Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - Thread 5

CNN ^ | March 12, 2004

[WestCoastGal]

Hey my tagline made it to~~~~~~~~~

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1106914/posts

[freeperfromnj]

You may find this of interest:

EGYPT'S LUXOR AIR BANNED FROM FRENCH SKIES

Posted on 03/29/2004 7:32:03 AM PST by chance33_98

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1107153/posts?page=3#3

[appalachian_dweller]

Good find freeperfromnj. Sounds like a test run to me.

[Calpernia]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1107204/posts

Follow-Up to Kofigate (Oil for Food UN Scandal)

Posted by Piranha
On 03/29/2004 11:28:25 AM EST with 1 comment

The New York Times ^ | March 29, 2004 | William Safire
WASHINGTON — Never has there been a financial rip-off of the magnitude of the U.N. oil-for-food scandal. At least $5 billion in kickbacks went from corrupt contractors — mainly French and Russian — into the pockets of Saddam and his thugs. Some went to pay off his protectors in foreign governments and media, and we may soon see how much stuck to the fingers of U.N. bureaucrats as well. Responding to a harangue in this space on March 17, the spokesman for Kofi Annan confirmed that the secretary general's soft-spoken son, Kojo, was on the payroll of Cotecna Inspections of...

[freeperfromnj]

Sounds like a test run to me.

It sure does. Another Egyptian airliner - hmmmmmm....

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

Al-Qaeda attack at sea on cards: expert
By Mark Coultan
March 30, 2004

Al-Qaeda may have developed a terrorist naval force of 15-30 vessels, a terrorism expert says.

Alexey Muraviev, co-ordinator of graduate studies in strategy and defence at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, told a maritime security conference in Sydney yesterday that there were signs a big terrorist strike might be planned.

Evidence included the attacks on the USS Cole in Aden in 2000 and the French tanker Limburg off Yemen in 2002, reconnaissance activities and attempts to obtain maritime strike capabilities.

"These indicators raise serious concerns that what we may be observing is the pre-operational phase of a future maritime 9/11."

Attacks could include bombing naval or merchant shipping, sea-based attacks on land and the use of private aircraft loaded with explosives. Containers could be used to transport chemical, biological or nuclear devices.

Intelligence experts believed ships were far more vulnerable to an al-Qaeda attack than commercial airlines, Mr Muraviev said.

Targets could include cruise ships, oil supertankers, LNG-carriers and chemical tankers.


"For security experts, it is no longer a question of if but rather when and where."

Mr Muraviev warned that 95 per cent of the value of Australia's overseas trade was carried by foreign vessels.

The al-Qaeda fleet was believed to include small fishing trawlers and large freighters, he said.

Mr Muraviev quoted a US intelligence official as saying that, like German raider ships in World War II, Osama bin Laden's vessels constantly changed their names, flags and appearances. Of particular concern was an attack by suicide scuba divers.

In May 2002 the FBI sent out an alert about terrorists developing an "offensive scuba diver capability". Last August the US Coastguard Marine Safety Office issued a special bulletin about suspicious individuals asking marine shops and schools about equipment and training.

When the US caught al-Qaeda's alleged chief of naval operations, Abdulrahim Mohammed Abda Al-Nasheri, they said they had found a 180-page dossier that was apparently al-Qaeda's plans. It listed so-called targets of opportunity, including Western merchant shipping and cruise liners.

Bruce Smith, director of border compliance and the enforcement division at the Australian Customs Service, told the conference it now had X-ray equipment capable of detecting conventional weapons smuggled in with cargo, as well as nuclear and radioactive weapons.

Ports around the world are scrambling to meet a July 1 deadline to introduce a new international security system that will include ship security officers and details of a ship's last 10 ports of call

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/29/1080544424949.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

Isn't this the same airline, that had the crash in the Red Sea a few months ago.........?

Near where Blair was on vacation with his family.

The pilot was from San Diego and Egypt?

Oh, yes, the black box was badly damaged and we don't know why it crashed.

Sarcasm, before first cup of coffee.........

[freeperfromnj]

That was Flash Air, also an Egyptian airline.

[Myrddin]

Since I'm not proficient in reading Arabic yet, I have to take the word of some that can read it proficiently and say it is the "good" Muslims who listen to the terroristic interpretations of the Quran.

I'll wager that many of the terrorists aren't proficient in reading Arabic either. They are proficient in listening to their local religious leaders and parents who have been indoctrinated into the jihadi philosophy. Islam claims over 1 billion adherents worldwide. If only 1% of these are militants with a terrorist leaning...do the math.

Cause if the Quran really did say convert or die, kill all infidels, to the Kaliph and beyond....I would hate to have our military spilling their blood overseas for nothing.

I don't think they are spilling their blood overseas for nothing. They are delaying the inevitable. Their daily sacrifice allows us the luxury of a good night's sleep. They stand watch to keep the wolves out of our camp. When we decide to cease that daily vigilance, our streets will start looking like Israel.

