Posted on 10/27/2004 11:52:46 AM PDT by FreedomSpud
NBC: Intelligence analysts cite ‘low’ concern MSNBC and NBC News Updated: 1:04 p.m. ET Oct. 27, 2004 The CIA is working to authenticate a videotape in which a man claiming to be an al-Qaida terrorist warns of devastating new attacks on the United States, federal officials told NBC News on Wednesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
The CIA is working to authenticate a videotape in which a man claiming to be an al-Qaida terrorist warns of devastating new attacks on the United States, federal officials told NBC News on Wednesday.
The existence of the tape was first reported Wednesday afternoon by Internet columnist Matt Drudge, who said it was obtained last weekend in Pakistan by ABC News. Drudge quoted an unidentified “senior ABC News source” as saying the network was “working 24 hours a day trying to authenticate” it.
U.S. officials told NBC News that the tape included now-standard militant Islamist rhetoric promising widespread destruction inside the United States. The man cannot be identified, the officials said, because his face is covered by a headdress.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said ABC gave the CIA a complete copy of the tape Monday. They described analysts’ concern as “low” because it is not clear that the tape was recorded recently and because the man on the tape, who speaks in what appears to be an American accent, mentions no details.
“It’s unclear what this tape is — even whether the person on the tape is an American,” one of the officials said.
Pre-election attack widely speculated Drudge reported the man on the tape claimed that the attacks would be in retribution for “electing George Bush, who has made war on Islam by destroying the Taliban and making war on al-Qaida.”
The possibility of an al-Qaida attack in the days before next week’s presidential election has been widely speculated on, but U.S. intelligence officials said last week that they had no specific intelligence indicating there was a plot by al-Qaida to launch a strike designed to sway voting.
Drudge, quoting unidentified sources, said the man on the tape called himself “Assam the American” and spoke in an American accent. He reported that the man warned that the attack would “dwarf” the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington, which killed almost 3,000 people.
“The streets will run with blood” and “America will mourn in silence,” the man said, because it will be unable to count the number of the dead, according to Drudge.
A U.S. official told NBC News that intelligence analysts were speculating that the man could be Adam Pearlman, 25, also known as Adam Gadahn and Abu Suhayb Al-Amriki, one of seven people mentioned by FBI Director Robert Mueller in May as someone the United States would like to locate.
The FBI said Pearlman, who is originally from California, attended a terrorist training camp and acted in the past as an al-Qaida translator. U.S. officials said Pearlman was not believed to hold any influential position within al-Qaida.
"U.S. officials told NBC News"
Official with what? Kerry's campaign? Who knows. More anonymous spin.
duplicate. same post down below.
The terrorists are sh*tting in their pants that W will be re-elected. I belive they waited this long to see how the election is shaping up. Now that it is more likely than not that W will get the nod, they feel they need to intervene. Kerry would be easy for them to lead along while they do their dasturdly deeds.
Does anyone know of a weapon capable of this threat. I eman, those 2000 bombs in Iraq are huge, but they don't do this.
If anything this is more likely a Republican ploy to get the President MORE support. Too many reasons the MSM won't touch this story, wait and see.
Every poll shows that, unlike the pinko European Islam-o-fascist appeasers; when America is threatened we stand up to the threat and back whatever administration is in office.
Real terrorists will not threaten us directly right now because they know it would only increase Bush's support. They want the instability in the US Government and confusion among the American people that would naturally occur from a change in the administration and foreign policy.
Every time there was an Orange or Yellow alert this summer Bush's numbers went up and Kerry's went down because the majority of people (even dems) see Bush as stronger on terrorism.
I believe the threat information this summer was planted by the terrorist to test the waters of public perception in the US. They found out that an attack would hurt their cause so they backed off and abandoned their plans of a pre-election attack to sway votes to Kerry.
Now the day after we elect Bush they will be out for revenge. But the attacks they need (successful and large casualties in a big media center) will take some time to plan.
However a direct attack on us won't win them anything politically except firm America's resolve for winning in Iraq and unify the UN and wavering nations to our cause.
I doubt they will divert their energy until they view Iraq as a completely lost cause. Likely attack will be attempted 4-6 months after January.
If anything this is more likely a Republican ploy to get the President MORE support. Too many reasons the MSM won't touch this story, wait and see.
Every poll shows that, unlike the pinko European Islam-o-fascist appeasers; when America is threatened we stand up to the threat and back whatever administration is in office.
Real terrorists will not threaten us directly right now because they know it would only increase Bush's support. They want the instability in the US Government and confusion among the American people that would naturally occur from a change in the administration and foreign policy.
Every time there was an Orange or Yellow alert this summer Bush's numbers went up and Kerry's went down because the majority of people (even dems) see Bush as stronger on terrorism.
I believe the threat information this summer was planted by the terrorist to test the waters of public perception in the US. They found out that an attack would hurt their cause so they backed off and abandoned their plans of a pre-election attack to sway votes to Kerry.
Now the day after we elect Bush they will be out for revenge. But the attacks they need (successful and large casualties in a big media center) will take some time to plan.
However a direct attack on us won't win them anything politically except firm America's resolve for winning in Iraq and unify the UN and wavering nations to our cause.
I doubt they will divert their energy until they view Iraq as a completely lost cause. Likely attack will be attempted 4-6 months after January.
I haven't seen the videotape yet, but I'm curious: Does it mention anything being done by President Bush in a "manner reminiscent of Jin-Jis Khan," or close with the disclaimer "I'm John Kerry and I approve this message?"
Well, let's drop a few MOABs on select cities such as Tehran and Pyongyang and find out.
Is it my imagination, or is the a windsurfing sail being used as a background?
Owl_Eagle
" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"
Not only that, but I swear I saw a goofy-looking half-fairy guy with nice hair waving a Kerry/Edwards sign in the background, as well.
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