Another Al Qaeda Plot? Officials: Al Qaeda Interested in Hijacking Cargo Planes

ABC News ^ | ABC News

[Kay Soze]

I pray it not one of our most beloved institutions that are targeted.

Pls terrorist dont attack:

American Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY

Or Barbara Streissands home in Malibu California


These cutltural icons are the most important to us here in the US.

[Timesink]

...vessels reachable by scuba were a primary concern.

Well, thank God I finally filled in that moat!

[tbrosz]

To the best of my knowledge, dangerous quantities of nuclear material don't travel by cargo plane.

[Centurion2000]

The sources said the information has not been corroborated and that it did not mention specific targets,

B$ ... someone's not telling the truth here.

[RayChuang88]

Actually, my biggest worry is al-Qaeda figuring out how to load a fast-moving Cigarette high-speed pleasure boat with a couple of hundred pounds of home-made plastique explosives and ramming it into a cruise ship. Given the large Muslim community in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area and the fact that Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach have the highest concentration of cruise ships anywhere in the world, the prospect of a pleasure craft loaded with explosive ramming into a large cruise ship is very real indeed. Such an impact would have the equivalent of a US Navy Mark 48 torpedo impact, which could cause many casualties and seriously damage the cruise ship (it could actually sink a smaller cruise ship).

[concerned about politics]

I pray it not one of our most beloved institutions that are targeted.
American Civil Liberties Union 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY
Or Barbara Streissands home in Malibu California

Or please, please, don't hit the Clinton library. All Americans would suffer dearly. America would fall over night.
I repeat: Please - not the Clinton library.

[Indie]

MSNBC: "...officials could not rule out domestic attacks as well...and aree taking the threat seriously....Officials at the Homeland Security Department said they had no immediate plans to raise the national threat level, which is currently at “yellow,” or “elevated..."

Not that the alert system does any good, but I can see you government guys are really taking it seriously ok...sheesh...again, HOW serious were you taking it??

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Give the pilots sidearms. Jeeez.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Pilot + Glock + full clip of 40 cal CorBons + Terrorists = Dead Terrorists. That's all. Let's get off of the freaking liberal hand wringing for cryin' out loud! Are we not men?

[bonesmccoy]

(bureaucrat hand wringing and heads down)

gets ya' kinda frustrated ... don't it?

[bonesmccoy]

I believe you left off list of indispensible targets:

1. American Bar Association
2. SEIU
3. SAG-AFTRA
4. Anything belonging to Stephen Bing... or is that 1, 2, and 3 anyway?

[bonesmccoy]

I don't think cruise ships are really that big of a target.

The economic impact of losing a cruise ship is nothing.

I'd think sinking a massive oil tanker off of California or Alaska would be a higher threat risk.

Worse would be running into a tanker that is docked off of LA Harbor... you could really screw up the oil prices in our nation if the idiots did that.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Wonder if any more cargo planes have been reported missing, like the one from Angola.

[JustPiper]

With the last two pings and the closing down of everything US in Saudi , well, they are acknowledging what we've been ranting on

[JustPiper]

With the last two pings and the closing down of everything US in Saudi , well, they are acknowledging what we've been ranting on

[JustPiper]

Nope nothing since your first post, damn Tubavil the list is getting longer daily isn't it?

[JustPiper]

Maybe since Saudi has the warnings as of yesterday, that the planning stages are completed and now implemntation is in effect, he went back to Saudi?

[JustPiper]

This should reassure us {{sarcasm}}

Facts and Figures 2003 - FBI PRIORITIES
(just released yesterday)

1. Protect the United States from terrorist attack.
2. Protect the United States against foreign intelligence operations and espionage.
3. Protect the United States against cyber-based attacks and high-technology crimes.
4. Combat public corruption at all levels.
5. Protect civil rights.
6. Combat transnational and national criminal organizations and enterprises.
7. Combat major white-collar crime.
8. Combat significant violent crime.
9. Support federal, state, county, municipal, and international partners.
10. Upgrade technology to successfully perform the FBI’s mission.

And there are no bulletins on DHS, not even about Saudi

[JustPiper]

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman

This information is current as of today, Sat Nov 08 04:01:07 2003.

Middle East and North Africa

November 6, 2003

This Public Announcement is being updated to remind U.S. citizens of the continuing threat of anti-American violence, including terrorist actions that may involve commercial aircraft and maritime interests, specifically in the Middle East, including the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. This Public Announcement supersedes the Public Announcement issued on September 30, 2003, and expires on May 5, 2004.

The Department of State reminds U.S. citizens traveling to the Middle East and North Africa that there remains a potential threat to U.S. citizens and interests in the region posed by those harboring anti-American sentiments, including the risk of attacks by terrorist groups. The U.S. Government remains deeply concerned about the security of U.S. citizens overseas. U.S. citizens are encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness.

Credible information has indicated terrorist groups may be planning attacks against U.S. interests in the Middle East. Terrorist actions may include suicide operations, bombings, hijackings or kidnappings. These may also involve commercial aircraft and maritime interests. While conventional weapons such as explosive devices are a more immediate threat in many areas, use of non-conventional weapons, including chemical or biological agents must be considered a possible threat. Terrorists do not distinguish between official and civilian targets. Increased security at official U.S. facilities has led terrorists and their sympathizers to seek softer targets such as public transportation, residential areas, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, hotels, schools, outdoor recreation events, resorts and beaches.

On occasion, the travel of official personnel at embassies and consulates around the world is restricted because of security concerns, and these posts may recommend that private U.S. citizens avoid the same areas if at all possible. Services to U.S. citizens may be affected if employees’ movements are restricted. If this happens, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. In case office hours are reduced, U.S. citizens in need of emergency assistance should telephone the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate before visiting in person.

In addition, U.S. citizens planning to travel to the Middle East or North Africa should consult the Department of State's country-specific Public Announcements, Travel Warnings, Consular Information Sheets, the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement and other information available on the Consular Affairs Internet website at http://travel.state.gov. Up-to-date information on security conditions can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 in the U.S. or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-317-472-2328.

[JustPiper]

Info you normally do not get except on FR