[Calpernia]

>>>I'll wager that many of the terrorists aren't proficient in reading Arabic either. They are proficient in listening to their local religious leaders and parents who have been indoctrinated into the jihadi philosophy. Islam claims over 1 billion adherents worldwide. If only 1% of these are militants with a terrorist leaning...do the math.

I agree.

>>>They are delaying the inevitable.

I prefer to be a little more optimistic.

[4thygipper]

Bus Crash Closes Part Of I-65 In Indianapolis

POSTED: 12:57 pm EST March 29, 2004
UPDATED: 1:14 pm EST March 29, 2004

INDIANAPOLIS -- An undetermined number of people were injured in a crash involving at least one chartered bus on northbound Interstate 65 around 12:30 p.m. Monday, state police said.

Video


Sky Cam 6: Raw Video Of Scene





The crash prompted authorities to close the northbound lanes at the crash site, which was just north of Ohio Street.

Ambulances were called to the scene. Police said they didn't know the number or the extent of the injuries.

[Velveeta]

Thanks! It validates our earlier discussions to avoid Egyptian airliners.

[milkncookies]

Subject: News from the EU

The European Union commissioners have announced that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility.As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phased plan, suggested by the German-speaking groups, for what will be known as EuroEnglish.

In the first year, "s" will be used instead of the soft "c". Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve this news with joy. Also, the hard "c" will be replaced with "k". Not only will this klear up konfusion, but wordprosessors kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced by "f". This will make words like "fotograf" 20 per sent shorter.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkorage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent "e"s in the languag is disgrasful, and they would go.

By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" by "z" and "w" by v.

During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou", and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer.

Ze drem vil finali kum tru.

[Mrs. Xtrmst]

Oh I don't know...Certainly sounds "fishy" to me (snicker). but the "trains of death" was apparently a reference to Madrid so it's possible that much of what we have speculated about as US attack threats could actually be planned for overseas.

I'm not at all comfortable with the thought of scuba divers diving in busy ports & near nuclear plants and other areas where scuba hobbyists would have no interest. Wouldn't scientists have to file paperwork detailing thier intentions in order to obtain permission to dive? Then these divers start turning up dead & without their gear...well that's really troubling.

I fully expect another spectacular here at home, but I just wanted to point out that several threats have actually turned out to be overseas rather than here.

[Calpernia]

Speaking of trains of death....anyone have any idea what happened here?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1107302/posts

TA Investigating Explosion on Subway Train

Posted by Calpernia to Sean Osborne Lomax; JustPiper; freeperfromnj; flutters; Dog; Sabertooth; Cindy; yonif; ...
On News/Activism 03/29/2004 2:04:42 PM EST #2 of 3

There were some anxious moments on a Northbound "F" train in Manhattan this morning. The was an explosion and small fire under a seat in the front car of the train as it pulled into the Broadway-Lafayette Station around 9:45 a-m

[WestCoastGal]

Breaking news on LA stations.....Navy plane down off the coast of San Diego. Search and rescue up, nothing further.

[4thygipper]

TERROR ATTACK IN UZBEKISTAN

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — Terrorists staged a coordinated series of attacks in the central Asian country of Uzbekistan — a key U.S. ally in the War on Terror — killing at least 19 people and two suspected female homicide bombers, Uzbekistan officials said Monday.

Prosecutor-General Rashid Kadyrov said the events began Sunday night with an explosion that killed 10 people at a house being used by an extremist in the central province of Bukhara (search).

There were also two attacks on police Sunday night and early Monday, killing three policemen, and two homicide bombings near the Chorsu bazaar in Tashkent's Old City, which killed three policemen and a young child, he said.

President Islam Karimov (search) said the attacks had been planned at least six months in advance and had been originally set to take place before the March 21 Central Asian and Persian new year holiday of Navruz (search). The operation's planning and financing indicated it had outside support, he said.

"As the president, I promise all measures will be taken to stop such terrorist acts," Karimov said on state TV in a Russian translation of remarks in Uzbek, adding that citizens should remain alert.

Karimov, who allowed the United States to base troops in his country, has ruled the former Soviet republic since 1991 and has a human rights record that has come under international criticism for its repression of political and religious freedoms.

Uzbekistan has been a strong supporter of U.S.-led campaign in Afghanistan, and American troops are using a military base at the southern city of Khanabad for operations.

The U.S. Embassy in Tashkent warned in a statement that "other terrorists are believed still at large and may be attempting additional attacks."

It cautioned Americans to be on "highest alert," and closed an embassy office in the center of Tashkent, though the main building remained open.

The homicide bombings were the first ever reported in Uzbekistan. Kadyrov said the attacks were carried out by Islamic extremists, singling out the banned Hizb-ut-Tahrir (search) group and followers of the strict Wahhabi (search) sect of Islam.

"A preliminary investigation shows all the events are interconnected and aimed at destabilization of the country," Kadyrov said.

Kadyrov said one person had been arrested and that authorities were searching for other suspects, but declined to say how many people might have been involved in the planning or execution of the attacks.

