Evidence Suggests Terror Network Has Greater Presence in U.S. Than Thought

ABCNEWS.com ^ | 8/4/04

[True Capitalist]

Al Qaeda Infiltration?

Evidence Suggests Terror Network Has Greater Presence in U.S. Than Thought

ABCNEWS.com

W A S H I N G T O N, Aug. 4, 2004— U.S. intelligence has evidence al Qaeda operatives cased major targets in New York and Washington from the inside, ABC News has learned. It was part of a meticulous surveillance operation that managed to obtain unusual access. Information found on the computer files of Mohammed Khan, the 25-year-old computer engineer who was arrested last month in Pakistan, is responsible for the current terror alert at financial centers in New York, Washington, D.C., and Newark, N.J.

Khan's records continue to yield critical clues about al Qaeda's operations, including indications that he may have communicated with several people in the United States in recent months, sources told ABC News.

Khan's computer files show al Qaeda operatives thoroughly casing the financial centers both outside and inside just before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the sources said.

Law enforcement officials said the bulk of the extensive surveillance was conducted on the Citigroup Center in Manhattan, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank buildings in Washington, and Prudential Financial Inc.'s headquarters in Newark, N.J. Federal officials publicly identified those targets earlier this week, along with the New York Stock Exchange.

"Given the specificity that apparently are in these reports, that they were not just casual targets. These were real targets," said former FBI counterterrorism agent Jack Cloonan, an ABC News consultant.

The computer files, written in English, narrate the travels of al Qaeda members throughout the buildings, offering step-by-step color commentary in rich detail, sources said.

The documents suggest the facilities were under surveillance morning and night, with operatives looking for times when security was lax and when the most potential victims were present.

Al Qaeda's attention to the interior of buildings is one reason why the FBI has warned police not only about the potential for truck bomb attacks, but also about the possibility of bombings from the inside, as well as biological and chemical attacks.

Said former FBI analyst Matthew Levitt, now a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy: "I think their primary objective is just to kill as many people as possible."

ABC News' Pierre Thomas filed this report for World News Tonight

[umgud]

The enemy within.........

[NCjim]

Duh!

And in other news, the Pope is Catholic and bears sh*t in the woods...

[oceanview]

part of me wants to believe that the FBI is doing a good job following and monitoring these cells in the US.

but there is another part of me that is scared sh*t that we essentially have the keystone kops at the FBI doing this work - and they really don't know what the hell is going on.

[True Capitalist]

Evidence Suggests Terror Network Has Greater Presence in U.S. Than Thought

Since there are al Qaeda cells operating in the U.S. who seriously want to cause mass casualties, I would recommend everyone, included those on the left, take the heightened security risks seriously.

[sam_paine]

ditto on the former!

[conshack]

It comes as no surprize that these folks have been doing their homework on potential targets. I imagine that they have managed to bring in as many terrorists as they feel they will need through our southern flank. Believe it's only a matter of time before we hear from them again. No doubt they're looking for something spectacular again.

[sam_paine]

As ocean said, we always decry socialized medicine by saying we don't want the federal bureaucrats involved since it will make the doctor's office look like tha DMV!

But here we are trusting our lives to the same type government run haywire. Wheres my tequila!

[MrLee]

Muslims. Oh, I forgot, they're a peaceful religion....

[TomGuy]

As a Nation, we are still not fully awakened to the fact that they are at war with us and they have every intention in trying to win at any cost.

We need to cease our political in-fighting and start taking the WoT seriously. It isn't just happening in Afghanistan and Iraq.

[conshack]

we essentially have the keystone kops at the FBI doing this work - and they really don't know what the hell is going on.


They were taught during 8 yrs of the Clinton admin to do the 3 monkey routine.

[oceanview]

well, I will also say - I think alot of these people doing the casing - are "jihadi wanna-bes". they aren't the hard core suicide bombers, but if they can be "made men" for AQ by sitting in a coffee shop across from the Citibank building and counting the number of people who go past, and then sending an encrypted email with that information to some dude in Pakistan, they are willing to sign up for that job.

[carriepultz]

Evidence Suggests Terror Network Has Greater Presence in U.S. Than Thought

Only news to those who know nothing about Islamic terror: HSA, FBI, etc.

[tet68]

No doubt they're looking for something spectacular again.

Perhaps, but I believe they would prefer something successful, and may opt for a sure hit on a somewhat less
spectactular target.
And too, this time they probably would prefer something that causes a definite repression and subsequent oppression
of muslims here in the US, all the better to have a sea to swim in.

[True Capitalist]

The enemy within.........

Amazingly the media will report that the target buildings "were under surveillance morning and night, with operatives looking for times when security was lax and when the most potential victims were present", but they refuse to state the obvious conclusion that Al Qaeda cells are currently operating with free will in our country.

[Dog Gone]

I imagine that they have managed to bring in as many terrorists as they feel they will need through our southern flank.

There's no flank that is really protected, only ports of entry. If you want to walk into the US from Canada, no problem. Thousands of miles of unwatched border.

Our coastline is much longer. We watch trouble areas off south Florida. Wanna land in Maine? No problem. Wanna land in Alaska with fake ID and catch a plane to Los Angeles? Who's gonna stop you?

[conshack]

Perhaps, but I believe they would prefer something successful, and may opt for a sure hit on a somewhat less
spectactular target.
And too, this time they probably would prefer something that causes a definite repression and subsequent oppression
of muslims here in the US, all the better to have a sea to swim in.

I envision numerous smaller targets in many cities and simultaneously.

[oceanview]

an accomplishment in their minds, would be to set off a few car bombs in some cities that don't expect to get hit - 20 minutes before Bush gives his acceptance speech in NYC. the news media would start covering the events live, and Bush would have to decide wheether he was cancelling the speech - or risk the networks running him along side a split screen of the bombs that went off.

[tbpiper]

I envision numerous smaller targets in many cities and simultaneously.

Thinking along those lines myself. I wouldn't consider anywhere to be paricularly safe. However, I will continue to go about my life only with a little more 'curiosity' and with a little more than just a pocket knife.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

FBI Website

FBI Most Wanted Terrorists Page With Pictures

Click Here To Report Suspicious Activity to the FBI

Call the FBI Toll Free at 1-866-483-5137 or your local law enforcement agency
if you see or hear anything that threatens our national security.

America's Most Wanted Website

How YOU can assist fighting terrorist cells in the United Sates.
17yrs old and up, no upper age limit. Something for everyone to do

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