Threat Matrix: May 2007

Previous Thread ^

[Godzilla]

Apparently Drudge is echoing an ABC report that there are American / German concerns of an imminent attack upon US bases in Germany. Developing

[Godzilla]

Story is also echoed on Fox. Includes American tourists and additonal sky marshals on US bound flights.

[nwctwx]

U.S., Germans Fear Imminent Terror Attack

U.S. and German officials fear terrorists are in the advanced planning stages of an attack on U.S. military personnel or tourists in Germany.

Law enforcement officials tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com that U.S. air marshals have been diverted to provide expanded protection of flights between Germany and the United States.

“The information behind the threat is very real,” a senior U.S. official told ABC News.

German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble told reporters, “The danger level is high. We are part of the global threat by Islamist terrorism.”

Of particular concern, according to U.S. and German law enforcement officials, is Patch Barracks, the headquarters for U.S. European Command, near Stuttgart.

Security at all U.S. military and diplomatic facilities has been increased in the last month following reports that suspected terrorists had conducted surveillance of the Patch Barracks facility.

“The attack would be designed to create high numbers of casualties among both Germans and the U.S. military,” said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, a former White House counterterror official.

The 9/11 hijackers planned their operation out of Hamburg, Germany, and the country continues to be known as a staging area for al Qaeda and groups affiliated with it.

“There are 300 to 500 people who are suspected to be part of al Qaeda cells in Germany,” said Col. Andrew Pratt (Ret.) of the George Marshall Center in Germany.

“In a democratic state like Germany, you just can’t go out and arbitrarily arrest people because they are under suspicion,” Pratt said.

German officials have called for enhanced police powers to keep suspected terror groups in check.

Several radical Islamist groups have threatened violence unless Germany withdraws its troops from the NATO force in Afghanistan.

A radical Islamist group in Iraq took a German woman and her adult son hostage in February, threatening to execute them if Germany did not pull its troops out of Afghanistan. The two are still being held.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/05/us_germans_fear.html

[JellyJam]

Congrats, my good man.

[BurbankKarl]

Richard Clarke and ABC News...

the same people that failed to release the madam’s black book last week...

the same people that took down Mark Foley based on false information about a minor...

sweeps week indeed...

[Cindy]

Hey, that’s not old!

HAPPY, HAPPY birthday ExSoldier.

[Cindy]

Good.
Thank you very much Crabbie for the info.

[Cindy]

Thank you Godzilla and nw for the info.

[Cindy]

RECAP and UPDATES:

http://www.internet-haganah.com/haganah/internet.html
INTERNET-HAGANAH.com: “INTERNET

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jihadunspun.com/intheatre_internal.php?article=107957&list=/index.php&
JIHAD UNSPUN.com (”Source: Associated Press”): “911 SUSPECT MOUNIR EL MOTASSADEQ LOOSES FINAL APPEAL IN GERMANY” (May 11, 2007)

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http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1123.html
TRAVEL.STATE.GOV - CONSULAR INFORMATION SHEET: GERMANY

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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271572,00.html
FOX NEWS.com: “REPORT: OFFICIALS FEAR IMMINENT TERROR ATTACK ON AMERICANS IN GERMANY” (May 11, 2007)

https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=65024
OSAC.gov - Consular Affairs Bulletins - Report - Europe - GERMANY: “WARDEN MESSAGE: INCREASE VIGILANCE IN GERMANY” (March 16, 2007)

http://osint.internet-haganah.com/archives/000911.html
OSINT.INTERNET-HAGANAH.com (UPI, Berlin, March 15, 2007): “TERRORISM: GERMANY ON HIGH ALERT” (March 16, 2007)

http://www.siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications261107&Category=publications&Subcategory=0
SITE INSTITUTE.org: “THE GLOBAL ISLAMIC MEDIA FRONT ISSUES CALIPHATE VOICE CHANNEL VIDEO THREATENING GOVERNMENTS OF GERMANY AND AUSTRIA OVER ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN” (March 10, 2007)

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gimf1.wordpress.com/2007/03/10/eine-nachricht-an-die-regierungen-von-deutschland-und-osterreich/

gimf1.wordpress.com

http://www.jihadwatch.org/cgi-bin/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=GERMANY
JIHAD WATCH.org: “GERMANY”

[Cindy]

RECAP and UPDATES:

http://www.internet-haganah.com/haganah/internet.html
INTERNET-HAGANAH.com: “INTERNET”

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1826963/posts?page=569#569

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=germany

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http://www.spiegel.de

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http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,482445,00.html

