Al Qaeda again threatens New York, Washington and Los Angeles - Daily Terror Threat

Debka ^ | 11-3-2003 | Staff

[tubavil]

Monday, November 3, 2003

A new message was posted in the last few hours by the Jeddah-based al-Qaeda-linked Al-Islah (Reform) society calling on Muslims to flee New York, Washington and Los Angeles in advance of major al Qaeda attacks in those cities. This is revealed by DEBKAfile.

The message accuses the United States of predetermining its end (doom) by its policies. ?The Jews rule the Pentagon by remote control and (are the cause) of Muslims being killed in every corner of the world. The United States should therefore expect more blows.?

The message is signed on behalf of the al Bayan (The Threat) movement by ?your warrior brother, Abul Hassan al Khadrami?.

Our Muslim expert identifies the name of the signatory as belonging to a Yemeni from Hadhrameuth, the Bin Ladens? place of origin where Osama enjoys substantial tribal support.

DEBKAfile?s counter-terror sources stress that warnings appearing on these forums are taken both very seriously and with caution by the intelligence services keeping track of the terrorist network?s electronic traffic.

Last November, Jeddah-based fundamentalist forums addressed a message to an Al Qaeda member, saying whoever understands ? understands; whoever knows, knows, but we are marching towards an operation that will take us to Paradise. Three days later, the Mombasa Paradise hotel was blown up killing 12 Kenyans and 3 Israelis and a failed shoulder-launched Strela anti-air missile missed an Israeli airliner at Mombasa airport.

Link to Thread 2

[JustPiper]

By WILLIAM SAFIRE
Predictions:
First to fall from power will be Cuba's Castro

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide that the rights of alien detainees in Guantánamo have not been violated
Will deadlock, 4-4 (Scalia recused), in the Pledge of Allegiance case, thereby temporarily affirming the Ninth Circuit decision declaring "under God" in the pledge unconstitutional;
Tennessee v. Lane will uphold a state's immunity to lawsuits, limiting federal power in the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Howard Dean will lose to Gephardt in Iowa and do worse than expected in N.H., leading to a long race

The "October surprise" affecting our election will be: a major terror attack in the U.S

The next secretary of state will be Paul Bremer

Israel, staunchly supported during the U.S. election year, will build its security barrier including the Ariel salient and the Jordan Valley; undermine Arafat by negotiating territory with Syria after Assad quiets Hezbollah in occupied Lebanon; close down illegal outposts before "redeploying" settlers out of Gaza.

[JustPiper]

New Year's Eve high-terror alert
Cities, federal government work to secure safe U.S. celebrations - Posted: December 31, 2003

Exerpts:

In New York, federal officials are making helicopters available for patrols over Times Square.

In Pasadena, where thousands gather along the five-mile Rose Parade route and attend the Rose Bowl football game on New Year's Day, video surveillance cameras will watch the spectators lining the streets.

In Las Vegas, the airspace over the Las Vegas Strip will be restricted New Year's Eve.

The Las Vegas no-fly zone will be implemented on New Year's Eve from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. and will involve a 10-nautical-mile radius from the center of McCarran International Airport. Military helicopters will hover over the strip. It will not affect commercial airliners or medical, police or military flights. But private planes and tour helicopters will not be allowed to fly in the restricted air space.
{{Explain this oxymoron: Why allow commercial jets/medical ambulance flights?}}}

A spokesman for Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn expects 350,000 people to be partying during the night.

Flights over the Rose Bowl will be limited to police and military aircraft, and everyone working in the stadium, from hot-dog vendors to TV camera crews, will be required to wear photo IDs.

In New Orleans, security officials implemented a new game plan for the Sugar Bowl, where Oklahoma and Louisiana State University will play for college football's Bowl Championship Series title game Sunday. Superdome parking garages will be closed and a fence will be put up around the dome. Some streets will be closed.

"The practice of researching potential targets is consistent with known methods of al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations that seek to maximize the likelihood of operational success through careful planning," the FBI wrote.

There were "several streams of reporting" on possible attacks regarding timelines and continuing discussion from "multiple sources, credible sources" about threats, Ridge said, and information with "credibility greater than we've seen before" about a possible attack.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "Members of the police department's Hercules team, officers assigned to the bomb squad and aviation unit and mounted police will all be on duty."

Public partygoers in other major cities can expect to encounter security measures like bomb-sniffing dogs, video surveillance equipment, police snipers on rooftops and skies devoid of all private aircraft as they ring in 2004.

Highlighting the concern, all federal airport security directors were ordered to report to work today and prepare to stay on the job until 3 a.m. New Year's morning.

