Al Qaeda issues magazine on terror tactics, suggests DC eateries

Seeking more widespread media attention, Al Qaeda has issued an instruction manual for U.S. operatives on how to maximize casualties in attack tactics.

Packed restaurants in DC offer an ideal target for American-based Al Qaeda-inspired terrorist wannabes - at least this is according to a new how-to magazine distributed by the terrorist network. Al Qaeda is now in the publishing business, a secondary communications model to their prior broadcast and pod-cast models. "A random hit at a crowded restaurant in Washington, D.C., at lunch hour might end up knocking out a few government employees," the 74-page publication advises, according to a report in the New York Post. The magazine also highlights a tactic it labels "The Ultimate Mowing Machine," where readers are encouraged to drive a pickup truck at full speed into crowds of people. The article suggests the "mowing machine" method, saying "to achieve maximum carnage, you need to pick up as much speed as you can while still retaining good control . . . to strike as many people as possible in your first run." With increased drone attacks carried out by the U.S. military in Pakistan over terrorist worries in Europe, the potential for activity among international terrorist groups - operating in Western cities - appears to be on the rise. The magazine's contents represents a change in strategy for the Al Qaeda network, focusing on readily available objects - such as pick-up trucks and semi-automatic rifles - and lone-wolf disenchanted citizens who may be willing to carry out such violent acts.