Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

>>>Alvin Toeffler has written about this in terms of some scientists in their laboratories trying to devise certain types of pathogens that would be ethnic specific so that they could just eliminate certain ethnic groups and races

SARs????

DoD News Briefing
Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen
Monday, April 28, 1997 - 8:45 a.m. EDT

http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/1997/t042897_t0428coh.html

Cohen's keynote address at the Conference on Terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and U.S. Strategy at the Georgia Center, Mahler Auditorium, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. The event is part of the Sam Nunn Policy Forum being hosted by the University of Georgia. Secretary Cohen is joined by Sen. Sam Nunn and Sen. Richard G. Lugar.]
Secretary Cohen: Senator Nunn, thank you very much. As Senator Nunn has indicated, he and I have worked for many years together, along with Senator Lugar. The two of these gentlemen I feel are perhaps the most courageous and visionary to have served in the Senate. They were largely responsible, of course, for adopting the so-called Nunn/Lugar legislation.

I'll comment on that later during the course of the morning, but I've had occasion to meet with a number of Russian counterparts, and as we go through various translations of the communications that we're having, the two words they are able to articulate very clearly, they say 'Nunn/Lugar, Nunn/Lugar. So they know exactly what that means, and that means the Cooperative Thre'at Reduction Act that these two gentlemen were indispensable in shepherding through the United States Congress.

It was Nunn/Lugar I that dealt with the reduction of nuclear weapons between the United States and the Soviet Union in terms of trying to come to grips with how we helped the Russians dismantle hundreds of their nuclear weapons, and also helped them with their destruction of chemical weapons. But they, of course, have looked beyond simply that particular relationship, which is very important, but also looking to the future that we face as far as the rise of terrorism -- both international and domestic; and finding ways in which the Department of Defense can become involved in helping local states and local agencies to deal with the threat of terrorism which is quite likely to increase in the coming years.

It's a pleasure for me to be here. Both Senator Nunn and Senator Lugar are close friends and I look forward to, I think, a very productive seminar. Once again demonstrating that although Senator Nunn has left public service in the Senate, he has not left public service as far as the nation is concerned.

It's a pleasure for me to be here, Sam.

Senator Nunn: Thank you very much, Bill.

. ..Let me ask if there are any questions for Secretary of Defense Cohen.

Q: The dual containment policy in Iran and Iraq, do you think that's conducive to regional stability in that region? And do you think can cause further terrorism in the United States? That type of containment policy in the Middle East.

A: I think Secretary Albright articulated our policy as far as dealing with Iraq, that it's clear that we have been unable to strike any kind of a productive relationship with Saddam Hussein, and as soon as Saddam Hussein is no longer the head of that government, that there's new regime that follows him, that we will look forward to finding ways in which we could engage them in a much more productive fashion, particularly after they comply with all of the UN sanctions. There's an eagerness on our part to do that. But I think as long as he remains in office as the head of that state, it's unlikely that we could have anything but the current policy in place, with very little prospects for relief.

With respect to Iran, I think Iran continues to present a long term threat to the region. They are acquiring and have acquired weapons of mass destruction, substantial levels of chemicals and we believe biological weapons as well. They have made an effort to acquire nuclear capability. So I think that our policy of dual containment is the right one, and we are going to encourage our allies to support that one.

Q: What does it mean that Clinton (inaudible) proliferation?

A: To the extent that we see the level of communication available today, the Internet and other types of interwoven communicative skills and abilities, we're going to see information continue to spread as to how these weapons can be, in fact, manufactured in a home-grown laboratory, as such. So it's a serious problem as far as living in the information age that people who are acquiring this kind of information will not act responsibly, but rather act in a terrorist type of fashion.

We've seen by way of example of the World Trade Center the international aspects of international terrorism coming to our home territory. We've also seen domestic terrorism with the Oklahoma bombing. So it's a real threat that's here today. It's likely to intensify in the years to come as more and more groups have access to this kind of information and the ability to produce them.

Q: How prepared is the U.S. Government to deal with (inaudible)?

A: I think we have to really intensify our efforts. That's the reason for the Nunn/Lugar II program. That's the reason why it's a local responsibility, as such, but the Department of Defense is going to be taking the lead as far as supervising the interagency working groups, and to make the assessments as to what needs to be done. So we're going to identify those 120 cities and work with them very closely to make sure that they can prepare themselves for what is likely to be a threat well into the future.

Q: Let me ask you specifically about last week's scare here in Washington, and what we might have learned from how prepared we are to deal with that (inaudible), at B'nai Brith.