May 11, 2007

“SEPT. 11 CONVICTION UPHELD BY GERMAN COURT
Motassadeq Loses Appeal”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “After a legal marathon that lasted five years, Mounir el Motassadeq has lost his final appeal against his conviction for involvement in the Sept. 11 terror plot. Germany’s Federal Court of Justice has rejected his appeal, meaning he will now spend 15 years in jail.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The Federal Court of Justice ruling draws a final line under the legal dispute surrounding Motassadeq. The Moroccan man’s lawyers had filed the appeal against the sentence handed down by Hamburg’s Higher Regional Court on Jan. 8. After a five year legal odyssey Motassadeq was sentenced to 15 years in prison in prison for providing the 9/11 hijackers with logistical support. The court found him guilty of membership of a terrorist cell and of being an accessory to murder.

Motassadeq had lived in Hamburg and was a close friend of Mohamed Atta and some of the other 9/11 attackers. He was arrested in 2001, two months after the attacks on New York and the Pentagon.”

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Note: Photos Included.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1830969/posts

“THE APPROACHING G-8 SUMMIT - Big Trouble in Little Heiligendamm”
DER SPIEGEL ^ | May 09, 2007 | Marcel Rosenbach, Gunther Latsch and Markus Deggerich

Posted on 05/09/2007 3:23:45 PM PDT by Atlantic Bridge

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Note: Photos Included.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1830776/posts

“RADICAL MEASURES: Germany Raids Leftist ‘Terrorists’ Ahead of G-8 Summit”
SPIEGEL Online ^ | May 09, 2007 | jsg/spiegel/ap/reuters/dpa

Posted on 05/09/2007 9:35:19 AM PDT by wolf78

[Cindy]

RECAP:

NOTE: The following text SNIPPET is a quote:

https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=67900

you are here: Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report
Warden Message: Pakistan Terrorist Threat
Consular Affairs Bulletins
South / Central Asia - Pakistan
8 May 2007

Printer Friendly Email Article
Related Reports
4 May 2007
Warden Message: Pakistan NGO Security Threats
10 Apr 2007
Worldwide Caution Public Announcement
21 Mar 2007
Pakistani Lawyers Continue Protests
13 Mar 2007
Warden Message: Avoid Punjab Travel
21 Feb 2007
Warden Message: Pakistan Attack Threats
U.S. Embassy Islamabad issued the following Warden Message on May 8, 2007:

The Embassy would like to update Warden Notices numbers 06 and 07 (2007) regarding threats of suicide bombers. The U.S. Mission has received non-specific information regarding terrorist attacks, possibly suicide attacks, against U.S. persons and interests, as well as places frequented by Westerners. The threat includes the major cities in Pakistan, including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar. Americans are advised to take every precaution, avoid popular markets and restaurants, and vary routes and times.

The Embassy would like to remind the American citizen community of the need to stay alert, to be aware of your surroundings, to reduce travel to minimum acceptable levels, and to act self-defensively at all times. We remind American citizens that threats, protests and demonstrations may occur throughout Pakistan without prior notice or warning and to avoid all demonstrations and protests.

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html and the Pakistan Consular Information Sheet http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_992.html and Travel Warning can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

Contact information follows for all four posts in Pakistan:

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

www.youtube.com/profile?user=greenbyrd
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwkrO16CaWo

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Fri May 11 2007 14:03:27 GMT-0700.

Worldwide Caution

April 10, 2007

This Public Announcement updates information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against Americans and interests overseas. This supersedes the Worldwide Caution dated October 11, 2006 and expires on October 9, 2007.

The Department of State remains concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations and other violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests overseas. Current information suggests that al-Qaida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks against U.S. interests in multiple regions, including Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics to include assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings and bombings.

Ongoing events in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East have resulted in demonstrations and associated violence in several countries. Americans are reminded that demonstrations and rioting can occur with little or no warning.

In August 2006, British authorities arrested a significant number of extremists engaged in a plot to destroy multiple passenger aircraft flying from the United Kingdom to the United States. The September 2006 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Syria and the March 2006 bombing near the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan illustrate the continuing desire of extremists to strike American targets.

