Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - Thread Thirty-One

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Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

Thread Thirty-One (Index)

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The Threat Matrix

The title refers to a daily report given to the president of the United States detailing the most serious terrorist threats against the country. To tackle those threats, the government has formed a top-notch task force to infiltrate the terror cells and cut off the danger.

"Every morning, the president receives a list of the top ten terrorist threats - this list is known as the threat matrix."

We here at FR are trying to be in conjunction with the daily reports around the world that involve threats. We try to provide a storehouse of information that takes hours of research.

YOU be the judge and get informed!

Home grown Islamists may hit US: FBI chief
Full Story

WASHINGTON -- The United States could be attacked by "home grown" Islamist terror groups, the FBI's chief has warned.

FBI Director Robert Mueller told the London Financial Times newspaper in an interview published Thursday that the United States could face attacks from "home-grown terrorism" very similar to the July 7 bombings in London that killed 52 people and wounded another 700, Mueller said.

When asked if the United States could face such attacks from "home-grown groups", Mueller answered emphatically: "Absolutely, it could," the Financial Times said.

Related:
U.S. Officials Warn on Global Reach of al-Qaida
U.S. seeks more cooperation to fight terrorism
FDNY Chaplain Resigns After 9/11 Remarks
Nuclear option escalates jihad threat

"I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat."

TM Terrorism Handbook	Link to Thread Thirty "Code Red Implications: Code Red - Stay Home and Await Word." From Tm'er and Freeper ~MamaDearest~	Tracking the Chatter with TM
TM 'Be on the Lookout'		Survival Preparedness Info.
Threat Matrix Book List		ExSoldier's Invaluable Tips
Arabic Links and Resources		Godzilla's Summaries

Threat Matrix HTML designed by: Ian Livingston

[Cindy]

Updates appreciated Jer33 3 as to why this train went off the track as noted in this AP, Casselton, N.D. article.

[MamaDearest]

Hard to imagine a 41 year old woman could be that stupid.

Red State - Blue State. Remember all the Michael Moore groupies...... It's not a stretch to know in some demographics it's the "what's in for me" mentality, not intelligence or what's going on in the world that could affect their lives leading them on.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&hl=en&client=google&ncl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4310138.stm

oogle Alert for: bin Laden's al Qaeda network

Death sentences in Musharraf plot
BBC News - UK
... Pakistan's intelligence services believe both assassination attempts were co-ordinated
by Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network to punish Gen Musharraf for his ...
See all stories on this topic at above link.

[Cindy]

I don't know the answer to that liberallyconservative.
Updates appreciated on that story if there are any.

===
===

SMYRNA, Tennessee

and speaking of Tennessee, we have an interesting article regarding a Smyrna hospital...

http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=3933291

"Gun discharges during struggle at Smyrna hospital"
TENNESSEE
October 4, 2005

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "SMYRNA (AP) -- A gun discharged at a hospital in Smyrna Monday when an emergency room patient and a police officer struggled over it.

The gun fired when patient Oscar Padilla Ramos grabbed for it while it was in officer Shane Prater's holster.

The bullet went into a wall at StoneCrest Medical Center, and no one was hurt."

[Cindy]

Thanks to freeperfromnj for pointing to this article in her post:
---

Six dead of unknown illness in Canada

10/3/2005, 6:00 p.m. ET
By BETH DUFF-BROWN
The Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — An unknown respiratory illness has struck an Ontario nursing home, killing six elderly patients — including two announced Monday — and infecting at least 79 residents, employees and visitors.....

http://www.nj.com/newsflash/health/index.ssf?/base/international-2/1128377349305901.xml&storylist=health


698 posted on 10/04/2005 9:09:42 AM PDT by freeperfromnj

[Cindy]

Thanks to freeperfromnj for pointing to this article:
---

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051004/ts_nm/bush_birdflu_dc

"Bush wants right to use military if bird flu hits"
By Charles Aldinger 2 hours, 27 minutes ago

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush asked Congress on Tuesday to consider giving him powers to use the military to enforce quarantines in case of an avian influenza epidemic.