A: Well, it points out the nature of the threat. It turned out to be a false threat under the circumstances. But as we've learned in the intelligence community, we had something called -- and we have James Woolsey here to perhaps even address this question about phantom moles. The mere fear that there is a mole within an agency can set off a chain reaction and a hunt for that particular mole which can paralyze the agency for weeks and months and years even, in a search. The same thing is true about just the false scare of a threat of using some kind of a chemical weapon or a biological one. There are some reports, for example, that some countries have been trying to construct something like an Ebola Virus, and that would be a very dangerous phenomenon, to say the least. Alvin Toeffler has written about this in terms of some scientists in their laboratories trying to devise certain types of pathogens that would be ethnic specific so that they could just eliminate certain ethnic groups and races; and others are designing some sort of engineering, some sort of insects that can destroy specific crops. Others are engaging even in an eco- type of terrorism whereby they can alter the climate, set off earthquakes, volcanoes remotely through the use of electromagnetic waves.

So there are plenty of ingenious minds out there that are at work finding ways in which they can wreak terror upon other nations. It's real, and that's the reason why we have to intensify our efforts, and that's why this is so important.

Q: What is response to (inaudible)?

A: We hope we will have access to the defector. In fact I was recently in South Korea and talked with various officials in South Korea. As soon as they complete their own interrogation of this defector, we will have access to that individual. But much of what he has said to date is reflected in the writings that he prepared last year. This is prior to his defection. One would not expect a potential defector to be writing about anything other than what the official doctrine or dogma is of the North Korean government at that time. He is saying essentially what we have known for a long, long time. Namely, that North Korea poses a very serious threat against South Korea, and potentially even Japan, by virtue of having the fourth largest army in the world, by having 600,000 or more troops poised within 100 kilometers of Seoul, of possessing many SCUD missiles, also the potential of chemically armed warheads, the attempt to acquire nuclear weapons. So we know they have this potential, and the question really is going to be what's in their hearts and minds at this point? Do they intend to try to launch such an attack in the immediate, foreseeable future? That we can only speculate about, but that's the reason why we are so well prepared to defend against such an attack to deter it; and to send a message that it would be absolutely an act of suicide for the North Koreans to launch an attack. They could do great damage in the short run, but they would be devastated in response. So we're hoping we can find ways to bring them to the bargaining table -- the Party of Four Talks -- and see if we can't put them on a path toward peace instead of threatening any kind of devastating attack upon the South.

Q: . ..a little bit about the situation in (inaudible)?

A: I really don't have much more information than has been in the press at this point. The Department has not been called upon to act in this regard just yet, so I'm not at liberty to give you any more information than you already have.

Q: . ..the Administration's plans to expand NATO to more European countries. Is there a terrorism element? Or will expanding NATO help you in any way in terms of (inaudible)? Or is it really unrelated?

A: I think the two are unrelated. There is a legitimate debate that will take place in terms of the pace of enlargement or whether there should be enlargement. Secretary Albright and I testified last week before the Senate Armed Services Committee, and it was a very, I think, productive debate. It's something that Senator Nunn, I think, feels very strongly about as well. The two of us, I think, found ourselves on the Senate Floor last year saying it was time for the American people to start debating this issue. So it's very important and there will be legitimate differences of opinion, but it's important that we bring this to the Senate for full debate and disclosure, and bring it to the American people. But I doubt if it's related to the spread of terrorism whatsoever.

Senator Nunn: Thank you very much.

>>>Others are engaging even in an eco- type of terrorism whereby they can alter the climate, set off earthquakes, volcanoes remotely through the use of electromagnetic waves.

Tesla????

DoD News Briefing
Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen
Monday, April 28, 1997 - 8:45 a.m. EDT

http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/1997/t042897_t0428coh.html

Cohen's keynote address at the Conference on Terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and U.S. Strategy at the Georgia Center, Mahler Auditorium, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. The event is part of the Sam Nunn Policy Forum being hosted by the University of Georgia. Secretary Cohen is joined by Sen. Sam Nunn and Sen. Richard G. Lugar.]
Secretary Cohen: Senator Nunn, thank you very much. As Senator Nunn has indicated, he and I have worked for many years together, along with Senator Lugar. The two of these gentlemen I feel are perhaps the most courageous and visionary to have served in the Senate. They were largely responsible, of course, for adopting the so-called Nunn/Lugar legislation.

I'll comment on that later during the course of the morning, but I've had occasion to meet with a number of Russian counterparts, and as we go through various translations of the communications that we're having, the two words they are able to articulate very clearly, they say 'Nunn/Lugar, Nunn/Lugar. So they know exactly what that means, and that means the Cooperative Thre'at Reduction Act that these two gentlemen were indispensable in shepherding through the United States Congress.

