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.
Wireless transmitter= a cell phone ?
There is the possibilty that such preliminary steps have been taken to trigger explosions on a number of areas throughout the US.
If a terrorist was making a map that could be purchased at the local store he was more likely making a map of targets where some work was already done.
What if we have specialized cells which do separate things. One group might only do electronics, while another does the explosives. A master map would be needed to pass along.
Such a device suggests to me that we are being set up for an attack at a time of the terrorists chosing.
Perhaps park a rental truck full of explosives in a garage beside the tracks, and use the IR beam to trigger the explosion? Finding something like that in the tracks is definitely worrisome.
Having a hard time figuring out what type of device this was. Usually need two sensors in a beam interruption device and how does one bury this type of device without interrupting the beam oneself.
More proof that you cannot let the Terrs decide where you will fight them. You cannot win just on your turf.
You must win in theirs turf, not ours, Senator Kerryenedy!
VRWC_minion,
Speaking of plans. Shortly after 9/11 there was a media report about a person who was captured here in Philly with posession of bluprints of the entire subway rail system. The story seemingly disappeared after that though....hmmm.
These particular tracks are used for Amtrack and our Regional Rail lines that connects the suburbs to the city. My alma mater, Drexel University, is only a few blocks away from 30th Street Station.
Speaking of other plans, what ever happened to the story about the cache of C4 explosives that was found in a Philly bus station locker just after 9/11?
"Such a device suggests to me that we are being set up for an attack at a time of the terrorists chosing."
No surprise there.
This is the conclusion I was coming to.
If it was an infrared device it has to be actively transmitting the signal to work. The receiver would consume energy to if it is being used in a manner like a garage door safety switch.
That said, if these are trigger devices, they cannot sit there indefinitely they would run out of battery.
Here is a solution but its scary. What if the receiving beam is placed on the train itself. What if the train is fitted with a device that receives the beam and sets off an explosion on the train.
This is in your neck of the woods. What is local media reporting?
I might agree with Moore, but only if he's the only one on the train when it blows.
"(It surely is a poorly written article but I guess that's because a TV reporter did it?)"
It was in the breaking news last night on our local news .. from what I can tell only they reported on it last night
Here is my post on it last night ..plus a video clip of the report
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1136902/posts?page=1326#1326
This makes the story about the rocket launcher tube found near an Atlanta commuter rail line all the more interesting.
When they say "investigating 7 instances", do they mean they have spoken to the people involved? Or do they mean that they have heard about it and there's not much more they can do since now that its been on the news the likelihood of those 7 people coming back are pretty slim?
Doesn't this make you wonder even a little bit about all the train wrecks in the country we have had in the last several years?
No, of course not... I mean, I bet they find 3 or 4 wireless transmitters under the railroad tracks every week! No need to be alarmed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.