Musharraf is doing us proud! 5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
Posted on 08/02/2004 3:21:28 PM PDT by Dog
Edited on 08/02/2004 3:34:44 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Associated Press
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 2. — Pakistani intelligence agents found plans for new attacks against the United States and Britain on a computer seized during the arrest of a top Al-Qaida suspect wanted for the 1998 twin US embassy bombings in East Africa, the information minister said.
The plans were found in e-mails on the computer of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian arrested on 25 July after a 12-hour gunbattle in the eastern city of Gujrat, information minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said today. “We got a few e-mails from Ghailani’s computer about (plans for) attacks in the USA and UK,” he said, adding that the information has been shared with Pakistan’s allies — a reference to the USA.
Mr Ahmed said authorities have also arrested another top suspect believed to be a computer and communications expert, and that that man was cooperating with investigators. It was not clear if the man was linked to Ghailani, and Mr Ahmed would not say when or where he was captured. “He is a very wanted man, but I cannot say his name now.”
An intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the man was a computer engineer who would send messages using code words to Al-Qaida suspects. PTV reported that his name was Noor Mohammed, but the official said that was just an alias.
The New York Times today reported that a 25-year-old computer engineer named Md Naeem Noor Khan was arrested in Pakistan on 13 July, apparently a reference to the same man.
Mr Ahmed would not confirm whether the information from Ghailani or the computer expert is what prompted US Homeland Security Secretary Mr Tom Ridge to issue a warning yesterday about a possible Al-Qaida attack on prominent financial institutions in New York, Washington and Newark.
Mr Ridge specifically thanked Pakistan for its help in the war on terror during his press conference.
Interior minister Mr Faisal Saleh Hayyat confirmed that Ghailani was sharing “vital” information, but would not comment on what it was.
An intelligence official said on condition of anonymity that the information about a US attack appeared to be centred on New York.
The Home Office in London, which is responsible for policing and security in Britain, said it didn’t believe the computer seizure revealed a “specific threat” or that the British public needed to take any special action as a result.
The department said the threat from terrorism is “real and serious” and its position was unchanged.
Business as usual, but security beefed up
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2. — Financial institutions identified as targets of a terrorist plot in three US cities opened for business today under stepped-up security and defiant words from people who said they won’t be cowed by the extraordinary intelligence pointing to a potential attack.
Police sealed off some streets in New York, put international-finance employees in Washington through extra security checks, and added barricades and a heavy armed presence in Newark, in response to a heightened terrorism alert aimed specifically at titans of the financial sector.
Treasury Secretary John Snow, quick to try to reassure investors and Americans generally, said the nation’s financial system operated normally in the first weekday hours of the code-orange alert. “People around the world rightly have confidence in the US financial markets,” Mr Snow said. “While we must always remain vigilant against terror, we will not be intimidated and prevented from enjoying our lives and exercising our freedoms.” — AP
“He is a very wanted man, but I cannot say his name now."
Khan the computer geek isn't on any wanted list as far as I know. So do we have another capture of an AQ biggie not yet announced?
Sorry it didn't format.
Musharraf is doing us proud! 5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires
That's what I read this morning. Another guy on our wanted list.
Foopie is Khan right?
I'm intrigued by the UK target. Given how far along the surveillance and planning of the US targets were, does this mean that an attack against the Brits is probably YEARS away?
Did you try checking for Khan on wanted list under his other name?
Yeah, but the Howard Dean and the rest of the left wing whackos are very suspicious of the timing of this arrest.
Write it down....I will be giving a test on the next terror thread.
:-)
I've googled his name and got nothing.
I think that's possible. I'm thinking that with all those detailed plans on that computer, there might also be some other details, such as other members' names and addresses, and perhaps also their specialties. I just hope they moved on them before releasing the news, if so.
He also goes by Abu Talha
The CIA provided information that helped Pakistani security forces capture Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, also known as Abu Talha, in July, the U.S. officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
I know...but here is something odd....there was a AQ money man arrested in Spain back in 2002 who goes by the name of Abu Talha.
I think the original 'Abu Talha' was a follower (or relative?)of Mohammed, so it's kind of a popular name.
I posted an article (or a ping, can't remember which) related to the "new guy" here recently. That article says the new guy was arrested with Foopie, which would make him a new guy.
Adm Smith says no, that the guy in my article matches the guy captures back on the 13th. He's dialed in better then I am, and he speaks the language, so until he says different, we have two captured AQ guys, Foopie and one from earlier in July.
“After Ghailani this is the second important arrest in Pakistan,” Rashid later told state television. “We have got valuable information from him,” he said. “We have arrested some more people in addition to these two,” he said but did not give the number. Rashid said Pakistani security agencies hope to penetrate the terrorist network using the information gleaned from the latest detainees. Senior US officials told the New York Times and Washington Post that the information found in Pakistan late July led to the latest terror alert in the United States.
There are others..
On condition of anonymity? Let me guess, the U.S. officials are from the CIA?
Ping me to the article please.
Yep, here is the news article from 2002:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1947317.stm
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