It was Nunn/Lugar I that dealt with the reduction of nuclear weapons between the United States and the Soviet Union in terms of trying to come to grips with how we helped the Russians dismantle hundreds of their nuclear weapons, and also helped them with their destruction of chemical weapons. But they, of course, have looked beyond simply that particular relationship, which is very important, but also looking to the future that we face as far as the rise of terrorism -- both international and domestic; and finding ways in which the Department of Defense can become involved in helping local states and local agencies to deal with the threat of terrorism which is quite likely to increase in the coming years.

It's a pleasure for me to be here. Both Senator Nunn and Senator Lugar are close friends and I look forward to, I think, a very productive seminar. Once again demonstrating that although Senator Nunn has left public service in the Senate, he has not left public service as far as the nation is concerned.

It's a pleasure for me to be here, Sam.

Senator Nunn: Thank you very much, Bill.

. ..Let me ask if there are any questions for Secretary of Defense Cohen.

Q: The dual containment policy in Iran and Iraq, do you think that's conducive to regional stability in that region? And do you think can cause further terrorism in the United States? That type of containment policy in the Middle East.

A: I think Secretary Albright articulated our policy as far as dealing with Iraq, that it's clear that we have been unable to strike any kind of a productive relationship with Saddam Hussein, and as soon as Saddam Hussein is no longer the head of that government, that there's new regime that follows him, that we will look forward to finding ways in which we could engage them in a much more productive fashion, particularly after they comply with all of the UN sanctions. There's an eagerness on our part to do that. But I think as long as he remains in office as the head of that state, it's unlikely that we could have anything but the current policy in place, with very little prospects for relief.

With respect to Iran, I think Iran continues to present a long term threat to the region. They are acquiring and have acquired weapons of mass destruction, substantial levels of chemicals and we believe biological weapons as well. They have made an effort to acquire nuclear capability. So I think that our policy of dual containment is the right one, and we are going to encourage our allies to support that one.

Q: What does it mean that Clinton (inaudible) proliferation?

A: To the extent that we see the level of communication available today, the Internet and other types of interwoven communicative skills and abilities, we're going to see information continue to spread as to how these weapons can be, in fact, manufactured in a home-grown laboratory, as such. So it's a serious problem as far as living in the information age that people who are acquiring this kind of information will not act responsibly, but rather act in a terrorist type of fashion.

We've seen by way of example of the World Trade Center the international aspects of international terrorism coming to our home territory. We've also seen domestic terrorism with the Oklahoma bombing. So it's a real threat that's here today. It's likely to intensify in the years to come as more and more groups have access to this kind of information and the ability to produce them.

Q: How prepared is the U.S. Government to deal with (inaudible)?

A: I think we have to really intensify our efforts. That's the reason for the Nunn/Lugar II program. That's the reason why it's a local responsibility, as such, but the Department of Defense is going to be taking the lead as far as supervising the interagency working groups, and to make the assessments as to what needs to be done. So we're going to identify those 120 cities and work with them very closely to make sure that they can prepare themselves for what is likely to be a threat well into the future.

Q: Let me ask you specifically about last week's scare here in Washington, and what we might have learned from how prepared we are to deal with that (inaudible), at B'nai Brith.

A: Well, it points out the nature of the threat. It turned out to be a false threat under the circumstances. But as we've learned in the intelligence community, we had something called -- and we have James Woolsey here to perhaps even address this question about phantom moles. The mere fear that there is a mole within an agency can set off a chain reaction and a hunt for that particular mole which can paralyze the agency for weeks and months and years even, in a search. The same thing is true about just the false scare of a threat of using some kind of a chemical weapon or a biological one. There are some reports, for example, that some countries have been trying to construct something like an Ebola Virus, and that would be a very dangerous phenomenon, to say the least. Alvin Toeffler has written about this in terms of some scientists in their laboratories trying to devise certain types of pathogens that would be ethnic specific so that they could just eliminate certain ethnic groups and races; and others are designing some sort of engineering, some sort of insects that can destroy specific crops. Others are engaging even in an eco- type of terrorism whereby they can alter the climate, set off earthquakes, volcanoes remotely through the use of electromagnetic waves.

So there are plenty of ingenious minds out there that are at work finding ways in which they can wreak terror upon other nations. It's real, and that's the reason why we have to intensify our efforts, and that's why this is so important.

Q: What is response to (inaudible)?

