CLOSE CALL DOWN UNDER – AT 12:50 P.M. ET:   This has gotten far too little attention in our media.  Australia just had a close call with terrorism, and our government is watching developments carefully.  This is not lone-wolf stuff.  From The Hill: 

The Department of Homeland Security said Sunday it is closely monitoring the foiled Australia terrorist plot in which extremists planned an attack targeting an airplane.

“We are closely following the terrorism investigation in Australia and assisting our partners," DHS said in a statement.

"The Department of Homeland Security remains focused on the persistent and emerging threats to aviation, and we have taken extraordinary steps in recent weeks to raise the baseline of aviation security worldwide, especially to protect flights bound for the United States," the statement said. "We will continue to work with authorities in Australia and elsewhere to confront these threats.”

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Saturday that Australian authorities had thwarted a terrorist plan to "bring down" an airplane through counterterrorism raids.

Authorities arrested four men in connection with the plot, The Australian reported.

While those arrested have not been charged, authorities believe the attack was inspired by the Islamic State, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said.

COMMENT:  We've gotten too used to the concept of the lone wolf, itself a misnomer.  There's no such thing as a lone wolf.  Islamic terrorists are radicalized by someone.  They didn't come to terrorism naturally.

But small operations are only part of the Islamist workbook.  Aviation has been a terror target for decades.  It's a spectacular target, with instant propaganda results. 

July 30, 2017