Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - Thread Thirteen

WND ^ | 7-11-04 | N/A

[JustPiper]

Picture credit: TheCabal

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

LINK TO THREAD TWELVE

LUCKY THREAD NUMBER:

HOMELAND INSECURITY

Backup electrical systems failed to kick in

A mysterious power failure at Logan Airport that delayed dozens of flights for more than five hours has still not been explained – six days later.

Airport officials insist airline security was not compromised during the blackout Monday at Logan International's Terminal E, but backup electrical systems failed to kick in as they are programmed under such circumstances.

We are the "Stotters" who make ourselves aware of the enemy who wishes to do us harm

Meet It!
Greet It!
Defeat It!

[Cindy]

Thanks Calpernia.

[Bobibutu]

"But, yeah, we are not professionals."


"Never be afraid to try something new. The Ark
was designed by amateurs. The Titanic was
designed by professionals." - R. Buckminister Fuller

[Quix]

THANKS.

MUCH AGREE.

Though we ought not think of ourselves more loftily than fitting.

[milkncookies]

Familiar with the name Khabab? Or Khan? Do you think Oasama is operating with or without state sponsorship? Where oh where have all of the Speznatz gone?

They not only have the knowledge, they've had it for a long time.

[nwctwx]

Blackout Hits Athens Month Before Games

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - The worst blackout in more than a decade hit Athens and southern Greece on Monday, leaving millions sweltering in a heat wave and raising concerns about whether the lights will go out at next month's Olympics.

The government blamed the outage on "mismanagement" of the electricity grid. Still, officials promised the network was ready to handle the Aug. 13-29 Olympics.

But it was yet another hurdle in Athens' attempt to convince the world it is ready to host well-run and safe games. Olympics preparations have come under criticism because of construction delays and concerns over security arrangements to stop terror attacks.

The midday blackout knocked out air conditioners as afternoon temperatures soared to 104 degrees.

[Cindy]

Thank you tmp02.

[HipShot]

Don't waste your breath. I'm watching heads being pulled into shells on this and other threads. Denial seems to be the word of the day.

Profiteering seems to be in style too, by the same people that would outright lie during an interview. Then again, "Never attribute to malicious intent what could more easily be attributed to incompetence." It very well could be sheer stupidity rather than dishonesty.

I'm not sure that there's a qualitative difference between being led astray by dishonesty or incompetence.

[HipShot]

Yup.

[jerseygirl]

Just got back. I am feeling pretty ill- fever- so cancelled trip to New Haven today. Back in the library -

Regarding the list of cities--this is essentially the same list that was posted in April and once again in May or June.

IMO these are the guesstimated targets. I am going out on a limb here, but the following struck me:

"The NPRC mission is to provide vital emergency assistance to victims and communities affected by disaster, and to increase preparedness

IN THE AREAS OF GREATEST NEED BEFORE DISASTERS STRIKE."


Most of the cities listed are near bodies of water.

Many have been mentioned on AQ forums. (ex- Peoria and Philly)

Many don't make sense until you look at their potential strategic value:

ie

Fort Myers- centcom

Richmond- responsible for stockpiling and providing mil supplies to our troops

Stamford/Greenwich- NYC backup/CEO's

---

Can we try to figure out why the following are on the list?

Beverly
Leominster MA
Lowell MA
Newburyport
Whittier


Previously, I noted this list came out when AQ threats were surfacing....

[jerseygirl]

I saw this posted 2 other times since April. Same cities.

[Judith Anne]

Military bases or large defense contractors nearby?

[nwctwx]

Abu Khabab was intricately involved with the chemical tests of AQ (the dog videotapes) if I recall correctly.

Abdul Qadeer Khan, he is a bad dude.

I wouldn't be quick to dismiss that UBL has some sort of state sponsorship. The list of possible states is long though, it would be a guess on my part.

Another quote from Osama's Revenge:

"Intelligence sources have confirmed that SPETSNAZ officials from the former Soviet Union were on bin Laden's payroll from 1996 to 2001 to maintain and prepare the nuclear suitcases for activation. Moreover, following the invasion of Afghanistan and the loss of his laboratories, bin Laden reportedly sought out and obtained the technical assistance of twelve leading Pakistani scientists, including Dr. Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, Dr. Chaudry Abdul Najid, and Dr. Mirza Ysus Baig. On November 25, 2001, Taliban leader Mullah Omar assured BBC reporters that the nuclear destruction of the United States was well underway. 'The plan is going ahead and, God Willing, it is being implemented. But it is a huge task, which is beyond the will and comprehension of human beings. If God's help is with us, this will happen within a short period of time; keep in mind this prediction."

