Threat Matrix: 2010

Freerepublic.com ^ | 12/31/2009 | Freeper TMers

[Velveeta]

Al Qaeda’s Yemen Connection, America and the Global Islamic Jihad

December 30, 2009 — The attempt to destroy Northwest Airlines flight 253 en route from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day underscores the growing ambition of al Qaeda's Yemen franchise, which has grown from a largely Yemeni agenda to become a player in the global Islamic jihad in the last year. Since merging with the al Qaeda franchise in Saudi Arabia last January and renaming itself Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), it has stepped up operations in Yemen itself, struck into Saudi Arabia, and now operates on the global stage. The weak Yemeni government of President Ali Abdallah Salih, which has never fully controlled the country and now faces a host of growing problems, will need significant American support to defeat AQAP.

Al Qaeda has long been active in Yemen, the original homeland of Osama bin Laden's family, and one of its first major terror attacks was conducted in Aden in 2000, when an al Qaeda cell nearly sank the USS Cole. A year ago, the al Qaeda franchises in Saudi Arabia and Yemen merged after the Saudi branch had been effectively repressed by the Saudi authorities under the leadership of Deputy Interior Minister Prince Muhammad bin Nayif. The new AQAP showed its claws last August, when it almost assassinated the prince with a suicide bomber who had passed through at least two airports on the way to his attempt on Nayif.

(snip)

The attack on the Amsterdam-Detroit flight also shows that al Qaeda remains obsessed with striking the American airline industry, a target it has gone after repeatedly since 1999. If AQAP has now been told by the al Qaeda core leadership to take on the job, we can probably assume that other al Qaeda franchises in North Africa, Iraq, Southeast Asia and elsewhere have also been pressed to attack.

The Brookings Institution

Threat Matrix:
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"No matter where you live in the world, this is a message that bears repeating: Your assistance is needed to prevent terrorist acts." From TM'er and Freeper ~appalachian_dweller~
Submit Information Online: FBI Tips & Public Leads
CDC ::::: CIA ::::: DHS ::::: DOJ ::::: DOD ::::: FBI ::::: NSA
Government Web Sites			Homeland Security Weekly		Nuclear Threat Initiative
	Most Wanted Terrorists		Terror-Alert.com		NCI: Nuclear Terrorism
	FBI: Seeking Information		Global Crisis Watch		IR and Security Network
	Are you Ready?: Ready.Gov		SOFIR		World Policy Institute
	CDC: Preparedness/Response		Little Green Footballs	Threat Matrix Related
	Defense Dept. War on Terror		Terror Base UK		Terrorism Knowledge Base
	U.S. Immigration & Customs		The Blotter		Terror Information Bank
	DOJ: Combating Terrorism		Middle East Live Daily Thread		South Asia Terrorism Portal
	US-Cert: Current Activity	Think Tanks			Terrorist Scorecard
News & Information			The Terrorism Research Center		Iraq Pipeline Watch
	IPN - Fire & Police Paging		The Jamestown Foundation		National Security Archive
	MEMRI | MEMRI TV		The Brookings Institution		Islamic Dictionary
	The Counterterrorism Blog		Council on Foreign Relations		IACSP Terrorism/Antiterrorism
	Jihad Watch		SITE Institute	Maps
	GlobalTerrorAlert.com		CSIS		Terrorist Network in U.S. Map
	LauraMansfield.com		RAND Corporation		Recent Disasters: Worldwide
	Internet Haganah		International Crisis Group		Nuclear Weapon Effects Calc.
	Topix.net: Terrorism News		The Heritage Foundation		Nuclear Terrorism: Blast Maps
	Faith Freedom International		Foreign Policy Institute		FEMA Nuclear Fallout Map
	TrackingTerrorism.com		Center for Defense Information		U.S. Nuclear Targets Map
	DEBKAfile		The Cato Institute		Global Incident Map
	TerroristWarning.com		Hudson Institute	Pay Sites
	HomelandSecurityUS.net		Homeland Security Institute		Strategic Forecasting
New Links in Italics

"America Supports You" spotlights what Americans are doing in support of the military all across the land, encourages others to thank the troops and allows all to tell their stories by giving voice and visibility to their efforts.

