rifle but has to wait three-days for a handgun?

If someone is going to mass murder people, an AR-15 type is the superior weapon to use. Both the Florida and Las Vegas attacks illustrate this.

Awww... This is so sad. But remember. Gun Crime can't be Fought, like all other crimes. So Passing More Laws is pointless.

Originally posted by Robtard
I edited, as Adam already covered the lethal point of a used vs new gun.

The reason I asked that in regards to this :

"If you purchase a firearm from an unlicensed or private seller, you do not need to undergo a background check at all."

Any merchant that buys guns from manufacturers to sell is tracked, if they want to stay in business it doesn't benefit them to not background check because the guns will all trace back to them.

I've never seen a vendor at a gun show sell a gun without a background check in the state of MO, I can't speak to all places obviously. If it is a used gun its probably pretty old BECAUSE if the seller isn't licensed and the they sell their gun its still tracks back to the original owner..............so once again they would be responsible for any potential actions taken with said weapon.

Hey! Don't bring FACTS into Adam's Leftist Fascist Dogma Thread.

This is an interesting video in regards to the topic:

CNNGunShowBuys

Shocking but it really reflects our mindset on marketing and making money and the gun culture in general.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE
If you purchase a firearm from an unlicensed or private seller, you do not need to undergo a background check at all.

Up to 50% of vendors at gun shows are unlicensed, and approximately 22% of people who purchased firearms in 2015 did not undergo a background check.

So your "burdensome" background check is not even a requirement to legally purchase a firearm.

Well they certainly should change the law so that you cannot legally sell a firearm without a background checking have been done on the person at some point.