Al Qaeda again threatens New York, Washington and Los Angeles - Daily Terror Threat

Debka ^ | 11-3-2003 | Staff

[tubavil]

Monday, November 3, 2003

A new message was posted in the last few hours by the Jeddah-based al-Qaeda-linked Al-Islah (Reform) society calling on Muslims to flee New York, Washington and Los Angeles in advance of major al Qaeda attacks in those cities. This is revealed by DEBKAfile.

The message accuses the United States of predetermining its end (doom) by its policies. ?The Jews rule the Pentagon by remote control and (are the cause) of Muslims being killed in every corner of the world. The United States should therefore expect more blows.?

The message is signed on behalf of the al Bayan (The Threat) movement by ?your warrior brother, Abul Hassan al Khadrami?.

Our Muslim expert identifies the name of the signatory as belonging to a Yemeni from Hadhrameuth, the Bin Ladens? place of origin where Osama enjoys substantial tribal support.

DEBKAfile?s counter-terror sources stress that warnings appearing on these forums are taken both very seriously and with caution by the intelligence services keeping track of the terrorist network?s electronic traffic.

Last November, Jeddah-based fundamentalist forums addressed a message to an Al Qaeda member, saying whoever understands ? understands; whoever knows, knows, but we are marching towards an operation that will take us to Paradise. Three days later, the Mombasa Paradise hotel was blown up killing 12 Kenyans and 3 Israelis and a failed shoulder-launched Strela anti-air missile missed an Israeli airliner at Mombasa airport.

Link to Thread 2

[StillProud2BeFree]

Worth reading
http://www.saudi-us-relations.org/newsletter2004/saudi-relations-interest-01-12.html

This glosses over how the seeds of extremism were planted by the government educational system, but does point out the spoiled brat syndrome (my words, not theirs!). Still, this is worth reading.

SAUDI STUDENTS FACE A CHANGING SYSTEM
Reformers are hoping to remove inflexible - and sometimes anti-Western - aspects of the Saudi educational system. A flagging economy makes the task urgent.
By Faye Bowers, Staff Writer of The Christian Science Monitor

Third of four parts

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - Amal is a twentysomething fourth-year medical student whose parents taught her to dream big. She does: Amal wants to be Saudi Arabia's first famous female plastic surgeon.

Mansour al-Nogaidan is a thirtysomething writer who grew up with a different dream - he wanted to become a devout Muslim and rid the region, if not the world, of infidels. Mr. Nogaidan did live his dream - for a time. He became a jihadist, and attempted to purge his country of "infidels."

That both these dreams were nurtured by the same educational system underscores the challenges facing reformers in Saudi Arabia. That Amal can pursue her educational goals is remarkable, considering the country opened schools for girls only in 1960. But whether she will have been prepared for a real job is another thing.

Nogaidan has amended his ways, but says that the seeds of his extremism were planted during his early education. The government is working on a number of reforms but as with all other reforms necessary in this country, it's a difficult balancing act between hard-line religious conservatives and more liberal-minded citizens.

"We need to have a rehabilitation program," says Khaled al-Maeena, editor in chief of Arab News, the largest English language newspaper in Saudi Arabia. "We need to teach our children tolerance and dialogue .. Parents would rather see their children carry a PC than a hand grenade or an AK-47."

A fight to reform the system

The government last year began to remove objectionable language in textbooks. According to several educators and students alike, this year school texts were cleansed of objectionable references to Jews, Christians, and Hindus, and the inappropriate use of the word "jihad." A government council made up of several educators and other professionals is reexamining both textbooks and teaching habits.

But, "the No. 1 problem is that the religious community is so tough in opposing reforms," says a Western diplomat based in Riyadh. "The No. 2 problem is they argue, 'Why should we make reforms? Because Americans ask us to?' "

Indeed, one muttawa (member of the religious police) puts a harder edge on the point. "Do you have committees in America purging your books of objectionable words about Muslims?" asks Sheikh Mussa al-Hanagid.

Nogaidan says that attitudes like this are what make the system so difficult to change. "It's impossible to wait for these sheikhs to change the education system, because they are the ones controlling [it], says Nogaidan. "It's the problem the authorities face."

But reform is goes beyond hateful words and intolerant phrases. Many here say the education system needs top-to-bottom fixes to not only root out the ideology that leads to terrorism, but to keep up with a developing society and globalization.

Lifestyles, for instance, have drastically changed here. In 1981, per capita income was $28,000. Today, it is about $8,000, according to government figures. Although the oil boom economy of the 1970s and '80s that supported millions of foreign workers doesn't exist today, the number of foreign workers has swelled to some 7 million, and they fill 7 out of 10 jobs here, working mostly in the service sector, and earning far less than Saudis. More Saudi students than ever (and more women than men) are graduating from universities but can't find jobs.

Moreover, many Saudi observers say the early public education system, which is strong in sciences and math - especially for boys - doesn't teach critical thinking skills. Nor do Saudi lifestyles encourage the kind of initiative necessary to compete in the business world.