The link to his statement can be found here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1657368.stm

[jerseygirl]

My son said that the California cities were pretty much mil related- except for LA

In NO WAY is Greenwich Connecticut in need of money for- anything. It is not in a tornado or flood zone. It is an extremely wealthy and secure community.

Why would this city be deemed in dire need of post-disaster relief?

IMO- because Stamford is a target and Greenwich has the CEO's

[Judith Anne]

Sounds about right.

[jerseygirl]

Russkies practicing denial once again:




Russia to host nuclear security exercises in August

12.07.2004, 17.39


LONDON, July 12 (Itar-Tass)


Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said Russia would hold “interesting” nuclear security exercises in August of 2004.

“We have invited observers from other countries to these exercises, including from NATO states,” Ivanov said after talks with his British counterpart Geoffrey Hoon on Monday.

“We pay the closes attention to the protection and security of military facilities and are ready to show that existing myths that Russia has problems in this field are only myths,” the minister said.


www.itar-tass.com/eng/lev...&PageNum=0

[Bobibutu]

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com

Fury at anarchist convention threat
By PATRICE O'SHAUGHNESSY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Sunday, July 11th, 2004

Fringe elements are hoping to spark major disruptions at the Republican National Convention with a series of sneaky tricks - including fooling bomb-sniffing dogs on trains bound for Penn Station, the Daily News has learned.



Internet-using anarchists are telling would-be troublemakers to decoy specially trained Labrador retrievers with gunpowder or ammonium nitrate-laced tablets in a bid to halt trains or even spur the evacuation of Madison Square Garden.

Top cops are girding against the attempt to foil strong anti-terrorist strategies aimed at protecting conventiongoers - including President Bush - as well as peaceful protesters during the Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 GOP fete.

"Where is the legitimate protest in trying to endanger the public?" an angry ­Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told The News.

"It is the height of irresponsibility," he added. "These hard-core groups are looking to take us on. ... They have increased their level of sophistication and violence."

So in addition to guarding against the most vile, organized and destructive of terrorists, Kelly and company have to combat a shadowy, loose-knit band of traveling troublemakers who spread their guides to disruption over the Internet.

The dog decoy ploy is the among most insidious in the fringe groups' bag of tricks - which includes throwing marbles under the hooves of police horses and using slingshots to pelt the animals.

"They're trying to use up our resources with false alarms. ... The sensitive dogs would become burned out with too many alerts," said a police source.

Preliminary plans call for state and city cops with the dogs and hand-held chemical detection devices to board commuter and subway trains one stop before they reach Penn Station, under the Garden.

The trains will be swept for suspicious packages and terror suspects before being allowed to continue into the station - the country's busiest, with about 600,000 passengers on a regular workday.

"We're going to make certain there is absolutely no disruption of the train," Kelly said in announcing the procedures on April 28.

Two days later, an Internet posting detailed how to stoke disorder by miscuing the bomb dogs.

The posting instructed people to "go to a rifle, pistol or skeet shooting range, spend an hour shooting to saturate clothing with smell of gunpowder, go directly to a New Jersey Transit, LIRR or subway train headed for Penn Station.

"Try to have at least two people on a train in different locations, sit or stand near the doors as the train approaches the station, try to get near police and dogs, loiter as long as possible around the dog, try to pet it if possible.

"If the dog alerts on your scent, do not leave or resist; the situation will cause a major disruption of the train schedule. ... If there is more than one person on the train that causes a dog to alert, you can bet that the train will not be going anywhere for a long time ... neither will any trains behind it."

The message instructs to "Play dumb for as long as possible" before telling the police you unwittingly got the gunpowder on your clothes at a shooting range. "It is important that the police call in all possible resources to investigate the situation. ... With any luck, Madison Square Garden will be evacuated."

"Rush hours are ideal, the final night of the convention, very good, too," the posting said.

After being alerted to the gunpowder posting, investigators uncovered Internet mentions of dispersing traces of ammonium nitrate on the trains.

