[tmp02]

I know that this was put on TM yesterday, but WND has the full story now:

Al-Qaida prepares for major attack over Christmas: has scouted civilian targets in Europe

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42083
or for discussion
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1307809/posts

Al-Qaida prepares for major attack over Christmas
Intelligence sources say terror group has scouted civilian targets in Europe
Posted: December 24, 2004
1:00 a.m. Eastern

Editor's note: WorldNetDaily brings readers exclusive, up-to-the-minute global intelligence news and analysis from Geostrategy-Direct, a new online newsletter edited by veteran journalist Robert Morton and featuring the "Backgrounder" column compiled by Bill Gertz. Geostrategy-Direct is a subscription-based service produced by the publishers of WorldTribune.com, a free news service frequently linked by the editors of WorldNetDaily.


Several agencies have intercepted electronic communications pointing to al-Qaida's plans to launch a major attack over the next two weeks, Western intelligence sources said, according to Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence news service.

The sources said al-Qaida was planning to use Islamic subcontractors to carry out major attacks against civilian targets in Europe.

Al-Qaida has been gathering assets in several European Union countries and Russia over the past two months, the sources said. At this point the intelligence agencies have determined that al-Qaida has been scouting potential targets and has already called supporters to initiate strikes.

Some targets in Western Europe include NATO headquarters in Brussels, a railroad hub packed with holiday travelers and Istanbul, Turkey. The sources said al-Qaida cells in Europe are flushed with operatives that fought the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.

Other leading al-Qaida targets include Moscow or St. Petersburg. Federal Security Service Director Nikolai Patrushev said Russia's domestic intelligence agency has received reports of a planned major terrorist attack in St. Petersburg.

Patrushev said unidentified people were seen taking video footage of children's hospitals and clinics. He said terrorists would be most likely to strike around the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

European countries have been working overtime to uncover al-Qaida network cells. Patrushev reported that an al-Qaida cell was discovered in the North Caucasus and a senior operative was being interrogated.

[tmp02]

"Some targets in Western Europe include NATO headquarters in Brussels, a railroad hub packed with holiday travelers and Istanbul, Turkey. The sources said al-Qaida cells in Europe are flushed with operatives that fought the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq."

"Other leading al-Qaida targets include Moscow or St. Petersburg. Federal Security Service Director Nikolai Patrushev said Russia's domestic intelligence agency has received reports of a planned major terrorist attack in St. Petersburg."

"Patrushev said unidentified people were seen taking video footage of children's hospitals and clinics. He said terrorists would be most likely to strike around the Christmas and New Year's holidays. "

[Cindy]

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Some targets in Western Europe include NATO headquarters in Brussels, a railroad hub packed with holiday travelers and Istanbul, Turkey. The sources said al-Qaida cells in Europe are flushed with operatives that fought the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq."

[ExSoldier]

All this handwringing over a European strike might be to throw us into another state of complacency.....which of course is where we've stayed since 2002. After the Sept 11th attacks, we were into "white knuckle" mode for a year. But now, I truly think that most of the country sheep thinks that a 911 won't ever happen again. Much less something worse.