Extremists may elect to use conventional or non-conventional weapons, and target both official and private interests. The bomb attacks targeting buses carrying foreign workers in March 2007 and December 2006 in Algeria, a series of bombings in Thailand in May and September 2006 that targeted commercial and tourist destinations in the far south, and the bombings in the the Egyptian resort town of Dahab in April 2006 all illustrate how terrorists exploit vulnerabilities associated with soft targets. Additional examples of such targets include high-profile sporting events, residential areas, business offices, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, public areas and locales where Americans gather in large numbers, including during holidays. Financial or economic targets of value may also be considered as possible venues; the vehicle-based suicide attack on an oil facility near Mukalla and Marib in Yemen in September 2006 and the failed attack on the Abqaiq oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia in late February 2006 are such examples.

In the wake of the August 2006 plot against aircraft in London, numerous terrorist attacks on trains in India in 2006, the July 2005 London Underground bombings, and the March 2004 train attacks in Madrid, Americans are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems. In addition, extremists may also select aviation and maritime services as possible targets.

U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security. For additional information, please refer to “A Safe Trip Abroad” found at http://travel.state.gov .

U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. Americans abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

As the Department continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its Consular Information Program documents, available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov . In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

[Cindy]

READY.GOV
http://www.ready.gov

[Cindy]

“SALUTE THE TROOPS”
http://www.salutethetroops.org/

BIG DITTO and I sure do salute you, troops!

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=gwot
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=wot

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=globaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=jihad

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=iran
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=iraq

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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=45985

“Blocking Flow of ‘Accelerants’ Critical to Baghdad Security”
By Tim Kilbride
Special to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2007

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Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=45984

Cheney Tells Sailors U.S. Committed to Middle East

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2007 – The Middle East is a crucial part of the world, and the United States will remain involved in bringing peace to that troubled area, Vice President Richard B. Cheney said aboard the aircraft carrier USS Stennis today.
The Stennis and its strike group are operating in the Persian Gulf. Cheney visited the carrier during a trip to the Middle East, which included two days in Iraq.

Cheney delivered President Bush’s greetings to the crew and said he has “never been more proud of the United States military than I am today.”

The Stennis has been in the thick of the fight against terrorism and has had repeated deployments to the region. “It’s not easy duty to serve in this part of the world,” Cheney said. “It’s a place of tension and many conflicts. Throughout the region, our country has interests to protect and commitments to honor.”

The Stennis is operating with the USS Nimitz Strike Group. “With two carrier strike groups in the Gulf, we’re sending clear messages to friends and adversaries alike: we’ll keep the sea lanes open,” the vice president said. “We’ll stand with our friends in opposing extremism and strategic threats. We’ll disrupt attacks on our own forces. We’ll continue bringing relief to those who suffer and delivering justice to the enemies of freedom.

“And we’ll stand with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating this region,” he added.

The fight against terrorism and fundamentalist extremists is unlike any the United States has been involved in. It is not army versus army or fleets taking on other fleets. “The terrorist enemies are hidden and dispersed,” he said. “They view the entire world as a battlefield, and that is why we’re dealing with them systematically, from Afghanistan to Iraq.”

The enemy will murder innocent, unsuspecting men, women, and children, and serve an ideology that rejects tolerance and demands total obedience, he said. “The terrorists who have declared war on America have made Iraq the central front in that war,” he said. “Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants believe they can wear us down, break our will, force us out, and make Iraq a safe haven for terror.”

Cheney said al Qaeda leaders see Iraq as the centerpiece of a new caliphate, or Muslim kingdom, that they will dominate and use as a safe haven to export fear and violence. “The terrorists have stated these ambitions clearly, and they intend to pursue them with ferocity,” the vice president said. “The United States also has made a decision: As the prime target of a global terror campaign, we will take the fight to the enemy. We will not sit back and wait to be hit again.”

Cheney spoke briefly about his meetings in Baghdad with Iraqi and coalition leaders. He said Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq, said he expects more violence as the enemy tries to destroy the hopes of the Iraqi people. But the coalition and Iraqi forces are making progress.

“The job now is to persevere in every area of operations – from Baghdad to Anbar province to the border areas,” Cheney said. “And I think General Petraeus’s own words put it best: ‘We cannot allow mass murderers to hold the initiative. We must strike them relentlessly. We and our Iraqi partners must set the terms of the struggle, not our enemies. And together we must prevail.’”

Cheney said the United States has learned the lessons of history. “Nearly six years ago, we saw that dangers can accumulate on the far side of the world, yet still find us in our own country,” he said. “We’ve learned, as well, that terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength, … they are invited by the perception of weakness. You and every member of our military can be certain that America will stay on the offensive in the war on terror.”

President Bush and all members of the national security team understand the threat, the vice president said. “We know that we’re not dealing with adversaries that will surrender or suddenly come to their senses,” he said. “So we’ll be flexible. We’ll do all we can to adapt to conditions on the ground. We’ll make every change necessary to do the job.

