Posted on 05/26/2004 2:06:52 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
Al-Qaida has operatives currently within the United States who are preparing to mount a major terrorist attack on America this summer, according to government intelligence deemed to be highly credible.
The prediction was made public after a study by the International Institute of Strategic Studies revealed that despite the elimination of many top terror leaders – President Bush says two thirds of al-Qaida's leadership has been killed or captured – the terror network responsible for 9-11 still has a functioning leadership and over 18,000 potential terrorists in its global network, reports Fox News.
In response, Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller will hold a joint press conference later today to describe what is known of the threat. They will also ask Americans to be on the lookout for several particular al-Qaida operatives, reports the Washington Post.
Intelligence obtained last month pointing to a major attack on the American homeland sometime before Labor Day is corroborated by other intel "chatter" revolving around the change in government in Spain that immediately followed al-Qaida's March 11 bombings in that country. Osama bin Laden's terror network was reportedly emboldened and inspired by the apparent Spanish capitulation to terror.
"They saw that an attack of that nature can have economic and political consequences and have some impact on the electoral process," one federal official privy to counterterrorism intelligence told the Post.
Probable targets? Both of the presidential nominating conventions this summer – the Democrats in Boston and the Republicans in New York – as well as the World War II Memorial ceremony this Saturday in Washington, D.C., and the Group of Eight summit June 8-10 in Georgia. Also of concern, outside the U.S., are the Summer Olympic Games in this August in Greece.
What kind of attack? Biggest concerns are over use a chemical, biological or radiological weapon that could cause much more damage and casualties than a conventional bomb. But, according to one FBI bulletin to law enforcement agencies, truck bombs are also a key concern. Still another FBI bulletin warns of suicide bombers – replete with warnings about people dressed in bulky jackets during warm weather, clothing that smells like chemicals or has trailing electrical wires, and the like. Bombers also could be disguised as pregnant women, the memo cautions.
The Department of Homeland Security's top intelligence official, retired Lt. Gen. Patrick Hughes, warned earlier this month that al-Qaida may be planning to use a chemical or biological weapon in the U.S., mentioning specifically, anthrax and ricin.
"If the past is indeed prologue, then we are going to screw up, or they are going to get lucky. I can't sleep," Hughes said, according to the Associated Press.
Asking the public's help
In a news conference yesterday, Los Angeles Police Department counterterrorism expert John Miller said: "We would be foolhardy to ignore those statements, but I think it would be irresponsible to panic."
And New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says his city has not been warned of a specific terrorist plot there, Fox News reports. "We are receiving highly sensitive intelligence information on a regular basis, including today, and there is nothing in that reporting to indicate a specific threat or looming attack against New York City," Kelly said in a statement.
In response to the threats, the FBI has created a special task force focused entirely on this summer's terror threat. It is designed to make sure no valuable pieces of information or intelligence go unconnected with other bits of information – a syndrome widely blamed for the agency's failure to anticipate and prevent the catastrophic Sept. 11 attacks.
Ominously, one counterterrorism official told the Post, it is necessary for al-Qaida to pull off a large attack that kills large numbers of people, such as an attack on airlines or ships. Smaller attacks, such as a suicide bombing, would appear "weak" to the terror groups financiers, he said.
American citizens will reportedly be asked for their help in locating several suspected terrorist sympathizers, the Post reports. One person of interest, said the report, would likely be 32-year-old Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman with a doctorate in neurological science, as well as a man Siddiqui has been linked to, Adnan G. El Shukrijumah – a suspected member of al-Qaida.
Indeed, it was a member of the public – not law enforcement – that finally identified and was responsible for the capture of the Beltway snipers. Federal officials are evidently hoping Americans are up to the challenge again.
The International Institute of Strategic Studies' "Strategic Survey 2003-4" says the U.S. remains al-Qaida's prime target, and quotes one of the network's leaders as saying 4 million Americans will have to be killed "as a prerequisite to any Islamic victory," according to a report by the Associated Press.