Ammonium nitrate is one of the most common farm fertilizers in the world. The dogs are trained to detect the fertilizer because it has been used in major bombings, from the 1993 World Trade Center attack to Oklahoma City to Bali, Indonesia.

The NYPD also is preparing for possible "Black Bloc" tactics by small groups of anarchists, in which demonstrators wear black clothing and bandannas over their faces - and wield pipes, bottles and commit acts of vandalism against corporate "enemies" such as the Gap, Starbucks and McDonald's.

Cops have been trained to isolate violent individuals among peaceful protesters, and will employ an 1845 law that prohibits people from wearing masks in street gatherings, except for masquerades.

The NYPD has sent cops to Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Miami, sites of previous political conventions, and to Boston, which will host the Democratic convention this month, to collect intelligence.

"There is the same hard-core element that we have seen move from city to city where violence has marred protests," another police source said.




Trail of global mayhem
Here's a look at major events in recent years that were disrupted:

SEATTLE, December 1999: Tens of thousands of protesters storm into the usually laid-back city to protest global economic policies at meeting of the World Trade Organization. The ragtag group of anarchists, students and labor organizers takes cops by surprise, fights pitched battles with riot police and derails the opening ceremony.

QUEBEC CITY, April 2001: Riot police fire water cannons and rubber bullets to keep 25,000 demonstrators at bay during the Summit of the Americas aimed at creating the world's largest free trade area. The leaders of 34 nations meet behind a 2.3-mile fence as protesters besiege summit site, but fail to derail meeting.

GENOA, ITALY, July 2001: A protester is shot dead as more than 100,000 rock-throwing demonstrators battle cops at the G8 summit of wealthy nations. Heavily armed cops even mount predawn raids on the media center and protest organizers, arresting dozen of leaders.

MIAMI, November 2003: Cops use tear gas and overwhelming force to break up throngs of hundreds of labor activists gathered at a free-trade summit. The police keep a lid on protests with mass arrests, but critics say they fueled anger by overreacting.



The cost of security


The security tab for the Police Department is about $76 million, most of which will be reimbursed.

Nearly $50 million will go toward overtime for the 10,000 officers around Madison Square Garden, and the cops who fill in for them.

Almost $12 million is being spent on training in counterterrorism, as well as in First Amendment rights of protesters and media.

Some $17.5 million is being spent on equipment, such as the construction of Delta barriers - metal lift plates - around the Garden area to stop trucks for inspections.



The words on Web that incite hatred

Here are excerpts from an Internet posting advising how to trick bomb-sniffing dogs:

"Go to a rifle, pistol or skeet shooting range, spend an hour shooting to saturate clothing with smell of gunpowder, go directly to a New Jersey Transit, LIRR or subway train headed for Penn Station.

"Try to have at least two people on a train in different locations, sit or stand near the doors as the train approaches the station, try to get near police and dogs, loiter as long as possible around the dog, try to pet it if possible.

"If the dog alerts on your scent, do not leave or resist; the situation will cause a major disruption of the train schedule. ... If there is more than one person on the train that causes a dog to alert, you can bet that the train will not be going anywhere for a long time ... neither will any trains behind it.

"It is important that the police call in all possible resources to investigate the situation. ... This will result in the maximum disruption. ... With any luck, Madison Square Garden will be evacuated.

"Rush hours are ideal, the final night of the convention, very good, too."

[jerseygirl]

Russkies once again:




2004-07-12 GEORGIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA ON THE BRINK OF WAR



MOSCOW, June 12 (RIA Novosti commentator Arseny Paliyevsky).

Georgia and South Ossetia, a self-proclaimed republic, are on the brink of war.

The situation in the region suddenly aggravated after blood was first shed. Fortunately, none was killed, but some were wounded.

In this situation, Moscow is trying to formulate articulately its position on the issue: any serious incident in South Ossetia can cause a tragedy. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, "the Russian leadership is seriously concerned over the continuing tensions in South Ossetia. Shots have been heard here for a few days now. Any serious incident can lead to an uncontrollable flare-up of violence."

Such developments do not meet the interests of Russia, a Caucasus power and a country neighbouring Georgia, especially considering that the majority of South Ossetians are Russian citizens.

Today Russian diplomats are doing their best to return the process back into the legal field, using the mechanism of the joint control commission and the inter-ethnic peacekeeping forces.

