Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - Thread Thirty-Five

[nwctwx]

Unrest in Pakistan Setback for Terror War
(Full Story)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- A week of unprecedented urban fighting in the wild tribal belt of North Waziristan has left scores dead and forced thousands to flee their homes, raising the stakes in Pakistan's war on Islamic militancy along the Afghan border.

A jumbled alliance of foreign militants, local tribesmen and Islamic students eager for jihad have stepped up resistance in a region where the army already claims to have wiped out al-Qaida as a viable fighting force.

The unrest, brewing for months, is a setback to the U.S.-led war on terror. Further hampering that effort are deteriorating relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan over Afghan claims that Taliban leader Mullah Omar is hiding in Pakistan and suicide bombers are training here.

	Growing strength of Pakistani Taliban worries U.S. officials
	Are global events spiraling out of control?
	Zawahri calls for strikes against West

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[Imperialist]

Wow, interesting story about the possible sub-base probe.

Which just reminded me....

Back in late 2000, after the Cole bombing, I watched a news story, I think on Fox, where the reporter and a camera man took a small fishing boat and penetrated Navy bases on the Eastern Seabord from sea, and also with cars on land, including that base in the story today. It was interesting how close they got, in one scene, the reporter is riding in the back of the boat and reaching out, slapping the tails of subs at dock as they float by. In another, they enter with a truck through the main gate with a weak story, and park it in a spot marked "reserved for captain", right next to a huge boat full of artillery, they get out and leave the truck, and enter a rec. center and into a computer/internet room in the center, filming the whole time and no one confronted them!

Anybody else ever see that report? I can't seem to find any links to it on the Net. It was interesting video.

[Cindy]

Thank you WestCoastGal.

[little jeremiah]

I just told someone yesterday I'd rather crawl, pogostick or swim anywhere in the world than fly.

And I felt like that before 9-11 even.

[Cindy]

Note: The following post is a quote:
---

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1595904/posts


Top al-Qaida figure lived in Lodi(CA), witness says
The Sacramento Bee ^ | 13 Mar 06 | Denny Walsh

Posted on 03/13/2006 6:02:08 PM PST by Diver Dave

An FBI informant testified Monday in Sacramento federal court that al-Qaida’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, lived in Lodi during parts of 1998 and 1999. Naseem Khan, who is a critical prosecution witness in the trials of two Lodi men charged with having terrorist ties, testified he was living in Lodi in 1998 and 1999 and "every time I would go to the mosque (al-Zawahri) would be coming or going" from the mosque.

Khan said al-Zawahri, known to the FBI as Osama bin Laden’s personal physician and top adviser, "disappeared" sometime in 1999.

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...

[JustPiper]

me too-I've flown only once since

[JustPiper]

This story is odd because there was an unsubstantiated rumor from a high class callgirl alleging there was an Iranian sub in an east harbor (yesterday)

[JustPiper]

BTW good to see you here!

[JustPiper]

Welcome m'am

[JustPiper]

Glad to help, have you seen this?:

Bush Admin. releases 48K boxes of Saddam Documents

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1595752/posts

[JustPiper]

DP World: No Plan to Sell Miami Port Ops

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/03/13/D8GB0HJGC.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arab central banks move assets out of dollar
~Spittleypooh!

Middle Eastern anger over the decision by the US to block a Dubai company from buying five of its ports hit the dollar yesterday as a number of central banks said they were considering switching reserves into euros.

The United Arab Emirates, which includes Dubai, said it was looking to move one-tenth of its dollar reserves into euros, while the governor of the Saudi Arabian central bank condemned the US move as "discrimination".

http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article351127.ece

[JustPiper]

Well, we've discussed this in the past:

Tuesday, March 14

Tonight is the Full Moon. In many cultures, it is known as the "Worm Moon."

Eclipse time

For viewers in Asia, India and the western portion of Australia, you'll get to see the Moon pass through this shadow just as it sets for your local time. For Europe and Africa? You're in luck as the entire event can be seen from your area. For the majority of both North and South America, the eclipse will be underway as the Moon rises, but you can watch it slide out of the shadow long before it sets. Unfortunately, the western-most portion of the Americas will not see anything.

http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/whatsup_mar13_2006.html

[JustPiper]

Burst oil pipeline causes 'catastrophe' in Alaska
By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
Published: 14 March 2006

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article351121.ece
________________________________________________________

Iran to begin construction of new nuclear plant – Minister
Mon. 13 Mar 2006
Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Mar. 13 – Iran will begin construction of a new nuclear plant in the south-western province of Khuzestan within the next six months, the country’s Energy Minister announced.

“The project to build the country’s second nuclear plant will begin in the first six months of the coming year (Persian calendar year beginning March 21) by domestic experts”, Parviz Fattah told reporters, the government-run agency Mehr reported on Sunday.

Fattah said that the ministry had signed contracts with Syria, Lebanon, Armenia, Iraq, Georgia, and Tajikistan over the past year.

http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=6230

[JustPiper]

EXCLUSIVE: INSIDE BIN LADEN'S BUNKER
EXCLUSIVE Secrets of Osama's mountain bolthole
By Chris Hughes In Afghanistan
THE huge, air-conditioned rooms, running hot and cold water, porcelain loos and the giant concrete arches reveal a surprising degree of comfort and luxury.

Then you see the grisly reminders of the terror that once lurked here, 100ft beneath the Afghan countryside.

A leg, an arm, fragments of bone and bits of cloth lying among the rubble.

