[oceanview]

interesting thread up now here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1045202/posts

[Miss Marple]

I just finished reading that thread. Very disturbing, since we really have no control over pilots for foreign airlines.

AND, the pilots could be non-Arabs with an axe to grind.

[LikeLight]

More than just interesting . . . perplexing . . . large gathering in rural area in east as target? What would that be (college football season being over)?

[FairOpinion]

The article you posted a link to is quite disturbing.

SInce it's an MSNBC article, it's excerpted, but it's worth reading the actual article.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3775771/

NBC: Terror threat to extend through January

Officials say al-Qaida operatives may be fully trained airline pilots

Authorities raised the terrorist threat assessment over the weekend after new intelligence indicated that operatives of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network, possibly trained and licensed to fly passenger jets, may now be pilots for some foreign airlines, ideally positioning them to carry out suicide attacks, U.S. officials told NBC News on Monday.

Reinforced cockpit doors intended to thwart hijackers after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks would now protect any terrorist pilot at the controls, the officials said on condition of anonymity.

Al-Qaida may have dirty bomb
New intelligence indicates that al-Qaida remains intent on attacking large gatherings of people with chemical or biological weapons, official said. They said law enforcement agencies were looking closely at two rural locations — one in the East and the other in the Southwest — that were believed to be high on the terrorist target list.

Most troubling, the officials sad, were indications that al-Qaida may already possess a radiological weapon, or so-called “dirty bomb.” They did not elaborate.

[Cindy]

Printing out that FR thread title for post no. 3053...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1045202/posts

"Officials say al-Qaida operatives may be fully trained airline pilots"
MSNBC.com ^ | 12/22/03 | NBC


Posted on 12/22/2003 7:36:58 PM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts


ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Authorities raised the terrorist threat assessment over the weekend after new intelligence indicated that operatives of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network, possibly trained and licensed to fly passenger jets, may now be pilots for some foreign airlines, ideally positioning them to carry out suicide attacks, U.S. officials told NBC News on Monday.



Reinforced cockpit doors intended to thwart hijackers after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks would now protect any terrorist pilot at the controls, the officials said on condition of anonymity."

[radu]

Re; post #3053:

Thanks for posting the link to that thread. As I posted there, I'll post here. I need to go through all these bookmarked threads I have to, hopefully, find links.

It was reported some time back that a truckload (it may have been more than one truck) of airline uniforms (maintenance; baggage; security personnel) was stolen. The truck(s?) was found but it was empty.

At that same time, airline pilots were alerted that pilot uniforms and ID badges were being stolen out of motel rooms.

Recently, the alert is given that cargo planes may be used in attacks and now this news.

Cells comprised of a pilot, co-pilot, and baggage handlers working together on cargo flights.......