Being prepared is a good thing, no matter where one lives; no matter what alert level we are on.
From TM'er and Freeper ~Cindy~

Intelligence is the best weapon against terrorism.
National Commission on Terrorism: 1999

Ian Livingston

Threat Matrix: Since November 3, 2003
							68	67	66	65	64	63	62	61	60	59	58	57	56	55	54	53	52	51
50	49	48	47	46	45	44	43	42	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	26
25	24	23	22	21	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11	10	09	08	07	06	05	04	03	02	01

"No matter where you live in the world, this is a message that bears repeating: Your assistance is needed to prevent terrorist acts." From TM'er and Freeper ~appalachian_dweller~
Submit Information Online: FBI Tips & Public Leads
CDC ::::: CIA ::::: DHS ::::: DOJ ::::: DOD ::::: FBI ::::: NSA
Government Web Sites			Homeland Security Weekly		Nuclear Threat Initiative
	Most Wanted Terrorists		Terror-Alert.com		NCI: Nuclear Terrorism
	FBI: Seeking Information		Global Crisis Watch		IR and Security Network
	Are you Ready?: Ready.Gov		SOFIR		World Policy Institute
	CDC: Preparedness/Response		Little Green Footballs	Threat Matrix Related
	Defense Dept. War on Terror		Terror Base UK		Terrorism Knowledge Base
	U.S. Immigration & Customs		The Blotter		Terror Information Bank
	DOJ: Combating Terrorism		Middle East Live Daily Thread		South Asia Terrorism Portal
	US-Cert: Current Activity	Think Tanks			Terrorist Scorecard
News & Information			The Terrorism Research Center		Iraq Pipeline Watch
	IPN - Fire & Police Paging		The Jamestown Foundation		National Security Archive
	MEMRI | MEMRI TV		The Brookings Institution		Islamic Dictionary
	The Counterterrorism Blog		Council on Foreign Relations		IACSP Terrorism/Antiterrorism
	Jihad Watch		SITE Institute	Maps
	GlobalTerrorAlert.com		CSIS		Terrorist Network in U.S. Map
	LauraMansfield.com		RAND Corporation		Recent Disasters: Worldwide
	Internet Haganah		International Crisis Group		Nuclear Weapon Effects Calc.
	Topix.net: Terrorism News		The Heritage Foundation		Nuclear Terrorism: Blast Maps
	Faith Freedom International		Foreign Policy Institute		FEMA Nuclear Fallout Map
	TrackingTerrorism.com		Center for Defense Information		U.S. Nuclear Targets Map
	DEBKAfile		The Cato Institute		Global Incident Map
	TerroristWarning.com		Hudson Institute	Pay Sites
	HomelandSecurityUS.net		Homeland Security Institute		Strategic Forecasting
New Links in Italics

"America Supports You" spotlights what Americans are doing in support of the military all across the land, encourages others to thank the troops and allows all to tell their stories by giving voice and visibility to their efforts.

Being prepared is a good thing, no matter where one lives; no matter what alert level we are on.
From TM'er and Freeper ~Cindy~

Intelligence is the best weapon against terrorism.
National Commission on Terrorism: 1999

Ian Livingston

[caww]

LOL....you are a trip I have to say!

[JustPiper]

I have waited so long to see your handle! Drain Bamage that I JUST thought of searching FR for you! Old age, blah, blah!
How are you? what’s new in 2 years? I only been back about 6 weeks or so

[JustPiper]

Hello, Hola, Bonjour

[caww]

Interesting read...thanks.

[JustPiper]

Can we trade leaders?

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Iran’s opposition leader defiant in face of threats, says he is ready to die for his people.

[caww]

Am very impressed reading all the stats and progress in Iraq. Seeing these stats myself rather than thru the news is quite the eyeopener.

It was very interesting how the people see the improvements as well as functioning of their country. All the data , footnotes etc. truly gives one a good look at the overall status in Iraq...and this over the years invested there. As well, on the troops etc.

Thank you for your work in compiling all the data and research. I will continue to visit the site for info. Really nice job!

[nw_arizona_granny]

Thank you and a Happy New Year to you.

[WestCoastGal]

Bahahahahha - love the flowers on our heads!! But I will pass on the cigar. ;p

[WestCoastGal]

I still can’t get past the two unidentified and unclaimed persons by the Feds.......

