LA Times: Al Qaeda To Attack Major Cities and Remote Areas (excerpted)

LA Times via azcentral.com ^ | 12-23-03

[My Favorite Headache]

WASHINGTON -- Al-Qaida operatives may be plotting several unrelated attacks in the United States, targeting not only major cities but also remote bulwarks of the

[TurtleTrap]

With respect, I think you're being a little over-sensitive. Are you saying the article doesn't say this? I think the fact that a massive amount of intelligence is now being intercepted and that this was similar to pre-9/11 is something all of us need to understand. Sticking our head in the sand is not the way to deal with it.

[FairOpinion]

It is certainly an strong indication of the seriousness and credibility of the threat.

[Squantos]

Drugs are baaaaaad for me....... Gonna crack open a fifth of Jack instead.........:o)

Stay Safe !

[Finalapproach29er]

The U.N? Hollywood? No. That would be....wrong.

[Orangedog]

another attack will be horrible. But our response will be something to behold.

It will need to be more than that. I must be brutal, barbaric and total. I'm not talking JDAM's and Hell-Fires...I mean nothing smaller than a MOAB on the small targets. I'm talking about a nuking so hard that gravel from Pakistan and Iran raining down on Uzbekistan hard. It has to be so bad that the lips of next two generations of wannabe Jihadists tremble when the try to speak the word "America."

[Finalapproach29er]

Code red also shuts down all airports I would guess.

[Squantos]

Actually they are pretty kewl toys. I like the blacksmith puzzles, tops, yo-yo's, and other toys that don't require batteries or software.

Hope yer Christmas and New Year is kind to you Gramma........Stay safe !

[bvw]

How do you know? I thought the whole color scheme had something to do with Kwansaa?

[vp_cal]

i fault the U.S. on this too. Why are we pursuing smaller
nukes- we should be making more powerful ones that will
penetrate mountains like Tora Bora

[stlnative]

FYI

Tactical Alerts
The new Homeland Security Advisory System characterizes appropriate levels of vigilance, preparedness and readiness in a series of graduated Threat Conditions.

U.S. Central Command officials use scales of threat levels and defense readiness conditions to standarize the identification of threats and recommended responses throughout the military. While the THREATCON scale determines the condition for defense of the United States homeland and assets abroad, the DEFCON scale determines the posture of the military to prepare for the likelihood of war.

The THREATCON scale is intended to achieve interservice coordination and support for defense activities within the United States, on US bases abroad, and aboard US vessels. The military's four threat levels, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta, each bear a set of increasingly restrictive security precautions. When no threat level is indicated, the threat level is considered Normal. Threat-level considerations include the movement of people, visitor identification, vehicle checks, and the offset of allowed parking next to facilities and buildings. Following the terrorist attack of September 11th, while NASA prepares for the launch of space shuttle Endeavour, the Kennedy Space Center states that their current level of alert is Threatcon Charlie.

The DEFCON scale describes progressive alert postures primarily for use between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commanders of unified commands. DEFCONs are graduated to match situations of varying military severity, and are phased increases in combat readiness. In the event of a national emergency, a series of seven different alert Conditions (LERTCONs) can be called. The 7 LERTCONs are broken down into 5 Defense Conditions (DEFCONs) and 2 Emergency Conditions (EMERGCONs), shown below.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the US Strategic Air Command was placed on DEFCON 2 for the first time in history, while the rest of US military commands (with the exception of the US Air Forces in Europe) went on DEFCON 3. On 22 October 1962 SAC responded by establishing Defense Condition Three (DEFCON III), and ordered B-52s on airborne alert. Tension grew and the next day SAC declared DEFCON II, a heightened state of alert, ready to strike targets within the Soviet Union. On 15 November 1965 the day Strategic Air Command (SAC) postured down to defense condition (DEFCON) III. On 6 October 1973 Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a surprise attack on Israel. On 25 October U.S. forces went on Defense Condition (DEFCON) III alert status, as possible intervention by the Soviet Union was feared. On 26 October, CINCSAC and CINCONAD reverted to normal DEFCON status. On 31 October USEUCOM (less the Sixth Fleet) went off DEFCON III status. The Sixth Fleet resumed its normal DEFCON status on 17 November 1973.

