Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - Thread Twenty-Five

[nwctwx]

Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

Thread Twenty-Five (Index)

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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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U.S. works 'day and night' to rein in al-Qaida
Full Story

WASHINGTON - Prompted by new intelligence indicating Osama bin Laden reached out to the most feared terrorist in Iraq, President Bush charged Thursday that "al-Qaida still hopes to attack us on our own soil."

"Recently, we learned that Osama bin Laden has urged the terrorist Zarqawi to form a group to conduct attacks outside Iraq, including here in the United States," Bush said at the swearing-in of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

The president vowed, "We're working every day and night to dismantle (bin Laden's) network and to bring him to justice."

Related:
Officials: Bin Laden Urges Zarqawi to Hit U.S.
Al-Qaeda's Completed Warning Cycle - Ready to Attack?

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

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Threat Matrix "TM'er" Tips	Link to Thread Twenty-Four "Code Red Implications: Code Red - Stay Home and Await Word." From Tm'er and Freeper ~MamaDearest~
TM Code of Conduct		ExSoldier's Invaluable Tips
TM's 'Be on the Lookout'		Godzilla's Summaries
Threat Matrix Book List		Tracking the Chatter with TM

[Oorang]

Thanks for all the info on that case ffnj.

[Oorang]

Mexican army escorts border drug-runners

Thanks for the links JP. I'm usually not a pessimist, but, with this situation I'm becoming one. Argggg.

[Godzilla]

bookmark

[Velveeta]

NZ PM in mid-air drama
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,12841390%255E1702,00.html

(snip)A SMALL plane carrying New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark was forced to make an emergency landing this morning after rapidly losing altitude when a door swung open in mid-air, flight officials confirmed.(snip)

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[united1000]

The Marburg situation is truly frightening. I read that even one bead of sweat from a victim can transmit the disease. From the clusters of deaths occurring, I am wondering if there are other vectors we are not yet aware of (e.g. biting insects?)

 

Bats are still a suspect, but quite frankly from what I have read, they just don't know.

[Velveeta]

You're most welcome.

[Cindy]

I agree.

[Calpernia]

The door opened and no one died? AMAZING!

Shaggy, did you hear any more about this one?

[Velveeta]

Scary, isn't it?

If those 2 officers hadn't been with her, or hadn't been strong enough to hold the door, the NZ PM may have been killed today.

(So....WHO did the maintenance check on the plane?)

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is an exact quote:
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http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2005/April/05_crm_180.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2005
WWW.USDOJ.GOV

CRM
(202) 514-2008
TDD (202) 514-1888



THREE BRITISH NATIONALS INDICTED ON CHARGES OF CONSPIRING TO USE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO TERRORISTS




WASHINGTON, D.C. - Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey, Assistant Attorney Christopher A. Wray of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney David N. Kelley of the Southern District of New York, and FBI Executive Assistant Director Gary Bald announced today that three British nationals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Manhattan on charges of conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction, providing material support and resources to terrorists, and conspiring to damage and destroy buildings.


The four-count indictment names: Dhiren Barot, a/k/a “Esa al-Britani,” “Abu Esa al-Britani,” “Esa al-Hindi,” and “Issa al-Hindi”; Nadeem Tarmohamed; and Qaisar Shaffi. The indictment alleges that the defendants entered the United States in 2000 and 2001 to conduct surveillance of several buildings in New York, Northern New Jersey and Washington, D.C. as part of a conspiracy to damage and destroy the buildings. After discovery of the surveillance activities, the Homeland Security Advisory level was raised from “Elevated” (Yellow) to “High” (Orange) for those communities until November 2004. As indicated in the indictment, the conspiracies to attack buildings were ongoing until August 2004, when the defendants were arrested in the United Kingdom.


The defendants are charged with: conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against persons within the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2332a (a)(2); conspiracy to provide and conceal material support and resources to terrorists, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339A; providing and concealing material support and resources to terrorists, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339A; and conspiracy to damage and destroy buildings used in interstate and foreign commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844 (i) and (n).


