Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - Thread Twenty-Seven

[Cindy]

CIA.GOV
http://www.cia.gov

http://www.cia.gov/csi/studies/vol48no3/article05.html
"A Venerable Source in a New Era
Sailing the Sea of OSINT in the Information Age"
by Stephen C. Mercado

[Cindy]

US-CERT.GOV
http://www.us-cert.gov

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CNET.com: "WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE"
http://news.com.com/Where+the+Nets+wild+things+are/2009-1009_3-5749896.html?tag=nefd.lede

[bored at work]

Eureka! Another quake off California coast
6.4 temblor centered near same spot that sparked tsunami warning

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Posted: June 17, 2005
3:15 a.m. Eastern



© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com



Red box marks 6.4 quake off Northern Calif., near 7.2 event in larger yellow box earlier this week

Another earthquake has taken place off the coast of Northern California, near the location where an offshore quake three days ago sparked fears of a tsunami hitting the Pacific Coast.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 6.4 magnitude temblor struck at 11:21 p.m. Pacific Time, with its epicenter located 124 miles from Eureka, Calif., and 300 miles from San Francisco's city hall.

A statement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the likelihood of a tsunami issued says: "Based on location and magnitude the earthquake was not sufficient to generate a tsunami damaging to California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia or Alaska. Some areas may experience small sea level changes. In areas of intense shaking locally generated tsunamis can be triggered by slumping."


This marks the fourth earthquake this week in the Golden State region.

A 4.9 magnitude earthquake centered in San Bernardino County shook much of Southern California yesterday.

The previous event near Eureka was measured at 7.2 on the Richter scale. Last Sunday, a 5.2 quake centered near Anza jolted Californians awake.

Scientists admit it's rare for quakes of this magnitude to strike so close together.

"It is unusual. But we've seen it before," Caltech seismologist Kate Hutton told the Los Angeles Times.

[bored at work]

We’re coming for you Osama!

New US counterinsurgency operation at al Qaim
June 17, 2005, 12:25 PM (GMT+02:00)

US aircraft, ground troops, tanks and amphibious assault units launched heavy attack on Iraqi insurgents Friday around al Qaim in the West near the Syrian border. The objective of Operation Spear is to root out insurgents and foreign fighters and disrupt their support systems around the Euphrates town of Karabila. Fierce gun battles are underway.

[Velveeta]

Thanks, Penguino.
I hadn't known that so many in the Middle East speak French!

[Velveeta]

Romanian man suspected of terrorism by Interpol detained in Hungary
http://www.tkb.org/NewsStory.jsp?storyID=71328

Arkansas student held on terrorism charge
http://www.tkb.org/NewsStory.jsp?storyID=71325

Terror Suspect Indicted
Richard Grecula Arrested In May
http://kyw.com/Local%20News/local_story_167192308.html

[Velveeta]

A good source for articles.

MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base
http://www.tkb.org/Home.jsp

(Heading out for the weekend. Stay safe everyone.
And Happy Father's Day to all you TM and FReeper Dads out there)

[angcat]

Yesterday my hubby's flight from Montreal to Philadelphia was delayed an hour due to a name showing up on the no fly list. Hubby said the Captain announced the situation but did not use the word (terrorist). No other information was given about the incident.

[ladyjane]

Has anybody heard from Mossad1967? His posts were always so interesting.

Mossad - are you out there?

[bored at work]

What an awesome website Vel. Thanx

[neosgirl]

Hearing reports that there is a new Al-Zawhari (OBL's #2 dude) video today shown on Al-Jazeera.
Still looking for the video itself online.

peace
neosgirl

[neosgirl]

Here's a blurb from Reuters..
fair use applies

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8825784

DUBAI (Reuters) - Arabic Channel Al Jazeera said it would air Friday a new video tape from al Qaeda ' s deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri, in which he criticized U.S plans for Middle East reform.
It said that in the video Zawahri also attacked the pro-Western governments of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
The television briefly aired footage of the Egyptian right-hand man of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden wearing a white turban with a rifle by his side, but no audio could be heard. Al Jazeera said it would later air Friday fuller excerpts of the videotape.
Zawahri and bin Laden, believed to be hiding in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, have eluded capture since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on U.S cities carried out by al Qaeda.

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is an exact quote:

http://www.internet-haganah.us/harchives/004286.html

June 15, 2005

So, was it a "work accident" or was he the target of the attack?
Palestinian Information Center-Hamas:

A Palestinian citizen, Abdul Hakim Khaled Shubair of Khan Yunis, was martyred in Iraq last week.
A cousin of the martyr said that the family was contacted by people from Iraq who told them that Abdul Hakim was seriously wounded in an explosion in his car.

