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Locked on 10/01/2006 6:19:30 PM PDT by Lead Moderator, reason:
October thread here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1711848/posts |
Posted on 09/01/2006 8:57:29 PM PDT by nwctwx
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Livermore (CA) residents warned to watch for pipe bombs
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/baycitynews/archive/2006/09/29/livermore29.DTL
Livermore police said today that they don't know what the intended target was in two incidents in the last five days in which improvised explosive devices were found in public areas.
Weiss said the first incident occurred at 8:27 a.m. Friday in an industrial area next to an open field not far from the Livermore Municipal Airport.
He said a Livermore public works employee noticed a suspicious object, Livermore police secured the area and the Alameda County bomb squad disabled the device with a water cannon.
Weiss said the device, which appeared to be a pipe bomb, was 12 inches long and 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. It was made of plastic and contained liquid acid and aluminum foil.
The device wouldn't detonate unless it was moved, causing the acid to contact the foil, he said.
"It is reasonable to believe that this device was intended to cause injury and possibly death to anyone who touched it," Weiss said.
He said the second incident occurred at 6:37 p.m. Wednesday when a Livermore resident was walking his dogs in Robertson Park at 3250 Robertson Park Road and his dogs ran into a weeded area on top of a small hill.
As the resident called his dogs back, he noticed what he believed to be three pipe bombs at the base of a tree and called police, according to Weiss.
Regarding the 3 bombs, I wonder if they were place there waiting for a person to come pick them up?
THANKS for posting this article Fair Opinion.
"Regarding the 3 bombs, I wonder if they were place there waiting for a person to come pick them up? "
Quite likely, since they have been in an area, which sounds like a good hiding place.
I also wonder if someone is casing/testing the area to see what damagage that one pipe bomb could/would do.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200609/CUL20060929a.html
"Survivor of Jihad Issues Challenge to Muslim-Americans"
By Kevin Mooney
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
September 29, 2006
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "(CNSNews.com) - A survivor of Islamic Jihad in the 1970s is challenging Muslim Americans who reject radical teachings to "raise their voices" and to hold demonstrations in public venues across the country denouncing violent behavior.
Brigitte Gabriel is a journalist and news producer who said she had first-hand experience with militant Muslims as a teenager living in Lebanon. The Jihad launched against Christians in Lebanon in 1975 and its relevance to contemporary politics was the focus of Gabriel's talk at the Heritage Foundation on Wednesday.
She took the opportunity to call on moderate Muslims in the U.S. to take better advantage of the constitutional freedoms that are not available to like-minded moderates in the Middle East."
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/2006/09/013333print.html
September 28, 2006
"Writer of 'anti-Islam' article gets death threats"
SNIPPET: "He "accused Islam of 'exalting violence,'" and they threaten to kill him. Doesn't anyone notice the irony here?"
Note: The following text is a quote:
---
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_2123.html
Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520
This information is current as of today, Fri Sep 29 2006 03:07:50 GMT-0700.
LEBANON
September 28, 2006
Lebanon Situation Update
This Travel Warning is being issued to alert American citizens that non-emergency employees and adult family members have been authorized to return to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, but the Department continues to urge U.S. citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Lebanon. This Travel Warning also alerts U.S. citizens to the ongoing safety and security concerns in Lebanon. It supersedes the Travel Warning issued on July 27, 2006.
Although the Department of State has lifted Ordered Departure Status for the Embassy, the Department remains very concerned about the personal safety and security of American citizens in Lebanon and urges U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel and to avoid all travel to areas south of the Litani river. U.S. citizens in or traveling to Lebanon are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Beirut where they may also obtain updated information on travel and security in Lebanon. See registration details below.
Beirut International Airport has reopened. Americans wishing to depart Lebanon may utilize commercial transport at this time. Overland routes using secondary roads are open. Visas are required for Americans seeking entry into Syria. Land travelers may apply for Syrian visas at border crossings but should be prepared for an extended wait. As standard commercial transportation is now available, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut is no longer providing U.S. government-chartered transportation to Americans who wish to return to the United States.
U.S. citizens who are in Lebanon despite this Travel Warning should exercise heightened caution when traveling in parts of the southern suburbs of Beirut and portions of the Bekaa Valley. As noted above, they should avoid areas south of the Litani River. Although the August 14 cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hizballah has largely been honored by both sides, the situation remains tense and a resumption of sporadic violence remains a possibility. Hizballah maintains a strong presence in many of these areas, and there is the potential for action by other extremist groups in Tripoli, Sidon, and the Palestinian refugee camps.
The U.S. Government considers the potential threat to U.S. Government personnel assigned to Beirut sufficiently serious to require them to live and work under strict security restrictions. This limits, and may occasionally prevent, the movement of U.S. Embassy officials in certain areas of the country. Unofficial travel to Lebanon by U.S. Government employees and their family members requires prior approval by the Department of State.
Dangers posed by landmines and unexploded ordnance throughout south Lebanon are significant and also exist in other areas where civil war fighting was intense. There is a danger of unexploded cluster bombs and other ordnance in areas south of the Litani that were scenes of fighting in the July-August 2006 conflict. Travelers should be aware of posted landmine warnings and strictly avoid all areas where landmines and unexploded ordnance may be present.
