Posted on 05/20/2004 11:32:31 PM PDT by trifona
May 20, 2004 -- The Big Story on Action News is word of suspicious activity along train tracks in our area, and the discovery of a wireless transmitter that seemed to be carefully hidden in the gravel under some tracks in Philadelphia.
Needless to say, this has attracted some peoples' attention. While authorities do not want to unnecessarily scare commuters, they say that after terrorist train attacks in Madrid Spain, they are taking all suspicious activity on rail lines seriously. Of most concern is the discovery of that wireless transmitter on a SEPTA rail line.
Action News has learned that last week SEPTA police recovered an infrared sensor that was carefully concealed along SEPTA's track bed near 34th and Powelton. The device, a commercially available wireless infrared transmitter made for home security use was discovered spray-painted black and tucked neatly in the trackside ballast. Such devices transmit a signal when something cuts across their infrared beam. And while there is no indication of any specific threat, investigators are concerned because the sensor has the potential to be used as a triggering device. The FBI is now investigating the discovery.
Jerri Williams/FBI SPOKESPERSON:
"We don't know why its there, what the purpose was and that's why we're investigating . At this time, we have no reason to believe there's a nexus to terrorism but of course we wanna be careful, we want to protect the public, and so we're investigating." Meanwhile, the New Jersey attorney general's office is investigating at least 7 instances in the last week of suspicious surveillance activity along Amtrak and New Jersey Transit commuter rail lines between Philadelphia, Trenton and New York." Peter Harvey/N.J. ATTORNEY GENERAL:
"The activities ranges from persons walking under a train trestle and filming it to persons trying to enter parking garages adjacent to train rail tracks or train stations filming those parking garages as well as filming the rail stations themselves." According to ABC News, the separate incidents in addition to other activity along rail lines between New York, Philadelphia and Washington has triggered concern among federal authorities in Washington prompting a massive counter surveillance operation. By coincidence these developments come as the Department of Homeland Security announced a series of new mandatory security measures on rail lines including the use of canine explosive teams to screen passenger baggage, terminals and trains. Meanwhile, you may remember a year ago when Action News told you about one man Hany Hasanin. Tapes obtained by Action News show Hany appearing to embark on a mission to make a roadmap of the Delaware Valley taking pictures of a public water supply and a PECO power station. He was arrested by Amtrak police taking pictures of 30th Street Station but he was deported back to Egypt before the FBI could questioned him. To this day, he has not been located.
Security is already being stepped up due to the presidential conventions in New York and Boston, and threats that an attack could be launched before the November election. Again, there is no specific threat to any local rail line, but officials are taking any possibility very seriously.
Dann Cuellar, Channel 6 Action News. Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Agreed. It is odd that it made it into the news. You would think that after checking it out, the best plan is to leave it there and stake it out to see who comes to check on it.
If terror related, it could simply be a test to see if such a device would be discovered, and how long until it is discovered.
ping
I believe this is easily the most important story of the day, if it can be well confirmed.
If you did not look at the rest of the thread, it might be a good idea to. There are several proposals for how to use a transmitter included by freepers.
All I can say
It's a good thing the terrorists used old sarin with the Iraqi IED and used other bio-chem in foiled Amman attack. Good thing there are no WMDs in Iraqi arsenal Philly Inquirer. Good thing the subways are safe NY Times. Good thing we're getting to the bottom of the real issues of homo-eroticism in Baghdad Washington Post. The media has saved the world.
he said with sarcasm
Doh!
How hard is it to smuggle/carry explosives in the U.S.? Why not let the explosive force of 4-8 Diesel locomotives do your work for you?
Think about it. How close was the device to a railroad switch? What if the device is used to trigger a switch when the train crosses, putting two trains approaching each other on the same track?
Bolsters my hypothesis...use the device to switch oncoming trains onto the same track...
Check out post #'s 82 & 83 on this thread.
I know, that's what got me to thinking...
You don't need explosives if you can get the trains on the same track.
If I were the FBI, I'd be checking out switching yards in the Northeast with a fine-toothed comb.
The yard is part of the Zoo Interlock complex which is one of the most complicated rail interchanges in North America. It's where the Northeast Corridor (Boston-New York-Philadelphia-Washington) meets the old Pennsy Main Line (Philadelphia-Harrisburg-Pittsburgh-Chicago). Add to that the intersection of SEPTA commuter lines (Paoli, Trenton, Wilmington, Chestnut Hill, Elwyn, Airport, Bala Cynwyd), and you have a recipe for gridlock, both on the local and regional rail scene.
But to make it work, you'd need a large number of these devices because of the redundancy the old Pennsylvania Railroad built into Zoo Interlock. It would take more than one bomb on a track to shut the complex down.
My sister reported a Middle Eastern man who was recording the comings and goings of a commuter train into Philadelphia back in 2002. The man was counting the number of passengers getting on and off the trains and how long each train stopped at the station. The man was definitely Middle Eastern and driving a car with out of state plates (Delaware).
My friend and I were talking about cell phones last night, and he said "I got good reception by the railroad tracks last night when I had to call 911"
I asked "what did you have to call 911 for?"
he said there was a car parked by the tracks and the switchbox was open. He didn't see anyone, wasn't carrying, and didn't park and take a look himself, but he did call 911.
I just sent him this article. Man... maybe I should send it to the sherrifs?
Being paranoid sucks!
My thought exactly.And the whole goal doesnt have to be killing people, but disrupting our economy and the availability of essential goods.
Ive even seen 2 miles long trains loaded with tanks and other military equipment.
And there probably isnt much that isnt carried by trains, but im no expert on that. It just cant all be carried by 18 wheelers although at rush hr it seems so.
I wish there were stats as to how often head on train collisions happened in the past, then compare them to the last year or so. Im sure the FBI thought of that.
ping to #112, now I can't help but wonder, either...
“I think these words need to be said somewhere on national TV, and they are: there is no terrorist threat. There is no terrorist threat.” –Michael Moore
I thought the fat pigs position is that there IS NO terrorist threat.
So do I. They work quite well. And would definitely be triggered by a train passing.
This is scary. I can't think of a darned reason why someone would do this, other than to trigger something.
THE lamebrained media have a right to know even if it means some must die ,after all the truth is worth more than anyones life.
Truth used to be responsible -- travelling much slower than it does today. Imagine what the media would have done to our chances of defeating the British in the revolutionary war.
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