Skip to comments.
Another Al Qaeda Plot? Officials: Al Qaeda Interested in Hijacking Cargo Planes
ABC News ^
| ABC News
Posted on 11/07/2003 7:24:02 PM PST by MindBender26
Another Al Qaeda Plot? Officials: Al Qaeda Interested in Hijacking Cargo Planes
Nov. 7 U.S. officials have received intelligence indicating al Qaeda is interested in hijacking cargo planes and crashing them into U.S. targets, sources told ABCNEWS.
Nevertheless, officials have decided against raising the terror threat level. It remains at yellow, or elevated.
Homeland security officials received information early Thursday indicating the terrorist network may be planning to hijack non-passenger planes, which would be crashed into domestic targets in simultaneous attacks, sources told ABCNEWS.
The sources said the information has not been corroborated and that it did not mention specific targets, locations or times of the possible hijackings.
Homeland security officials had considered raising the terror threat level from yellow to orange high. But for now, they are issuing an advisory to state officials and planned to hold conference calls tonight with homeland security coordinators from each state.
Warnings in New York and Abroad
The purported al Qaeda threat came after New York state officials today issued an advisory to law enforcement to take extra precautions and have heightened awareness of divers and security threats against water supplies between from Nov. 9 to Nov. 11.
Patrols along bridges, tunnels and airports had been increased, law enforcement sources told ABCNEWS, in part because it is Ramadan, the Islamic holy month.
The New York state advisory said "soft targets" such as shopping malls, power plants, nuclear power plants and marine facilities and vessels reachable by scuba were a primary concern.
Still, sources said, there was no evidence of a specific threat against New York state. The advisory was based on any new information but on the knowledge of recent tactics by terror groups including and affiliated with al Qaeda, sources said.
Meanwhile, officials in Saudi Arabia said today Americans traveling in the region should take extra precautions because of information indicating terrorists may be planning attacks against U.S. interests there. The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh said it was shutting down its missions in Saudi Arabia starting on Saturday for an undetermined amount of time.
TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; cargoplanes; ramadan2003; threat; warning
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80, 81 next last
To: MindBender26
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.
21
posted on
11/07/2003 9:07:52 PM PST
by
Kay Soze
('Tis safer in the Suni triangle than in liberally controlled Los Angeles.)
To: MindBender26
...vessels reachable by scuba were a primary concern.Well, thank God I finally filled in that moat!
22
posted on
11/07/2003 9:14:32 PM PST
by
Timesink
To: Monty22
To the best of my knowledge, dangerous quantities of nuclear material don't travel by cargo plane.
23
posted on
11/07/2003 9:14:43 PM PST
by
tbrosz
To: MindBender26
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.
24
posted on
11/07/2003 9:39:48 PM PST
by
Centurion2000
(Resolve to perform what you ought, perform without fail what you resolve.)
To: The KG9 Kid
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).
To: Kay Soze
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 CaliforniaOr 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.
To: RayChuang88
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??
27
posted on
11/07/2003 10:43:39 PM PST
by
Indie
(KILL EM ALL AND LET GOD SORT 'EM OUT)
To: MindBender26
Give the pilots sidearms. Jeeez.
28
posted on
11/07/2003 10:56:23 PM PST
by
Mad_Tom_Rackham
("...the right of THE PEOPLE to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.")
To: 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?
29
posted on
11/07/2003 11:00:19 PM PST
by
Mad_Tom_Rackham
("...the right of THE PEOPLE to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.")
To: Mad_Tom_Rackham
(bureaucrat hand wringing and heads down)
gets ya' kinda frustrated ... don't it?
30
posted on
11/07/2003 11:44:50 PM PST
by
bonesmccoy
(Defeat the terrorists... Vaccinate!)
To: Kay Soze
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?
31
posted on
11/07/2003 11:46:49 PM PST
by
bonesmccoy
(Defeat the terrorists... Vaccinate!)
To: RayChuang88
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.
32
posted on
11/07/2003 11:48:41 PM PST
by
bonesmccoy
(Defeat the terrorists... Vaccinate!)
To: Monty22
Wonder if any more cargo planes have been reported missing, like the one from Angola.
33
posted on
11/08/2003 12:33:57 AM PST
by
Dr. Eckleburg
(There are very few shades of gray.)
To: FairOpinion; Pro-Bush; BagCamAddict; ganeshpuri89; pokerbuddy0; cgk; Sabertooth; Donna Lee Nardo; ..
With the last two pings and the closing down of everything US in Saudi , well, they are acknowledging what we've been ranting on
34
posted on
11/08/2003 12:34:16 AM PST
by
JustPiper
(18 out of 19 HiJacker's had State issued Driver's License's !!!)
To: FairOpinion; Pro-Bush; BagCamAddict; ganeshpuri89; pokerbuddy0; cgk; Sabertooth; Donna Lee Nardo; ..
With the last two pings and the closing down of everything US in Saudi , well, they are acknowledging what we've been ranting on
35
posted on
11/08/2003 12:35:44 AM PST
by
JustPiper
(18 out of 19 HiJacker's had State issued Driver's License's !!!)
To: tubavil
Nope nothing since your first post, damn Tubavil the list is getting longer daily isn't it?
36
posted on
11/08/2003 1:54:12 AM PST
by
JustPiper
(18 out of 19 HiJacker's had State issued Driver's License's !!!)
To: oceanview
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?
37
posted on
11/08/2003 1:55:31 AM PST
by
JustPiper
(18 out of 19 HiJacker's had State issued Driver's License's !!!)
To: Chad Fairbanks
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 FBIs mission.
And there are no bulletins on DHS, not even about Saudi
38
posted on
11/08/2003 1:59:47 AM PST
by
JustPiper
(18 out of 19 HiJacker's had State issued Driver's License's !!!)
To: tubavil
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.
39
posted on
11/08/2003 2:02:08 AM PST
by
JustPiper
(18 out of 19 HiJacker's had State issued Driver's License's !!!)
To: oceanview; All
40
posted on
11/08/2003 2:11:49 AM PST
by
JustPiper
(18 out of 19 HiJacker's had State issued Driver's License's !!!)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80, 81 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson