Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - Thread Seven

The Washington Times ^ | 4-26-04 | Bill Gertz

[JustPiper]

"I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat"

Two Chinese diplomats, away from their Los Angeles consulate improperly, recently sped their vehicle past a Los Alamos National Laboratory guard post near classified facilities in what U.S. officials think was an intelligence mission, The Washington Times has learned.

[Rushmore Rocks]

I too, broke away from the grip AT&T had on me several months ago. I haven't had any billing problems with them. Instead they keep mailing me checks to re-sign for their services. Fat chance! I just shred them. I signed up for Qwest and I'm very happy with them. It doesn't hurt that the owner of Qwest (Phil Anschutz) is a major Republican and all around nice guy.

On another note: has anyone else begun receiving more telemarketing calls lately? (especially from people who again cannot be understood and mispronounce my name)

I was so appreciative of the "Do Not Call" list, but now they seem to be slipping through the cracks again.

[Domestic Church]

"I caught the tail end of a talk show tonight wherein the hostess noted some religions (I believe it was Methodist and Presbyterian) are advocating parents pulling their children out of public schools and either homeschooling them or putting them in Christian schools..."

I read the Southern Baptists are about to do this.

[rickylc]

It was just silly, they take average activity and try to make some scare story out of it.

Now, if that X-42 that we had last fall had been pointed at earth, well, I'd hate to imagine what would have happened. That is something to be concerned about.

The magnitude of solar flares is logarithmic, as is the mag scale of earthquakes, so a comparison would be a magnitude 43 earthquake. Unimaginable right? So was this solar flare until it happened.

[all4one]

Ditto....which goes against how I normally treat people...but my home is my castle...once you breach my privacy on the phone I pay for....all bets are off!!!!

[Rushmore Rocks]

I find that very interesting and more than a bit alarming.

Last summer, we were approached by a Muslim investment group
(totally unsolicited) who wanted to buy our wood products business. Here in small town South Dakota, of all places. We don't even have a Muslim population here, that I know of.
Mr. RR listened to their "buy pitch" and turned them away.

I've since wondered if our location might have interested them. Our production facility is only four miles from Ellsworth Air Force Base, home of the B-1 Bombers. Probably nothing to it, but it made me go, hmmmmmmmm.

[texasbluebell]

I think the whole world is off its rocker.

Pro-Jihad Curriculum to be Taught in BRITISH Schools

A MAJOR initiative to counter anti-Muslim propaganda is to be launched in Greater Manchester schools.

Teachers will be receiving packs containing books, CDs and posters explaining the culture and principles of Islam in a positive light.

For older children more controversial issues like jihad and suicide bombings will be covered.The scheme, launched by the Muslim Council of Britain, and backed by the education chiefs throughout Greater Manchester, will also tackle controversial topics like the war on terror.

Snip

[texasbluebell]

Islam's Interpreter (Bernard Lewis Alert)

In the West, critics' views on the eighty-seven-year-old known as "the dean of Middle Eastern scholars" are more clear-cut. Conservatives tend to hail him as a priceless gem—the only scholar both erudite and honest enough to tell us the inflammatory truth about the condition of modern Islam. Leftists, particularly among his peers in academe, tend to regard him as a servant of imperial power, prone to making demeaning generalizations about Middle Eastern society, and arrogant enough to consider himself an objective scholar. The rift has deepened as Lewis's influence on Paul Wolfowitz, the chief architect of current White House policy in the Middle East, has become public knowledge....

...Lewis's two trademark preoccupations, historiography and the nuances of language, permeate his writings. The book includes a detailed essay on the evolution of propaganda in Islam, and several discussions of the meaning and uses of "history" in Muslim tradition. In an essay on Islamic revolution, he points out the absurdity of referring to Islamists as "fundamentalists." "Fundamentalist" is an American expression denoting belief in the literal divine origin of scripture–something that all Muslims, militant or otherwise, believe about the Koran. Lewis is not just being picky; language is a crucial issue in Islam.

