Threat Matrix: August 2007

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[nwctwx]

2 U.S.-bound Iraqis held in Mexico
San Antonio Express-News ^ | 08/13/2007 | Sean Mattson

Posted on 08/14/2007 10:16:58 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch

MONTERREY, Mexico — Two Iraqis traveling to the United States were arrested Monday at the Monterrey International Airport with fake Swiss passports, authorities said.

The two men, who said they were Chaldean Christians ages 25 and 30, were fleeing discrimination in war-torn Iraq, said Luis Robles, a Mexican immigration official.

“They behaved a little strangely, so they were sent for a secondary interrogation,” Robles said.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1881065/posts

[flutters]

http://www.wkrn.com/nashville/news/ap-package-that-quarantined-clarksville-police-was-dog-vaccine/112501.htm

“(AP) Package that quarantined Clarksville police was dog vaccine”
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.

A suspicious package that caused emergency officials to quarantine a police station for several hours contained only a dog vaccine, investigators said Tuesday.

The area around Clarksville Police headquarters was cordoned off Monday night after the suspicious parcel containing a syringe was taken to headquarters at about 6:45 p.m.

A Clarksville resident brought in the package, which had been mailed to him from Puerto Rico, said Deputy Chief John Stanley of the Clarksville Fire Department.

Authorities shut down the station amid concerns about the potential for biological contamination, and about a dozen ...workers at the department were not allowed to leave for nearly five hours.

On the same day, a second package containing a similar syringe but mailed to a different person was taken to the fire department at the nearby Fort Campbell, Ky., Army base, Stanley said.

“This turned out to be a very innocent situation. We were able to confirm that it was fowl pox vaccination that had been sent to treat mange in a dog,” Stanley said.

A U.S. Army hazardous materials team from nearby Fort Campbell and FBI agents helped with the investigation.

There were no reports of any illness, said Steve Jones, director of Montgomery County EmergencyManagement.

Stanley said the two who had received the packages were affiliated with the military base, but they were not identified.

The liquid in the syringe was determined through identification numbers checked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Stanley said. He said he didn’t think anyone was going to be charged in the incident.

“I think it was an innocent action by these individuals. It was very time consuming, but it turned out to be a good training exercise,” Stanley said.

Those working in the police station when it was quarantined were allowed to return home about midnight after it was determined they had notbeen exposed to any biological agent.

A one-block area around the police building was opened to traffic early Tuesday.

[Oorang]

Thanks for the info Joe. Thats what I remember from some research I did a few years ago but I didn’t have any links handy to make sure my memory was correct. Richard Preston wrote a excellent book on the subject but I loaned it out so I don’t have it for reference right now.

[Oorang]

Thank you Cindy for all the Clarksville related links.

[Oorang]

Thanks for the update Flutters.

[Oorang]

Possible plastic explosives used in oil facility attacks found in Mexico
2007-08-14

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico City police on Monday found 13 cylinders containing possible hydrogel plastic explosives used in attacks on oil facilities last month, a local radio station reported.

The cylinders, each labeled dangerous, were found in a cardboard box in the John F. Kennedy Housing complex in the east of the city, Radio Formula said. The cylinders, which are five cm in diameter and 20 cm long, were taken to a field in the south of the City for study by the Civil Protection Ministry and the Mexico City Public Security Authority, it said. Police are performing forensic tests for further confirmation.

Excerpted

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/14/content_6529313.htm

Anniston Depot Reported Stolen Radioactive Devices (Alabama)
Monday August 13, 2007

The Anniston Army Depot reported the theft of two telescopes containing radioactive material days before reporting a small warehouse fire involving the same material. The article appeared in today's Anniston Star.

The paper reports that Nuclear Regulatory Commission records show the two unconnected events were the first involving the Army Depot since 2000. An NRC spokesman said depot officials followed the correct procedures. According to the EPA, tritium is one of the least dangerous radioactive materials.