“And I want you to know that the American people will not support a policy of retreat,” he continued. “We want to complete the mission, we want to get it done right, and then we want to return home with honor.”

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1826963/posts?page=569#569
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1826963/posts?page=570#570

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UPDATE:

http://www.foxnews.com

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271572,00.html

“Report: Officials Fear Imminent Terror Attack on Americans in Germany”
Friday, May 11, 2007

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “”The danger level is high. We are part of the global threat by Islamist terrorism,” German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble told reporters.

But U.S. officials confirmed to FOX News that the threat is not new and dates back to an April 20 warning issued by the U.S. Embassy in Germany regarding unspecified threats to U.S. interests and/or Americans in that country.

A U.S. official told FOX News the threat is considered real, although not new, and is believed to involve one or more Middle Eastern Kurdish groups perhaps associated with Al Qaeda.While this threat is being judged by both U.S. and German officials as serious, a U.S. official said much less is known about the specifics, including when and where such an attack might occur.”

[Cindy]

http://www.memri.org/jihad.html

Special Dispatch Series - No. 1583
May 11, 2007 No.1583

“Islamist Websites Monitor No. 96-99”

[Cindy]

RECAP and UPDATES:

JIHAD WATCH.org (THE STAR-LEDGER): "FORT DIX JIHAD SUSPECT ASKS FOR QUR'AN" (May 11, 2007)

JIHAD WATCH.org (AP): Camden, New Jersey - " FORT DIX SUSPECTS ARE ALL DENIED BAIL" (May 11, 2007)

CNS NEWS.com: "TERROR-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LINK HIGHLIGHTED IN THWARTED NJ PLOT" by Kevin Mooney (May 11, 2007)

CNS NEWS.com: "FBI LACKS EVIDENCE TO CHARGE FOUR OTHER JIHADISTS" by Kevin Mooney (May 10, 2007)

JIHAD WATCH.org (MSNBC): "FORT DIX JIHAD PLOTTERS RECRUITED THROUGH INTERNET" (May 9, 2007)

INTERNET-HAGANAH.com: "INTERNET"

MEMRI.org: "JIHAD AND TERRORISM STUDIES PROJECT"

FOX NEWS.com: "BROTHERS CHARGED IN TERROR PLOT LIVED ILLEGALLY IN U.S. FOR 23 YEARS" (May 9, 2007)

ADNKI.com (AKI): Belgrade - "TERRORISM: U.S. ARMY BASE PLOT 'CONFIRMS EXISTENCE OF WHITE AL QAEDA' BALKAN EXPERTS SAY" (May 9, 2007)

Google - Search Term: "WHITE AL QAEDA"

Google - Search Term: "WHITE AL QAIDA"

CHRONICLES MAGAZINE.org: "KOSOVO BLOWBACK REACHES AMERICA" by Srdja Trifkovic (May 8, 2007)

FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "BALKIN MUSLIM GRATITUDE" by Julia Gorin (May 9, 2007)

DEFENSElink.mil (AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE): Washington - "SIX ARRESTED FOR PLOTTING TO KILL SOLDIERS AT FORT DIX, N.J." by John J. Kruzel (May 8, 2007)

Newark.FBI.GOV - DOJ Press Release: Camden, N.J. - "SIX INDIVIDUALS CHARGED WITH PLOTTING TO MURDER U.S. SOLDIERS AT NEW JERSEY MILITARY BASE" (May 8, 2007)

THE SMOKING GUN.com: "FORT DIX TERROR PLOT FOILED FBI: New Jersey jihadists targeted servicemen at Army base" (May 8, 2007)

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=path

Adding 1 news brief to your link, crabbie.
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070511/NEWS/70511009

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Note: The following news brief is a quote:

http://www.njbiz.com/article.asp?aID=70721

Corzine Directs National Guard to Protect Trains
Scott Goldstein
Trenton Bureau
5/11/2007

Gov. Jon S. Corzine today directed the National Guard to provide additional security at PATH train stations and other parts of the heavy-rail transit system in New Jersey. The measure, part of a joint operation with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and a regional effort with New York state, is part of the governor’s ongoing homeland security efforts and is not in response to a specific threat, the Corzine administration said. The PATH serves as the primary link between Manhattan and neighboring New Jersey cities and suburban railroads. It carries 215,115 passengers each weekday. The governor also announced today that he is working with the Legislature to allow the state to enter a cooperative effort with New York to provide additional security measures for other joint mass transit entities.