"Since 1999, Saudi Arabia started realizing that more young people coming into the market cannot meet the market needs," says Abdulrahman al-Zamil, a businessman who serves on the finance committee of the king's Majlis Ash Shura (consultative counsel). "They are specializing in language or religion.... It's a problem for the private sector."

The government is working to alleviate the pressures. It has had some on-and-off successes with a Saudization program - replacing some foreign workers, such as shopkeepers in the souks, with Saudi citizens. In addition, the Ministry of Education embarked on a major study for revamping the system eight years ago, and presented its findings to the Majlis in October 2001.

"The summary of the report was 150 pages," says Abdulmuhsin al-Akkas, a member of the Majlis. "The entire report was about 800 pages. And the reform included every aspect - curriculum, not just religious subjects ... English, math, and science. It included recommendations on the structure of the schools, about the ratio of students to teachers, continuing education of teachers, and so on."

Boosting the budget

Those reforms have been debated by the Majlis and sent back to the Ministry of Education for implementation of the recommendations - so far not released to the public.

The government has, however, announced plans to enhance several aspects of the education system in the new 2004 budget. It allocates $16.97 billion for general education, higher education, and manpower training for 2004, up by $5.6 billion from last year's budget.

The additional money will fund three new universities, bringing the total number of universities in the kingdom to 11. A number of colleges and vocational training centers are planned, as well as 3,030 new schools for boys and girls. Now, some 70 percent of boys' and girls' schools are housed in dilapidated, rented buildings.

For Amal, uncertain prospects

Amal, for her part, says she may go abroad for more advanced study after she completes the two additional years of her seven-year medical studies program in Saudi Arabia.

Although the medical field is open to women here, she doesn't know if she will have a job when she returns.

Amal's younger sister, Scheda, is a first-year university student who hasn't yet declared a major. She had wanted to be an engineer, but that field of study is not open to women in Saudi Arabia.

"Young people have nothing to do," she complains. "They feel empty - there are no jobs when they finish college."

The Western diplomat says in other societies, it is the young people, like Scheda and Amal, who normally challenge old ideas. "Here in the kingdom," he says, "young people are quiet. A big part of it is education, but it is also societal. That you do not challenge your father."

The practice of questioning and critical thinking is missing from the early education system here, says an American woman who married a Saudi and became a Saudi citizen. She raised four children in the Riyadh area - all of them attended school here until the ninth grade.

"The schools here offer a lot of rote memorization from the time [students] are young," says the woman who requested anonymity, all but her face covered in the traditional black. "Kids aren't encouraged to ask questions in school.... Kids aren't taught logical and critical thinking."

Part of that, she asserts, is because there is no public speaking - classes in which children prepare and present talks or speeches. And there is no arts education - no music or art - "the things that make you a whole person."

Moreover, she says, young Saudis' unpreparedness to compete in the job market with the millions of foreign workers has a lot to do with the way children are brought up.

"Every family, even if they're poor, has a maid," she says. "Kids don't do chores.... There are no bake sales in school, no car washes, no paper routes after school, nothing to teach them personal accomplishment - not even summer jobs."

"Education reforms need to start from the king," says A. A. Alabdul Hai, a political science professor who specializes in women's issues at King Saud University in Riyadh. "It should be changed completely.... It will take time. The education process takes 10 to 20 years to change. It's not like boiling an egg."

[Velveeta]

Black box 'rules out terror'
20/01/2004 15:04 - (SA)

Cairo - Egyptian and French investigators studying the flight data recorders of an Egyptian plane that crashed into the Red Sea said on Tuesday they had found no sign that terrorists were responsible.

"We are sure there is no possibility of terrorism because it is very obvious there is no outside intervention of any kind," said Shaker Qelada, the Egyptian leading the investigation into the January 3 crash.

"What we are looking at is a classic aircraft accident. It could be a technical defect or mismanagement of the crew or a combination of both," he said.

Gerard Legauffre, a French investigator, said "we made a first quick reading of the black boxes and the cockpit voice recorder shows there is no outside intervention."

Egyptian and French investigators had previously said terrorism was all but ruled out after an Egyptian charter plane bound for Paris crashed minutes after take-off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 148 people aboard, almost all of them French tourists.

The black box flight recorders were retrieved by a French submarine robot at the weekend from depths of more than 1 000m beneath the sea.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1472019,00.html

[jstolzen]

I'm for one pretty darned concerned about SOTU tonight.

Talk about a target. Pretty much ALL of the leadership of the country in a single place.

If the crazies have suitcase nukes, this would be the #1 target, IMHO.

As I say.."close only counts in horseshoes, bocci ball and nuclear weapons".

I would imagine that the LEOs have a way to protect a "large enough" area to stop any suitcase nuke threat, but it sure seems like it'd be one heck of a challenge to prevent some crazy from getting "close" enough..

