Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - Thread Sixteen

Yahoo ^ | 8-02-04 | AP

[JustPiper]

Credit: The Cabal

The title refers to a daily report given to the president of the United States detailing the most serious terrorist threats against the country. To tackle those threats, the government has formed a top-notch task force to infiltrate the terror cells and cut off the danger.

"Every morning, the president receives a list of the top ten terrorist threats - this list is known as the threat matrix."

We here at FR are trying to be in conjunction with the daily reports around the world that involve threats. We try to provide a storehouse of information that takes hours of research.

YOU be the Judge and get informed.


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

Link to Thread Fifteen

Police Secure Businesses on Terror Alert
NEW YORK - Police searched trucks, blocked streets and posted machine-gun toting officers outside financial landmarks Monday, a day after the government's chilling warning that terrorists might target the buildings with bombs.

"God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers."
-- Jewish proverb

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




"What good are the color codes at all if we are suddenly hit with a bio or chem attack? There would be no warning and the danger would be instant."

"Code Red Implications
Code Red - Stay Home and Await Word."
by MamaDearest

Meet It!
Greet It!
Defeat It!

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

I think this is why I feel strange on this one. The info came from Pakistan. They have lied to us before about we got this one or that one or we got somebody dont know who he is. I think twice they have thought they had OBL.

Better safe than sorry!

Al-Qaeda files in Pakistan prompted U.S. alert

Washington — U.S. authorities warned of potential al-Qaeda bombing attacks on prominent financial institutions in New York, Washington and Newark, N.J., prompting increased security and concern from the unusually detailed information unearthed on the plot.

(snip)
The fresh intelligence did not give crucial details about when, where or how terrorists may strike, he said, but government analysis indicates they may prefer to use car or truck bombs or other means to physically destroy targets

(snip)

Examples of the detail the official cited: midweek pedestrian traffic counts of 14 people per minute on each side of the street for a total of 28 people. The official said he had not seen such extraordinary detail in his 24 years in intelligence work.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040802.wterr0802/BNStory/International/

[Mossad1967]

know=now

[cajungirl]

Dont you think that if the entire population had the same level of awareness as the people on this thread that there might be civil unrest and whatever. I think people only comprehend what they can handle.

[yellowhammer]

bookmark

[Donna Lee Nardo]

Mama, what do you think the real relevance of the article is as far as Britain being potentially involved? I read it but I am not sure at all. I know our top secrets being out in the world is never a positive thing, but is it possibly just a story of secret-stealing between friendly nations? Do the Brits want to "sex up" their nuke programs?! Or more?

It reminds me of the Israel spy rings here in the U.S. -- the ones sent packing and those that remain. Basically, we tolerate it for the most part.

The writer of the article you posted did a good job since there seems to be no bias in any direction in the article.

[BagCamAddict]

If y'all haven't read this yet, I recommend you do. (I presume this was covered on TM 15, but just in case, here are some of the details on the latest threat, with link to the thread below):

What I want to do is walk through briefly some of the types of information. What we have now is extensive information about the activities that have taken place from a reconnaissance standpoint in terms of collecting information, also in terms of casing and surveillance as far as the types of targets to be attacked, the vulnerabilities, the perceived vulnerabilities, as well as the possible optimal ways to carry out attacks to bring down buildings.

There is detail now available regarding the types of security procedures at some specific buildings; the security checks that are required; the types of security personal at different posts; whether or not these individuals are armed or not; the presence of security officers at these posts at different times of the day; the types of uniforms that they wear; the number of pedestrians in the area, the number of employees in buildings; information regarding potential escape routes for perpetrators of attacks; different points of reconnaissance in order to ensure that they have the full breadth of information regarding the targets; different types of shops that are near by.

There is extensive information now available on the information they've been able to acquire regarding the other facilities in the area, whether they be religious establishments, schools, libraries, hospitals, police departments, fire departments; talks about the different access measures, as far as whether or not there's a physical desk or intercom systems; types of surveillance activities or counter-surveillance activities such as cameras; good places to go to meet employees; good places to go to acquire additional information; the types of traffic patterns that are near buildings; the different types of vehicles that in fact can enter different types of parking facilities; the incline that is used, that exists, as one enters an underground parking facility; the different types of materials that in fact should be brought into different types of vehicles and to address whether or not certain materials can, if detonated, cause, in fact, buildings to collapse; the placement of such devices and bombs to maximize the damage to the architecture of the building.

It identifies also the disadvantages of certain types of plans in terms of the possible dissipation of the force in terms of the size, the height of the building, the height of a ceiling where in fact a vehicle might in fact be detonated. It talks about different means of ingress and egress; how one can get in side buildings. It talks about the configurations of parking lots. It talks about whether or not the parking garages and facilities are close the core of the buildings and near certain offices. It talks about the different types of shops nearby that can provide cover for additional types of acquisition of information. It talks about the number of cars passing different types of targets at particular times of the day.