Posted by aaron at June 15, 2005 02:28 PM


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ON THE NET...

http://www.palestine-info.net/english/publish/article_12681.shtml

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

INTERNET-HAGANAH.US (GUARDIAN.co.uk) HIZBALLAH: TERRORISM WORKS" (June 15, 2005)

INTERNET-HAGANAH.US (YNET NEWS.com): "HIZBALLAH SUICIDE SQUAD BUSTED IN ISRAEL" (June 15, 2005)

[Cindy]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1505088,00.html

"Hizbullah appeals to UK over ban
Don't bow to US pressure, urges leading member"

Vikram Dodd
Monday June 13, 2005
The Guardian


ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The US brands Hizbullah as a terrorist organisation because it believes the group was involved in the kidnapping and murder of its former CIA chief in Beirut and in the 1983 bombing of a US marine barracks in Beirut which killed 240 Americans.

Mrs Fakhry said the attack, which followed US warships pounding targets on Lebanese land, was self-defence, words that will anger Washington: "It's a result of what the US did to the Lebanese but we had nothing to do with it.

"It is the right of someone whose family and children were killed because of the US bombardment ... It was a state of war.

"It was an act of self-defence, it got a result and the US went out.""

[Cindy]

Thanks to VELVEETA for pointing to this article:
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http://www.tkb.org/NewsStory.jsp?storyID=71325
"Arkansas student held on terrorism charge"

The Associated Press, June 17, 2005

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "A declaration by a University of Arkansas graduate student that he was leaving to fight in a Palestinian holy war has landed him in federal custody.

Federal agents arrested Arwah J. Jaber of Fayetteville on a criminal complaint accusing him of knowingly attempting to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization.

An initial appearance was scheduled for Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Fort Smith, U.S. Justice Department spokesman Bryan Sierra said.

Sierra declined to say Thursday where Jaber was being held or give his age or other personal information.

"Our policy is a straightforward one. We can't comment beyond the papers filed in court," he said.

Charles Crowson, a spokesman for the university, said Jaber had been enrolled at the school since 2001. Crowson declined to comment on the arrest."

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is an exact quote:
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http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txs/releases/June2005/050616-Grecula.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


June 16, 2005

John Yembrick
Public Affairs Specialist
P. O. Box 61129 Houston, TX 77208
Phone: 713/567-9388 Fax: 713/718-3389

GRECULA INDICTED IN PLOT TO SELL BOMB TO TERRORISTS

(HOUSTON, TX) United States Attorney Chuck Rosenberg announced today the return of a one count indictment charging Ronald Allen Grecula, 68, of Bangor, Pennsylvania, with attempting to provide material support and resources to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, namely, Al-Qaida. Grecula, who was arrested on May 20, 2005, in Houston, Texas, by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has been in federal custody since his arrest and is expected to appear in federal court for arraignment in the near future. If convicted of the federal felony charge, Grecula faces a maximum penalty of fifteen (15) years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The criminal prosecution of Grecula began with the filling of a criminal complaint on May 20, 2005, which accused him of attempting to provide material support and resources to Al-Qaida. The investigation by federal agents began in late April 2005 after a confidential source (CS) provided information that Grecula had asked the CS to locate someone willing to pay him to build a bomb. The information provided indicated Grecula has specifically referenced Al-Qaida and Osama Bin Laden in his discussion.

According to allegations in the complaint, beginning in April 2005, through approximately May 20, 2005, Ronald Allen Grecula, negotiated with a confidential source, and later an undercover officer, who posed as an associate of members of Al-Qaida, and ultimately with an undercover officer posing as a member of the international terrorist group to build and sell an explosive device to terrorists groups targeting the United States.

Beginning on May 11, 2005, while working under supervision of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Houston, a confidential source recorded several telephone conversations during which Grecula discussed his willingness and ability to build and sell a powerful explosive device.

Beginning on May 15, 2005, an undercover agent posing as an associate of a terrorist group contacted Grecula by telephone. During several conversations recorded over the course of several days, Grecula and the undercover agent discussed Grecula's technical knowledge regarding how to build an explosive device with “ordinary” materials, the destructive potential of the bomb, Grecula's willingness to put on a demonstration for the proposed client – Al-Qaida, his willingness to train terrorists to fly planes and possible targets in the U.S. for terroristic acts, and the need for Grecula and the undercover agent to “be careful” as they planned the venture. Grecula offered to provide a resume and other documentation as proof of his expertise and ability.

On May 20, 2005, Grecula traveled to Houston, Texas, to participate in a one-hour meeting with the undercover agent and an undercover officer who posed as a member of Al-Qaida. During the recorded meeting held at an area hotel with the purported terrorist, Grecula allegedly discussed his ability to build and willingness to sell an explosive device to be used against Americans, and its destructive capability. Following this meeting, Grecula and the undercover agent traveled to a welding store and viewed materials Grecula indicated would be needed to build a bomb, and then to a restaurant for lunch. Grecula was arrested by FBI agents upon returning to the hotel.

Grecula has been ordered held in federal custody without bond pending further criminal proceedings based upon the court's finding that Grecula was a danger to the United States, and a potential flight risk.

