Posted on 08/27/2005 10:47:55 PM PDT by FairOpinion
SEOUL: Al Qaeda has listed the United States and Australia as prime targets for attacks this year along with Britain, South Korea’s spy agency has reported, according to a lawmaker on Saturday.
South Korea, Japan and the Philippines are secondary targets, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) told parliament this week, quoting a “senior” Al Qaeda member arrested last month.
“According to NIS, this terrorist testified that South Korea, Japan and the Philippines are secondary targets, while the United States, Britain and Australia are the prime targets for this year,” a lawmaker told AFP. NIS did not reveal the name of the Al Qaeda member, where he was arrested or what country handed over the information, according to the lawmaker sitting on the National Assembly’s intelligence committee, who requested anonymity. The comments come after the Financial Times quoted French investigating magistrate Jean-Louis Bruguiere as saying that an Asia-Pacific financial centre such as Sydney, Tokyo or Singapore could be targeted by Al Qaeda extremists.
NIS told the committee that security officials were on alert for attacks in South Korea, which is hosting an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the southern port of Busan in November.
South Korea, Japan and the Philippines have all contributed troops to the US-led war in Iraq. South Korea, which like Japan hosts US military bases, has 3,600 troops in Iraq, the third-largest contingent after the United States and Britain.
Britain has already been targeted by extremists this year with 56 people dying in the July 7 bombing of three subway trains and a double-decker bus in London. Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard on Friday acknowledged his country was a possible terror target as he responded to the Financial Times report.
“I have said for a long time this country can’t imagine that it’s free from the prospect of a terrorist attack,” he said.
“We are, in my view, well prepared. But the important thing is not to have an effective response mechanism after the attack, the aim is to try and stop it occurring in the first place.” In the interview published on Friday, Bruguiere, France’s top terrorist investigator, said Asian financial centres could be targeted to undermine investor confidence.
“We have elements of information that make us think that countries in this region, especially Japan, could have been targeted” by the Al Qaeda network, he said. “Any attack on a financial market like Japan would mechanically have an important economic impact on the confidence of investors. Other countries in this region, such as Singapore and Australia, are also potential targets.” Asia-Pacific financial capitals reacted calmly to the report but officials said the region was prepared for the worst.
While they have a difficult time attacking us directly, and notices like this are intended to keep us on edge – excuse me, instill terror – it may happen eventually. As a wise person once said, (paraphrase?) “We have to successfully stop them 100% of the time. They only have to succeed once.”
That said, I’m not about to hide under my bed in terror. I’m not about to run in fear and call for appeasement.
I agree but unless this country wises up we are going to get hit and hit again.The enemy is HERE already .Political correctness has compromised the safety of myself and my loved ones. I reality I could get killed because this country is afraid to call a spade a spade when it comes to Muslims. We need to find out who is here then throw them the hell out .Our borders should be closely watched and people from the middle east should NO LONGER be able to come here for ANY REASON.
We wont learn until we are hit big and eben them the aCLU will moan and we will , like idiots, follow the political correct crowd.
Glenn Beck said when this started that the existing Muslims in the US had better be seen as condemning terrorism; that this half-hearted, "we insist terrorism is bad, BUT..." kind of thing was what the average Muslim should really be afraid of. "Because," Glenn noted, "when and if a real attack lands again on American soil, when a nuclear or bio attack hurts America again, the regular guy like me who is right now kinda on the side of the regular Muslim, is going to say that locking you guys up seems like a reasonable idea."
Seriously, I am a kind guy. Pay my taxes, give to the poor, live and let live. Next big attack, we start locking up every Muslim man, woman and child. And none of this "search 80-year-old grandma at the airport to be PC" nonsense. You know who's going on the trains next time, folks.
I agree with you buddy. We are doing nothing to protect ourselves. Most of it is cosmetic. I just got back from Europe yesterday and the moslem population is swelling daily. The REFUSE to intergrate into Euro society and will eventually populate western Europe to the extent where they are the majority. Holland , where I stayed mostly , has changed since last year .They have become VERY suspicious of muslims once again the the politically correct crowd is keeping VERY quiet.
In another late breaking flash, grass has been discoved to be green, the shy blue, and our borders are wide open.
I agree 100% with you. Right now I am still on the side of alert, but calm, reason. However, another major attack will no doubt change that. It's not something I would want or advocate, but I know how I felt on September 12, the day after 9-11, when the shock wore off. I'd never been so red hot angry in my life. I do not think I am in the minority on this thinking. The "moderate" muslims had better be aware of this and take sides soon.
Not exactly true.
Some were on watch lists, and, as the Able Danger revelations show, not for random reasons.
Some committed visa fraud.
Some got visas only due to lackadaisy in our embassies.
Some had expired or otherwise invalid visas.
Some had encounters with police with invalid visas, invalid and/or fraudulent licenses, etc.
Some had encounters with the FAA for the love of God, doing things like leaving a rented plane on a runway, and STILL their immigration status was not checked.