A: We hope we will have access to the defector. In fact I was recently in South Korea and talked with various officials in South Korea. As soon as they complete their own interrogation of this defector, we will have access to that individual. But much of what he has said to date is reflected in the writings that he prepared last year. This is prior to his defection. One would not expect a potential defector to be writing about anything other than what the official doctrine or dogma is of the North Korean government at that time. He is saying essentially what we have known for a long, long time. Namely, that North Korea poses a very serious threat against South Korea, and potentially even Japan, by virtue of having the fourth largest army in the world, by having 600,000 or more troops poised within 100 kilometers of Seoul, of possessing many SCUD missiles, also the potential of chemically armed warheads, the attempt to acquire nuclear weapons. So we know they have this potential, and the question really is going to be what's in their hearts and minds at this point? Do they intend to try to launch such an attack in the immediate, foreseeable future? That we can only speculate about, but that's the reason why we are so well prepared to defend against such an attack to deter it; and to send a message that it would be absolutely an act of suicide for the North Koreans to launch an attack. They could do great damage in the short run, but they would be devastated in response. So we're hoping we can find ways to bring them to the bargaining table -- the Party of Four Talks -- and see if we can't put them on a path toward peace instead of threatening any kind of devastating attack upon the South.

Q: . ..a little bit about the situation in (inaudible)?

A: I really don't have much more information than has been in the press at this point. The Department has not been called upon to act in this regard just yet, so I'm not at liberty to give you any more information than you already have.

Q: . ..the Administration's plans to expand NATO to more European countries. Is there a terrorism element? Or will expanding NATO help you in any way in terms of (inaudible)? Or is it really unrelated?

A: I think the two are unrelated. There is a legitimate debate that will take place in terms of the pace of enlargement or whether there should be enlargement. Secretary Albright and I testified last week before the Senate Armed Services Committee, and it was a very, I think, productive debate. It's something that Senator Nunn, I think, feels very strongly about as well. The two of us, I think, found ourselves on the Senate Floor last year saying it was time for the American people to start debating this issue. So it's very important and there will be legitimate differences of opinion, but it's important that we bring this to the Senate for full debate and disclosure, and bring it to the American people. But I doubt if it's related to the spread of terrorism whatsoever.

Senator Nunn: Thank you very much.

BTW, we definitely need an alternate site to post if these problems with FR should ever happen again.

Here's the alternate site.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freerepublic2/

You should probably bookmark it, because people are saying that it doesn't come up when they search the yahoo site for the FR group. Only the old FR group shows up for some reason, and no one has posted on that one in a couple of years.

I am not sure if this was posted already. Also, I just saw a report that the British Military group was rescued from the cave in Mexico...not sure if they needed to be rescued...maybe they were on a fact finding mission.

U.N. Suspicious of Congo Uranium Mine

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, March 25 (UPI) -- Suspicious activity at a uranium mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spawned a U.N. investigation, the BBC reported Thursday.

A BBC reporter tipped off the International Atomic Energy Agency that as many as 6,000 miners were working the Shinkolobwe mine in Katanga province, extracting cobalt, copper, platinum and uranium.

While the government says it shut down the mine, the BBC correspondent said the uranium is being sold to nearby furnaces operated mainly by private businessmen from China and India, and exported via neighboring Zambia.

"We're very concerned," said IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming. "We are demanding information from the government on this alleged illegal mining."

Uranium extracted from the Shinkolobwe mine was used by the United States in the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during World War II.

Link Here

So much for the moss theory.

"lily white"

I have that one, that's how I was able to get here. I was suggesting we have our own Yahoo Threat Matrix group in case of emergency.

>>>I post Quayle's stuff as I suspect it's the "too sensitive" information NEIN won't post.

??????

That newsletter is offered jointly through SteveQ and NEIN.

http://www.stevequayle.com/HQ.html

Please note that they say that this is not credible....but considering the info. that I have in bold text....who knows.

Las Vegas Casinos Receive Anonymous Threat in E-Mail

(03-25-04) 18:54 PST LAS VEGAS (AP) --

The FBI received an anonymous threat Thursday against Las Vegas casinos, but authorities concluded it was not credible.

The Nevada Joint Terrorism Task Force said the author of Thursday's threatening e-mail was the same person who made a similar threat last week against an unspecified target in Washington, D.C., according to an FBI statement.

Las Vegas FBI spokesman Todd Palmer said the time frame for both threats had passed without incident.

Palmer said no arrests have been made but the e-mails remain under investigation. He would not comment on the nature of the threat or how many casinos had been targeted.

