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| Locked on 08/06/2005 5:10:54 PM PDT by Admin Moderator, reason: |
Posted on 07/11/2005 8:12:04 PM PDT by nwctwx
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Don't think too hard.
You've probably already formulated the answer.
(It's difficult to think about if one allows
emotions to enter into the equation.)
An additional thought here:
The OTMs do serve a purpose.
A jihadi OTM (or just plain M) may provide support, leadership,
battle experience, training and possibly, material and/or
contacts with the enemy within.
Waiter... a COFFEE MOCHA please!
ON THE NET...
http://www.internet-haganah.us/harchives/004469.html
"From Madrid to London: Al-Qaeda Exports the War in Iraq to Europe" by Reuven Paz (July 10, 2005)
http://www.internet-haganah.us/harchives/004457.html
London Calling, Part 1 (July 7, 2005)
http://www.internet-haganah.us/harchives/004468.html
London Calling, Part 2 (July 9, 2005)
http://www.internet-haganah.us/harchives/004470.html
London Calling, Part 3 (July 11, 2005)
http://www.internet-haganah.us/harchives/004482.html
London Calling, Part 4 (July 13, 2005)
A description of your average terrorist/suicide bomber:
London suspects: Young men led dual lives
7/13/2005, 3:19 p.m. ET
By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI
The Associated Press
LEEDS, England (AP) — Every week, 22-year-old Shahzad Tanweer joined friends for games of soccer and his beloved cricket.
Hasib Hussain, 19, was a charmer who liked to flirt. He wore blue contact lenses and hair so long that one friend said it "fell like a curtain" atop his lanky frame.
Thirty-year-old Mohammed Sidique Khan worked as a counselor in a youth center. He seemed to spend more time in the gym than the mosque.
Such images and memories of bright young men have been crushed by a grim portrait given by police: It portrays them as Britons of Pakistani origin united by radical Islam who, with a fourth man, carried out suicide bus and subway bombings in London that killed at least 52 people and wounded 700.
Police have not publicly confirmed the identities of any suspects, but British media have named three — all from Leeds. Their possible dual lives and what might have driven them to violence was the only topic Wednesday in this working-class northern city with a vibrant, multiethnic population.
Tanweer, whose Pakistani-born father owns a fish-and-chips shop, lived all his life in the city's Beeston area. A devoted athlete, he studied sports science at Leeds Metropolitan University and planned to get involved in sports professionally. He showed up twice a week for pickup soccer games, said a teammate who gave his name only as Saj.
"He was normal. We used to drink Coke and Fanta together," said Saj. "He was quiet. He was religious. He went to every mosque here. There are loads of mosques here."
It was unclear what might have driven the three men to the radical side, as it was unclear how much contact they had with Muslim extremist groups or cells outside Britain.
Tanweer went to Lahore, Pakistan, this year to study the Islamic religion, and his family believed he was attending "some religious function" on the day of the bombings, said his uncle, 65-year-old Bashir Ahmed.
Forensic evidence has linked Tanweer to the blast on the Underground train near Aldgate.
The uncle said the family was "left shattered" and in disbelief that Tanweer could have organized such violence, the Press Association reported. "It wasn't him. It must have been forces behind him.
"It was total shock, I mean, it's unbelievable," Ahmed told reporters, but he denied that his nephew had gone to Afghanistan and taken part in training camps.
"There is no way, I have seen his passport," he said.
Another friend, Azzy Mohammed, 21, added: "He's the kind of person who gets along with anyone. His sense of humor is very good. He's a sweet lad."
Hussain — suspected of carrying out the suicide attack that claimed 13 lives on a double-decker bus — was known for his sense of humor and style. He wore blue contact lenses and long hair parted in the middle.
"It fell like a curtain on his head," said a friend, who asked to be identified only by the initial G. Many Muslims in Leeds refused to give their full names to reporters for reasons including community loyalty, suspicion of the media, or fear of reprisal for being associated with the suspects.
"He was a good lad . . . a good looking man. He had a good personality," the friend said.
Some people said Hussain became more religious two years ago but never abandoned his boyhood friends for radicals.
Khan was born in Pakistan and has an 8-month-old daughter. He grew up in Leeds but moved five months ago to Dewsbury in West Yorkshire. He worked with disabled children while his wife, Hasina, was involved in education, neighbors said.
One neighbor, Sara Aziz, 28, said she saw him going to the gym in the mornings. Others neighbors said they rarely saw him in the local mosque and he never talked with them about religion.
Documents belonging to Khan were found in the debris of the Edgware Road subway blast.
Zaher Birawi, chairman of Leeds Grand Mosque, condemned the bombings and said he feared possible reprisals against Muslims.
"We hope there will be no more Islamophobic attacks on our community," he said Wednesday in an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. radio. He said the Muslim safety forum had received reports of more than 400 such attacks around the country.
"I feel angry that those people came from the Muslim community in Leeds, because there is no evidence, no indications that such wrong understanding is distributed within the community," said Birawi, adding he had not met any of the suspects.