THREATCONs
THREATCON NORMAL: This condition of normal readiness exists when there is no known threat requiring a heightened state of alert.

THREATCON ALPHA: This condition applies when there is a general threat of possible terrorist activity against personnel and facilities, the nature and extent of which are unpredictable, and circumstances do not justify full implementation of THREATCON BRAVO measures. However, it may be necessary to implement certain measures from higher THREATCONS resulting from intelligence received or as a deterrent. The measures in this THREATCON must be capable of being maintained indefinitely.

THREATCON BRAVO: This condition applies when an increased and more predictable threat of terrorist activity exists. The measures in this THREATCON must be capable of being maintained for weeks without causing undue hardship, affecting operational capability, and aggravating relations with local authorities.

THREATCON CHARLIE: This condition applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action against personnel and facilities is imminent. Implementation of measures in this THREATCON for more than a short period probably will create hardship and affect the peacetime activities of the unit and its personnel.

THREATCON DELTA: This condition applies in the immediate area where a terrorist attack has occurred or when intelligence has been received that terrorist action against a specific location or person is likely. Normally, this THREATCON is declared as a localized condition.



LERTCONs
DEFCONs
DEFCON 5: Normal peacetime readiness.

DEFCON 4: Normal, increased intelligence and strengthened security measures.

DEFCON 3: Increase in force readiness above normal readiness.

DEFCON 2: Further Increase in force readiness, but less than maximum.

DEFCON 1: Maximum force readiness.


EMERGCONs
DEFENSE EMERGENCY: Major attack upon U.S. forces overseas, or allied forces in any area, and is confirmed either by the commander of a unified or specified command or higher authority or an overt attack of any type is made upon the United States and is confirmed by the commander of a unified or specified command or higher authority.

AIR DEFENSE EMERGENCY: Air defense emergency is an emergency condition, declared by the Commander in Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command. It indicates that attack upon the continental United States, Canada, or US installations in Greenland by hostile aircraft or missiles is considered probable, is imminent, or is taking place.

Sources: DefenseLINK, Federation of American Scientists

[Prime Choice]

This is my theory. Nothing will happen but terrorists are simply taking notes on how we respond to chatters. Next time there is a terrorist attack, there will be no chatters.

Interesting theory. It does give one pause on the events of late.

My take, al Qaeda's going to keep doing this sort of "panic attack" (let rumors slip - don't attack - repeat) until the American public just starts brushing off the attacks as another instance of "the boy who cried 'wolf'" and cease to pay any heed to the warnings...

...then they'll attack.

[vp_cal]

unfortunately we do not possess the technology to do such a thing without killing the entire planet. The nukes we have are quite dirty- exploding several of them at the same time would overwhelm the planet with radiation- even if no one strikes back at us.

[Az Joe]

Is that a first, Ashcroft returning to DC?

How about other alerts, did he do that too?

[Prime Choice]

I'm skeptical they have the operational wherewithal to conduct multiple snych'd ops stateside, al Queda style. JMO.

I'm with you. Just consider the span of time between their first attack on the WTC and their last. The first was in 1993. It was EIGHT YEARS before they were ready to try it again.

Since 2001, al Qaeda has been bloodied pretty damn badly. Their finances have largely been crippled, they're now relying on rank amateurs for their attacks (which is why Muslims were killed in their latest attack in Turkey), and they've lost two major staging areas (Afghanistan and Iraq).

But somehow we're supposed to believe that they're able to regroup and strike with even greater force than they did a mere 2 years ago? Maybe I'm being optimistic, but I find it all highly doubtful...

[Prime Choice]

With the latest threats from al Qaeda, I figure now's a good time to remind them of our counter-warning to the threats they issued back in November of this year...

[Cronos]

Meekka + Mudina + 2 Nukkes

[Finalapproach29er]

Why haven't all terrorists training camps been obliterated(N. Africa, Middle East, new Taliban in Afghanistan)?