Greg Bortolin, Gov. Kenny Guinn's spokesman, said the state's homeland security office also had advised that the threats were not credible.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security views Las Vegas as a second-tier terror target because of the millions of tourists who visit every year. Las Vegas is also home to 18 of the 20 largest U.S. hotels

Las Vegas has been mentioned as a possible terrorist target since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

In December, authorities canceled a scheduled flight from Paris to Los Angeles after concerns were raised that the jet could have been hijacked and crashed into Las Vegas or another city along its flight path.

Authorities still don't know why five of the Sept. 11 hijackers spent time in Las Vegas in summer 2001.

Link Here

Report: N. Korea Missile Threat Growing

Yomiuri Shimbun

The Defense Agency's National Institute for Defense Studies on Wednesday expressed concern that a North Korean facility for producing highly enriched uranium would become operational in 2005, enabling it to build two or more enriched-uranium nuclear weapons in addition to plutonium ones.

In a report on the security situation in the East Asian region, the institute said North Korea is capable of deploying 175 to 200 Rodong missiles, each capable of carrying nuclear warheads that could hit any part of Japan.

"Because Japan and the United States have yet to establish effective countermeasures, Tokyo could militarily be taken hostage, which increases the level of Japan's vulnerability," the report said.

The report stressed the importance of building a missile defense program capable of attacking North Korean missile bases.

"To effectively counter missile launches by an enemy country, a strategy to intercept the incoming missiles and to attack their bases must proceed in parallel when one's opponent begins making preparations for such a missile attack," the report said.

Link Here

United States Vetoes Security Council Resolution Condemning Killing of Hamas Leader

By Chris Hawley Associated Press Writer
Published: Mar 25, 2004

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution Thursday condemning Israel's assassination of a Hamas leader, calling the measure "one-sided" and saying it ignored the group's bloody record of terrorism.
The United States had demanded that the resolution on the death of Ahmed Yassin include a mention of attacks by Hamas and other militant groups. Algeria, the resolution's sponsor, had resisted identifying the groups by name or citing specific attacks.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAWID5O9SD.html

A few days ago when someone posted an article about the dead dolphins, the total was around 30....we have dead elk, bison, birds, dolphins...

Dolphins deaths hit 90, with two more sick at Gulf World

Last Update: 3/25/2004 3:13:07 PM

(Panama City Beach-AP) -- The death toll among wild dolphins in the Florida Panhandle is now up to 90, and two more captive dolphins are sick at Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach.

Tissue analysis of bottlenose dolphins that died in the wild indicate they had been exposed to red tide. But experts say more tests are pending to determine if that's what killed them. They say analysis has also detected a type of domoic acid that's more common to California waters......

Full Story Here

Fiery Truck Crash Shuts Down Interstate Linking New York and Boston; Long Closure Feared (Update on CT, I95 Truck Crash)

The Associated Press Published: Mar 25, 2004

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) - An oil tanker truck crashed on Interstate 95 Thursday night and started a fire that burned out of control, possibly destroying bridges in both directions on the heavily used highway between New York and Boston, state police said.

Only minor injuries were reported, but there was a gaping hole in one of the bridges, said Sgt. J. Paul Vance, a state police spokesman.

The highway may be closed for days or weeks because of the damage, Vance said. He said engineers would assess the damage.

"The road is completely on fire," Vance said. "The fire is out of control."

A bystander told The Associated Press that he heard several explosions and flames were shooting 50 feet into the air. Transportation Department spokesman Chris Cooper said one of the two highway bridges buckled due to the immense heat from the fire.

I-95 is a vital artery connecting the New York area, Connecticut and the rest of New England.

Link Here

This just sounds very suspicious to me.

Especially considering that this is a vital roadway for the Northeast corridor.

In an Al-Quada terror manual there are statements that indicate that it is important to dissrupt travel routes and bridges. I will post once I have tracked down the exact verbage from the manual. But I am on the East Coast and it is getting late for me. Have a nice evening.

I am afraid, this could be the beginning of a series of attacks. The first thing -- cripple major roadways, bridges, then come the rest of the attacks. Al Qaeda has shown they like multiple attacks.

Just today the FBI was warning about attacks on oil refineries in Texas.

I wouldn't dare post this anywhere except on this thread -- but what if the next thing is a nuke attack in NY -- and one of the escape/evacuation roads is closed.

Thanks Tex!

Page cannot be displayed.

Was this the link?

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/news/item.php?keyid=8073&category=31&scategory=0&PHPSESSID=9c0c30f32d28118326256f7f3c087610

Any idea where one could get their hands on that recording? If it is in a digital format, it should be making the rounds on the Internet by now.