Immigrants from western Asia started coming to Leeds after World War II. Today, ethnic minorities account for 8.2 percent of the 715,000 population of Leeds; Pakistanis and Indians are the two largest groups, according to the 2001 census.
Racial tensions erupted in Leeds in the 1990s, with riots between whites and South Asians, blacks and Caribbean immigrants. But over the years this waning industrial hub has managed to revive itself as a center for shoppers, museum-goers and fiercely devoted football fans.
"Leeds has reinvented itself fabulously in the last 25 years, moving away from textiles and heavy industry. It's quite striking," said Roger Boyle, a computer professor at Leeds University and amateur historian.
I will be updating this thread today:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1438409/posts
"Terror Strike- London!"
various FR links & stories | 07-07-05 | t
Posted on 07/07/2005 10:21:18 AM PDT by backhoe
DMV Manager Charged With Selling Licenses To Illegitimate Applicants
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0705/242793.html
McLean, Va. (AP) - The manager of the Department of Motor Vehicles office at Springfield Mall was charged Tuesday with selling driver's licenses to illegitimate applicants.
Frank Martinez, 57, of Stafford, was manager at the Springfield location since 2001 and issued more than 40 authentic licenses since January 2004 to people who could not obtain a license legally - mostly illegal immigrants and people with suspended licenses, authorities said.
His clients paid between $2,000 and $3,500 for the licenses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Alexandria (website - news) , which is prosecuting the case.
Martinez was charged in federal court with conspiracy to commit identification fraud and faces up to 15 years in prison. His wife Miriam Martinez, 56, and another man, Daniel Jose Guardia Lopez, 25, of Alexandria, face an identical charge.
Authorities allege that Miriam Martinez, who had previously worked as a DMV clerk, and Guardia Lopez recruited clients and collected money in the scheme.
DMV spokeswoman Pam Goheen said Frank Martinez is suspended and faces termination if convicted. The illegitimate licenses have been identified and canceled, she said.
Two years ago, federal prosecutors broke up a DMV fraud ring at the Tysons Corner office that had issued more than 1,000 fraudulent licenses.
A similar case last year in suburban Richmond resulted in criminal charges against two DMV employees and revocation of more than 200 licenses.
U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty called Martinez's conduct "reprehensible. As a long-term employee ... Martinez abused his position of leadership and public trust while lining his pockets."
But he said the fact that people are paying up to $3,500 for a fraudulent license shows that efforts to tighten up on ID fraud since the Sept. 11 attacks are paying off.
"A few years ago, one could fraudulently obtain a driver's license for about $100. It now takes up to $3,500 and the involvement of a corrupt clerk," he said.
The arrests stem from a six-month undercover investigation involving special agents from the DMV, FBI (website) and State Department.
ON THE NET...
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=%22three+bombs%22&btnG=Search+News
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22three+bombs%22&hl=en&lr=&filter=0
http://www.altavista.com/news/results?q=%22Three+bombs%22&nc=0&nr=0&nd=4
http://www.altavista.com/web/results?itag=ody&q=%22three+bombs%22&kgs=0&kls=0
===
===
Thanks to Velveeta for pointing to this article:
---
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-bomb13.html
"Purple Line evacuated after bomb threat"
July 13, 2005
BY MARK J. KONKOL AND MAUDLYNE IHEJIRIKA Staff Reporters
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "CTA Purple Line stations in Evanston between the Howard and Linden stops were evacuated Tuesday afternoon following a call to Chicago Police from someone threatening to blow up an L train.
The unidentified caller, who contacted police from 31 E. Balbo at 3:58 p.m., said three bombs on a Purple Line train between Belmont and Linden would detonate in 10 minutes, a police spokesman said.
Chicago Police contacted Evanston and Wilmette Police, who evacuated stations. Chicago officers inspected Red and Purple Line trains, but no stations in the city were closed, police said."
Article Snippet #2: "The bogus bomb threat was the fourth time the CTA system has been interrupted by security fears since terrorist bombs crippled London's transit system last week."
Thanks for the excellent post and ping all4one.
Looks like a good plan to me.
Wowser!
Thanks Karl for that photo.
You are kindly welcome Oorang. I wish the government and most corporations had the type of teamwork, input, efficiency, professionalism, etc. that I have seen here at the Threat Matrix. Just an amazing group of people!!
I'm sorry to hear about your father-in-law, Chaos.
I hope you had a great vacation.
Thanks to all4one for pointing out what happened on this day in history:
===
Today In History - July 13, 2005:
In 1979, a 45-hour siege by Palestinian guerrillas began at the Egyptian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.
One year ago: A confidant of Osama bin Laden (Khaled bin Ouda bin Mohammed al-Harby) surrendered to Saudi diplomats in Iran and was flown to Saudi Arabia.
Me too.
I found it interesting that 'soldiers' were standing guard...
