Former Secretary-General of Interpol: Armed Citizens Can Help Stop Terrorists

[TITAN308]

Now, Ronald K. Noble, former secretary-general of Interpol, is weighing in on the issue. During the first Clinton administration, from 1993 to 1996, Noble served as assistant secretary and then undersecretary for enforcement at the Treasury Department. This made him the direct supervisor of the main federal gun control agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. As such, he played a major role in the Clinton administration’s very aggressive gun control program. This included changing BATF licensing practices for Federal Firearms Licensees to deny the majority of them license renewal.

After that, he returned to teaching law at New York University. In the fall 1998 semester, he and I co-taught NYU’s “Gun Control and Gun Rights” seminar. The usual co-teacher, James Jacobs, was on sabbatical, so I was enlisted to substitute for him in providing a “pro-gun” balance to Noble’s views. In 2000, Noble was elected secretary-general of Interpol, the first non-European ever to hold the post. Noble went on to serve three terms as secretary-general, leaving in 2014. He now runs a global security consulting firm based in Dubai, RKN Global DWC LLC.

As Noble explains, his 14 years of close involvement in global counterterrorism changed his perspective on gun control. This week, he has published a video about the 2013 mass shootings at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi. The video, “Armed Citizens Can Help Stop Terrorist Massacres Like Nairobi and Paris,” shows graphic footage of the attack and of the response of armed citizens. During the lengthy and well-planned attack, more than 60 innocent people were murdered. As Noble explains, the death count would have been hundreds more if not for the armed citizens who intervened. As Noble puts it, “This is not an American argument, nor a political argument. In these horrific situations, law-abiding armed citizens have helped protect others and literally saved lives, and the world should be made aware of this reality. . . . In the hands of law-abiding citizens, guns can and do save lives.”

Full Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...mass-shooting/

Long read but interesting to see someone who was a hard line gun control government employee who helped throw wrenches in the gearworks for the gun industry and alike turn a 180.

[Ripster42]

He now runs a global security consulting firm based in Dubai, RKN Global DWC LLC.

Yes, what reason does he have to promote fear of terrorists?

[primalmatter]

Well yeah... a armed citizen can defend themselves and kill or slow a terrorist and deter them away from their families this isn't really a new thing...

[TITAN308]

Yes, what reason does he have to promote fear of terrorists?

Or maybe where he works has nothing to do with it. /tinfoil hat

Could go either way I suppose.

[Sunseeker]

Or maybe where he works has nothing to do with it. /tinfoil hat

Could go either way I suppose.

Seems like where he works has everything to do with it. Considering that when he worked for the anti-gun guys he was anti-gun, and when he worked for the pro-gun guys he's now pro-gun. I wonder if he actually has any opinions of his own?

[TITAN308]

Seems like where he works has everything to do with it. Considering that when he worked for the anti-gun guys he was anti-gun, and when he worked for the pro-gun guys he's now pro-gun. I wonder if he actually has any opinions of his own?

Or maybe he learned a lot from the previous job and used it on his next?

Is this just going to be a "what if" thread? lol

[Xar226]

He's correct; there are scenarios where it could help. In the confusion of a terrorist attack, it could also lead to innocent people shooting each other.

Regardless, I am not particularly concerned about the threat of terrorist attacks so the negatives I see with gun ownership would still outweigh any possibility of helping to end a terrorist attack by my measure.

[Ripster42]

Or maybe he learned a lot from the previous job and used it on his next?

Is this just going to be a "what if" thread? lol

Lets just say that I'm not going to take anything he says that directly contradicts his older positions without a boulder of salt when he profits from his new position.

[TITAN308]

Lets just say that I'm not going to take anything he says that directly contradicts his older positions without a boulder of salt when he profits from his new position.

Hey I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion. Why I shared the article.

[zephid]

Well of course armed citizens might be able to help stop terrorists, but the downside is increased gun violence. So I guess it's a trade off.

