"Il Giornale" Reports Al Qaeda Promises to "Annihilate New York" on February 2nd (Debka)

Debka ^ | December 31, 2003 | Debka

[Rutles4Ever]

The banner headline spread across the front page of Il Giornale, the respected Milan daily reads:

“Al Qaeda: We will destroy New York within 35 days. Threat on the Internet. Countdown begins.”

The threat was contained in a video clip featured on a web site associated with the fundamentalist terror group. It announced al Qaeda plans to destroy New York in a nuclear blast on February 2. Il Giornale claims the FBI blocked and removed the web site.

The video clip showed three possible scenarios: 1. A bomb or giant fireball from the skies that will cover the metropolis with a radioactive cloud. 2. A storm of radioactive clouds that will topple skyscrapers one by one, along with the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge. 3. An explosion on board a charter aircraft that will cause a radioactive cloud to spread over the city.

The video clip was accompanied by large, red-lettered Arabic captions saying: “If God wills it, the end of America is near.”

DEBKAfile’s counter-terrorism sources say they cannot verify the authorship or gauge the seriousness of the threat because the Internet site is no longer accessible. But the report appeared in a newspaper widely viewed as the flagship of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. Such reports - even if not authenticated - tend to contribute to the mounting sense of alarm generated by “Orange Alert” in America and other Western countries.

It comes against the backdrop of appeals to New Year revelers to stay away from the traditional New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square, Rome’s St. Peter’s Square, Moscow’s Red Square and London’s Trafalgar Square – or even Disney World and the Las Vegas Strip. All these sites are surrounded by heavy security.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

If Osama comes out of his cave and sees a blinding flash, does that mean we have six more weeks of high threat level?

[Labyrinthos]

And here's the sourse of my previous post: http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=IA15603

[sarasota]

No kudos to Debka for that one. Too easy. My three year old granddaughter could have predicted an orange alert over the holidays.

[Labyrinthos]

Lastly, there are bunch of posts concerning this threat, begining with a working link to the video, starting here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1013726/posts?page=4507#4507

[CharlotteVRWC]

Looks like a countdown?!

[sarasota]

There are so many web sites with ties to AlQ and so much chatter that is intended to induce terror. Think back to the days before cyberspace and place your mind there. It won't make a bit of difference whether we hear cyber-chatter or not.

[freeperfromnj]

I believe the reason Homeland Security was prompted to raise the alert was based partly on intelligence gleaned from monitoring messages posted by the enemy on various websites.

[grumple]

somebody needs to check the Clinton's schedules to see when they will be out of town that day, for a more definite time frame of when this will be...

If I remember correctly, the news media made it a large effort to let everyone know that Bill was in Australia on 9/11. When they start reporting where Bill and Hill will be in the upcoming 35 days, I predict we will be able to pinpoint a particular set of days when New York will be destroyed.

Nostradamus also predicted the "end of the New City" or some such nonsense.

Happy New Year!!

[TheGeezer]

If Osama comes out of his cave and sees a blinding flash, does that mean we have six more weeks of high threat level?

LOL. Thanks!

[grumple]

that day=over the next 35 days

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Almost too obvious to post.

[CharlotteVRWC]

ROFL!!!

[AmericanInTokyo]

Happy New Years everyone. It's New Years in Korea.

[FierceDraka]

This stuff must be what passes for porno to those al-Qaeda types.

But I have to say that I'm not buying it. As if they would give the date and place of a nuclear attack. They're stupid, but I don't think they're THAT stupid.

[sweetliberty]

Oh well, that settles it. I'm not going to Times Square tonight. Not that I was planning to anyway, or that I would ever lose my wits enough to put myself in the midst of that size mob willingly for any reason.

Seriously, I pray for a safe New Year for all y'all, but especially for my FReeper FRiends in New York and Washington DC. It must be really unsettling to be constantly dealing with the threats from these demon-possessed vermin.

[PISANO]

Whether the warnings are true or NOT the evil-doers get what they want...."FEAR" and "DESTRUTION". One without the other or both...it matter's NOT to them.

For 'SATAN' loves misery and agony and the evil-doers are 'HIS' servant.

[jstolzen]

This stuff must be what passes for porno to those al-Qaeda types.

But I have to say that I'm not buying it. As if they would give the date and place of a nuclear attack. They're stupid, but I don't think they're THAT stupid.

Hmmm..possibly just AQ getting their kicks dreaming a bit.

But..

- I'm convinced they have WMD (see worldthreats.com for a good article on why)

- They obviously want to use them

- The 2/2 date coincides with their big holy day stuff

- We could never stop them, if they DO have plans to smuggle a suitcase nuke (or worse) in. (Open borders and all).

Nice of them to at least give us a date for our destruction, though. Helps in planning a bit.

Me..I'm taking this seriously, even tho I know many of you guys scoff at this.

Happy new years to the Freeper gang..

[sarasota]

Here's the part I have trouble with: do you really believe that thetop AlQ leaders (I understand there are five) would release any information AT ALL on the internet? These guys operate as in time of yore--hand carried messages, personal visits, totally covert--not broadcast over the internet. Cyberspace carries amateur status. The "real deal" could easily come as a total surprise.

[jstolzen]

I guess the REAL question becomes..what website was this posted on?

I seem to remember that there are a number of "official" AQ sites, and a bunch of other sites where people blabber endlessly about the destruction of America.

If it was on an "official" AQ Website, I would treat it seriously.

Anyone know for sure where this originated? I have not tracked which of the various "death to America" sites are "official AQ".

[Incorrigible]

Wow! This is one day after Basayev threatens to nuke Moscow!

Looks like January is going to be a busy month for those Jihadists!