[Honestly]

Experts fear South Africa's Muslim community could be a breeding ground for terrorists

Last month, U.S. customs agents at an airport in South Texas arrested a South African woman thought to have al-Qaida links as she tried to fly to New York. The arrest may have played a role in the U.S. government's decision Sunday to raise the threat level and announce specific buildings as potential targets in three U.S. cities.

But that is just the latest incident in what terrorism experts fear is a growing danger that al-Qaida and its ideologies have inspired South African groups to commit acts of terror at home and abroad.

South African authorities announced in May that they had uncovered an al-Qaida plot to disrupt the nation's presidential elections. Five suspected agents were apparently deported after entering on South African passports that had been obtained fraudulently, an action that led to more arrests in Jordan and Syria. One of the Jordanian suspects reportedly had used a marriage of convenience to a South African woman to win South African residency.

Last week, two South Africans with alleged ties to al-Qaida were arrested in Pakistan. Additionally South Africa's Department of Home Affairs said that "boxes and boxes" of South African passports had been found in London, apparently sold by South African officials. (snipped)

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/9297317.htm

[JellyJam]

FYI:

Facts about the financial institutions named in Sunday’s government warning about possible terrorist attacks between now and the Nov. 2 election.

• The World Bank has a headquarters building and five other buildings in Washington where 7,000 of the World Bank’s 10,000 employees work. They are expected to report to work on Monday although the buildings will have increased security.
• The International Monetary Fund has about 2,400 employees working in Washington. IMF spokesman William Murray said that the international lending agency planned to be open Monday, with “appropriate security precautions.” The building is next door to the World Bank.
• The Citigroup Center is located on New York City’s Lexington Avenue between 53rd and 54th streets. Built in 1978, the 59-story building is the third-largest in Midtown Manhattan, with an aluminum and reflective glass facade and angled roof.
• The New York Stock Exchange is located in the financial district at the southern tip of Manhattan, blocks away from the World Trade Center site. Since 9/11, security measures have included barricades on all sides and going through multiple checkpoints to get inside the building.
• Prudential Plaza, located in downtown Newark about 10 miles west of New York City, is 24 stories high and houses the headquarters of Prudential Financial Inc. About 1,600 employees work in the building, and another 1,200 employees work in a building nearby. On Sunday, police surrounded the building with metal fencing, blocked off streets, and stood guard armed with assault rifles.