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Confiscated PC Reveals Terrorist Focus On Water Supply
Newsbytes via infowar.com ^ | Jan 30 2002 | Brian McWilliams

Posted on 01/30/2002 1:27:56 PM PST by Senator Pardek

The FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) said it has uncovered evidence that terrorists may have planned attacks on water supply systems in the United States and abroad.

According to a bulletin issued by the NIPC Tuesday and labelled as of "high" importance, a computer, owned by an individual with indirect links to Osama bin Laden, was found to contain several software programs used for structural engineering of "dams and other water-retaining structures."

The presence of the programs demonstrates "terrorist interest" in water supply systems, the bulletin said.

The bulletin did not identify the individual who owned the computer nor provide more details about how the device was obtained by law enforcement.

NIPC officials were not immediately available for comment.

The NIPC said the programs included CATIGE, which stands for computer-aided teaching in geotechnical engineering; and Microstran, a structural engineering system. Both are developed in Australia, according to their Web sites.

Also installed on the PC were AutoDesk's AutoCAD 2000 computer-assisted design and drafting program, as well as the Beam stress analysis software package from ORAND Systems, according to the NIPC.

The computer also contained programs used to identify and classify soils, the bulletin said.

Following up on an earlier NIPC "Internet Content Advisory," the bulletin issued Tuesday said U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies have also received indications that Al Qaeda members have sought information about water supply and wastewater management practices at unidentified Web sites containing information about Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) technology.

The NIPC bulletin also noted that suspected terrorists have shown "interest" in insecticides and pest control products at several undisclosed Web sites.

The NIPC's Jan. 17 advisory, "Considering The Unintended Audience," cautioned Web sites to review the sensitivity of the data they provide online.

The FBI advisory on Internet content is at http://www.nipc.gov/warnings/advisories/2002/02-001.htm .


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: watersupply; wmd

1 posted on 01/30/2002 1:27:56 PM PST by Senator Pardek
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To: Senator Pardek
Also - Report Warns of Al-Qaeda's Potential Cybercapabilities
2 posted on 01/30/2002 1:33:16 PM PST by Senator Pardek
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To: Senator Pardek
There was a post some time back, shortly after 9/11, written by, someone who seemed knowledgeable on the subject of municipal water supply and treatment. He may be a water and waste engineer. Anyway, the gist of his post was that it would be close to impossible to do any really extensive damage to a water supply. I don't think he addressed the panic that would surely ensue, but from a strictly technical point of view, he wrote that it would be a non-event.

FReegards,

3 posted on 01/30/2002 2:09:53 PM PST by VMI70
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To: Senator Pardek
Great. Here we go again.
4 posted on 01/30/2002 2:11:57 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: Senator Pardek
What happened over Halloween - did anything happen over Halloween - ded we lose anybody - was there REALLY any bad candy from terrorists?
5 posted on 01/30/2002 2:22:32 PM PST by _Jim
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To: VMI70
Anyway, the gist of his post was that it would be close to impossible to do any really extensive damage to a water supply.

Unfortunately, the people who designed the Maginot line probably said something similar.

Sometimes offense is much easier than defense, because on offense you have the advantage of already knowing what the target is, allowing you to imagine many possible strategies. On defense you have to try to imagine all the possible measures your opponent might take against you. If the opponent can observe your countermeasures, he only needs to think of one attack plan you haven't thought of to succeed.

6 posted on 01/30/2002 2:24:29 PM PST by untenured
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To: Senator Pardek
What about Christmas - did we have any terrorist attacks over Christmas - did we lose anybody over the Christmas holidays due to terrorist attacks?
7 posted on 01/30/2002 2:26:00 PM PST by _Jim
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To: Senator Pardek
What about New Years - did anything happen during the celebrations over New Years - I watched the major networks and I never saw anything or heard anything reported - was any information about attacks somehow suppressed?
8 posted on 01/30/2002 2:28:19 PM PST by _Jim
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To: VMI70
it would be close to impossible to do any really extensive damage to a water supply. I don't think he addressed the panic that would surely ensue, but from a strictly technical point of view, he wrote that it would be a non-event

Undoubtedly true of a large system. But what about a small system serving say ten to thirty thousand people? The dilution problem wouldn't be nearly as bad as in a system serving a million people, the system is more likely to have a single point of vulnerability, and the operators are less likely to be able to deal with the problem even if they do discover it.

The "take" of infidels would be lower of course, but if coupled with "credible threats" against larger systems, panic could indeed be a problem.

9 posted on 01/30/2002 2:45:02 PM PST by El Gato
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To: _Jim
Look buddy, I don't know what you're trying to suggest, but there are tens of thousands of sleeper agents in America ticking, like TIME BOMBS!!!!! Who knows when they might go off? Dams will burst, bridges collapse, planes will infect populations with anthrax and smallpox, dirty backpack bombs bursting in air, ..need I go on? The found freely available computer programs on a man suspected to have distant ties to OSAMA BIN LADEN (que scary music)!! I mean for the sake of Allah, man, we are in immediate, terrifying, mortal danger! It would be rude just to suspect Islamic terrorists, so we have to suspect everyone. Even members of congress get strip searched when trying to board a plane these days!

P.S. The Government needs a whole chunk more money, to.. ..protect us, ..yeah, that's it, To Protect Us, uh... by delivering war to North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, but not friendly Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia, etc. (plus some mandatory volunteer service, plus a complete suspension of what's left of the individual protections found in the Constitution, but only for the few decades or centuries it will take to establish enough control to guarantee that no terrorist act will ever again occur.)

10 posted on 01/30/2002 2:47:11 PM PST by Melinator
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To: Senator Pardek
...a computer, owned by an individual with indirect links to Osama bin Laden, was found to contain several software programs used for structural engineering of "dams and other water-retaining structures.

Er... this is the DOJ. It behooves us to wonder about the exact meaning of 'indirect links', and whether the guy might be, for instance, a civil engineer. Not that the DOJ would ever issue an insubstantial, weasel-worded press release to make itself look good, of course.

11 posted on 01/30/2002 3:15:03 PM PST by Grut
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To: _Jim
What about Christmas - did we have any terrorist attacks over Christmas - did we lose anybody over the Christmas holidays due to terrorist attacks?


No, thankfully, they stopped Robert Reid, the Shoe-Bomber, on December 23rd.

And quite possibly, on November 12th, they didn't stop a shoe bomber when AA flight 587 exploded and crashed into Rockaway Beach.

12 posted on 01/30/2002 3:25:52 PM PST by Beach_Babe
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To: El Gato
Those were my thoughts also, but remember, big news coverage of the hinterlands fades fast.
13 posted on 01/30/2002 6:22:07 PM PST by VMI70
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To: untenured
Well said.
14 posted on 01/30/2002 6:23:28 PM PST by VMI70
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To: Beach_Babe
Thank you for #12.
15 posted on 01/31/2002 10:59:00 AM PST by Triple
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