"We know that New York remains on top of the terrorist target list, and so we have to remain vigilant," the city's police commissioner, Raymond Kelly, told reporters.

Security was beefed up Tuesday at bridges and tunnels in the city, where about 240 metal detectors – twice as many as were used last year – will be used to screen each reveler entering Times Square. Sand trucks will be used as buffers against possible explosives.

In Los Angeles, authorities decided to take no chances, canceling an outdoor rock concert downtown, largely because of fears that the security alert would drive fans away.

[Sean Osborne Lomax]

I agree.

One says: threat non-specific, so go ahead.

Other one says: No go.

Common sense dictates: watch from a safe distance.

A famous American once said that they key to winning a war is not to die for your country, but to make sure the other SOB dies for his.

It seems to me that the homicidal/suicidal AQ jihadi's are more than willing to accomodate us in this regard. Why would anyone want to be at "ground zero" in the potential number one target and accomodate them?

Hello?

[JustPiper]

Zogby trashes U.S. in Saudi Arabia Arab-American leader says government manages news-A prominent Arab-American leader is trashing the United States government for managing the news in the Saudi Arabian media – where criticism of the royal family is strictly forbidden. - The broadside by James Zogby, founder and president of the Arab American Institute and a frequent commentator on Arab and Muslim issues in the U.S media, appears in the current issue of Arab News, which describes itself as the first English-language daily in Saudi Arabia. - In a piece titled, "How U.S. Manipulates News to Suit Its Interests," Zogby charged the American press has deceived the public into believing Iraq was a threat and linked with international terrorism

[JustPiper]

NYTimes:

New Year's Eve security highest ever

Black Hawk helicopters, radiation monitors, snipers, police checkpoints, metal detectors, restricted air space and Coast Guard boarding patrols: It's the Homeland Security Department's way of saying, "Welcome to the New Year's Eve party, we've got you covered."

[JustPiper]

France, Mexico Put Armed Guards in Flight - By ELAINE GANLEY - Associated Press Writer -PARIS (AP) -- Members of France's elite intervention squad are already riding undercover on some trans-Atlantic flights, while a continent away, Mexican security agents also began boarding planes before a new U.S. directive to foil foreign terrorists

[JustPiper]

Nuclear Agency Rejects U.S. Help in Libya - By GEORGE JAHN Associated Press writer - VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- The U.N. nuclear agency does not need American help in dismantling Libya's nascent weapons program, the agency chief told The Associated Press on Tuesday, echoing differences with Washington over Iraq and Iran. - The International Atomic Energy Agency is happy to receive U.S. and British intelligence that will assist its inspectors in Libya, said Director General Mohamed ElBaradei. - But the IAEA doesn't want help on the ground

[freeperfromnj]

Hi JP - Just walked through Times Square and it's quite a sight. Cops are already out in full force. They're starting to set up the barricades, welding the manholes shut and turning over trash cans. Should be fun getting back to Penn Station later on. I heard the streets will be closed from 6th to 8th Avenues and from 34th up to 59th some time after 3:00. Hard to imagine anything penetrating the fortress around Times Square tonight.

[JustPiper]

Then I hope he's wrong Lab and we'll know tonight as I watch from my TV

[jmstein7]

New action alert!

Tell The Media: NO on Valerie "Plame", YES on Memogate!!! (memos and judges action alert)

[JustPiper]

I hope you get off early today? You'll be watching from home also?

[freeperfromnj]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1049291/posts

[freeperfromnj]

Hope to be out by 3:00 and I will definitely be watching from home.

[Labyrinthos]

I'll be at the Irish Pub, walking distance from my house, 52 miles from Times Square.

[genxer]

ping

[jmstein7]

Click here to see the Democrat Campaign Letters from Hillary Clinton and Rep. Carolyn Maloney that YOU paid for!

[Labyrinthos]

I thought you were off from work this week. I assume the fruitguy is still AWOL. Still haven't seen the Islamic guy from the gym (the one who wears the "Mecca t-shirt") since just after the start of Ramabomb. Wonder if he has heeded the warnings and followed the fruitguy out of the area.

[freeperfromnj]

I was off last week for the Christmas holiday. I had to come back here this week. Fruit guy is still AWOL. I don't think he's coming back -- it's been two full months.

[jerseygirl]

I'm tiring of being anxious about what seems to be in the works. In fact, I'm beginning to feel quite hostile. In part, I'd like to go into the city tonight and thumb my nose at them. However, am too afraid.

[jerseygirl]

Yesterday, the arabic translator fellow who had scooted out the same day as the fruit vendor, returned to Philly. He wasn't friendly as usual- just got on a computer in internet cafe.