Haskell said ever since the landing the FBI has insisted only one man was arrested for the airliner attack.

“However, several of my fellow passengers have come over the past few days, backed up my claim, and put pressure on FBI/Customs to tell the truth,” he wrote.

Huisinga told reporters he, too, saw a man taken away in handcuffs at the airport after a dog search.

Another passenger, Roey Rosenblith, told the Huffington Post officials arrested a man in a gray suit.

“The only thing that I recall happening is seeing an Indian guy off to the side, an older gentleman wearing a gray suit leaning against the wall. Suddenly there was a police officer next to him pulling his arms back and putting handcuffs on him,” he said. “The man didn’t struggle, the bags which seemed to be his were left there, and he and the police officer disappeared around the corner.”

Just today, the Detroit News reported a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman confirmed that officials had taken a second person into custody after the attempted bombing. But officials claim the handcuffed passenger was from a different flight, and the incident was not related.

Ron Smith, chief Customs and Border Protection officer in the Detroit office, told the newspaper, “There was a second person taken into custody, but it had nothing to do with Flight 253. They did see dogs, but again, it was a totally different incident.”

But Haskell stands by his story, claiming officials are “playing the American public for a fool.” He said their explanation would require the public to believe the following:

* FBI and Customs officials allowed passengers from a separate flight to co-mingle with the passengers of Flight 253 during a critical investigation. Haskell insists that no one – aside from law enforcement and Flight 253 passengers – was allowed in the area while they were being detained.

* Despite prohibiting passengers from drinking, eating, making calls and using the restrooms, FBI and Customs officials allowed people from other flights to “trample through the area and possibly contaminate evidence.”

* Haskell also added that no flights during that time allowed passengers to exit from the planes. The planes were held on the runway during the first hour of the detention period.

* “You have to believe that the man that stood 20 feet from me since we entered customs came from a mysterious plane that never landed, let its passengers off the plane and let this man sneak into our passenger group despite having extremely tight security at this time,” he added.

* He said the public would be required to believe FBI and Customs officials were “hauling mysterious passengers from other flights through the area we were being held to possibly contaminate evidence and allow discussions with suspects on Flight 253 or to possibly allow the exchange of bombs, weapons or other devices between the mysterious passengers from other flights and those on flight 253.”

“Seriously, Mr. Ron Smith, how stupid do you think the American public is?” he wrote.

[WestCoastGal]

Mayor seeks to block tankers
Wants Yemen gas delivery offshore

Mayor Thomas M. Menino said yesterday he will ask Boston’s lawyers to see whether the city can block Yemeni tankers from delivering liquefied natural gas into Boston Harbor, calling such deliveries “wrong”

“We’re in extraordinary times that call for extraordinary measures to ensure the safety of our city,’’ the mayor said in an interview. “They cannot be coming into a harbor like Boston, where there is less than 50 feet between the tankers and residential areas.’’

Menino and several other public officials said they would press for the tankers’ cargo - destined for an LNG terminal in Everett as soon as next month - to instead be unloaded away from the city, in light of the failed Christmas Day attempt by a Nigerian man, who trained in Yemen, to blow up a US airliner over Detroit.

http://bit.ly/81midd

[WestCoastGal]

TSA memo sent on December 24th<<<<<<<<<<<

From: TSA Broadcast
Sent: Thursday, December 24, 2009 12:01 PM
Subject: 100 - End of Year Message
Date: December 24, 2009
To: All Employees
From: Gale Rossides, Acting Administrator
Subject: 100 – End of Year Message

As 2009 comes to a close, I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season and
a healthy and safe New Year.

For those of you in the field, at the TSOC, the Intel Watch and coordination
centers around the country, it is not lost on me that while many of our colleagues
in government and private industry enjoy holiday mornings with their families,
thousands of TSOs, FAMs, management teams and operations officers are on
duty – on watch – as throngs of passengers take to the skies for the holidays.

Your dedication is second to none, and your professionalism will be on display
once again as you ensure that passengers get to their destinations safely.

Thank you for all you will do in the coming days to keep operations running smoothly.
I also wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on our successes in 2009,
because it was a very good year for TSA. Here are just a few highlights:

http://bit.ly/5PczJb

[Velveeta]

We just hang around and occasionally post something that is (hopefully) relevant.

