Series of EmergencyNet News Reports Concerning the Threat of Usage of Shoulder-fired
Anti-aircraft Missiles: 31 May 2002 to 01 June 2002
From: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-ERRI Risk Assessment Services-Saturday, June 1, 2002-Vol. 8 - 152
U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM OPERATIONS:
U.S. Forces Capture Cache Of Portable Missiles In Afghanistan
AFGHANISTAN: The Washington Times was reporting on Saturday that U.S. military forces in Afghanistan confiscated a cache of 30 anti-aircraft missiles as a new general took control of the U.S.- led campaign there. A Pentagon official said that the missiles were described as a Chinese-made version of the SA-7 surface-to-air missile. Disclosure of the missile cache comes as the U.S. intelligence community obtained information that Islamic terrorists have smuggled what are commonly called "manpads," shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles into the United States, including SA-7s and U.S.-made Stinger missiles. It should be noted that the U.S. military and intelligence community publicly said that they could not confirm these reports...
31 May 2002
Missiles Reportedly Smuggled Into U.S.
WASHINGTON: (31 May 2002) It was reported on Thursday that the United States government has alerted airlines and law enforcement agencies that new intelligence indicates that Islamic terrorists have smuggled shoulder-fired anti- aircraft missiles into the country. Classified intelligence reports circulated among policymakers during the past two weeks identified the missiles as Russian-made SA-7 surface-to-air missiles or U.S.-made Stinger anti-aircraft missiles obtained covertly in Afghanistan. The SA-7s have a range of more than three miles and can hit aircraft flying at 13,500 feet. Stinger missiles can hit aircraft flying at 10,000 feet and five miles away.
The FBI reportedly sent out an intelligence alert two weeks ago warning about the missiles. The officials said the warning is based on intelligence and not a specific threat that the missiles are in the United States. To heighten concerns, military sources said that a number of SA-7's have been recovered from Taliban/Al-Qaeda stocks in Afghanistan.
An FBI official said: "We don't have information that al-Qaeda is planning to use these against commercial aircraft in the United States. However, we are passing the information along for people to remain alert to the potential use." Other intelligence officials spoke of concerns that the missiles had been smuggled into the United States. Senior Pentagon officials also were briefed recently on the threat posed by shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles smuggled into the United States. ERRI counter-terrorism analysts first warned of such a threat in 1992, followed by an published article with graphics in 1997 (See samissile.htm Below)
ERRI Examination of the Al-Qaeda and SAMs
SUMMARY: Excerpt of the 1998 interview by ABC News Correspondent John Miller with Usama bin Laden. The portion shown here was in the aired interview and follows Miller asking bin Laden if he would like to say anything else to the American people.
ANALYSIS: Are these the same SAM missiles that might have been smuggled into the US? In 1998 we dismissed this as bin Laden trying to scare the US with "wild rantings" about non-existent plans. In our opinion a number of past interviews and fatwas need to be examined more closely, especially since one of Bin Laden's associates boasted about an attack that would occur in the United States on scale "unlike we had seen before," only six weeks before the September 11 attacks. Secondary consideration should be given to the fact that there is a far greater likelihood that the such missiles, if to be used, would be of an easily obtained SA-7 type, rather than a "Stinger." Most "Stingers" used in Afghanistan in the 1980's would be inoperative by now, due to maintenance problems.
EXCERPT of ABC INTERVIEW 28 MAY 1998 John Miller and Usama Bin Laden:
JOHN MILLER: Mr. Bin Laden, these are most of the questions we came with. Is there anything else that I did not ask that you would like to add?
[NON-PERTINENT SECTION CUT]
USAMA BIN LADEN: ... "The Saudi Arabian government captured a few months ago in Ramadan a number of missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, SAM and Stinger missiles. Can the American government explain to its people when a SAM missile is launched against a passenger military airplane with 250 soldiers aboard? Can they justify their deaths? What the Saudi Arabian government captured is much less than what was not captured."
http://www.emergency.com/samissile.htm
http://www.emergency.com/milpage.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2002/05/30/missile-launcher.htm
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