ADVERTISEMENT

He said the military, and perhaps the National Guard, might be needed to take such a role if the feared H5N1 bird flu virus changes enough to cause widespread human infection.

"If we had an outbreak somewhere in the United States, do we not then quarantine that part of the country? And how do you, then, enforce a quarantine?" Bush asked at a news conference.

"It's one thing to shut down airplanes. It's another thing to prevent people from coming in to get exposed to the avian flu. And who best to be able to effect a quarantine?" Bush added.

"One option is the use of a military that's able to plan and move. So that's why I put it on the table. I think it's an important debate for Congress to have.""

[nw_arizona_granny]

Red State - Blue State. Remember all the Michael Moore groupies......<<<<<

I see you are honing your mind reading skills.......

I was going to say "I wonder if she is a liberal listner to the KGO Ray Talifero radio program?" He hates America.

Laughing..........

[Cindy]

THANKS StillProud2befree.

===

ON THE NET...

http://www.lauramansfield.com
http://www.lauramansfield.com/j/showarticle.asp?id=25

[Cindy]

UPDATES appreciated.
Thanks to freeperfromnj for pointing to this article.
===

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=traffic&id=3501658

"Highway Inferno - Fuel Truck Bursts Into Flames
Driver Killed, Roadway And Train Service Brought To A Halt"

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "(Hunts Point, The Bronx -WABC, October 4, 2005) - A tanker truck burst into flames near the Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx Tuesday afternoon - shutting down the roadway and bringing some rail service to a halt.

Police say the driver is dead and the cause of the accident could be speeding.
Firefighters used foam to put out the fire, but damage stretched for more than a block - cars parked on nearby streets are destroyed and there are fears parts of the expressway could be compromised."


ARTICLE SNIPPET #2: "Firefighter: "It started leaking fuel and fuel started going down the block and at that time we had a real problem."

It was an inferno. Witnesses say it spread through the street like lava - torching anything and everything in its path. The tanker truck, for whatever reason, slammed into the boulevard median at about 2:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

The fuel truck was carrying 7,000 gallons of number 2 fuel - 6,000 gallons of which were spilled in the accident. Some of the fuel went into the Bronx River.

The truck was heading northbound - the ensuing explosion and the flames were so intense that the cab of the tanker is barely visible."

[jer33 3]

Drivers in immigrant trafficking ring face deportation
By the Associated Press

11:24 a.m. - FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Four drivers for an immigrant trafficking ring face possible deportation for their roles in a cross-country network linking illegal workers with Asian restaurants.

A federal judge here sentenced five drivers after they pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to shuttling illegal immigrants for Shan Wei Yu's Great Texas Employment Agency. Most of their sentences will be met through time they have already served.

All of the men lived in Texas or had ties to the state. One of them is a legalized U.S. citizen. The others face deportation hearings to determine if they will be sent home to China.

Yu, 51, of McKinney, Texas, and his business were convicted last week of bringing illegal immigrants to work at restaurants throughout North Dakota, and also money laundering.

Authorities say Yu used Chinese-language ads to offer restaurants cheap labor from Mexico, South America and Central America.

They say he also placed advertisements to hire long-distance drivers to shuttle workers from Texas to restaurants nationwide. He hired drivers to deliver at least 40 illegal immigrants to Asian restaurants in North Dakota during a 15-month stretch, authorities said.

Yu's sentencing is set for Dec. 9. He faces up to 10 years in prison. His girlfriend, Ya Cao, was arraigned last week on similar charges. A court date for Cao has not been set.

[Cindy]

Thanks granny for that update.

[nw_arizona_granny]

"One option is the use of a military that's able to plan and move. So that's
why I put it on the table. I think it's an important debate for Congress to
have.""<<<<<<<<

I am against government control of anything, well almost.

But, after having watched the New Orleans storm, I do understand where he is trying to go.

If I had written the request, I might have said "Due to the crooked and stupid politicians, the lazy and un-trustworthiness of so many Americans today, I need the power to act at once and the permission to use the only group of people that I can trust to fulfill my/their orders"

This is not a surprise, he said that he wanted the military to take over after New Orleans.

I hope that Honore is in charge........I like him.