It's all relevant on TM, thanks for being here.

TMers all have great instincts, so if you feel like posting it - it's relevant. ;-)

[Velveeta]

Glad you're here, caww.

Not sure if I can mention God here, hummm.. well I'm sure someone will advise me soon enough.

God is foremost at TM, He is always welcome.

[Velveeta]

Goodness, that sent a wave of nausea through me.

[WestCoastGal]

FOX News RSS: Democrats Join Calls for Napolitano to Step Down Following Failed Attack http://ow.ly/16fwEo

[Velveeta]

Ian!!!

{insert happy dance here}

I’m so glad you’re back and my deepest sympathies on the loss of your mother. We’re all here for you and so proud of you.

Congrats on the NY Times, I can’t wait to read it!

[Velveeta]

Sending you a hug, Kathy.

I can’t imagine how difficult that was for you.

[Velveeta]

....Because he doesn’t give a flying fig about anyone but himself.

[appalachian_dweller]

Re: #103

VERY worrisome. Thanks for the info azishot.

[WestCoastGal]

Terror dry runs over America

Terror probes - what you’re not being told

 By Doug Hagmann  Friday, January 1, 2010

On August 1, 2001, Hollywood actor James Woods witnessed four men of Middle Eastern appearance engaged in suspicious behavior on a transcontinental flight from Boston to Los Angeles. Mr. Woods’ first public recounting of his observations was five months after 9/11 on The O’Reilly Factor. During that February 15, 2002 broadcast, Mr. Woods stated that the suspicious behavior of the four men “would have been blatantly obvious to the most casual observer.”

Investigation ultimately confirmed that the actor witnessed a “practice run” for the 9/11 hijackings. He ultimately learned that all four men he observed aboard his flight were terrorists who took part in the murderous hijackings on 9/11 – and that they were not all on the same plane during the actual hijackings.

Fast forward to Christmas Day 2009, when Islamic terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul-Mutallab carried PETN onto Delta-Northwest flight 253 and attempted to detonate the explosive package using a catalyst in a syringe. As some “assembly” was required, Abdul-Mutallab used the lavatory prior to his attempt at mass murder. Note carefully witness accounts glossed over by the media, downplayed or denied by officials, such as a second person allegedly taken into custody while another aboard the aircraft reportedly took video.

Intelligence analysis confirmed that Islamic terrorists always use such practice runs, often dubbed “dry runs” or probes to assess operational logistics and various aspects of airline security.  Knowing that and having better hindsight after 9/11, why haven’t we seen media reports, DHS, FBI or TSA acknowledgement of such probes prior to the Christmas Day bombing attempt? Was there a practice run for flight 253? What about the second person reportedly arrested, and reports of a bomb sniffing dog hitting on luggage in the possession of a man a witness described as a 30 year-old male, possibly from India, while the passengers were being held for individual questioning by the FBI?

Answers to some of these questions might be found in the statement obtained by this investigator on behalf of Canada Free Press and the Northeast Intelligence Network from a passenger aboard the very same flight from Amsterdam to Detroit exactly one week before Christmas Day. While filling in on the Schnitt Radio Show, nationally known talk radio host Pat Campbell received a call from Howard, a passenger aboard flight 253 one week before the attempted bombing. Howard recounted the odd behavior of two passengers during the flight, one well dressed man in his mid 30’s and a female of European origin. While Howard reported the incident, there appeared to be little official interest in his observations.

Howard provided his contact information to Pat Campbell, who in turn provided his contact information to this investigator. The information obtained by this investigator is contained in this report [PDF format]. While it is possible that the observations documented in the report could have a rational explanation, the events must be considered through the template of the actions we know took place aboard the Christmas Day flight.

More…

Attached affidavit (pdf)

Flight 253 passenger Kurt Haskell: ‘I was visited by the FBI’

Following up on a visit from FBI officials about an eyewitness account first described to MLive.com, Michigan attorney Kurt Haskell described the visit in comment sections across MLive on Wednesday.

Haskell and his wife, Lori, were aboard Flight 253 when Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab allegedly tried to destroy the plane. They say another man tried to help Abdulmutallab board the plane in Amsterdam.

Haskell had two detailed posts in two different stories. Here is Part One, originally posted here:\