Each peacekeeping party has the right to have one battalion - 500 people each. However, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, "facts testify that, in blatant violation of its obligations in the valid agreements, the Georgian side illegally brought hundreds and even thousands of armed people who do not have the status of peacekeepers or any documents, to the conflict zone.

Arithmetically, the number of Georgia's armed people deployed in the conflict zone is higher than envisaged by earlier agreements and limitations supported by Tbilisi."

The Russian foreign minister also recalled, "provisions of the December 6, 1994 agreement entrust the commander of peacekeeping forces with fairly serious authority, including forced measures," but the commander has not applied this authority yet because "all our efforts," the minister said, "are aimed at peaceful settlement of this crisis."

However, the Georgian side has recently demonstrated its willingness to influence the situation mostly by force, which has already escalated the conflict into an armed confrontation.

Mikhail Saakashvili's threats that the conflict can evolve into an interstate confrontation because "some forces" in Moscow are allegedly interested in developing it into an armed conflict arouse Moscow's concern but no fear.

These statements are rather meant for internal consumption to consolidate the nation in the face of an imaginary enemy from the North.

But then, is it worth spoiling relations with Moscow?

Such militant sentiments certainly do not correspond to Mikhail Saakashvili's goal - to re-unite Georgia. All Russian peacekeepers are legally stationed in the conflict zone, and the other side - the South Ossetian leadership - sees Russia as "a guarantor of calm in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone."

The Russian ambassador at large, Lev Mironov, who has urgently arrived in South Ossetia, has stated, "the way to preventing escalation lies through implementing all the agreements achieved earlier."

In the current circumstances, it means above all withdrawal of all the armed formations having no mandate of the interethnic peacekeepers, from the zone of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict, and also returning the sides to the negotiating table within the joint control commission.



en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm...do_alert=0

[Cindy]

Thanks for your followup jerseygirl.

[jerseygirl]

Courtesy of Mutter's ezboard:


Malaysia, US to hold joint military exercise in South China Sea

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia and the United States will hold a joint naval and land exercise in the South China Sea aimed at bolstering military ties, the US embassy said.

"Malaysian soldiers and sailors will be joining with their US counterparts this week for the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Carat) exercises," it said in a statement.


This year's exercise off Malaysia's Pahang state would feature simulated landings with Malaysian troops riding US amphibious landing craft, it said.


Guided-missile destroyer the USS Russell is participating in the exercise under task group commander Captain Buzz Little. They will remain in Malaysia until the weekend.


"The Carat mission helps enhance regional cooperation, increase interoperability and builds stronger friendship between the US and Malaysia.


"It also strengthens professional skills at every level for the military personnel involved," the embassy said.


Last month Malaysia and the United States mended fences after an angry dispute over protecting international shipping against terrorist attacks in the vital Malacca Straits.


Malaysia reacted strongly to reports that Washington was considering deploying marines in the straits to counter terrorist threats in the narrow waterway, which carries a third of world trade, saying this would infringe on its sovereignty.


Malaysia, a mainly Muslim state, angrily dismissed the idea, saying US forces in the area would attract terrorism rather than repel attacks.


story.news.yahoo.com/news...s_military

[milkncookies]

After he shifted to Afghanistan from the Sudan in 1996, Osama bin Laden of Al Qaeda not only started speaking of the right and the religious obligation of the Muslims to acquire WMD and use them, if necessary, to protect Islam, but also initiated a project for the acquisition/ development of WMD under the leadership of Abu Khabab in his training complex in Afghanistan.

January 19, 2004

US intelligence agencies fighting al-Qaeda have launched a manhunt in the US, Mexico, Canada and elsewhere for Midaat Mursi, the Egyptian who, according to DEBKA-Net-Weekly’s counter-terror sources, is chairman of al-Qaeda’s WMD committee. He is believed to be traveling with one or two other people, carrying dirty bombs. The exploits of Mursi, also known as Abu Khabab, and his companions are one of the main immediate triggers for the raising of the terror alert in the US from elevated (yellow) to high (orange) at the end of December. The alert was again lowered to yellow last week, but our terror experts say that this does not mean that the danger is gone. Rather, it means that the Americans are not sure these days whether Mursi is in North America, Europe or the Middle East.