The Embassy is located in Awkar, near Antelias, Beirut, Lebanon. Public access hours for American citizens are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. However, American citizens who require emergency services outside of these hours may contact the Embassy by telephone at any time. The telephone numbers are (961-4) 542-600, 543-600, and fax 544-209. American citizens may register with the Embassy online by visiting https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs. Information on consular services and registration can also be found at http://lebanon.usembassy.gov or by phone at the above telephone numbers between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday local time.
Updated information on travel and security in Lebanon may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 within the United States or, from overseas, 1-202-501-4444. Additional details can be found in the Department of State's Consular Information Sheet for Lebanon, the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, the Middle East and North Africa Public Announcement and the Travel Publication A Safe Trip Abroad, all of which are available on the Department's Internet site at http://travel.state.gov.
OPINION: Testing, testing, 1-2-3...
---
UPDATE:
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--airport-suspiciou0929sep28,0,2345716.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork
"Authorities clear suspicious bag found at JFK parking lot"
September 29, 2006, 2:18 AM EDT
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "NEW YORK -- Five hours after getting reports of a suspicious bag at a John F. Kennedy International Airport parking lot, investigators determined the unattended package was not a threat and authorities began allowing vehicular traffic back to the area early Friday morning.
The bag did contain a powdery substance, but a hazmat team deemed it non-hazardous, said Pasquale DiFulco, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport. "
ON THE NET...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=mexico
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=border
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=borders
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=illegalimmigration
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=105&sid=928082
September 29th, 2006
"Mexico Opposed to U.S. Border Fence"
Sep 28th - 8:40pm
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico warned Thursday that the U.S. proposal to build miles of border fence will damage relations between the two countries.
The Foreign Relations Department said it was "deeply worried" about the proposal, which is working its way through the Senate, adding it will "increase tension in border communities."
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks during a news conference held along the U.S.-Mexico border fence near the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego, June 21, 2006. In a Republican-sponsored advertisement being distributed by telephone, Schwarzenegger is portrayed as tough and resolute on illegal immigration, an issue with potent appeal among Republican conservatives. In events this week, Schwarzenegger conspicuously advertised his moderate Republican credentials, signing Democratic bills to combat global warming and withdraw state investments from companies in war-torn Sudan. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy, File)
"These measures will harm the bilateral relationship. They are against the spirit of co-operation that is needed to guarantee security on the common border," the department said in a statement.
The House of Representatives and Senate are maneuvering to speed construction of a 700-mile fence along the United States' southern border aimed at keeping migrants and criminals from entering the country illegally."
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Fri Sep 29 2006 03:33:44 GMT-0700.
Worldwide Caution
June 06, 2006
ON THE NET...
http://internet-haganah.org/hmedia/26sep06-salafy_forums.html
http://www.hanein.org
http://www.hanein.org/images/iraq/ghad.gif
Yep, political correctness is hazardous to your health.
I figured he must be calculating non-Iraqi suicide killers.
Your post triggered another '4000' count message and I found it easily by plugging in '4000' into google groups. Don't know if it relates at all - but here it is:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.religion.islam/browse_thread/thread/9d08827586d954f0/9e3e0d9beb341902?lnk=st&q=4000&rnum=2&hl=en#9e3e0d9beb341902
Thanks, Mamadearest!
Noxious Fumes Halt L Train Service
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- It was a scary scene for strap-hangers on the L train this Friday morning.
An unknown substance may have been sprayed on the train at the station at Lorimer Street at Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn just before 9 a.m.
While the Hazmat teams checked it out the scene, trains were evacuated and service was shut down in both directions from Broadway Junction in Brooklyn to 8th Avenue in Manhattan.
Some passengers reported nausea and dizziness when a train was allowed through to 14th street and 1st Avenue.
Authorities do not know yet who is responsible.
The L trains started moving again at about 10:15 a.m.
http://www.1010wins.com/pages/94194.php?contentType=4&contentId=214506
Just wanted to thank you for taking the time to write an excellent, well thought out response to me yesterday.
:-)
>>>OPINION: Testing, testing, 1-2-3...
Seems to be alot of testing these days.
Sheesh.
It's busy out there - stay safe, everyone.
Cops seek urban parachutists (Chicago)
Chicago police this morning are looking for two parachutists who jumped from a skyscraper construction crane in the city's Streeterville neighborhood — the second such stunt in just over a week.
Security cameras captured the two people as they floated down in Cityfront Plaza just east of Tribune Tower, one block off Michigan Avenue, around 4:30 a.m. Then, the jumpers get into a gray Porsche SUV and drive off.
"We can't have people jumping off cranes near the Tribune Tower and the NBC Tower," a Near North District police lieutenant said this morning.
Last week, Ron Bolden, a Tribune Tower security guard, called Chicago police after spotting three people gliding to the ground at Cityfront Plaza Drive between the Tribune's building and the NBC Tower, he said.(snip)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/newsroom/chi-060929jumpers,1,1007498.story?coll=chi-news-hed
How 'bout that security???
