San Bernadino as Farook's rite of passage

Was the San Beradino shooting intended to be only an opening act for more to follow?

This was not a suicide mission. The attack was carefully planned and well conducted. The shooters, Farook and his wife Tashfeen, left their 6-month old baby with a relative. Police say their gunfire lasted only about a half-minute, then they stopped and drove away. Their home was found to be a virtual armory of ammunition and explosve devices. They evidently, though unrealistically, expected to make a successful getaway.

Farook is said to have had an argument with another event attendee, after which he stomped out in a huff. I say that the argument was only a deliberately-contrived setup to give him the excuse to leave, then change clothes and get armed to come back in shooting.

Why all this elaborate preparation?

I think this attack was a "make my bones" demonstration by Farook to get into ISIS or other terrorist organization. It was his initiation ceremony or Farook's sales brochure, an advertisement to ISIS, et. al. that he was worthy of them. I do not think that ISIS proper knew about it beforehand.

I think that Farook and the missus thought they could make it into hiding, then innocently emerge later. And I think that the wife's Middle Eastern connections will turn out to be a key to uncovering how Farook got seduced by the Dark Side.

No doubt the FBI is working to determine who the "Middle Eastern looking men" are that a neighbor said started showing up at Farook's house about six months ago. And they are surely even now checking with USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc., on deliveries made to the house that the neighbors reported - where originated, by whom, who paid and whether by traceable instrument.

Someone either taught Farook to make pipe bombs or made them for him. Someone inculcated a sense of discipline in the couple to hit the one target for a very short time and leave. Clearly they expected more to come in whatever kind of Islamist affiliation they had.

That is the real thing that should keep us up at night. How many more Farooks are there, and where? And when?