The left will go wild over this request, it has/will drive the new judge out of the news.....They were very upset on the talk shows that he had the thought.

Thanks for finding it and posting it......he is doing what I would do.

[Cindy]

Yes sir, smiling back at you.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Interesting, on the transporting of illegals.

All you need to do, is learn 10 or 15 languages and you will be in business.

I have often wondered what was in the cars, (hidden) that people want to hire a driver to drive from one town to the next.

Or the ads to share driving on a trip.

One of my daughter's friends was into transporting cars, from Tucson to Los Angeles.

She always stopped to visit me and I didn't quite know why.

I walked out with her and saw that she had a station wagon with very large and ugly boulders in it, she said for her
mothers rock garden.

I talked to the Deputies about it, they asked that I notify them when she showed up again, as that was the perfect decoy car for a load of narcotics.

Due to a heavy load, making it ride low in the back, the Police would stop her, and while checking her out, the real load of dope, would go right on by.

Jackie even took her 2 year old daughter on these trips.

I never saw her after that trip, good chance they got her the next month when she came through.

[Godzilla]

Hi JP. Since WND and some others put out the October Nuke surprise report, I've been very skeptical. This is the 3d Ramadan for TM and it seems we are ratcheted up on rumors. AQ with nukes IMHO is low probability. A higher probability would be a country wide series of smaller attacks in malls, entertainment facilities (disneyland, etc) and sporting events.

[WestCoastGal]

Thanks for that link.

Will check it out this evening. I can't help but wonder if it's something we're doing to get rid of bugs or germs or it's something we don't know of yet or just the odd smell.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/farm-attack-151-the-forgotten-terrorism/2005/09/30/1127804661523.html#


Farm attack — the forgotten
terrorism

By Richard Baker
October 1, 2005

Santa Gertrudis cattle being mustered and drafted on Brunette Downs
Cattle Station in the Northern Territory.Photo: Brendan Esposito

AUSTRALIA is not prepared for the growing threat of a terrorist attack
on its agricultural sector, a former senior intelligence analyst has
warned.

Carl Ungerer, a former senior analyst with the Office of National
Assessments until 2002, told The Age the deliberate introduction of
animal and plant diseases to Australia — often referred to as
"agro-terrorism" — had been "overlooked and under-assessed" by
federal authorities.

Dr Ungerer, a lecturer in terrorism and world politics at the University
of Queensland, said foot and mouth disease could cost billions of
dollars in lost exports and cause big job losses in rural areas.

People could be at risk if terrorists introduced avian influenza or mad
cow disease, he said.

His warning came as Prime Minister John Howard met state and
territory leaders in Canberra this week for a counter-terrorism
summit. The threat of an attack on Australia's agricultural sector did
not feature in the communique released at the end of the meeting.

In the United States, authorities are improving protection for
agriculture after a report to Congress in February warned America's
defences against these attacks were insufficient.

FBI director Robert Mueller said in May agro-terrorism was "just
starting to enter our collective consciousness".

He said al-Qaeda had studied America's agricultural industry, as had
extreme animal rights activists.

"Most people do not equate terrorist attacks on people, planes and
buildings with attacks on plants and animals. But the threat is real,
and the impact could be devastating," Mr Mueller said.

A separate report to US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said
agriculture was vulnerable, with the food chain offering terrorists "a
low-tech mechanism for achieving human deaths".

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry told The Age
ASIO had said the risk of an attack was low.

But Dr Ungerer said the threat had been under-assessed and urged
the Federal Government to become more aware of potential threats
and be better prepared to deal with an attack.

"Australian agriculture remains a relatively soft target for terrorism
because of the low level of awareness of its potential dangers among
the agricultural sector," he said.

Dr Ungerer's assessment of the threat of agro-terrorism to Australia
will be published in a US journal later this year. He said terrorists
would have little difficulty introducing a disease to Australia, given the
endemic nature of diseases such as foot and mouth, avian flu,
vesicular stomatitis and rinderpest in South-East Asia.

"The interest in hitting Australia is growing as a result of Australia's
involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor," he said.

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry communications
manager Howard Conkey said a large-scale outbreak of foot and
mouth disease would be "our worst nightmare".

