Al-Qaeda blueprint exposed (Found out before they got us!)

The Mercury ^ | December 29, 2003 | Ben English, Ian Gallagher and Jef Sommerfield

[EsclavoDeCristo]

Al-Qaeda blueprint exposed By Ben English, Ian Gallagher and Jef Sommerfield 29dec03

AL-QAEDA has turned its terror sights to the sea, targeting luxury cruise liners in an expansion of its "jihad" against the West.

Owners of the recently launched $1.3 billion Queen Mary 2 yesterday confirmed threats of terror hang over its maiden voyage early next year. The Osama bin-Laden terrorist group is also adopting new tactics to destroy commercial aircraft.

British MP Patrick Mercer has revealed Saudi authorities arrested two Islamic suicide pilots. He said the pilots were preparing to crash two light aircraft into a packed British Airways passenger jet while it was still on the tarmac at the airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

Both light planes had been crammed with explosives. And Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he had received reliable intelligence of a Christmas Day plan to assassinate the Pope and destroy the Vatican by flying a hijacked plane into it.

News of the terror plots emerged after US authorities upgraded their national terror alert status before Christmas.

US intelligence officials also found evidence Al-Qaeda was planning to attack the British aircraft carrier Ark Royal as it passed through the Gibraltar Straits en route to the Gulf War earlier this year.

Plans for the attack emerged after a US spy plane discovered scores of acoustic sea-mines had disappeared from a naval base in North Korea.

US intelligence services believe the mines could be aboard 28 "terror ships" Osama bin Laden has assembled in the past year. The capture of Al-Qaeda's chief of naval operations, Ahmad Belai al-Neshari, has helped to reveal the extent of the organisation's maritime ambitions.

Al-Neshari was found carrying a 180-page dossier that listed "targets of opportunity". These included large cruise liners sailing from Western ports.

Anti-terrorism expert and former Sydney Olympics security chief Neil Fergus said yesterday that he was not convinced Al-Qaeda could launch sea attacks.

"I don't know where Al-Qaeda would have got the armada. The Tamil Tigers (separatist fighters in Sri Lanka) have a fleet of about a dozen ships but they are in an island enclave and that was a difficult exercise," Mr Fergus said.

"I also don't think anyone would have a clue about sea mines from North Korea regardless of U2 flights or satellites."

An Australian aviation industry official said stealing a light aircraft was "as easy as stealing a car if you know what you are doing".

In Australia there have been two recent examples of light planes being stolen – one at Parafield in Adelaide and one in Alice Springs. A light plane was also hijacked in central Queensland.

However the official said it would be "extra-ordinarily difficult" for a light plane to crash into a large passenger plane due to collision avoidance systems in larger airliners.

A P&O spokesman last night said exactly the same standard of security for the airline industry was applied for cruise ships.

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[Bogey78O]

Well I imagine the TCAS on the taxiing aircraft will tell it to drop altitude. Lotta good it'll do. :/

[thoughtomator]

Having detailed experience and knowledge of the situation in Sri Lanka, I can tell you that it would be completely out of character for the LTTE to hook up with any Muslim group. It would also be out of character for AQ to hook up with the LTTE against the Tamil Muslims as well. The chance of any cooperation between the two is nil.

[expatpat]

The collision avoidance systems won't work if the small plane turns off its transponder. This is a no-no near airports, but if you're going to commit murder......

[r9etb]

Both light planes had been crammed with explosives.

Meaning, I guess, that the light planes HAVE BEEN FOUND. Which is really big news, if true.

after a US spy plane discovered scores of acoustic sea-mines had disappeared from a naval base in North Korea.

Which helps to explain why Mr. Kim Jong Il has apparently been hiding in caves in recent months.

[bvw]

A certain mind of murderer begins to take a pride in his method, his style, his mechanics. The killing is a cherry to that pride in workmanship. An idolatrous pride, it grows and is greedy for one's soul, one's psyche, everything in one's life.

That kindred of a murderer, no mere religious impulse nor social trainings will find him bound to one side or the other.

[thoughtomator]

I can appreciate that that does exist, but in this particular case you will find it impossible to establish any links. If you think you can, be my guest. The fact remains that the conflict in Sri Lanka is an exclusively local one that is neither imported nor exported.

[MEG33]

Oh my.

[randog]

A P&O spokesman last night said exactly the same standard of security for the airline industry was applied for cruise ships.

It's good to see that grandma and grandpa get the rubber glove treatment whether they're flying of sailing.

[11th Earl of Mar]

However the official said it would be "extra-ordinarily difficult" for a light plane to crash into a large passenger plane due to collision avoidance systems in larger airliners.

How does a collision avoidance system help a plane that is parked at the airport?

[11th Earl of Mar]

News of the terror plots emerged after US authorities upgraded their national terror alert status before Christmas.

Very interesting. I thought Bush and Ridge uppped the terror warning to distract the public from Halliburton... or was it casualties... or the economy...

[JustPiper]

Old news -g-

2 months worth of research ongoing-nearly 4,000 posts, stop in

[JustPiper]

Then there are the Freeper's who comprise a community of researcher's, translators and analysts etc who have gone where the government took longer to go and emailed their findingd to all Fed agencies.

[JustPiper]

Found out before they got us!

With a little help from their friends ;)

[GunnyB]

hehe! You said U.S. Intelligence. Blackbird.

Not any more, the Blackbird aka SR71 was retired from service some years ago. Not likely that we'd send a U2/TR1 over such hostile territory, so my guess is some of the fine, fine, fine Keyhole imagery. Given the bellicosity of the N. Koreans, I'm betting we have a fleet of KHs covering every square inch of that dismal country.

[orlop9]

Why isn't the US talking about this?

They are, just not to the media

[dirtboy]

Two important points:

Al Qaeda's plans are getting much less ambitious in scope, and the targets are outside the United States.

But Howie Dean thinks we're less safe now and losing the battle against terrorism.

[b4its2late]

Looks like our intel is getting back on its' feet after being dismantled by the dems, aka Torichelli.

[Monty22]

"That kindred of a murderer, no mere religious impulse nor social trainings will find him bound to one side or the other."

If you're talking about the lone serial killer, you're right.

If you're talking about hoards of finger-waving islamic brainwashed idiots, you're wrong.

[bvw]

I'm talking about people sharp enough to know how to dive. No diver is a drone. Can't be. Diving is an extremely self-reliant activity. I mean that "self-reliance" in the sense of individual self-confidence and mastery of one's emotions.

[JustPiper]

QM2 is more than twice as long as the Washington Monument is tall (550 ft)

QM2 is 147 feet longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall (984 ft)

QM2 is more than 3 ½ times as long as Big Ben is high (310 ft)

QM2 is only 117 feet shorter than the Empire State Building is tall (1248 ft.)

QM2 is more than three times as long as St. Paul's Cathedral is tall (366 ft.)

QM2 is as long as 36 double-decker London buses (31 ½ ft. each)

The Queen Mary II, the biggest and most luxurious passenger ship ever built, was to take to the seas for the first time 25 September 2003 for a series of tests ahead of her maiden voyage in January.