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

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[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.

[JustPiper]

Cargo planes draw more concern - Friday, November 7, 2003 Posted: 10:34 PM EST

[JustPiper]

Threat of terror attacks reported - Groups close to launching Saudi strike, embassy alert says; U.S. targets also possible

[JustPiper]

U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia closing after threats Mission points to 'credible information' warning of terrorism

[JustPiper]

I checked every supposedly relevant site, DHS,FBI,State Dept and White House and they have nothing on there! They are depending on the mdeia to blab, and every media is.

[philman_36]

OLD News!
The 9/11 Warning Game--Blame for Bush and Many Others
In part...In 1998 terrorism analysts briefed Federal Aviation Administration security officials on scenarios in which terrorists flew planes into US nuclear plants or commandeered Federal Express cargo planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the White House, the Capitol and other targets.
Warnings go back many years
In 1998 and 1999, analysts warned federal officials that terrorists might crash hijacked aircraft into landmarks such as the Pentagon and the World Trade Center.
"Past FAA Mistakes Should Be Warning To New Security Agency"
However, the FAA was acutely sensitive to the overall threat situation. The FAA transmitted 15 information circulars (ICs) to the airline industry in the nine months prior to 9/11 based on intelligence warnings. The Department of Transportation (DOT) released edited summaries of the circulars in May 2002 because of repeated allegations that the Bush administration and the airline industry were warned in advance of the potential for terrorist hijackings. Of those 15 summaries:
Snip... * Two named bin Laden as being interested in attacking U.S. air carriers.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

Hey, you guys are missing the point here. Qaida has figured out you don't take on a plane load of American passengers any more.

Maybe they've discovered we're not cowards after all!

[Bon mots]

Oh no. Don't tell them. Not BABS!!!

If anything happened to Barbara, we would surrender immediately to Islam.

And the ACLU - there would be mass suicides of distraught Americans if they were attacked by Al Qaida.

But just leave us Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Have mercy...

[philman_36]

Maybe they've discovered we're not cowards after all!
They thought Americans were cowards? What idiots!
As the song goes...You've got another thing comin'.

[LurkedLongEnough]

Just remembered, I learned about people directly involved in this remarking about the missing materials on their servlist (automatic email sent out) from vanderbilt university.

The list, "Radsafe" is an open international e-mail list devoted to the topic of radiation protection (health physics).

Most of the time their discussions are pretty boring, but sometimes you get a keeper or find a hilarious enviro-wacko disruptor sending a message. In this case, they discussed whether or not the missing materials were dangerous, and pretty much concluded they they were, but only to those prone to radiophobia hysteria (kinda like me, sometimes).

For more info see http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/. These scientists are operating in an academic bubble, not fully realizing their highly technical (and political) advice on radiation & its materials are open to Osama bin Laden if he wanted to look.

[LurkedLongEnough]

I found this under the Warden Messages for the Riyadh embassy (list: http://riyadh.usembassy.gov/wwwhscwm.html).

7 November message excerpt:

"The Embassy continues to receive credible information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia have moved from the planning to operational phase of planned attacks in the Kingdom. The Embassy strongly urges all American citizens in the Kingdom to be especially vigilant when in any area that is perceived to be American or Western. In light of the seriousness of the current threat, the Embassy in Riyadh and the U.S. Consulates General in Jeddah and Dhahran will close on Saturday, November 8, to review their current security posture. The American community will be advised when this review is completed and when the U.S. Mission plans to resume normal operations."

[estrogen]

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

The economic impact of losing a cruise ship is nothing

I cancelled a cruise last yr.because all I worried about was a terrorist "passenger" or "crew" infecting the food with some sort of bioterror that could be taken back upon disembarkment to spread in different areas of the country. When you have 3000 passengers on board from all over the country the damage that could be done is mind boggling.

In my mind it is a BIG target

[RayChuang88]

The economic impact of losing a cruise ship is nothing.

But the psychological impact of a cruise ship attack would be HUGE. It would make people averse to taking cruises for quite some time.

[thirst4truth]

My brother is a pilot for Fed Ex. Fred Smith, his boss, says no guns on the plane. Of course there will be no bolts on the cockpit doors either. With only 3 or 4 people on the plane, how could alqueda get on?

[JustPiper]

Thanx for finding this LL...I had heard it went from planning to operational on the news and they are acting like not only it is inevitable, but they are powerless to stop it and just want to get the hell out of there.

[JustPiper]

Thus the need for heisting cargo planes:
Cargo Of Terror: Warning On Al-Qaida Plane Plot - Attack Possible On Nuclear Plants, Bridges, Dams

[tubavil]

Interesting.

I believe there will be multiple, dissimilar, geographically dispersed, domestic attacks soon.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

With only 3 or 4 people on the plane, how could alqueda get on?

Get a job with FedEx and be one of the three or four.

[technomage]

Why is this news? ABCNBCCBSMSNBCCNNNPR keep throwing these stories out like chicken little.

I would believe that most, if not all, air cargo carriers assumed 2 years ago that their planes could be targets and have stepped up security. I may be wrong, but how could you not assume you could be a target if you own a commercial plane??

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

I believe there will be multiple, dissimilar, geographically dispersed, domestic attacks soon.

My only question is to the street-level jihadi's ability to complete his mission without running his mouth in public about it, or something equally stupid in the days leading up to the attacks (driving on the interstate like there's no tomorrow with bombs/weapons/plans on the backseat, for example).

These guys need every ounce of rage they can muster to carry out their suicide missions. The good news is, blinding rage consumes more practical assets like common sense and good judgement entirely.

Something big appears to be in the works. Our best hope is that these guys will stand out like sore thumbs in their final days and give themselves away. Especially since we're watching them already (we are watching them, right?).

[MindBender26]

Here is the reality.

This is not a "war on terrorism." This is classic guerilla was with one side the ideological-political-religious based insurgents. The other side the legally constituted government. This is Huns v. Romans, Wallace v. London, Americans v. UK, Mao-Mao v. London, Mao v. Chang, Hanoi v. Saigon, etc. all over again.

Modern technology gives the guerilla the ability to strike at a greater distance away from his natural population base than ever before. i.e. WTC, DC, etc.

Rule 1. The traditional government cannot defeat the guerrilla in the field. You can delay him. You cannot defeat him in the field. With the Guerrilla having choice of when, where, how to attack, gmvt. cannot protect against everything. Guerilla can blow up what he wants, when he wants, if he is willing to take the time and pay the price.

Rule 2. Guerrilla can only win with huge financial and political support of a host country or host entity.

Rule 3. You defeat the guerilla by making it “too expensive” for the host country-entity to continue support.

Here endith the first lesson.