My gut tells me that if they DO have suitcase nukes, that they would want to use them here. If we don't see them here (which I think there's only a "small" chance we will), then it's my firm opinion that they don't have them. (Because..if you had them, you'd use them here as the first priority - at least if you were planning strategically).

[Velveeta]

howabout inside intervention?

I had the same immediate reaction. We'll have to wait and see how it plays out.

[Calpernia]

Why are you speaking like that to Mossad? I think an apology is in order.

[Calpernia]

ping

[rangermedicswife]

Excellent thread. I've been lurking here since the very beginning ... checking in several times a day. I don't post very often, but I just had to jump in here when I saw post 12,618 re: problems with the Seattle 911 emergency call center.

I live just outside Houston and every couple of weeks we hear yet again about the problems with the Houston area 911 emergency call center. I did a quick search and found this article. With the seemingly huge target painted on Reliant Stadium and the Port of Houston ... especially for February 2 ... I thought I might throw this into the mix. I guarantee it will make your hair stand on end.

-----------------

Nov. 29, 2003, 2:41PM

911 Call Center Fails Again
Officials unsure what caused computer software crash
By KRISTEN MACK
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

As waves of shoppers flowed toward area malls early Friday, the computer system at the new Houston Emergency Center was swamped by waves of a different kind.

Calls backed up, and the resulting "information bottleneck" caused the second system failure in as many months at the center, although the new director, Sharon Counterman, said it had nothing to do with the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season.

Call takers had to write down information and relay it to police officers and firefighters via radio for almost four hours after the system failed at 8:28 a.m.

While public safety officials said no emergency calls were lost and no one was endangered by the computer crash, critics noted that this was another in a long list of problems since the center opened in September.

"It seems like there is a lack of communication, cooperation and coordination over there," said Johnnie McFarland, vice president of the Houston Police Patrolmen's Union.

"They need a change in management. They haven't addressed technical, operational or personnel issues."

Officials said they were not sure why the computer software failed but should have more answers by Monday. The system was put back into service at 12:23 p.m., and no more problems had been reported as of late Friday.

Counterman, who became the center's first director this month after overseeing communications in the Las Vegas Police Department, said she still has faith in the system. "We never lost any 911 calls," she said. "It was not as efficient, but it was still functional and the public got the service they need and want."

The emergency center was designed to put the city's 911, police, fire and emergency medical services dispatchers under one roof and improve response. But technical problems continue to cause delays, union officials say.

If the system crashes on the busiest shopping day of the year, McFarland said, he questions whether it can withstand the demands of the upcoming Super Bowl in February.

"I can't believe they are going to bring visitors from all over the place and our system isn't ready," he said. "We are the fourth-largest city in the country, and they designed a system to handle Mayberry."

Counterman said she can't guarantee that the system will never fail again, but she added, "I can guarantee that citizens will continue to be served."

[Calpernia]

What are you talking about? What did I post?

[LayoutGuru2]

This member may not necessarily be a moderator. The ability to upload pics was originally available to group members, but it was later taken away. I posted two pics on Saturday, I thought that folder creation was only available to moderators, but now I am not sure. As I started mashing the name through google, the part 'macleod' did stand out.

[LayoutGuru2]

Check out this post!

[Rushmore Rocks]

Welcome to this most informative (and sometimes frightening) thread. Like you, I seldom post to it, but do check it many times a day. In the coming weeks, we will hope to hear from you about any breaking news from the Houston area. I have several relatives there and can't help but worry a bit about them. Again, you and your input are welcome.

[Letitring]

When I posted that Seattle article, I wondered if they were the only ones to experience that sort of malfunction. Obviously, not. Troubling, as I feel it's a probe and portent of things to come.

[Letitring]

PLEASE keep us updated on any Houston news.

[Calpernia]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1061489/posts?page=1

The Defense Department plans to stand up more National Guard-staffed civil support teams trained to assist local authorities in the event of a weapons of mass destruction attack on the American homeland, a senior DoD official said Jan. 16.

There are currently 32 WMD civil support teams with the skills and equipment to detect chemical, biological, nuclear and explosive agents in support of emergency first responders in event of an attack, noted Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense.

[WestCoastGal]

Well, this report said black boxe"S". I didn't know they had found both. And what does "mismanagement of the crew mean? That covers a lot of bases. Also, if they have both boxes they should know if there was or was not a "technical" problem with the plane. Unless someone else can intervene in this investigation we will probably never know what happened to this plane.

[Calpernia]

Good read all:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1061468/posts

Weapons Of Mass Destruction Revealed

Which Way Should Our Bayonets Point?

“Where are the weapons of mass destruction?”

This is the rallying cry for the anti-war bunch, the Bush-haters and the enemies of America, within and without. The answer to that question is, “they’re right in front of your face.”

Recent news reports from the looped-out, left wing media are trumpeting the test results of a recent Danish military discovery in Iraq. Initial field tests suggested that the cache of mortar rounds contained a blister agent. Lab tests since the discovery contradicted the field tests. Officials released a statement that the material contained within the shell cases was not a blister agent, but an unidentified “liquid.”