"Al-Qaida must be expected to keep trying to develop more promising plans for terrorist operations in North America and Europe, potentially involving weapons of mass destruction," the think tank's director John Chipman told a news conference, AP reported. At the same time, Chipman added, the terror group will continue its attacks on "soft targets encompassing Americans, Europeans and Israelis and aiding the insurgency in Iraq."
Vice President Dick Cheney, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld have all said they expect another terrorist attack before the November election, reports AP.
Wow, this is a big surprise, eh?
*Rolling my eyes*
I thought there were no "WMD"?
Why should we worry, then?
*dripping sarcasm*....;)
The liberal campaign 2004 hoped for bounce. Al-Qaeda worked for the socialists in Spain and their counterparts the lying crooked liberals have been courting Al-Qaeda to work for their campaign.
Let's get John Kerry and the Senate Intelligence Committee on this QUICK!! They predicted (after the fact) the 9/11 attack. Surely they know when, where and how the summer attack will occur. /sarcasm off.
heck, we need the 9-11 commision on this asap. they could use all their experience of telling our beloved president every thing he did wrong to prevent 9-11 and we would assuredly be safe then. i know i would sleep better when they bring in u.n troops to help protect us.
( in a very deanesque volume) EEEEEEAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGH!!!!
Yeah! The 9/11 commission! They know everything. Good catch.
Nondairy = non-story. Damn those automatic corrections ! lol
I want all those who said the administration could have prevented 911 to take all the info available and predict the date, time, manner, and participants of the attack plus the city or cities involved.
Come on. 911 Commission and all the leftists said that the attack could have been prevented with the information the government had available. Let's see all of them prevent this one by using the methods they claim were disregarded.
I bet if they attack a showing of the new Micheal Moore movie the death toll could be in the tens.
Yes it is.
I prefer Half and Half.
So the administration "wants our HELP" to 'catch the bad guys'? Perhaps instead of asking for our help, as if they are incompetent, they could help us Americans by fulfilling their Constitutional Duty they were elected to fulfill and protect our borders from invasion. Oh, i suppose its a little too late for that, since they've failed miserably at that duty for years, even since 911.
Case in point:
printer friendly version: http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,108535,00.html
Google cache of FOX news article: http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:aPRP0hGbpxQJ:www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,108535,00.html+fox+news+michigan+terrorist+mexico&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Michigan Man Accused of Hezbollah Membership
Thursday, January 15, 2004
DETROIT — A Lebanese man living in Dearborn was charged in an indictment unsealed Thursday with fighting, recruiting and raising money for the Islamic militant group Hezbollah (search), listed by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.
The indictment accuses Mahmoud Youssef Kourani (search) of working in Lebanon (search) and later within the United States for Hezbollah, which led a guerrilla war against Israel's 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon.
Federal prosecutors said Kourani conspired with his brother, who they said is Hezbollah's chief of military security for southern Lebanon.
Kourani, 32, pleaded innocent Thursday, and a bail hearing was set for Tuesday. He could get 15 years in prison. "The charges are outrageous, absurd and I believe they are malicious," said his attorney, Nabih Ayad.
According to the indictment, Kourani entered the United States illegally through Mexico in 2001, took up residence in the Detroit area and hid his Muslim identity by not shaving his beard and not attending a mosque.
U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Collins said Kourani raised "a substantial sum" and offered other support to Hezbollah. He has been in custody since his conviction last year in a separate case for harboring an illegal alien, authorities said. He completed a six-month sentence last week and had been awaiting deportation.
This is Google's cache of http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,108535,00.html
Half and Half ? lol, OK, now that's an American reference I don't catch. I suppose it has to do with my "nondairy" blunder, though !
Half milk, half cream. Mmmmmm. . . good coffee.
The irony.
I have relatives in Washington. I keep warning them to come here out of the danger.
But then THEY remind me that I live in "tornado alley"...
prevent the next attack?
you know politicaly they cant do that. they are planing for a very spain like reaction from the sheeple. they actualy hope for an attack to discredit GW more because our troops are in iraq having sexcapades with prisoner terrorists instead of patroling our borders.
the dirty bast**ds.
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