That "4000" reference is *very* interesting.
Here is just one example of why it is hard to take that number seriously. This story ran last year and states that in just the first part of 2005, 50k were "killed or captured", and then states that 15-16k were in custody. So even if one assumes all those in custody were seized in that first part of 2005 (and that is not realistic), then one could guess by these numbers that about 35,000 (at the bare minimum) were killed in the first part of 2005 alone. Like I said earlier, to say that we are killing 10 jihadis for every American who dies is probably an understatement. So given that a substantial percentage (if not an actual majority) of jihadi casualties are non-Iraqis (even though they are a small minority of the total number of insurgents), there is no way that 4,000 is even close to realistic.
And even if you really lowball the percentage of those that were non-Iraqi jihadi deaths (say just 10% of the deaths are non-Iraqi even though the overwhelming majority of the most "suicidal" attacks come from the foreign jihadis), then 3,500 non-Iraqi jihadis (10% of 35,000) were killed in just the first part of 2005, not to mention the extremely violent battles in Qaim, Fallujah, Ramadi, Hit, Tikrit, Mosul etc in 2004, or all the suicide bombings and further engagements in the more than a year since this article ran. And even if you assume that 30,000 of the 50,000 were "captured" rather than "killed" (not likely) and that half of those were then released (resulting the 15,000 figure assuming still that you start from a zero base), that still means 20,000 killed in the first seven months of 2005. And again, the majority of the casualties (but not the actual fighters) are non-Iraqi.
Al Masri is spouting BS (bogus statistics).
And that makes the reasons why he chose "4000" all the more important.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20050726-121818-8711r.htm
50,000 Iraqi insurgents dead, caught
By Sharon Behn
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published July 26, 2005
U.S. and Iraqi forces have killed or arrested more than 50,000 Iraqi insurgents in the past seven months, a former top general who has headed repeated Pentagon assessment missions to Iraq said yesterday.
Gen. Jack Keane, a former deputy chief of staff for the Army, also said the United States has a good picture of the leadership of the vicious insurgency but less of an idea about its mid- and lower-level ranks.
"We know who they are," he told a lunch gathering sponsored by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He said the eight to 10 leaders "occasionally meet -- we've recorded that -- not just in Iraq, but in Jordan and Syria."
Gen. Keane's remarks provided a rare insight into the extent of U.S.-led operations against an insurgency that has been responsible for hundreds of deaths in the past few weeks alone. Pentagon officials previously had been quoted as saying 15,000 to 16,000 Iraqis were in custody in Iraq, but spokesman Lawrence DiRita was unable to comment last night on the 50,000 figure offered by the general.
"I would highly doubt that anyone has a good handle on the numbers," he said. "I'm not aware of what General Keane has been told, but I know of no number that has been provided to the secretary, briefed by the commanders, or is being tracked by anyone."
Gen. Keane, noting that the numbers probably were higher now, said, "In the past six to seven months, we have killed or captured 50,000 insurgents."
The retired general has traveled to Iraq twice in uniform and twice as a civilian to assess progress there for the U.S. military. He did not explain how the number had been obtained.
A Defense Department consultant, retired Army Col. Robert Killebrew, said Gen. Keane's figure likely includes some Iraqis who were swept up in military operations and subsequently released.
"Does that mean all of them are terrorists or still being held? Probably not. It means we are making inroads, but not that we captured 50,000 terrorists," he said.
Many Iraqis feel that a number of innocent people have been caught up in military raids. A slow-moving judicial system and constant intimidation of judges means that a majority of those behind bars have not been tried, Gen. Keane said.
"There are thousands of people in jail who have a body of evidence against them -- some should be receiving death sentences, some should be in jail for life sentences," Gen. Keane said.
He noted that he did not know how large the insurgency was, but said that, in spite of the number of people imprisoned or killed, "we are still dealing with a rather formidable force out there."
He also said American commanders have found it difficult to penetrate the insurgency. Despite painstaking work undertaken to sift through thousands of interrogations and field reports, a clear picture of the midlevel structure of the insurgency was hard to see.
"We have not been able to put the mosaic together to anybody's satisfaction," Gen. Keane said.
He added that the insurgents think they could keep up the current level of violence for about 10 years, waiting out the American forces, whom they feel will eventually leave Iraq.
Jeffrey White, former head of the Regional Military Assessments Group at the Defense Intelligence Agency, said Syria was a serving as a crucial conduit and safe haven for the insurgent forces.
"Syria is critical to the insurgency -- it's the closest thing they have to a foreign base," he said.
Mr. White, who now works at the Washington Institute, said the insurgency stretches from Syria through a wide swath of central Iraq, into seven of Iraq's 18 provinces. He added that the level of attacks was not likely to go down anytime soon.
"There are some 60 to 65 incidents a day; [you] can expect it to continue for six months to a year, and expect further peaks as key political events unfold," he said.
"The insurgents are a learning opponent," he added. "These people actually know what they are doing. They do not attack randomly, and they can shift across lines of operations as they deem necessary."
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