Posted on 11/13/2001 3:57:48 PM PST by Fusion
Western intelligence analysts believe there is strong probability al Qaeda will seek to exploit a vulnerability in the American airline industry's security grid to mount a multiple prong attack against US domestic airline flights in the coming weeks. With the United States preparing to enter its heaviest air traffic period of the year, and Congress gridlocked over the current airline security bill, reports indicate that Osama bin Laden may be capable of destroying as many as twenty airliners simultaneously in one spectacular assault wave.
Philip Watkins, a former intelligence officer and MP candidate from Britain speaks candidly on this subject. "In America it only takes a paid ticket and a driver's license to deliver an explosive device in checked luggage to a domestic flight's baggage compartment. Furthermore," he adds, "on American domestic flights there is no matching of checked luggage to the flight manifest. This is a recipe for disaster..."
While US lawmakers argue about the need for federalization of airport screeners that inspect carryon luggage, no thought is given to the need to screen checked baggage. It would seem very easy for a terrorist who is willing to die to check a bomb laden bag on his own flight. Could this be a risk with the US holiday travel season beginning next week with Thanksgiving?
Fadil Borishi, a former counterintelligence specialist in Albania, thinks so. "We have been receiving clear intelligence that bin Laden is preparing more attacks against America and Britain. He has issued warnings to Muslims in the last week not to fly in planes in the US or UK. Security is much tighter in Britain so we suspect he will attack in America."
Some analysts discount the notion that the assaults must be suicide attacks to succeed. A senior American intelligence official puts it this way, "Think about it. A man who has flown the same route several times in the last few months comes in and checks the same bag as before to his destination. The computers show no reason to flag him, yet this time the bag has a bomb inside timed to go off forty-five minutes after scheduled departure. He goes to the bar, has a drink, then slides out the exit with his carryon like an arriving passenger -- and is gone."
The official continues, "Now multiply this by twenty across the country -- with each bomb timed to go off within fifteen minutes of each other. Some planes will be delayed by security checks or runway conditions and may explode on the tarmac. This is just as good, if not better, for the terrorists because all the passengers are still killed but now a huge fuel bomb explodes at the gate -- killing ground crew, shutting down the airport, and causing millions of dollars in additional damage. If they get lucky, a catastrophic explosion and fire could knock out an entire terminal for weeks, if not months."
Could such an attack happen? Somewhere in America could two dozen terrorists be preparing to check these baggage bombs, and preparing to kill thousands -- while delivering the death blow to the American airline industry?
Watkins has seen his share of horror in the Balkans during the 1990s. He says, "You can bet that if there is a weakness, al Qaeda will find it. For an attack of this nature they will have had operatives working as baggage handlers for months at major airports and will know time delays in loading bags at every airline down to the minute. They will use comprehensive computer programs to analyze delays at each airport to pick their best flights to strike so these devices go off without a hitch."
Somberly he reflects, "There is no defense for this type of attack unless all checked luggage is screened for explosives. Until that security change is implemented it is just a matter of time before the terrorists exploit this vulnerability."
Makes one want to cry just thinking about this.
The enemy is in this country right now. And any terrorists who are not already here are free to immigrate. The government has been doing an excellent job rounding up suspects from the last two attacks. But what about the next attack? We thought there was only one murderous Islamic cell in America the last time, too.Congress has authority to pass a law tomorrow requiring aliens from suspect countries to leave. As far as the Constitution is concerned, aliens, which is to say non-citizens, are here at this country's pleasure. They have no constitutional right to be here.
Communicate! Let the Sons of....
NOW IS THE TIME TO CANCEL ALL VISAS!! WE MUST DEPORT ALL ALIENS, ENACT A MORATORIUM ON IMMIGRATION!!!
I actually disagree with the title of this link. I believe that we should be more selective in cancelling and refusing visas. But the link is to a good discussion on the overall issue.
'Arab terrorists' crossing border: Middle Eastern illegals find easy entrance into U.S. from Mexico
WND POLL
Why is U.S. government taking little action to secure its borders?
Congress Still Won't Stop Illegal Immigration Democrats have not dropped their opposition to stopping illegal immigration, with troops or without. Complaining that Democratic efforts to make immigration into the United States easier have been complicated by the attacks, a Democratic Senate aide told the Washington Post, "Obviously what happened is going to make our job harder."
International Terrorism and Immigration Policy House Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims
Hearing on International Terrorism and Immigration Policy
January 25, 2000
Good morning. Before I begin my prepared comments, I would like to take a moment to express my deepest appreciation to you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing, and, equally important, for standing up to the orchestrated campaign to stop me from appearing. Because of the investigative work I have carried out as a journalist and investigator in exposing the presence of militant Islamic fundamentalists and Middle Eastern terrorists in the United States (see attached bio), I have been the subject of a sustained campaign of vilification, defamation and even a threat to my life during the past five years by militant Islamic organizations operating as self-anointed representatives of the larger Muslim population, whom they decidedly do not represent.
"You can bet that if there is a weakness, al Qaeda will find it. For an attack of this nature they will have had operatives working as baggage handlers for months at major airports and will know time delays in loading bags at every airline down to the minute. They will use comprehensive computer programs to analyze delays at each airport to pick their best flights to strike so these devices go off without a hitch."
Our #1 weakness: those people are still in our country.
Maybe they already have. But I guess to even suggest that will get you branded a "tin foil hat" around here...
Twenty planes down would do enormous damage to the nation's and the world's economy. How much? I don't know. Potentially it could be catestrophic.
Please copy, email, print, send to any and every American you care to. Never forget.
I agree. Every square inch of every single item taken onto the plane-searched, including the passengers. It's time. No one will argue when lives could be on the line. And something has to be done about ground crews and mechanics as well.....we can do this, and we can do it well.
Here are you top 3 excuses to use when it doesn't happen:
3. Instructions on bomb written in Cryllic, which only 'Slavic madmen' can understand.
2. Operation postponed because 'Islamic Entente' has gotten more bombs than origninal plan called for, and is planning bigger attack.
And the number one reason why no nuclear device will be detonated in a Western Capitol:
1. The bombers tried to use a Coyote by the name of Peter Chappell to smuggle them into the West and haven't been heard from since.
Thank you, thank you, we've got a great show for you this evening...
Let me give you a lesson on what Americans already know about psychopathic-islamo-terrorists.
I know that on September 10 these jerks were probably thinking about killing Americans.
A week before that, they were probably thinking about killing Americans.
A month before that, they wanted to kill Americans.
A year earlier - kill Americans.
Five years - kill Americans
Ten - killing
Twenty - killin'
A century ago - kill kill kill
Over a millennia ago - .....(you guessed it!) KILL EVERONE ELSE!!!
Now with that in mind, I would say that it is a safe bet that these thick headed animals will not have my
best interests in mind over the holidays.
And I don't need some scaremonger like you to remind me of that.
The forces of digestion cause rumble, avg goes to restroom.
Fusion's been a one man comedy routine here on FreeRepublic for the last year - he started out posting pieces from the fictional 'Albania Briefings' authored by 'G. Dority', and then moved on to posting his own pieces. Didn't take too long to figure out that the two were one in the same, and that his purpose here was to act as an agent provocateur in order to discredit Albanians in the Balkans and give their opponents a lightning rod to rally against.
Try engaging him in conversation someday - it's pointless because he's a strawman.
Fortunately, I have no reputation for credibility that I know of.
:-))
BUT--It's a dadgum plausible (and frightening) scenario, eh?
Take care!
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