The Depot reported the theft of the two telescopes used on Howitzers, an artillery weapon, on August 2nd. The NRC report says the telescopes went missing after the howitzers were painted. They were found to be missing the week of July 23rd.

Excerpted

http://beta.abc3340.com/news/stories/0807/447123.html

Terror Alert: Western Journalists Targeted by Al Qaeda
August 14, 2007

Terrorists in Afghanistan are planning to kidnap Western journalists using offers of exclusive interviews as bait, according to a travel advisory from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

"Credible reports indicate that terrorists are planning to lure Western journalists to Afghanistan with offers of interviews in order to take them hostage," an updated Australian travel advisory said today. The alleged plot is eerily similar to the method used to kidnap Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was killed by his kidnappers in 2002 after being led to a secret location in Pakistan with the promise of an exclusive interview.

Excerpted

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/08/terror-alert-we.html

[Oorang]

Another article on a subject that has been a topic of discussion lately:

Al Qaeda Videos May Be Doctored
August 13, 2007

Media and terrorism experts alike have remarked on the increasing sophistication of al Qaeda propaganda videos that continue to be released by the group's media wing, as Sahab. One computer expert, however, has conducted extensive image analysis on many of the videos and concluded that in many cases the tapes were likely doctored to give a false impression of the speaker's location.

Neal Krawetz, founder of Hacker Factor, a computer security and consulting firm, created a computer program which he uses to analyze screen frames from various al Qaeda videos, including those of al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al Zawahri and American al Qaeda commander Adam Gadahn. His software suggests that in many cases the sophisticated backgrounds were likely added after the video of the speaker was recorded.

Photos: See What's Behind al Qaeda's Propaganda Tapes
By looking at the error levels of the different elements in the still frames, or JPEGs, he can tell which elements are older and which are newer. In other words, he can tell which areas of the video were modified more recently. For example, in one video of Zawahri released in July of last year, he appears to be seated in a news studio complete with a backdrop of images of the World Trade Center attacks and hijacker Mohammed Atta.

Excerpted

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/08/al-qaeda-videos.html

[Oorang]

Russia seeking two suspects in terror blast probe
Tue, 14 Aug 2007

Moscow - Russian officials investigating a bomb attack on the country's most vital rail connection on Tuesday said they were seeking information on two suspects seen on the rail line by passengers prior to the blast, news agency Interfax reported citing Interior Ministry officials. Experts had drawn up sketches of the suspects based on eyewitness descriptions.

The remote-detonated blast late Monday blew the Moscow-St Petersburg Nevsky Express, one of Russia's most modern trains, off the tracks as it travelled at around 180 kilometres an hour with 251 people on board.

Investigators said remains of a homemade bomb with the force of two kilos of TNT were found. The blast left a metre-and-a-half-deep crater at the Novograd Veliki site near Malaya Vishera 500 kilometres north of Moscow, Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Excerpted

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/93573.html

FBI, ICE disputes impede terror probes
Aug.14.2007

WASHINGTON — Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ignored or dropped leads and at times entire cases involving terrorist activities because of disputes with the FBI, says a report by federal officials released Monday.

In examining 10 cases that began at ICE and were taken over by the FBI, the inspectors general of the Homeland Security and the Justice departments found that seven suffered from lack of cooperation until they were taken over by the Joint Terrorism Task Forces, which the FBI controls. The report cited delays and refusals by the FBI involving investigative actions that needed court approval, which led ICE agents to avoid leads and cases that would have required FBI involvement.

"We were ... extremely troubled that ICE agents would say that their agents declined to undertake a case of potential national security significance for such petty reasons," the inspectors general wrote. Still, they said, "while the hostility to the FBI's dominance in the field of terrorist financing investigations is palpable, we have no direct evidence that any ICE agent has actually been derelict."

