Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - Thread Twenty

[nwctwx]

Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

Thread Twenty

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Google News : Google Images : News Hotlinks

The Threat Matrix

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!

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Ramadan terror concerns?
Full Story

ATLANTA (CNN) -- As more than one billion Muslims prepare to celebrate Ramadan, terror experts are mixed about whether the holy month is a tool for recruiting terrorists.

Some terrorism experts and Islamic scholars say Ramadan gives extremists an opportunity to enlist new recruits.

"It's a time which can be exploited by radical clerics to motivate individuals into taking action on the basis they are somehow serving their religion," says terror expert M.J. Gohel.

And analysts see another temptation for terrorists: exploiting the Battle of Badr, a symbolic date in Muslim history, which falls near the U.S. presidential election.

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

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Link to Thread Nineteen	Terror-Alert.com "Code Red Implications: Code Red - Stay Home and Await Word." From Tm'er and Freeper ~MamaDearest~	Cindy's Links of Interest
Threat Matrix "TM'er" Tips		ExSoldier's Invaluable Tips
TM Code of Conduct		Godzilla's Summaries
TM's 'Be on the Lookout'		nwctwx's Highlighted Links

[British chick]

http://www.trackingterrorism.com/Default.asp?dismode=article&artid=509

Sunday, October 24, 2004

Arrests Made in Possible Election Day Plot
Source: FOX News | 1:34:24 AM EST

FBI investigators have made new arrests and developed leads that reinforce concerns that terrorists plan to strike around the presidential election, officials said Saturday, even though the CIA has discredited a person who told its agents of such a plot involving Al Qaeda.

A senior FBI official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some of the leads were culled from interviews with thousands of individuals that agents have conducted in the Muslim community.

The official would not be more specific, but said the FBI continues to have misgivings about possible Al Qaeda intentions to launch an attack with the goal of affecting the elections.

Several people have been taken into custody recently on charges not related to terrorism, but officials are investigating whether they may have been involved in terror activities, said another law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

As for the person who warned the CIA, at least some of that individual's reporting no longer is seen as credible, said a U.S. intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official stressed, however, that a number of other sources point to terrorist activity around the election season.

The official also said no concrete plot has been discovered so far with specific mention of time, place, method or identity of would-be attackers.

James Carafano, a homeland security expert with the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, said there's little doubt that Al Qaeda wants to send a message with an attack.

"I think they're probably less concerned with affecting the outcome of the election, whether Bush or Kerry wins, but it would be more prestigious, the capability to do something before the election and really undermine the confidence of the United States," he said.

Top government officials have warned since the spring about Al Qaeda's desire to attack during the election with the hope of orchestrating something similar to the March commuter train bombings in Madrid. The bombings, which killed more than 190 people, were a factor in the ouster of Spain's former ruling party.

The FBI has partnered with American Muslims and others as part of what the agency describes as a prevention plan aimed at disrupting an attack. Thousands of agents from bureaus across the country are participating in the effort.

FBI agents have interviewed thousands of people considered possible sources of information as well as about 10,000 operators of self-storage facilities, which are considered likely places to hide bomb-making materials or other items that could be used in an attack.

Related links:
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,136410,00.html

[Myrddin]

Where you feel this most is as a traveler. The US dollar just does not buy as much in terms of hotel rooms and meals as it used to do.

This is exactly why I've left free tickets to Europe on the table and made trips to Yellowstone National Park twice a month from May to October. The losers are the Europeans. They lose the tourist revenue from American travelers.

[nw_arizona_granny]

KGO Radio, local news for the past couple hours has said that they had an electric outage.

At 1Am there was a little more, there was a manhole cover blown off, smoke in the hole.

1,000 homes on Potero Hill without electric (this is for the past 2 or 3 hours, or longer).

Reason for the problem is given as "Equipment Failure".

[subsea06]

True enough, Z. No clear answers on this end. But evidence appears to be leaning more to b than a.

Will post if anything materializes. Something to ponder in the meantime... Different lense, different perspective.

sub6

[Labyrinthos]

Bookmark.

[Tilly]

Thanks for the update ....

(catching up ... catching up .... catching up ... )

[Tilly]

They'll hit us when and IF they can.

Makes excellent sense to vote EARLY.

[Tilly]

ah!

Thanks for the links, Piper.

[7mmMag@LeftCoast]

I agree. I also think it probably was a dummy weapon or one that had the warhad removed. Possible museum piece?

I have not bothered to find out if the torpedo, did in fact, have a live warhead. A rather moot point, now that it is in the governments safe (hopefully) hands.

[Selene]

Mysterious Illness at Flamingo Hotel

(Oct. 22) -- The Flamingo hotel and casino on the Strip is taking extra health precautions because dozens of employees and hotel guests have come down with the same illness.

Around 60 employees and guests reported that they became sick with a gastro-intestinal like illness. . . "We've had reports of ill guests with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and nausea. We're trying to find out what's going on, basically."

Flamingo management says it is doing extra heavy chemical cleaning throughout the hotel.
... now gone to using disposable ice bucks in the rooms. They've gone to disposable cups in the bars."

[4thygipper]

SOUTH BEND -- The sharply dressed fellow at your polling place with the bulge under his armpit may be more than meets the eye.

He may be a plainclothes police officer, particularly if your polling place is in a school building.

The St. Joseph County Election Board, responding to state and homeland security concerns that certain polling places could become terrorist targets, agreed Monday to allow plainclothes officers to serve as security guards in polling places, primarily those in school buildings.

Plainclothes Division Chief Eugene Kyle of the South Bend Police Department said the go-ahead from the election board will allow his department to seek meetings with Mishawaka and St. Joseph County police so that the security efforts can be coordinated with those departments.

The concern about election security appears to have originated with Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita.

