Posted on 08/08/2004 12:38:29 PM PDT by wagglebee
Despite claims that the recent terror alert effecting Washington and New York was released for political purposes, new information reveals chilling details of al-Qaeda’s plans to attack financial and political targets in the U.S.
On July 24 Pakistani authorities stormed the house of an al-Qaeda leader and captured three laptop computers and 51 data-rich discs.
TIME reports that “stored on the computers were 500 photographs of potential targets inside the U.S., minutely detailed analyses of the vulnerabilities to a terrorist attack of several of them and communications among some of the most wanted terrorists in the world.”
A top Homeland Security official told TIME that "we have a number of times picked up information that al-Qaeda wants to attack us before the election, and some of the communications attribute that desire to Osama bin Laden."
Appearing on Meet the Press with Tim Russert on Sunday, National Security Adviser said that while new intelligence disclosures found that scouting of several buildings were several years old, al-Qaeda had first scouted their attack on the U.S. embassy in Kenya five years before their 1998 attacks.
TIME magazine in its report out this week, offered new details of the intelligence found on the computer hardware in Pakistan:
The Prudential Building:
The Prudential Plaza building in Newark, New Jersey TIME says “is a site of intense interest to Osama bin Laden and his operatives. Beginning in 2000, al-Qaeda operatives inside the U.S. conducted detailed surveillance of the Prudential building, with the apparent intent of destroying it and killing the civilians who work there.”
Bin Laden’s terror operatives photographed the building and reported that driving truck bombs into the building’s parking garage might be difficult."
Instead, the terror report suggested using black limousines that would approach the building.
“The report proposed acquiring a limo, gutting everything except the front seats and presumably filling it with explosives.”
The New York Stock Exchange:
“A surveillance report noted that the windows behind the six columns at the front of the NYSE. building made it appear ‘a little fragile’...”
IMF and World Bank Building in Washington:
Another report “concluded that attacking the IMF and the World Bank structures would be ‘tricky’ because of the heavy security surrounding them.”
Citigroup Building:
“The terrorists reported that the Citigroup building, ‘like the World Trade Center, is supported on steel, load-bearing walls, not on a steel frame.’ The operatives recommended employing ‘usual methods’ and specifically discussed using a heavy gasoline truck or an oil tanker to attack facilities.
New York Harbor:
“A U.S. law-enforcement official told TIME that a recent Pakistani intelligence report made available to senior U.S. intelligence and security officials offers details of alleged al-Qaeda plans to use speedboats and divers for attacks in New York harbor before the November 2004 elections. A top U.S. intelligence official says, ‘There is nothing current we deem credible’ about such an attack but noted that reports of possible attacks on the harbor are not unusual.”
Congressional Targets:
TIME reports that members of Congress themselves may be in the terrorists' sights. “Two days before Ridge issued his nationwide alert, an FBI official warned a congressional leader that he and other top legislative officials could be targeted by al-Qaeda in Washington or on their trips around the country. Jane Harman, senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, quickly said Democratic critics of the release of the new intelligence were off base. She said everyone should "take this threat very seriously."
At least some of the 'Rats have a little bit of sense.
no, the left doesnt make sense individually or as a group. its more likely jane harman is an al qaeda operative delivering coded instructions.
Maybe this will shut up Howard, the Scream, Dean. Doubt it.
If Kerry wins (god forbid) - Jane Harman is his CIA Director. I believe that is the context for her comments.
I haven't been past it lately, I hope they have concrete barriers to stop any vehicle from jumping the sidewalk.
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