Some made openly terroristic threats in the presence of federal government officials!
Had the immigration laws and regs IN PLACE AT THE TIME been enforced, 9/11 would not have happened. 9/11 is a direct product of lax immigration enforcement.
"what would be the advantage to AQ to take on Tokyo or Singapore? It's hard to see why they would bother..."
====
Bin Laden's stated goal is to destroy world economy. If you look at it from that context, it makes sense that Tokyo and Singapore would be high on AQ's list.
They got this info from a captured AQ leader -- one would hope they got much more specific info from him also, which they are not putting into newspapers.
ping
Israel should build a wall to protect themselves.
INTERNET-HAGANAH.US (August 14, 2005 - TimesOnline.co.uk): "LEAKED US INTELLIGENCE DOCUMENT WARNING OF TERRORIST ATTACKS ON LONDON AND AMERICA USING FUEL TANKERS" (August 16, 2005)
JNEWSWIRE.com: "HAMAS: CHRISTIAN ZIONISM IS OUR ENEMY" by Jerusalem Newswire Editiorial Staff (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The Hamas terrorist organization has singled out Christian supporters of Israel, putting them on notice that it views their actions as "criminal," making them enemies of the Palestinian Arabs.") (August 22, 2005) (Read More...) (Note: This url may expire.)
MEMRITV.org - Transcript: "ENGLISH SPEAKING AL-QAEDA TERRORIST: OH PEOPLE OF THE WEST.... IT IS TIME FOR US TO BE EQUALS -- AS YOU KILL US, YOU WILL BE KILLED (Fuller Version)" (TRANSCRIPT SNIPPET: "The following are excerpts from an Al-Qaeda tape featuring a Western Al-Qaeda terrorist, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on August 9, 2005. Al-Arabiya claims he is Irish.") (Note: To view the video clip go to memritv.org.) (August 9, 2005) (Read More...)
INTERNET-HAGANAH.US: "NEW GIMF FLASH RELEASED" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "It's a re-posting of a message from Bin Laden. Target list includes the USA, Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Germany and Australia.") (July 17, 2005) (Read More...)
JIHAD WATCH.org (AP): "U.S. SAYS TERRORISTS MAY POSE AS VAGRANTS" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The warning is similar to one issued by the FBI before July 4, 2004 that said terrorists may attempt surveillance disguised as homeless people, shoe shiners, street vendors or street sweepers...) (August 23, 2005) (Read More...)
A Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding a WashingtonTimes.com article: "MEXICAN MERCENARIES EXPAND BASE INTO U.S." (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The deserters, known as the "Zetas," trained in the United States as an elite force of anti-drug commandos, but have since signed on as mercenaries for Mexican narcotics traffickers and have recruited an army of followers, many of whom are believed to be operating in Texas, Arizona, California and Florida.") (August 1, 2005) (Read More...)
MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series - No. 929: "Al-Arabiya TV Report: Iranian Volunteer Suicide Bomber Organization of 40,000 'Time Bombs; Recruited to Target Americans in Iraq and Israel" (July 6, 2005) (Read More...)
MEMRI TV.org - Transcript - Clip No. 736: "ON THE IRANIAN MOVEMENT OF 'MARTYRDOM SEEKERS'" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "TRANSCRIPT SNIPPET: "The following are excerpts from a report about the movement of "martyrdom seekers" in Iran. Al-Arabiya TV aired this report on July 2, 2005.) (Read More...)
GUARDIAN.co.uk: "UN ALERT AS NUCLEAR PLANS GO MISSING Blueprints Disclosing Key Steps to Build a Bomb Feared Up For Sale" by Ian Traynor in Vienna (June 9, 2005) (Read More...) (Note: This url may expire.)
INTERNET-HAGANAH.US (NJ.com): "'IT COULD MEAN NOTHING OR IT COULD BE PRE-OPERATIONAL SURVEILLANCE' Incidents Intensify Hospital Vigilance" (July 17, 2005) (Read More...)
CNS NEWS.com: "ASIAN FINANCIAL HUB WARNED OF POSSIBLE TERROR ATTACK" by Patrick Goodenough (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The al Qaeda terrorist network may be planning a terrorist attack in a major city in Asia as a bid to undermine investor confidence and cause serious economic damage, one of Europe's leading terrorist investigators has warned.") (August 26, 2005) (Read More...)
bump
Force TROP to make the announcement from every minaret and every mosque in America. Some people want to win their hearts and minds: grab them by their gherkins, and their hearts and minds will follow1 Allahu fubar!
It will have to take place on a coast or in a leftist town elsewhere. There are just too many people in the Midwest, myself included, who are just waiting for the brown guy to twitch.
A lot of us agree with your sentiments, but it would be illegal, the ACLU would get their shorts in a twist, and the PC police wouldn't allow it. Amoung twenty other talking points.
BTW, I'm to the right of Atilla the Hun.
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