[Lucy Lake]

They keep declaring their intentions:


"Prepare as much as you can -- terrorism is part of Islam."
Jihad Watch ^ | 5/5/04 | Jihad watch
....

It said he has recently defended the Madrid bombers and told young British Muslims, some as young as 10, that they must "kill and be killed" for Islam, that "suicide bombers would be guaranteed a place in paradise",
....

"Objective number one - break the psychology of the occupier by hitting back in their homeland. To be worried about their own wives and loved ones."

"Prepare as much as you can from strength and from force to terrorise - because terrorism it is part of Islam."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1130053/posts

[swarthyguy]

Thanks. You're welcome.

[all4one]

Makes you wonder how they found you!!! May have been tied to investments that they currently have in paper products. This would make me go hmmmmmmm as well.

[appalachian_dweller]

Heads up....

I heard on the local news last night there would be some Combat Air Patrol training missions involving F-16s over Washington DC today. Anyone else got any info on this? I'm searching now and can't find any more info.

[mfccinsd]

There was a thread from a few days ago in DC (Monday, I think) about someone asking if someone had heard anything about planned flyovers. They did quote a news station saying that it would be happening the next few days if I remember correctly.

I think the thread was linked here Monday, I'll see if I can find it or the article with details.

[LilyBean]

Very interesting thread at IH posted by ONO. It is called Ahmed Mohamed speaks out. Sorry, not good at linking. It is worth a read though.

LilyBean

[CJ Wolf]

I could go on and on about my 4 year battle with AT&T and the damage they did with refering my "bills" to collection agencys and such. Hate them. Hate them. Hate them.

[mfccinsd]

Here's the other thread. Mostly a goof thread but #85 said what their news had said. Will keep looking to see if I can find anything else.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1128851/posts

[appalachian_dweller]

Cool. Thanks. It's good to know about this. I see F-16s flying around and I go into emergency action mode.

[mfccinsd]

No problem, and here's something more substanial for ya (both just pieces of the whole)

http://www.nbc4.com/news/3267225/detail.html

NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, plans a series of training flights over the area for May 5 and 6.

A NORAD press release said fighters and other aircraft will fly at low altitudes along the Potomac River and around Washington. The flights will take place at various times, including early in the morning and late at night.

Because of security reasons, NORAD will not release specifics about the flights


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2365-2004May4.html


Training Flights Planned Today, Tomorrow

The North American Aerospace Defense Command plans to conduct training flights in the Washington area today and tomorrow in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration

[tmp02]

TerrorWarning.com

National:

[Staten Island Advance] NEW YORK - Bomb threat received; ferry terminal evacuated [ apparent hoax]

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/108376302859100.xml

[KABC] CALIFORNIA - LAX Flight Possible Terrorist Target

"Federal authorities identified a daily Los Angeles-to- Washington, D.C., flight as a possible terrorist target"

"...Transportation Security Administration has labeled United 200 "a flight of interest"

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/050404_nw_lax_threat.html

[MSNBC] CALIFORNIA - LA scrambles after plane hijack alert [False alarm]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4898296/

[Bloomberg ] MASS - Massachusetts Introduces Ads to Combat Terrorism

"asking riders of the state's 16 transit systems to report any suspicious activity or packages in an effort to prevent terrorist attacks against buses and trains"

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aYCUKRZitRRE&refer=us

[CBS 2] ILLINOIS - Plane Scares Fans At Cellular Field

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_121174143.html

[CNSNews.com] USA - Kerry 'Unfit to be Commander-in-Chief,' Say Former Military Colleagues

"Hundreds of former commanders and military colleagues of presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry are set to declare in a signed letter that he is "unfit to be commander-in-chief."