In a letter sent to Mark Dobson, R-District 1, president of the Board of County Commissioners, Rokita said he had contacted the Indiana Emergency Management Agency regarding contingency plans for the upcoming election.

In that letter, Rokita mentioned the terrorist threats and actions that occurred in Madrid, Spain, during a recent election there and said Indiana "should also be taking steps to help ensure that our citizens have an opportunity to cast their ballots unimpeded from any threat of terrorism."

Thomas Botkin, Republican member of the election board, said he doesn't see a "real threat" but also said it wouldn't be prudent to ignore the possibility "if Homeland Security has credible information that this is something al-Qaida has on its mind."

Rokita, in the letter to Dobson, said: "I strongly believe that our election will take place without incident and as scheduled. I also believe it is important to prepare for unforeseen circumstances."

About 40 school buildings around the county serve as polling places on Election Day.

Kyle said the plan calls for a plainclothes officer in each school who would be armed but who would not have his weapon exposed.

"We don't want to interfere with anyone who wants to vote," Kyle said.

He said police received information from Homeland Security that polling places, particularly those in schools, could be a target.

Kyle said police don't have enough manpower to cover all polling places and now plan to limit the officers to those polling places in school buildings.



www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2004/10/19/local.20041019-sbt-LOCL-A1-Police_to_secure_pol.sto

[4thygipper]

Broward County News Briefs

Posted October 24 2004

Broward County

Four teens hospitalized with nausea after event


Four teens were hospitalized Saturday night after complaining of nausea during an event at the Broward County Convention Center.

The Broward Sheriff's Office Department of Fire-Rescue sent several units to the convention center around 9:15 p.m. after the teens reported suffering from vomiting or nausea, according to assistant fire chief Todd LeDuc. LeDuc was not sure what event the teens were attending, but the convention center's Web site showed Cypress Bay High School held a banquet on Saturday.

Firefighters determined there were no toxins released at the site, LeDuc said, and concluded the illnesses stemmed either from food poisoning or alcohol ingestion.

The four were taken in good condition to Broward General Medical Center.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-c3bdig24oct24,0,6139924.story?coll=sfla-news-broward

[nwctwx]

Fox News:

al Zarqawi's group takes responsibility for Iraqi Army Ambush that may have killed up to 50 people.

[jerseygirl]

thanks. Got it.

[JustPiper]

Worries over mysterious retrovirus
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2004/10/22/681080-cp.html

Romanian smuggles gun into nuclear plant
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6305577/

Radioactive Materials Seized in Central Russia
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6541386

It's about terrorism, John, not testosterone levels
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2002069193_levy22.html

[penguino]

Thanks Godzilla for yet another lucid summary.

[JustPiper]

Clinton covered up 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombings
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40990

Iran's nuclear decision tied to Nov. 2 outcome
Tehran might compromise if Kerry wins, then renew enrichment after Bush is gone
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41066

Wauconda: Mysterious illness hits kids
http://www.dailyherald.com/search/main_story.asp?intid=38281146

Al Qaeda threat is growing in Europe
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=94510&Sn=WORL&IssueID=27214

[jerseygirl]

Does anyone have any further information about Quayle's report of an imminent nuclear strike on the West Coast?

[JustPiper]

Two pampered children of wealth
Skull vs. Bones
http://www.socialistworker.org/2004-2/517/517_06_StClair.shtml

Holocaust event representative of rising tide of anti-Semitic rhetoric

The group’s student wing, the Palestinian Solidarity Movement, has been one of the largest perpetrators of anti-Semitism on college campuses, with direct ties to terrorist organizations such as Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

At the University of Michigan PSM conference in 2002, participants chanted “chrad al-yahud,” “annihilate the Jews,” in Arabic. Sami al Arian, who was recently indicted on charges of being the leader of an American cell of Islamic Jihad, spoke at the same Michigan conference.
http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=14961&repository=0001_article

[jerseygirl]

Just saw this at mutter's---(trying to verify if there really is a nuke threat to the West Coast):


www.timesstar.com/Stories/0,1413,125~1486~2477704,00.html

BART calls on SWAT for pre-Nov. 2 terror deterrent

For the first time since Sept. 11, 2001, the transit district is bringing out the big guns as part of a localized Orange Alert.

In past alerts, BART riders have grown accustomed to seeing additional bomb-dog teams and pairs of BART volunteers in green vests, acting as "eyes and ears."

But from now until Nov. 2, riders will have to get used to SWAT patrols in full battle gear, automatic M-16 rifles and all. The new measure is an added precaution against an October "surprise," Osama bin Laden-style.

Federal counter-terrorism officials have been warning since early summer of undefined threats of an al-Qaida attack aimed at disrupting U.S. presidential elections.

BART security chiefs don't say they take the latest round of unspecified chatter any more seriously than past alerts, but they do point out that reasons for caution are abundant.

"If there is a consistent thread in the chatter over the last several months, it is that if something is going to happen it will happen before the election. That makes a lot of intuitive sense, and we don't want to take any chances," said BART's operations manager, Paul Overseier, who heads the transit district's security effort.

It's intuitive because the March 11 Madrid rail explosions were days before Spain's elections, as were the recent attacks in Russia.

"We're generally concerned about what we're hearing. There's nothing specific about BART, nothing specific about the Bay Area and nothing specific about subway systems. But there is increasing chatter, and it's ongoing," Overseier said.

BART police Chief Gary Gee said the public will see roughly a 20 percent increase in police presence, which will fan out to suburban stations more. SWAT and bomb-dog teams will be deployed at random.

Civilian BART employees will don bright green vests and act as roving patrols. People who see unattended bags or other suspicious items can report them to these volunteers. Overseier said their ranks will grow as Election Day nears.