He said the tactic of homicide bombings was previously unknown to Uzbekistan and indicated foreign involvement in the attacks.

"The character and method of this act is not common to our people. It was probably exported from abroad," he said.

Fox News analyst Mansoor Ijaz said the attacks had "too many hallmarks of the revised version of Al Qaeda 2.0," referring to the terror group responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and suspected in the March 11 train bombings in Madrid.

What the terrorists want to do, Ijaz said, is to sow chaos in countries allied with the United States and to engage U.S. troops in combat.

"This is very calculated," Ijaz said. "They are going step-by-step, country-by-country, making sure they target American allies."

Foreign Minister Sadyk Safayev said the situation in the country was stable.

"The terrorists aimed to create panic and chaos, but they didn't manage to do so," Safayev said. He also tied the attacks to ongoing terrorist violence in Iraq.

"Police are a soft target," he said, when asked about why police were targeted. "We see a repeat of that which was tested abroad."

Kadyrov said the materials used in the explosives were similar to those used in a series of simultaneous bombings in Tashkent (search) in 1999, an alleged assassination attempt against President Karimov, which was blamed on the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (search).

But Safayev declined to say whether Monday's attack could have been linked to ongoing operations in Pakistan's border regions, in which a top IMU leader, Tahir Yuldash, was wounded, according to Pakistani officials.

If the link to Hizb-ut-Tahrir is confirmed, it would mark the first time the group has been implicated directly in a terrorist attack.

The group claims to be nonviolent, but Uzbek authorities in the past have strongly insisted that it was a breeding ground for terrorists, justifying their crackdown on independent Muslims.

One of the Tashkent market blasts was set off by a female homicide bomber and targeted a group of policemen and another happened near a bus station, said Atonazar Arifov, leader of the opposition Erk party, citing witnesses.

A resident of the city of Bukhara said on condition of anonymity that there were at least two explosions Monday in the Roshtan district, 9 miles west of Bukhara. He said they were carried out by homicide bombers and killed several people. One of the explosions, occurred near a mosque and another near a private house, he said, adding that the area had been cordoned off by armed police and soldiers.

Police and intelligence agents closed off the Chorsu market, the biggest in Tashkent, and vans with investigators were massed in front of the "Children's World" store, where the blast occurred. There was no visible sign of an explosion from afar.

An eyewitness, who didn't give her name, said she felt the ground shake when one of the explosions went off. She said she saw one woman crying over the motionless body of a child.

At the nearby First City Hospital where Interior Ministry officials said victims were taken, a man in the hallway was crying "Where is my daughter? Is she alive or dead?"

A nurse tried to the comfort him before a doctor approached and scolded her, telling her not to give any information to anyone — even victims' relatives. Another government official down the hallway also warned doctors and nurses not to talk.

Information is tightly controlled in Uzbekistan, where there are no independent media and opposition parties are banned. The government had been scheduled to make a televised statement about the attacks, but by late afternoon state-run TV still hadn't reported on the explosions. Other bazaars and shops were closed across Tashkent, and soldiers armed with Kalashnikovs were on guard outside the city's central department store.

President Islam Karimov was to address the nation on television later.

The Chorsu bazaar has been a common site for small protests by religious women against the detentions of their husbands and sons, part of a crackdown on independent Muslims that has jailed thousands and drawn international criticism. Arifov, the opposition leader, said he feared a new crackdown on the opposition after the attacks.

He also said there were suspicions of an official set-up. He said Interior Minister Zokijon Almatov had visited Chorsu personally on Thursday and that was "the start of the whole thing" and that police had been preparing a diversion for a while.

Neighboring Kazakhstan stepped up border security and anti-terrorism measures Monday after the attacks, said Kenzhebulat Beknazarov, Kazakh National Security Committee spokesman. Kyrgyyz border guards also beefed up patrols along the Uzbek frontier.

[KylaStarr]

Just heard on local news that both pilots parachuted out and have been picked up by fisherman and are on their way back to North Island. Praise the Lord they are safe!

[4thygipper]

NAVY PLANE CRASHES OFF THE COAST OF SAN DIEGO

Associated Press


CORONADO, Calif. - A Navy plane crashed Monday off the coast of San Diego, officials said.

The aircraft went down shortly after 11 a.m., about three miles off the coast, said Steve Fiebing, public affairs officer for North Island Naval Air Station.

Fiebing did not have information on what type of aircraft crashed, nor what may have happened to anyone on board.

KSND television, citing a Navy spokesperson, said the plane was an F-14 Tomcat fighter jet which had been performing flight operations with a carrier off the coast. A private fishing boat rescued the two pilots, who then were transferred to a Navy vessel that was returning them to the Navy base in Coronado, the station reported.

Fiebing said an investigation into the crash is underway

[KylaStarr]

Local news showing both pilots safe on land at Shelter Island now. Reports are sketchy as to what caused the crash of the Tomcats though. There are witnesses to the crash so maybe.. MAYBE we will hear more.