This case is the result of a Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation conducted by the Houston office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abe Martinez and Jeffery Vaden.

An indictment is an accusation of criminal conduct, and is not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.

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[Cindy]

Note: The following text snippet is an exact quote from infovlad.net:
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http://www.infovlad.net

06.17.05
“The way towards the country of the two rivers”
Posted in General at 5:51 am by Vladimir
The lame duck named himself as “Doctor Islam” once instigated a campaign of cyber attack on infovlad.net last month at hkmah.net forum.

IRAQ: INSURGENTS’ HOLY WAR MAP ON INTERNET

Baghdad, 16 June (AKI) - Muslim militants seeking to join the fighting in Iraq against the US-led coalition forces and their Iraqi government allies can now choose the best route to smuggle themselves into the country, simply by following detailed instructions available on the Internet. “The central border area between Syria’s Dir al-Zur province and Iraq’s al-Anbar province is the entry point most used by the mujahadeen,” says part of a lengthy message, posted on the Islamic “Firdaws” forum on the Internet. The message, entitled “The way towards the country of the two rivers,” a reference to Iraq and the two main rivers flowing through the country - the Tigris and the Euphrates - is signed by someone called al-Muhjhir al-Islami. It bears some resemblance to another message Adnkronos International (AKI) found on the site on 7 June, and may have been compiled by the same author.

While the earlier message, signed by a certain “Doctor Islam”, tipped would-be insurgents to wear jeans and to shave off their beards to avoid detection as Muslim fundamentalists, the new messages offers much more detailed instructions on how to overcome the logistical hurdles of getting into Iraq.

Apparently aimed at young Jihadist recruits from Persian Gulf states, al-Islami’s guide identifies Syria as the best entry point into Iraq. Included is a manual on border-crossing techniques packed with information ranging from terrain conditions to suggestions on how to receive a warm welcome and support from the local population.

The following excerpts indicate the level of detail provided:

“The Syrian-Iraqi border runs for some 500 kilometres:

Zone A) along the first 230 kilometres in the north where the Kurds live the border is marked by the river Tigris. This is the toughest tract to cross, with frontier patrols deployed every 10 kilometres along the first 130 kilometres.”

Zone B) is the best area in which to cross into Iraq… for the following reasons:
1) The strong bonds linking the Arab tribes on both sides of the border.
2) The sympathy shown by these people towards the mujahadeen fighters.
3) The fervent attachment of these people towards Islam and Arab traditions.
4) The hatred they have for the Syrian regime.
5) The ties between the local sheiks and those in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait, in particluar with those of the Shamr, al-Bakara, al-Akidat, al-Bukhris tribes…”
6) The feeling that they have been abandoned by the Syrian regime which extracts 60 percent of its oil, grain, cotton and barley exports from here, while providing nothing in return…
7) Of the 12.2 million people originating from Syria’s Dir al-Zur region, some 350,000 work in the Gulf states, so it is easy for you to befriend them. They will teach you the best way to cross their country to reach Iraq.
8) It will take you a half-hour walk to reach the Iraqi city of Qaim (population 50,000) if you set off from the densely populated city of al-Bukamal in Syria…
9) The high level of intensity in clashes with the Americans is something which is being maintained to keep them occupied and thus ease the task for mujahidin crossing the border…
10) Some of the villages along the border are divided into Syrian and Iraqi sectors.
11) People in the region speak an Iraqi dialect very similar to the one spoken in the Gulf states.”

Al-Islami urges all would-be insurgents to avoid entering Iraq from the southern “Zone C” that runs along the provinces of Homs in Syria and al-Anbar in Iraq. The area is heavily patrolled by Syrian military units and Damascus has also set up “unofficial prisons” in the area, he warns.

“Most of those arrested on charges of trying to cross the border have been handed over to the Syrian secret agents by the Mufti of Aleppo, Ahmad Hasun, known as one of the deadliest enemies of the Salafite Jihadist faction,” the message says.

Besides describing the routes in great detail, the message also incorporates practical tips on bed and boarding arrangements.

“Don’t carry a lot of cash with you, the area [zone B] is economical and you’ll only need 300 US dollars to lodge for 15 days at a four star hotel. Petrol costs 10 dollars for a jerry-can,” the message explains.

(Hamza Boccolini/Aki)

Permalink Comments

Jihadi Files Update
Posted in General at 5:00 am by Vladimir
NOTE: I won’t post any data as to submitters’ locations, IPs or server addresses any more, barring exception of files announced by insurgents themselves. Any of my findings as to each footage would have a more private audience, for those who have so far communicated with me in one way or another. Thanks for understanding.

Posted on June 17

http://hackjaponaise.cosm.co.jp/terror/0617200501.rmvb
- Spy plane?
http://hackjaponaise.cosm.co.jp/terror/0617200502.wmv
- Mortar attack. The original filename is “Hawn Samraa”.

[appalachian_dweller]

Have you folks seen this?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1425154/posts

Another tape....