CIA: Aum (Japanese "Sarin" Terror Cult) Poses US Cyberterror Threat

Kyodo News (Japan News Today) ^ | 29 October 2002 | Kyodo News (In English)

[AmericanInTokyo]

"CIA Says Aum Poses Cyberterror Threat"

Tuesday, October 29, 2002 at 17:30 JST (Kyodo News) WASHINGTON — Japan's Aum Shinrikyo (Supreme Truth) cult, responsible for a 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway and other heinous crimes, has the potential to mount a cyberterrorist attack on the United States, according to a recently released CIA report.

It says Aum, which renamed itself Aleph in January 2000 "is the terrorist group that places the highest level of importance on developing cyber skills" and "identifies itself as a cyber cult and derives millions of dollars a year from computer retailing."

Members of the doomsday cult have been found guilty of crimes including the Tokyo subway gassing of March 20, 1995 in which 12 people died and thousands were injured.

The declassified CIA document was submitted to a special Senate committee in April to discuss threats to U.S. national security.

The report also addresses the al Qaeda terrorist network's sources of funding from a global network of individuals and charities and its ability to conduct cyberattacks on infrastructure that depend on electronic or computer systems.

The document shows how the U.S. was still in the dark in April regarding North Korea's secret nuclear weapons program as it cited other issues such as the country continues to harbor terrorists linked to a 1970 hijacking of a Japan Airlines plane that was forced to the North.

North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons program surfaced two weeks ago after Washington revealed that Pyongyang has admitted that it has maintained a secret program to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons development in violation of a 1994 bilateral nuclear accord between the North and the U.S.

The document, written in April, also stated that "the possibility that state collapse in North Korea could lead to reunification" of the Korean Peninsula could not be excluded. (Kyodo News)

[AmericanInTokyo]

Aleph (former Aum group) Symbol (at their actual operating website):

Aum Terror Cult Leader Shoko Asahara and his sarin subway victims:

Aum's Famous Tokyo Subway Attack, Never Forget:

[LiberalsWorstNightmare]

Oh well, this thread will move when/if and after the Japanese terrorists attack America while we have all been sleeping. Since it seems there is no interest in your thread AIT, its almost a rule of irony that the USA would probably be hit something bad by these people over there. They did it before they can do it again, especially if they are still active and collecting moeny. Let's hope they don't.

I guess we didnt learn much from Pearl Harbor about always watching Japan since its usually 'boring'....Thanks for the reports and keep up the good work. Some of us ARE interested, beleive it or not....

[AmericanInTokyo]

Well, thanks for the words. Sadly, I had the same impression.

[Dr. Frank fan]

Good, interesting post. For some reason, in my ignorance I guess I had assumed that Aum had been defunct.

One thing I find really interesting is the prospect that both Aum and al-Qaeda may have been influenced by Asimov's Foundation series in some way. I believe the link between Foundation and Aum is reasonably well documented, while that between "al-Qaeda" ("The Foundation" in Arabic?) is more speculative.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Nope. They, Aum Shinrikyo Supreme Truth Sect, were indeed reborn and reborn in strength. As the Japanese would say "nana korobi, ya oki", or "very resilient."

They are already on the US terrorist list. The pitiful Japanese government tried to apply the so-called strengthened "haboho" or "sedition laws", but their liberal courts threw it out several years back. All residents can do is observe them from a distance, take notes, and try to chase them out from apartment complex to apartment complex.

Accordingly, except for the top tier of the leadership from the sarin gas attack days that are/were in prison, a new generation and level of leaders took their place. All under the eyes of the Japanese LEOs.

Well, Dr. Frank-san, we will sadly be hearing more from this group, Aleph (Aum Shinrikyo) IMHO, but because it has to do with Japan, not many people in the United States or West will have interest until something dramatic and serious, unfortunately, has happened.

They already scoped out Disneyland in California as well as US military bases in Japan as potential sites for their attacks, but were thwarted. They have financial power, technical (computer, telecom, biological, chemical) prowess, international savvy and reach, and a total armageddon world viewpoint that dicatates it is their manifest destiny to destroy everything.

[wideawake]

Who funds them? Why do they have so many capable members? How many of them are there, by the way?

[AmericanInTokyo]

Aleph (former Aum Shinrikyo)are funded primarily through illegally appropriating the personal funds, retirement, properties, etc. of Japanese cult members and their families, selling of books and tapes and seminars in Japan, computer hardware and services inside and outside of Japan. They have thousands in their ranks in Japan and perhaps a significant component of membership in Russia. Their chief contact person in the United States was in Colorado, and was tagged by the FBI seven years ago. He may have been deported already. My understanding is that they have operations and connections, if not cells, already in the domestic United States. Money laundering and dummy companies are another way of them to collect, disburse and hide various funds and/or funding sources.

[JohnathanRGalt]

CNET also published a similar story and I posted it.

The websites of Aleph  http://info.aleph.to/,  http://english.aleph.to/, http://www.aleph.to/index_e.html, are located in Fremont California at the ISP: Hurricane Electric. IP address: 216.218.214.250

Hurricane Electric
3433 Rockett Drive
Fremont CA 94538

[AmericanInTokyo]

Interesting.... Wonder if an ISP would yank their service to a known Japanese terrorist organization using their system? Perhaps if they knew they would. However, perhaps EVEN if they knew, they wouldn't.

It all depends on the corporate morality I suppose.

[JohnathanRGalt]

Interesting.... Wonder if an ISP would yank their service to a known Japanese terrorist organization using their system? Perhaps if they knew they would. However, perhaps EVEN if they knew, they wouldn't.

The only way to find out is to ask the ISP.  Send them the information you have about Aleph. Here's the contact info:

Hurricane Electric
760 Mission Court
Fremont, CA 94539
510 580-4100

General Information:  info@he.net
Tech Support:  support@he.net

Here's how Haganah has been successful in getting dozens of Islamist sites shut down:

Do:

• Tell them they host the site (don't assume that they know)
• Object to it in terms of their own rules (Terms of Service/Acceptable Use Policies)
• Point out the site's connection to international terrorism
• Mention the US law against providing material support or resources to terrorists
• Ask: do their other clients want to be associated with such a site?
• Be polite.
• Be well-informed
• Stick to the facts as best you know them

[AmericanInTokyo]

Excellent, JRG, excellent. Thank you for the strategy and direction. Consider it DONE! ;-)