The defendants are currently in custody in the United Kingdom, facing criminal charges in that country. At the conclusion of those proceedings, the United States intends to seek the extradition of all three defendants so that they may stand trial in this country.


If convicted of the charges in the United States, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison on the charge of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, 15 years in prison on each material support count, and 20 years in prison on the charge of conspiring to damage and destroy buildings.


“The conspiracy laid out in the indictment was designed to kill as many Americans as possible, and the alleged surveillance of these buildings makes these allegations all the more serious,” said Deputy Attorney General James Comey. “Through the hard work of many of our law enforcement partners both here and overseas, we were able to hold those behind the conspiracy accountable for their actions and ensure that their plans to harm our homeland never materialized.”


“The fact that these terrorists stalked their targets while surrounded by innocent and unsuspecting Americans going about their everyday affairs reminds all of us that a successful campaign against terrorism calls upon all of us to be ever-vigilant,” said U.S. Attorney David N. Kelley of the Southern District of New York. “The entire law enforcement community is committed to this battle and will travel the globe to bring to justice any and all terrorists, particularly those plotting to commit terrorist acts on our soil.”


Gary Bald, the FBI’s Executive Assistant Director for Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence, said, “These indictments show once again that the battle against terrorism is global, and to win it, we must be able to investigate aggressively and piece together intelligence from the country and across the world. This case is a success story because of strong cooperation between the New York and New Jersey Joint Terrorism Task Forces, other JTTFs across the country, our Legal Attache Office in London, our counterparts in the U.K., and other international partners.”


The indictment alleges that at various times from on or about Aug. 17, 2000 through April 8, 2001, the three defendants visited and conducted surveillance on buildings and surrounding neighborhoods in the United States, including the International Monetary Fund World Headquarters and the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C., the Prudential Corporate Plaza and World Headquarters Building in Newark, New Jersey, and the New York Stock Exchange Building and the Citigroup Centre in Manhattan, New York. This surveillance allegedly included, among other things, video surveillance conducted in Manhattan in or about April 2001. The indictment alleges that the surveillance was part of the conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction.


The indictment alleges that in or about 1998, Barot served as a lead instructor at a jihad training camp in Afghanistan where recruits were taught to use weapons and received other paramilitary training. In about June 2000, Barot allegedly applied to a college in New York to conceal the true purpose of his subsequent trips to the United States. While he was admitted to the college for the 2000 and 2001 school years, the indictment alleges that he never enrolled in or attended any classes at the college. The indictment details several trips that the defendants made between the United Kingdom and the United States during the course of the charged conspiracy.


The prosecutors responsible for this case are George Z. Toscas of the Counterterrorism Section of the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric B. Bruce and Joon H. Kim of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs assisted in this matter. The investigation was led by the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York Police Department and the Joint Terrorist Task Force, with assistance from FBI agents and JTTF members across the country and at the FBI Legal Attache’s Office in London, England.


The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless convicted in a court of law.


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05-180

[Calpernia]

It's getting to the point where all planes should be grounded until they all pass a thorough inspection.

All ground crew need to be thoroughly inspected too!

[Cindy]

The ulta fast internet?

That's about all I know.

[Cindy]

Yep.
I was researching something else and bedbugs of all things kept cropping up; so thought I would add it to the mix here.

[Cindy]

OPINION...

Anyone at any business who has ever used a bar code scanner knows that a bar code must be present and available to the scanner in order for the scanner to read it.

One should never show their ID to be scanned to complete strangers. Doing so, would be considered ridiculous.

[shaggy eel]

,,, yep, it was news here a few hors ago. I live at the south end of Paraparaumu Airport... mainly light charters and recreational use out of there. My wife phoned me to tell me and I said "if she wants a cup of tea or to use the phone, we're closed!" It's election year and we want her run so far out of town she ends up in Beijing.

[Cindy]

Thanks to Just Piper for pointing to this article.