"We have 19 of 23 officers who served with [Kerry]. We have every commanding officer he ever had in Vietnam. They all signed a letter that says he is unfit to be commander-in-chief,"

http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=/SpecialReports/archive/200405/SPE20040503a.html

[New York Newsday] NEW YORK - Suspicious bags investigated [ 5 bags, possibly terrorism related]

"prompting an investigation into whether they were left by terrorists attempting to gauge the city's response"

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/transportation/nyc-nysuit033784047may03,0,4969441.story?coll=nyc-manheadlines-trans

[AP] LOUISIANA - Bomb-anthrax hoax author gets 30 years

http://www.theadvertiser.com/newsupdate/html/D3E2CCEC-C370-406A-A171-ADFF671D7D0B.shtml

[KYTV] MISSOURI - Authorities confirm pipe bomb in Greene Co.

http://www.ky3.com/newsdetailed.asp?id=6195

[New York Post] NEW YORK - TERROR BY TANKER

"nothing new to report" on the case"

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/23438.htm

[AZ Central.com] CALIFORNIA - Phony threat on LA mall allegedly was revenge plot against ex-girlfriend

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0505LAMallThreat05-ON.html

[Penn Live] PENNSYLVANIA - Powder not hazardous [ White powder found in income tax return]

http://pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/west/index.ssf?/base/news/1083662471117890.xml

[New York Times] USA - Report Warns of Infiltration by Al Qaeda in US Prisons

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/05/national/05CHAP.html?ex=1084334400&en=28a95a3f8ae91efd&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

PATRIOT ACT LINKS:

[Wausau Daily Herald] WISCONSIN - Petitioners want to revise Patriot Act

http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/wdhlocal/297790223405356.shtml

[GovExec.com] USA - White House officials call for renewal of anti - terrorism law

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0504/050404tdpm1.htm

[Amarillo Globe News] USA - Patriot Act 2 draws criticism, is shelved

http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/050404/new_patriot.shtml

International:

[News24] GERMANY - German Air Bases on Terror Alert

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1521786,00.html

[AP] GREECE - Three Bombs Explode in Athens Outside Police Station, Leading to Olympic Worries

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGALGCC4VTD.html

[AP] PAKISTAN - U.S. Troops Enter Pakistani Tribal Region From Afghanistan in Search of Terrorists

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAVPTN5VTD.html

[AP] AFGHANISTAN - Three Election Workers, Including Two Foreigners, Killed in Afghan Attack

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAW99DBVTD.html

[USA Today] SAUDI ARABIA - US ambassador: Americans should leave Saudi Arabia

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2004-05-03-saudi_x.htm

[Ha'aretz] SAUDI ARABIA - Americans killed in terrorist suicide attack in Saudi Arabia [6 dead]

" attack began at a petrochemical plant co-owned by Exxon Mobil and the Saudi company SABIC"

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/422349.html

[Reuters] SAUDI ARABIA - Saudi plot to hijack BA plane

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=501992&section=news

[Hi Pakistan] PAKISTAN - Pak airports on red alert over hijack fear

http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en63508&F_catID=&f_type=source

[ANANOVA] UNITED KINGDOM - Mystery shopper buys store's entire stock of Mars bars [ Possible food terror?]

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_944189.html

[AP] MACEDONIA - Macedonia Acknowledges Having Staged Alleged Anti-Terrorist Action Which Killed Seven Pakistani Men

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA9MOSVOTD.html

[Straits Times] PHILIPPINES - Manila bomb plot triggers election fears

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,249213,00.html

[Straits Times] PAKISTAN - Pakistan car bomb kills 3 Chinese

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,249155,00.html

[NPR (audio)] TURKEY - Turkey Detains 25 Suspects in NATO Bomb Plot

http://npr.streamsage.com/google/programlist/feature.php?wfid=1868764

[Seattle Post Intelligencer] MIDDLE EAST - Arabs fear more terrorist attacks

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apmideast_story.asp?category=1107&slug=Arabs%20Terror

[Sioux City Journal] COLOMBIA - Two small bombs rock government building in Colombian capital