[concentric circles]

U.S. Says al-Qaida Studying Aviation Net

AP Washinton 12/23/03 - The United States has credible information, including some that prompted this week's rise in the national terror threat level, that al-Qaida continues to study potential weaknesses in America's revamped aviation security net looking for ways to strike again through the air, U.S. officials familiar with recent intelligence say. The information has been gleaned from sources as diverse as al-Qaida mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and low-level terror network members in Saudi Arabia and has led U.S. officials to quickly adapt security procedures several times in recent months, the officials said.

For instance, U.S. officials have been discreetly working with their counterparts in Canada and Mexico on improved security measures after intelligence indicated al-Qaida might use in an attack an international airliner that simply passes over U.S. soil, the officials said.

"The information clearly shows they care about getting ahold of airplanes with large fuel supplies in areas with lots of people, and to do it in a way that comes in below our radar screen," said one senior U.S. official with access to intelligence, speaking only on condition of anonymity.

Bush administration officials said an improving apparatus that directs credible threat information quickly from FBI and CIA agents in the field to intelligence analysts, and then to homeland security and transportation officials for action, has resulted in quick adaptations of the security net.

One example came late this summer when the State and Homeland Security departments abruptly ended two long-standing programs that had allowed foreign travelers to stay in U.S. airports without visas during interim stops while awaiting flights to other countries.

The change was made with little fanfare in August based on intelligence from Mohammed and other prisoners that al-Qaida was looking to exploit the program to gain access to fully fueled international jetliners, officials said.

"Recent specific intelligence indicates that terrorist groups have been planning to exploit these transit programs to gain access to the U.S. or U.S. airspace without going through the consular screening process," said a Homeland Security advisory to law enforcement and airlines at the time.

The change was made quickly in consultation with U.S. air carriers even though it inconvenienced large numbers of international business travelers, most from U.S.-friendly countries, who had become used to being allowed to stop temporarily in the United States and remain in the Customs area of airports without having to obtain a U.S. visa.

Officials said they were studying ways to re-institute the two programs in a more limited manner to return some flexibility to international travelers who simply have a stopover on U.S. soil in places like Miami, New York City and Los Angeles.

Government and private security experts said al-Qaida's continued fascination with aviation as a method for attack may seem surprising at first blush since it has had one spectacular success during an era of loose security and now faces a more formidable safety net that includes steel cockpit doors, air marshals, pilots with guns, enormous preflight screening and a suspicious traveling public that is quick to react to perceived threats.

"You would think there are a lot of softer targets out there that wouldn't take as much work," said Douglas Laird, a former Northwest Airlines security chief who now advises clients on aviation security. "What baffles me is I just don't know what they (al-Qaida) would do to make it happen now."

But Laird said an aviation attack continues to have appeal to the terrorist mind. "The airlines are always going to be a good avenue because it strikes the fear of God in the public to have an airliner sabotaged. It generates lots of coverage," he said.

U.S. officials said debriefings of terrorists show al-Qaida continues to value an attack via aviation because its leaders believe such an attack would have both dramatic effects on America's economic superiority and because it would strike at an important symbol of Western freedom.

They said the information that led to Sunday's decision to raise the U.S. terror alert to its second-highest level included some information related to airlines, particularly international flights that might enter U.S. air space, although they declined to be more specific.

Homeland Security officials quickly reacted by stepping up security sweeps at airports, adding more air marshals to flights and increasing the number of military flyovers over major cities like Los Angeles, Washington and New York for the holidays.

Despite such marked improvements in security, some in Congress still see holes that could be exploited.

Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, on Monday called for the Bush administration to step up screening of cargo that is transported on commercial jets, calling it "the most obvious remaining hole in our aviation security system."

"As a routine matter, commercial cargo is not physically screened by anyone, even when it is carried on passenger planes," he said.

[My Favorite Headache]

Sorry. I am on a few vicodins right now for some pain I am in. I was assuming you were playing gotcha. I didn't get that from the article. It has been clearly stated that they had plenty of intelligence prior to 9-11 but could not connect the dots.

Sorry!

[My Favorite Headache]

LMFAO