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http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/04/11/egypt.bombing.ap/index.html

"Police arrest 30 in connection to Cairo bombing
Suspect's mother, brothers among detainees"

Monday, April 11, 2005 Posted: 7:26 PM EDT (2326 GMT)


CAIRO, Egypt (AP)

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Police arrested the family members after identifying the mangled body of the bomber, who died in the blast that killed two French tourists and an American and wounded 18 others in Cairo's Khan al-Khalili bazaar on Thursday night.

The suspected bomber, Hassan Rafaat Ahmed Bashandi was a student who became a religious extremist after his father's death, the Interior Ministry said.

Bashandi, who was 17 or 18 years old, appeared to be acting alone in the attack, the ministry said in a statement. He was carrying 3 kilograms (6.61 pounds) of TNT in a leather bag filled with nails and it exploded prematurely, the ministry said."

[appalachian_dweller]

Thanks for the ping Velveeta. Sounds like the NZ PM had a wild ride today. Glad the PM is okay.

[Oorang]

Security threat closes Karachi’s US consulate
Wednesday, April 13, 2005

KARACHI: The United States closed its consulate here on Tuesday after receiving a security threat, an official said.

Americans have been told to avoid the area around the consulate and the nearby Marriott hotel, said Greggory Crouch, press attache at the US Embassy in Islamabad.

“The consulate is closed today,” Crouch told AFP. “We have received credible information of a threat and that has heightened our security concern,” he added.

The heavily-guarded consulate was closed on the orders of Consul General Douglas Rohn, said Crouch. “It is my understanding that the staff were sent home,” he added. However, Crouch said it was expected the consulate would resume normal operations today (Wednesday). The US Embassy in Islamabad and the consulates in Lahore and Peshawar remained open, while the Karachi consulate had “closed its public operations indefinitely due to security concerns”, the consulate’s website said.

Two senior police officials told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity that an officer posted outside the diplomatic mission received a threat on his cell phone on Monday night. agencies

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_13-4-2005_pg1_2

[Oorang]

Algerian Offer: Let's Establish Ottoman Nations Community
By Suleyman Kurt
Published: Tuesday 12 April, 2005

Algerian President Abdulaziz Buteflika has suggested the establishment of a structure similar to the British Commonwealth of Nations to include countries that once formed the Ottoman Empire.

Buteflika hosting Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Algeria sent an important message that they yearn for the peaceful and tranquil period of 1518-1830 during which time the Ottomans ruled the Middle East. Buteflika suggested constituting a structure consisting of the countries that once formed the Ottoman Empire and that the structure could be similar to the Commonwealth of Nations.

The Algerian President said, "Gaps remained after the Ottomans that could not be filled. We need the strong and tolerant Ottoman order now more than at any other time. Can't we recreate the Ottoman order again?" "Britain established The Commonwealth with its former colonies and the order continues. The Ottomans did not colonize us; why shouldn't we maintain the Ottoman order?" continued Buteflika. The Algerian leader emphasized that they took lessons from Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, in their independence from the French.

He informed that Algeria earmarked $55 billion for reconstruction of the country over the next five years and that they will give priority to Turkish companies.

Buteflika met with Gul for two hours and later hosted a dinner for the Turkish delegation. Gul expressed his impressions as: "They shown us an incredibly exciting time. I wish, every one could hear the things we have spoken about" at the dinner in which Algerian President clearly revealed his thoughts on Turkey and the Ottoman Empire.

According to information given, Buteflika requested that Turkey not view Algeria as just another Arab country and suggested the establishment of the Ottoman Commonwealth. He went on to say that Turkey had saved Algeria from Spain and that the Algerians had not wanted Turks to leave, but at the time, Turks had left the country of their own free will. Buteflika showed that the current turmoil in the Middle East as proof that gaps have remained after the Ottoman Empire that has still not been filled. He continued that the key for a solution in the Middle East is Turkey and that if Turkey wishes law and order could return to this region.

He also expressed content for the developments in Turkish-Syrian relations.

http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&trh=20050413&hn=18370

[Calpernia]

Those officers that held the door shut are amazing!

Was the P.M.'s plane chartered?