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2004/05/03/news/breaking_news/caa1ef74270b379e86256e8900149657.txt

[Washington Times] UNITED KINGDOM - Britain stockpiles anti-radiation pills

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040502-074815-9575r.htm

[Channel News Asia] TAIWAN - Taiwan on alert after threat targeting foreign embassies

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/83054/1/.html

[ic Birmingham.co.uk] UNITED KINGDOM - Teddy bear terror scare closes airport

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=14205734&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=teddy-bear-terror-scare-closes-airport-name_page.html

[The Australian] PHILIPPINES - Manila police seize chemicals

"security forces have seized a massive haul of agricultural chemicals often used in bomb-making"

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,9478583%255E1702,00.html

[Baltimore Sun] FRANCE - Bomb-making fertilizer lost in France [ Stolen at port ]

"1,100 pounds of fertilizer that could be used to make a powerful bomb"

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.france05may05,0,2490624.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines

[Albawaba Middle East News] ISRAEL / LEBANON - Israeli warplanes bomb southern Lebanon

http://www.albawaba.com/news/index.php3?sid=276271&lang=e&dir=news

[REUTERS] SYRIA - Some in US Think Syria Has Atomic Centrifuges -Sources

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5044620

[FOX News] BELGIUM - NATO Simulates Al Qaeda Nuclear Attack

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,118975,00.html

[Indian Express] INDIA - LeT had plans to unleash terror in major cities

http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=31098

[Oorang]

Perhaps there is more than one moderator and only one of them is deleting EOM's posts. Has he replied to you yet?

[mfccinsd]

Some curious tidbits about the Singapore Airlines flight...one thing that struck me is how empty that flight was. I've flown that route several times and the flight is never that empty. It's been about a year since I've done it, so maybe that's changed?

Anyway, just some more responses to the hijack alert/response/alleged transponder failure/etc.

http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~1865~2128345,00.html

The alarm code must be manually entered by the pilot, who assured them that the transponder was malfunctioning, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Donn Walker.

The long-range Airbus A340-500 had 126 passengers and 18 crew members aboard.


The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that several federal agencies knew for at least four hours Monday that the flight was transmitting a computerized hijacking alert, yet they failed to notify local law enforcement officials about the problem, officials said.

However, Walker said Tuesday night that "everything happened the way it should have."

The Oakland center, which is based in Fremont, immediately notifed everyone they were supposed to, he said.

Two minutes after the alert was sent out, Walker said, the pilot had sent out two messages saying the hijacking alert was false. Despite that, the plane's route down the center of the state was altered so that it was kept 50 miles off the coast and paralleled the state until it reached Ventura, Walker said.



Report: Feds Hesitated To Contact Authorities About LAX Hijack Alert http://www.nbc4.tv/travelgetaways/3271462/detail.html

POSTED: 7:40 am PDT May 5, 2004
UPDATED: 7:50 am PDT May 5, 2004

LOS ANGELES -- Several federal agencies knew for at least four hours Monday that a Singapore Airlines flight heading to Los Angeles International Airport was transmitting a hijacking alert but failed to notify local law enforcement, it was reported Wednesday.

The flight, with 126 passengers and 18 crew members, landed safely at the airport at 5:21 p.m.

The false alarm was triggered by a pilot who inadvertently hit a button, sending a hijacking code to a Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control center in Oakland.

Security officials and administrators at the airport told the Los Angeles Times Tuesday that they did not learn about the hijacking transmission until 4:48 p.m., although the FAA control tower in Oakland received the first alert about 12:30 p.m.

Unsure whether the alarm was legitimate, the agencies scrambled to get police, as well as bomb-sniffing dogs and other resources, to a remote gate near the sand dunes where the plane had been taken after landing.

...

"In light of the information that we've obtained in the last 24 hours, we are somewhat concerned over the way this was handled by different agencies in the federal government," Michael DiGirolamo, a deputy executive director at the city agency that operates the airport, told The Times.