This is the elaborate underground bunker Osama bin Laden built for his key aide, Taliban leader Mullah Omar, and his most trusted al-Qaeda fighters. And I am the first journalist to set foot here.

more...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16807138&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=exclusive--inside-bin-laden-s-bunker-name_page.html

[JustPiper]

FACTBOX-Developments in Iraq, March 13

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L1375868.htm

[JustPiper]

Economic jihad and U.S. ports?
By Rachel Ehrenfeld and Alyssa A. Lappen
Washington Times
March 13, 2006

Thanks to our congressmen who lined up against trusting the management and leases of U.S. ports to the sheikdom of Dubai, Dubai Ports World announced on March 9 that it will transfer its U.S. operations to an American entity.
However, it is not clear that they gave up the ownership.

http://www.israpundit.com/2006/?p=438

[JustPiper]

NORAD Orders Deletion Of ADIZ Meeting Transcript

Were National Security Issues At Stake?

National security... or outright censorship?

That is but one of the questions being asked in the wake of news that the North American air defense command ordered the removal of online transcripts of a public meeting on the Washington DC ADIZ earlier this year.

The meeting, held January 18 at the Airport Marriott in Dulles, VA, solicited public comments on the ADIZ's impact on area businesses. The FAA made a transcript of the meeting available shortly thereafter -- until Major General M. Scott Mayes, the head of NORAD, ordered an internal review that flagged the transcript as
"problematic", according to CNET News, which led to its deletion from the FAA site.

http://www.aero-news.net/news/genav.cfm?ContentBlockID=e5f885fa-7589-4d5e-8eb6-42b4b445be1d&Dynamic=1

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

AFTENPOSTEN.no/english: "KREKAR CLAIMS ISLAM WILL WIN" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: ""Osama bin Laden is a good person," Krekar said. He claimed Osama bin Laden is considered a terrorist simply because he lacks his own state.") (March 13, 2006)

BRUSSELS JOURNAL.com: "'THE WAR IS ON'" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Yesterday (Thursday) Mullah Krekar, the alleged leader of the Islamist group Ansar al-Islam who has been living in Norway as a refugee since 1991, said that the publication of the Muhammad cartoons was a declaration of war. "The war has begun," he told Norwegian journalists. Mr Krekar said Muslims in Norway are preparing to fight. "It does not matter if the governments of Norway and Denmark apologize, the war is on.") (February 3, 2006)

AFTENPOSTEN.no/english: Aftenposten.no - Search Term: "KREKAR"

Google - Search Term: "KREKAR"

[JustPiper]

Off Topic:

Statement as of 12:32 PM EST on March 13, 2006

record event report
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
1130 am Mon Mar 13 2006

... Record peak wind gust set at Moline...

A record peak wind gust of 107 mph was set at 7:48 PM Sunday March
12th at the Quad City Airport in Moline Illinois.

The previous peak wind gust was 81 mph set on August 21 1987.

~This is where my daughter lives

http://www.wunderground.com/US/MO/009.html

http://www.wunderground.com/severe.asp

[JustPiper]

Update:

No threat after Navy shuts down road near sub base

GROTON, Conn. -- The Navy restricted traffic near the Groton submarine base Monday while investigating a potential bomb threat.

A search dog detected a suspicious scent on a truck carrying boxes through the main gate at about 6:30 a.m., the Navy said. The Navy increased base security and asked an explosive team from Newport, R.I., to investigate, said Arianne Anderson, a base spokeswoman.

Early Monday evening, after inspecting the boxes, the Navy determined there was no threat and reopened the road to traffic.

"Our established security procedures and threat response worked well today," said Capt. Sean Sullivan, the base commander.

*Short and Sweet

http://www.wfsb.com/Global/story.asp?S=4625698

[JustPiper]

FBI Investigates West Plains Trucking School
{Springfield, MO}

The West Plains school superintendent confirmed Monday the Federal Bureau of Investigations served search warrants last week on a truck driving school.
School officials say they were told the agents were looking into allegations of improper issuance of drivers licenses.

West Plains R-7 superintendent Karla Eslinger confirmed the agents were at the school Thursday to seize documents related to the South Central Career Center AVTS Truck Training program. One of the agents identified himself as being with the anti terrorism unit of the F.B.I.

The program offers classes for people who want to learn how to drive commercial vehicles. It also serves as a testing site for people seeking a CDL - commercial driver`s license - from the state of Missouri. The state issues the licenses through the Department of Revenue.

"It is an adult education program," Eslinger said of the class. "As for the testing, anyone can come here to take the CDL test."

F.B.I. spokesman Jeff Lanza in Kansas City would only say the warrants were issued as part of an ongoing investigation. "The warrant and anything gathered as a result of that warrant are under seal," Lanza told KOLR10 News. "I cannot comment any further," he said. Lanza would not comment on whether the investigation was terrorism related.

Eslinger said the director of the truck training program and one testing officer had been placed on paid leave, pending the outcome of the investigation. "The classes and testing are still continuing," she said.

Missouri Department of Revenue spokeswoman Maura Browning told KOLR10, "The agency is aware of the investigation, but is not participating in the investigation."

When asked how DOR might respond to allegations of improper licensing, Browning said it would not likely respond, since it is a criminal matter still under investigation.

Students and a driving instructor at the school Monday said they were told not to talk about the investigation.

http://www.kolr10.com/news/default.asp?mode=shownews&id=4744