>>>Soldiers in fatigues stand at the vehicle entrance to the Orient Point, N.Y., ferry, watching as cars enter and exit the boat.
Easter said the Coast Guard and the New London Police Department are assisting in monitoring the ports.<<<
Listened to coast to coast last night. I was glad to hear, toward the end, what you posted from wnd article:
"WASHINGTON – Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., a staunch critic of the federal government's lax immigration and border enforcement policies, said yesterday he would request a briefing from the Justice Department on information it has on plans revealed by WND this week for a nuclear attack on the U.S. by al-Qaida terrorists."
These issues seem to be coming to the mainstream- finally- and to the forefront. We don't have much time, really.
Money has been used to build bunkers for the gov. and industry leaders....
Now, if it is revealed that this AQ nuke plan is real (and I believe it is)---what do you think will happen?
How will people react as specifics become clearer?
I think the gov. is afraid of panic and people will try to run from listed- and other-cities....
There will be an attempt to hush up the information- but I am hoping it is not too late to disseminate the truth and put ALL our energies into defeating this evil plan.
Note: The following text is an exact quote:
===
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/july05/ms071305.htm
HOW WE'RE GANGING UP ON MS-13
And What You Can Do To Help
07/13/05
An example of an MS-13 tattoo.
They've severed the fingers of their rivals with machetes...brutally murdered suspected informants, including a 17-year-old pregnant federal witness...attacked and threatened law enforcement officers...committed a string of rapes, assaults, break-ins, auto thefts, extortions, and frauds across the U.S....gotten involved in everything from drug and firearms trafficking to prostitution and money laundering...and are sowing violence and discord not just here in the U.S. but around the world.
Remind you of mobsters? Actually, this disturbing résumé of crime and violence belongs to MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, a fast-growing, violent, and increasingly mobile street gang that’s terrorizing communities in 33 states and the District of Columbia.
MS-13, which started in Los Angeles in the late 1980s, has an estimated 8,000-10,000 members nationwide, mostly Salvadoran nationals or first generation Salvadoran Americans but also including Hondurans, Guatemalans, Mexicans, and other Central and South American immigrants. Members often wear clothing or sport tattoos incorporating MS-13 or the number 13.
What are we doing to stop MS-13? Quite a bit:
... In December 2004, we launched a multi-agency MS-13 National Gang Task Force—the first of its kind—focused specifically on dismantling MS-13 by increasing and speeding the flow of information and intelligence, coordinating investigations, and helping local and state law enforcement more easily identify the gang in their areas.
.... We're specifically reaching out to our international partners in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico to share intelligence and begin a coordinated campaign to dismantle MS-13. We've begun sharing information on nearly a daily basis, and we have an agent on the ground in San Salvador helping local authorities investigate gangs.
.... In a related effort, we've established a National Gang Intelligence Center to better coordinate and share intelligence on MS-13 and other major gangs.
What can you do to help?
Get educated on gangs. A good place to start is the 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment, which outlines major gangs by region and how communities can help stop them.
Be proactive when it comes to your children. Take a few minutes to look at A Parent's Quick Reference Card: Recognizing and Preventing Gang Involvement for helpful tips and suggestions.
If you know of any gang "hang outs"—which typically include shopping malls, night clubs, vacant buildings, and specific street corners—or have any other information on MS-13 that might be useful to law enforcement, contact your local FBI office, your local police, or our National Gang Task Force at (202) 324-5341.
For more details on MS-13, its potential connections to terrorists, and our overall anti-gang strategy, see Assistant Director Chris Swecker's testimony of 4/20/05.
This was also noted in the WND article:
Williams quotes an anonymous federal official as saying: "The question isn't whether bin Laden has nuclear weapons, it's when he will try to use them."
In addition to the suitcase nukes, Williams reports that al-Qaida has also obtained chemical weapons from North Korea and Iraq. Williams says the FBI confirmed to him that Saddam Hussein provided bin Laden with a "gift" of anthrax spores.
Williams says al-Qaida also includes in its arsenal plague viruses, including ebola and salmonella, from the former Soviet Union and Iraq, samples of botulism biotoxin from the Czech Republic, and sarin from Iraq and North Korea.
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29109
If you see an article regarding WHAT and/or WHO started that fire could you update it here?
THANKS.
Thank you British Chick.
Here's the link I am updating here, by the way:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1438409/posts
"Terror Strike- London!"
various FR links & stories | 07-07-05 | t
Posted on 07/07/2005 10:21:18 AM PDT by backhoe
Have to head out, but I wanted to post an incident that occurred last evening- route 7 in Connecticut- near Danbury.
(Recall the cut off of a tractor trailer carrying fuel which melted 95 in both directions February 2004?)
Last night, a car cut off a tractor trailer carrying some kind of hazardous fuel. The tractor jackknifed- there was a huge explosion shutting down route 7- sadly, the driver was killed.
Just tinfoiling that there could be some practice runs on how not only to wreak environmental havoc, but to cut off escape routes from NYV
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