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

Thread Thirty-Five

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[JustPiper]

I don't google ;)

[JustPiper]

They declined to give details...in other words you are probably correct!

[JustPiper]

Freakin Farakhan headache!

[JustPiper]

First Declassified Iraq Documents Released

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration Wednesday night released the first declassified documents collected by U.S. intelligence during the Iraq war, showing among other things that Saddam Hussein's regime was monitoring reports that Iraqis and Saudis were heading to Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks to fight U.S. troops.

The documents, the first of thousands expected to be declassified over the next several months, were released via a Pentagon Web site at the direction of National Intelligence Director John Negroponte.

Many were in Arabic — with no English translation — including one the administration said showed that Iraqi intelligence officials suspected al-Qaida members were inside Iraq in 2002.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060316/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq_documents

~Laura?

If you glean anything in arabic please post it?

[Cindy]

Thank you JP.

[JustPiper]

Cindy are you here? I need your help

[JustPiper]

I just heard on CBS/ABC radio that their is a terror investigation going on with our task force for Two incidents in the past three weeks of a suspicious nature.

People were calling 911 today due to small aircraft around Sears and somewhere else. It was said it was flyby's for aerial shots.

Tonight I hear there were two suspicious incidents at Sears Tower with 3-4 suspicious middle eastern characters photographing Sears and other things I didn't catch.

Would you please see what you can find out, I've had no luck

[JustPiper]

Terror task force probing suspicious activity around Chicago landmarksSears Tower officials reported incident

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=3997181

[Cindy]

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=3997181

"Terror task force probing suspicious activity around Chicago landmarks
Sears Tower officials reported incident"
By John Garcia

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "March 15, 2006 - ABC7 News has learned the terrorism task force is looking into two suspicious cases in downtown Chicago. They happened within the last three weeks. Investigators describe one of the incidents as frightening.

The incidents involve two landmark Chicago buildings, the Sears Tower and Boeing World headquarters. Since 9-11, the Sears Tower building management in particular has increased security efforts several times over. But the law enforcement sources say, nevertheless, they are concerned about these latest incidents.

The entire incident was recorded on Sears Tower video security cameras. The tape is now in the hands of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. It shows three suspicious looking men parked right in front of the building near the loading dock.

They get out of the car in point formation, with two of the men appearing to serve as lookouts, and a third taking pictures of the building with either a video or still camera. When building security noticed them guards made them leave. They failed, however, to ask for identification, and if they had, it may have been phony, because authorities later learned the car was rented under a fake name.


A law enforcement source who has seen the video describes it as very frightening.

Mark Spencer, a spokesperson for the Sears Tower said, "We reported this situation to federal authorities immediately after it occurred. We are confident that federal investigators will thoroughly investigate the situation."

There is no video of a second incident, around the same time of a suspicious individual who was seen sketching the Boeing headquarters building. Building security questioned that man, even took pictures of his sketch but again failed to get an ID or even a picture of him."

[JustPiper]

Cindy...how stupid can these guards be, two incidents and they didn't detain anyone?!

Also if the incident at Sears was 'frightening' how could the officials say this could be an innocent error?!

[JustPiper]

Also posted a breaking thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1597287/posts

[Cindy]

Thank you JP.

[Cindy]

OPINION: I don't know what training the security guards have. The article is interesting, but the updates on these incidents will hopefully be more informative and interesting.

[JustPiper]

Well, this city already insulted the intelligence of those calling repeatedly to 911 today with a small plane flying low over Sears etc.
NOTE: No news in MsM about it

Then the insult of LEO's about the contradictions of its frightening, but maybe innocent

Couldn't have caught them anyway because the car rental was bogus

blah-blah-blah

and don't forget this:

Suspected Hotel Freon Leak Sickens Several
At Least Three Taken To Hospital
POSTED: 2:47 pm CST March 13, 2006
UPDATED: 5:32 pm CST March 13, 2006

Several people fell ill Monday afternoon after a suspected Freon leak affected the Palmer House Hilton.

http://www.nbc5.com/news/7968191/detail.html?rss=chi&psp=news

http://www.cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_072154423.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/newsroom/chi-060317palmerhouseleak,1,912148.story?track=rss

[Cindy]

Thank you JP.
I appreciate the links and memory joggers.

[JustPiper]

Small Plane Over Sears Tower Not A Threat

CHICAGO (STNG) -- A small plane reported flying over the Sears Tower and Union Station around noon on Wednesday was doing aerial photography, the FAA said.
According to preliminary police communications, reports were called in to police that the unidentified plane was observed flying over the Sears Tower, 233 S. Wacker Dr., and Union Station, 225 S. Canal St.

Elizabeth Isham Cory of the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the plane was on a photo mission, but had no further details. There are currently no "temporary flight restrictions" on small planes flying in those areas, she said.

“We sent some cars over there,’’ said Police Central District officer William Brown, who said they were receiving reports of a small plane flying in those areas.

“Usually, it’s someone doing aerial mapping, but normally when that happens they’ll tell us,’’ Brown said. “I didn’t hear anything today.’’

A police helicopter was called to check out the situation.

http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/15550.php?

[Cindy]

FR - KEYWORD - "SEARSTOWER":

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=searstower

[Cindy]

Thank you for the update JP.


http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/15550.php?

[Cindy]

stepping back in time...

March 30, 2004

http://www.washtimes.com/world/20040330-120655-9785r.htm

"Chicago, L.A. towers were next targets"


By Paul Martin
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "LONDON — Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, al Qaeda's purported operations chief, has told U.S. interrogators that the group had been planning attacks on the Library Tower in Los Angeles and the Sears Tower in Chicago on the heels of the September 11, 2001, terror strikes."

[Cindy]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/14109520.htm


Posted on Thu, Mar. 16, 2006

"MONEY LAUNDERING
Experts focus on danger behind prepaid cash cards
Money Laundering Alert's annual conference explores the potential abuse of prepaid cards, which can be easily used anonymously by terrorists."
BY JANE BUSSEY
jbussey@MiamiHerald.com

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "When terrorist hijacker Mohammed Atta prepared for the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, he received 14 wires transfers -- all dutifully noted -- and nearly $70,000 wired from a Persian Gulf emirate bank that prompted a suspicious activity report.

But using the newest virtual money technology -- prepaid and reloadable cards -- a terrorist could potentially enter the United States with dozens of cards loaded with up to $10,000 apiece, withdraw the cash from ATMs and leave no trace.

''That, my friends, is the difference between 9/11 and the financial footprints that [the hijackers] left and the potential today,'' said Jeffrey Ross, senior advisor to the Treasury Department's Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crime.

The potential misuse of prepaid cards -- which prompted the Bush administration to issue a January alert -- was a hot topic Wednesday at the annual International Money Laundering Conference at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood."