We may be missing something here.
Never EVER put all of your eggs in one basket. Redundancy is absolutely critical to any system. JM knows what I mean.
Let's say they have 2 more methods for communication, each of different types. That's no arbitrary, 2 easy ones come to mind.
Let's also consider the possibility that this is the tip of the iceberg; consider that there are at least 3 methods of communication overall for each plan, and backup personnel. There are probably secondary and tertiary targets as well.
If we play with the 70,000 number that ExSoldier supplied, how many plans may be in place at once, all using these same type of system?
This particular warning has the "financial" theme. What other themes are there that we need to look at NOW? What targets within those themes?
I'm not a big fan of wishing happy birthday to anyone, but y'all have a GREAT day!
Birthdays were only mentioned twice in the bible, and they both involved beheadings. (The Baker and John the Baptist).
Financial, part II: (?)
Information infrastructure. More than 50% of our economy is information.
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Water
Food Supply
Medical
Power
What else?
There has frequently been a "theme" of water, Some of the OBL images, AQ Navy talk, weapons coming through shipping containers, etc. Remember about 2 years ago the ME guy they caught on a large boat in a shipping container? Had the container outfitted almost like a small apartment for the trip, even had his laptop. (At least that's how I remember the story - I could be wrong.)
In other words, IMO, watch the ports and port cities.
I don't know how many have checked this out, but there are a lot of answers to the questions you're asking about the intentions of the enemy. The more we can learn about them outside of news articles, the better we'll understand how they may be plotting. Even though the primary weapon here is anthrax, it gives insight into their operations. This is only part of the TOC.
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze43v8m/index.html#Summary
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Each of the following is a link at the site.)
I. Summary and Introduction
II. Means : Al Qaeda's Biochem Program
a. Vanguards of Conquest and Zawahiri's Decade-Long Quest to Weaponize Anthrax
b. "Winds of Black Death": Coming Soon To Your Part Of The World
c. Anthrax Production Program Documents on Khalid Mohammed's Computer
d. Hambali and the Role of Anthrax Lab Technician Yazid Sufaat
e. Association of Various Scientists and Doctors with Senior Al Qaeda Operatives
f. Potential Access to the Ames Strain
g. Method Used to Weaponize the Anthrax
h. The Canadian September 2001 Report: "Risk Assessment of Anthrax Threat Letters"
i. Atta, Prague, and the Alleged Iraq Connection
j. Inquiries About Crop dusters and "Operation Tripwire"
k. Hijacker Ahmed's Blackened Leg Lesion
l. Atta's Red Hands and Al Qaeda's Interest and Use of the Detergent Saponin in Weaponizing Agents
m. Moazzam Begg: The Confession About An Anthrax Plot Involving A Drone Over London
III. Motive: Reason Senators Leahy and Daschle and the Media Were Targeted
a. Profile of an Angry Man: Ayman
b. FBI's Profile of the Amerithrax Perp
c. Historical Significance of the Mailing Dates to Zawahiri:
Camp David Accord and the Assassination of Anwar Sadat
d. "Leahy Law" and Appropriations to Military and Security Units
e. Zawahiri's View of the "Lies" of the Secular Media
f. Retaliation for Detention of the Blind Sheikh and Other Detainees
IV. Modus Operandi: Pouring Musk on Barren Land
a. The Egyptian Islamic Jihad MO: Targeted Assassination of Individuals in Symbolic Positions
b. Zawahiri's Victory in the EIJ Internal Debate Over Whether to Focus on US or Egyptian Targets
c. Egyptian Islamists' Earlier WTC Letter Bombs to Washington, DC and New York City Newspapers and Symbolic Targets
d. Requirement Under the Laws of Jihad of Warning Before Use Of Biochemical Weapons
e. Continuing Practice of Sending Poisonous Letters as Threats
f. Use of Code: Jennifer Lopez Letter and Atta's Jenny Code
g. Use of Code: Greendale School at Franklin Park And Return to Fort Lauderdale and 9/11
V. Opportunity: Tracking Potential Al Qaeda or Egyptian Islamic Jihad or Islamic Group Sleepers
a. Know Not Just Your Enemy, But Who He Knew: Zawahiri's Travels Abroad And To The US
b. Balancing the Scales
c. The British Militant Islamists and Egypt's "Call to Combat Terrorism"
d. Jafar The Pilot And The Threat Looming On The Horizon
e. Adham Hassoun: The Blind Sheik Follower Who Saw No Evil
f. The Egyptian Scientist In The Library Researching Anthrax
g. Mohamed Mansour Jabarah: The Go-Between Between Karachi and Kuala Lumpur
h. Nabil Al-Marabh: The Cabbie Who Knew His Way Around
i. Jaber Elbaneh : The Man From Buffalo Worth $5 Million
j. The Syracuse Charity Case and "Operation Imminent Horizon"
k. Syed Athar Abbas and the Fort Lee, New Jersey $100,000 Food Processor
l. The Canadian Detainees: Guilt By Association
m. Charitable Intent and Uncharitable Connections
n. Michael Ray Stubbs: The Alleged Sympathizer Who Was A HVAC Technician at Lawrence Livermore Lab
o. The Mason In Charge Of Building A Case
p. Astonishing Aafia: Houston, We May Not Have A Problem
q. Aafia at Brandeis: Truth - Even Unto Its Innermost Parts
r. See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil
s. Always Alliterative Ayaad Assaad
t. Hoax Letters That May Fly As Real Thing
u. Grapes of Wrath
You are expressing what I have been thinking since the Sunday announcement. The areas announced are the safest to be in now. You don't plan a major hit without secondary objectives. Plan "B" is what I would like to determine.
The best way to shake the economy would be to influence the "consumers". The destruction of buildings won't make a difference. Too many backups are in place in regards to records.
This may sound silly but I'll say it anyways. You're talking of possible methods of communication we may be overlooking. What about carrier pigions?
Good point. Secondary and tertiary objectives will most likely fall into the same geographic area, and may be quite close to the primary target.
As far as "themes" are concerned, I would say just for starters to look at food supply and distribution points for food. Along with those go methods of distribution such as rail and trucking. You can take this theme right down to the consumer level of the local grocery store.
Another theme has to be energy. We know about the nuke plants. But the Jihadists have got to have oil supplies in their crosshairs. I'd say this puts Houston into the primary target zone. Also the Alaskan pipeline and the offshore oil platforms.