Agriculture accounts for 4 per cent of Australia's gross domestic
product and directly employs 376,000 people.

A 2002 Productivity Commission study, conducted after the
devastating 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak in Britain, found a
large, multi-location outbreak of the disease could cost Australia up to
$12.8 billion in lost exports. It would also cost the tourism sector $300
million.

Mr Conkey said Dr Ungerer's assessment of Australia's ability to
respond to a terror strike against agriculture did not give enough
credit to the procedures federal authorities had established.

Response manuals and procedures had been in place for a long time
and were regularly reviewed to deal with emerging risks, he said.

The Attorney-General's Department also denied the threat of an
attack had been overlooked and under-assessed. "Suggestions that
such a form of attack might be used by terrorists are not new and
have been factored into Australian assessments of threat," a
spokesman said.

The Federal Government, farm and industry groups are developing a
national food chain security strategy, which is expected to be released
early next year.

The secretary of the food chain security working group, Agriculture
Department bureaucrat Alan Edwards, said food producers and
processors had been trying to identify the parts of their operations
vulnerable to terrorism.

Mr Edwards said although agriculture was "open and reasonably
vulnerable" to a terror attack, he believed Australia was better
prepared than the United States to handle agro-terrorism.

Dr Ungerer said Australia should develop a program with nearby
countries to register the movement of dangerous pathogens between
veterinary hospitals, research laboratories and universities in the
region.

Veterinary students should also be made more aware of pathogens
that could be used in an attack. And intelligence briefings should
regularly be provided to farmers and auction yard staff, he said.

HOW IT COULD HAPPEN

A TERRORIST walks into a Philippines paddock and wipes a
handkerchief across the face of a cow infected with foot and mouth
disease.

He places the saliva-stained handkerchief in an airtight plastic bag
and heads to an airport to catch a flight to Australia. The relatively
short flight time ensures the biological matter in the plastic bag
remains active.

Wearing the bag close to his body, all the terrorist has to do is take a
punt that Australian Quarantine Inspection Service officers don't pick
him out for a random body search.

If he makes it out of the airport, an outbreak of foot and mouth
disease could be just weeks away. The terrorist would then drive to
the country to meet colleagues who had recently bought some
livestock or a small farm.

The animals would be infected and the disease allowed to amplify over
several days. The terrorists would transport them to a high-density
livestock farming area.

The infected animals would be put in the paddocks of numerous farms.
Soon Australia could be grappling with a disease outbreak across
multiple locations.

This is one scenario former Office of National Assessments senior
intelligence analyst Carl Ungerer has developed to show the relative
ease with which terrorists could attack Australia's agricultural sector.

Another scenario involves terrorists flying to massive northern
Australian cattle stations in light aircraft from places with endemic
animal disease in South-East Asia. Thailand, the Philippines and
Indonesia all have animal diseases not present in Australia.

While not as spectacular as other mass casualty terrorist attacks,
agro-terrorism could prove attractive to some terrorist organisations
because of the relative ease and safety in obtaining biological agents;
the potential effects on a nation's economy and the burden of proof in
proving the outbreak was the result of deliberate attack.

A report to the US Congress found many parts of the food production
chain were vulnerable to attack once a biological agent had been
brought into the country.

[appalachian_dweller]

>> country wide series of smaller attacks in malls, entertainment facilities (disneyland, etc) and sporting events <<

That's what I'm expecting.

IMHO, AQ's capabilities have been greatly diminished by our actions in Afghanistan and we're killing terrorists in droves in Iraq. That is keeping them busy so they don't have the time to really plan attacks on our home soil.

Given the history and situation in Pakistan and Iran, I'm not totally discounting the threat of a nuke popping somewhere on US soil, but again IMHO, the chances of a that are about 5%. BUT, that only covers THIS rama-dama-ding-dong.

IF radical muslims happen to stage a success coup in Pakistan, this entire situation will change drastically - for the worse.

[freeperfromnj]

You're welcome Cindy.

[freeperfromnj]

Programming note:

For anyone interested, Michael Savage's fill-in, Rick Roberts, is talking about the OU bombing. On now