The report, which was dated July 2, was posted online Monday by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, a member of the Judiciary Committee. He had asked the inspectors general to examine the effectiveness of an agreement between the Homeland Security and Justice departments aimed at addressing the coordination of terrorist financing investigations. Using a hypothetical example, the report said, if a case involved two leads — one involving illegal drugs and the other involving terrorism — an agent would pursue the drug lead in order to avoid working with the FBI. In such cases, the agent did not always forward the terrorism lead to the joint task force, the report said.

Excerpted

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-08-14-fbi-immigration_N.htm

[Rushmore Rocks]

Perhaps I’m losing my mind, but I swear I just heard Shepard Smith (pretty boy on FOX News) say that Michael Vick (NFL/pit bull guy) swore allegiance to al-Qaeda.

[flutters]

You’re very welcome.

[Cindy]

ADDING 1 thread and more links to post no. 1063.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1875105/posts?page=1063#1063

###

THANKS to Liberty Rocks for pointing to this thread.

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1880899/posts

Passenger train bombing in Russia
al-Moslim ^

Posted on 08/14/2007 4:56:52 AM PDT by harwood

60 injured, 38 ‘hospitalized’

(Excerpt) Read more at 64.233.179.104 ...

###
###

http://www.almoslim.net

http://www.almoslim.net/figh_wagi3/show_news_main.cfm?id=19694

http://www.almoslim.net/magnet/media/6595998819694NEWS.JPG

[SlowBoat407]

Shep’s voice has been known to drive folks mad.

[Cindy]

PING to post no. 1080 by callmejoe.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1875105/posts?page=1080#1080

That’s a well-rounded backgrounder, callmejoe.

[Rushmore Rocks]

Tee Hee! That explains it.

Just found on another thread that it is probably a hoax.

[Cindy]

You’re welcome Oorang.

I think they were overwhelmed with hits last night — I could only get the links, but not load up the pages.

[Cindy]

“...John F. Kennedy Housing complex...”

Thank you Oorang.

[drymans wife]

I heard the same thing. He did say they couldn’t confirm it.

[LibertyRocks]

You're welcome, CIndy...

Please note: the following is the Google translation of that arabic news story about the Russian Train Bombing:
http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&langpair=ar%7Cen&u=http://www.almoslim.net/figh_wagi3/show_news_main.cfm%3Fid%3D19694&prev=/language_tools

[After following this link you can also check out some of the other articles at al-Moslim as the pages will translate as well. It is apparent after browsing a few other articles the al-Moslim is a decidedly biased, anti-US, anti-Israel, pro-terrorist propoganda producer... (Note the article about a Muslim man being denied entrance into Canada — they state in the article that he was turned away because he had a Koran, but they also mention in the article that he had with him 3 cell phones — the more likely cause for his denial of entrance...]

*******************

Thanks to NW_Arizona_Granny for the following link with more details:

Two kilograms of TNT were placed under the wheels of the Moscow-Petersburg train

In RosBiznesKonsalting, August 14th, 2007
The following is a link to the original article in Russian... http://top.rbc.ru/incidents/14/08/2007/113120.shtml

Here is a link to the Google Translation of that article into English:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://top.rbc.ru/incidents/14/08/2007/113120.shtml&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://top.rbc.ru/incidents/14/08/2007/113120.shtml%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

[Cindy]

Encouraging children to kill themselves and/or kill others is a sin, child abuse and is shameful. -Cindy

#

ON THE ‘NET:

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

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hamas
http://memritv.org/subject/en/95.htm

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=humanbombs
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=humanbomb
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=homicidebombers
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=humanbomber
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=suicidebombers
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=humanbomber

http://www.memritv.org
http://www.memritv.org/subject/en/215.htm

#

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/017771.php

August 14, 2007

“Hamas TV’s child star says she’s ready for martyrdom
A study in indoctrination.”
By Dion Nissenbaum for McClatchy Newspapers:

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip —

[Cindy]

Thank you Liberty Rocks and nw_arizona_granny.