It talks about the many types of procedures that employees themselves have to use for access to buildings. It recommends the type of material to be used. It talks about the types of techniques. It talks about the types of trucks, vehicles, other types of means of bringing in and bringing close to the targets, explosive devices. It makes reference to the extensive detail that individuals who have been involved in this have been able to acquire from publicly available sites, from various types of information that's available, as well as the types of personal reconnaissance and surveillance and casing that goes on.

So again, from the standpoint of intelligence availability on different types of targets and my experience, the amount of detail available here is such that really provides the different types of organizations involved tremendous insight into what, in fact, al-Qaeda is contemplating and what they already have identified in terms of means of attack.

Thread on Threat Briefing

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

The shows of force are unnerving

I know that freaks me out. I look at it this way. We get this info from Pakistan's who is not the most honest bunch in the world. But never the less we get this info now what is Ridge do? He loses all the way around, no attack all the money it cost then he doesnt pull out all the stops and we have an attack. Right now they have us by the ______(whatever fits). If I was Ridge I would quit too.

[cajungirl]

The job he is doing requires skin of steel. all he and Bush can do is the right thing and damn the publicity. I think they are doing that. I think we would not be seeing this unless something very very big was afoot and not just a truck bomb.

[Oorang]

Well Kinetic, you did it again. Outstanding job!!!! Thanks.

[brucecw]

If the Jihadists were using a simple number/letter substitution code in their communications then they are screwed. A typical desktop computer these days could crack it in a matter of hours. If they now have to rely exclusively on couriers we might be seeing some high profile captures soon if the right kind of people are under surveillance.

Unlikely. If you read the "al Qaeda's Hard Drive" article in the recent Atlantic monthly, they were already using one-time pads at the time of the fall of Kabul. A one-time pad is unbreakable by using pattern analysis techniques - since a given sequence of substitutions is used only once, there are no patterns to detect assuming that the master sequence was properly generated. Unless of course you're lucky enough to get hold of one of the master code books, then all bets are off.

However it appears that quite a few al Qaeda computers have fallen into US hands - it's quite possible that we do in fact have a copy of one of their master code books and are therefore able to read anything encoded from that book. Naturally if that's the case we would be going to great lengths to conceal that fact since it would be of incredible value to our intelligence services.

Al Qaeda has also been using couriers for many years already. This can be a reliable method for intelligence services to communicate but is as you note vulnerable to surveillance or in otherwise compromising the agent or courier (even if you only actually recruit their girl or boy friend). There are of course countermeasures that the couriers can employ to mitigate these hazards. All of this does in fact appear to be understood to a significant degree by al Qaeda so I rather doubt that we'll see much faster progress against their courier system; not much has changed.

... Unless, that is, they've been stupid enough to leave around on their disk drives decipherable lists of who their couriers are and how to find them. It would be incredibly sloppy and arrogant tradecraft, which you wouldn't normally expect from an organization that's already aware of a lot of already; however it would also not be the first time that they've been guilty of that.

[Donna Lee Nardo]

cajungirl, I suppose some folks would not handle it well at all; that is why they have no desire to know any details or know anything in advance that they do not absolutely have to know. Only certain folks like to try to connect any dots. But on TM, we are handling things quite calmly as always.

I do wish that every family and individual out there -- especially those with special needs -- would at least have some extra supplies on hand just in case. And I also wish everybody would keep their eyes open and be aware.

[nwctwx]

nw, that is excellent!!! I was going to put together another daily "headline" list, but I don't think it's necessary with the information you have. It looks like you caught most of the important information. Very nice!

Thanks much, it was all initially for my website but I have begun to focus almost entirelly on info from here. I am continuing now and will try to post a synopsis every week.

[cajungirl]

You all are great, really in the trenches. I read you daily.

[cibco]

"I will tell you guys that my supervisors at JFK are on edge over this threat."

You work for the Kerry campaign???

[BagCamAddict]

Naturally if that's the case we would be going to great lengths to conceal that fact since it would be of incredible value to our intelligence services.

Well then let's be sure to broadcast it on the internet. ;-)

[Oorang]

Thanks for the backup board. Hope the move goes smoothly.

[Donna Lee Nardo]

Hmm. You know you posted the Statue of Libety pic the day before the real statue is to reopen during this uneasy time of terror talk...

Omen?

Nahh. Probably not.

[MWestMom]

NY Times has story now on the documents that were seized at http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/03/politics/03intel.html?hp

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

and not just a truck bomb.
A truck bomb can take down a building but it will not likly kill the amount they are saying.

[MWestMom]

Here's the Washington Post's version. Neither paper names sources. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35466-2004Aug2.html