I'm willing to bet that "People who have died because of liberal gun laws" > "People who would have died in terrorist attacks if it wasn't for liberal gun laws".

[TITAN308]

Well of course armed citizens can help stop terrorists, but the down side is increased gun violence. So I guess it's a trade off.

I'm willing to bet that "People who have died because of liberal gun laws" > "People who would have died in terrorist attacks if it wasn't for liberal gun laws".

I don't believe a majority of people being killed are dying because of liberal gun laws, but rather because some people choose to ignore the laws period.

Do you have any idea how many gun laws exist on a federal, state, and county level in our country?

[zephid]

I don't believe a majority of people being killed are dying because of liberal gun laws, but rather because some people choose to ignore the laws period.

Do you have any idea how many gun laws exist on a federal, state, and county level in our country?

But the reason why it's so easy for people to commit crimes while armed with guns is because it's so easy to get a hold of a gun because of your liberal gun laws. There is a reason why gun violence is so much higher in the states compared to the rest of the western world.

[TITAN308]

But the reason why it's so easy for people to commit crimes while armed with guns is because of your liberal gun laws. There is a reason why gun violence is so much higher in the states compared to the rest of the western world.

I still think you are missing the point.

What laws would you create that would halt criminals in their tracks from committing gun crimes?

What makes you think the new laws would be adhered to any better than the current laws?

I'm all ears.

[zephid]

I still think you are missing the point.

What laws would you create that would halt criminals in their tracks from committing gun crimes?

I'm all ears.

You can't stop criminals from committing gun crimes if they already have the guns in their possession. What you must do is to make it harder for them to get the gun in the first place. Which means that you need to reduce the number of privately owned guns. If it's easy for a law abiding citizen to get a gun, it's also easy for a criminal to get a gun.

[Melkandor]

You can't stop criminals from committing gun crimes if they already have the guns in their possession. What you must do is to make it harder for them to get the gun in the first place. Which means that you need to reduce the number of privately owned guns. If it's easy for a law abiding citizen to get a gun, it's also easy for a criminal to get a gun.

It's not hard to get guns illegally in America. Trust me. I have quite a few friends that have handguns that can't get them legally. If I really wanted to I could have an illegally purchased firearm sitting in my lap within a couple hours.

[TITAN308]

You can't stop criminals from committing gun crimes if they already have the guns in their possession. What you must do is to make it harder for them to get the gun in the first place. Which means that you need to reduce the number of privately owned guns. If it's easy for a law abiding citizen to get a gun, it's also easy for a criminal to get a gun.

Why should it not be easy for a law abiding citizen to get a gun? Are they criminals?

[zephid]

It's not hard to get guns illegally in America. Trust me. I have quite a few friends that have handguns that can't get them legally. If I really wanted to I could have an illegally purchased firearm sitting in my lap within a couple hours.

But the reason why it's easy to get them illegally is because it's so easy to get them legally. If people didn't have guns in their homes/cars etc. there wouldn't be the same number of illegal guns on the streets either since those are generally legal guns that has been stolen.

- - - Updated - - -

Why should it not be easy for a law abiding citizen to get a gun? Are they criminals?

No, but if it's easy to get a gun legally it means that a lot of people will have guns in their homes etc. Guns that will be stolen when someone breaks in etc. Which leads to more guns on the street.

[TITAN308]

But the reason why it's easy to get them illegally is because it's so easy to get them legally. If people didn't have guns in their homes/cars etc. there wouldn't be the same number of illegal guns on the streets either since those are generally legal guns that has been stolen.

So basically being robbed is the victims fault. Ah ok.

[zephid]

So basically being robbed is the victims fault. Ah ok.

Nowhere in that post did I say that. I just explained why united states have so much more illegal guns on the streets compared to the rest of the western world. It's because of your liberal gun laws.

[TITAN308]

No where in that post did I say that. I just explained why united states have so much more illegal guns on the streets compared to the rest of the western world.

So what is your resolution? Ban guns?