Al-Qaeda may target US apartment buildings: FBI (Like the Chechens did in Russia)

Militants from the al-Qaeda network, blamed for September 11 suicide attacks, may be preparing another massive strike against the United States, including US apartment buildings, US officials said.

The announcement came as US intelligence analysts reported increased communications among al-Qaeda cells around the world, which they said could be an indication that preparations for a new terrorist attack against the United States could be under way.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has received information al-Qaeda leaders had discussed a possible plan to rent apartment units in the United States and plant explosives there, FBI spokeswoman Debra Weierman told AFP.

"We have no indication that this proposed plan went beyond the discussion stage," she said. "But in an abundance of caution, we notified our field offices and the Joint Terrorism Task Force last week."

Weierman described the reports about al-Qaeda's possible plans to attack apartment complexes as unsubstantiated and uncorroborated and said they gave no clue where the targeted building were located.

While there are no known recent cases of terrorist bombings of apartment buildings in the United States, they are very well-known in Russia.

A total of about 300 people were killed in a spate of bomb blasts, blamed on Chechen separatists, that rocked multi-apartment housing projects in Moscow and the cities of Buinaksk and Volgodonsk in 1999.

At least in one of these incidents, explosives were moved into a Moscow apartment building in burlap sacks marked "sugar."

Al-Qaeda and the Chechen rebels maintain close ties, according to US officials, with the two group providing each other military assistance.

The US officials and counterterrorism experts denied the administration of President George W. Bush planned to raise the national security alert level, which currently remains at "yellow," or elevated.

But they warned the suspected new attack could be even more devastating than September 11 suicide strikes with hijacked airliners against the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon building near here.

A fourth airliner crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers apparently thwarted the hijackers.

"There are serious threats that remain," said White House spokeswoman Anne Womack. "We doing our best to collect the information."

She said she could not comment on specific intelligence information from the Central Intelligence Agency about al-Qaeda's activities.

But intelligence specialists, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there has been an increase in message traffic among al-Qaeda cells in recent weeks.

"That strongly suggests preparations for a new operation," said one of them. "There has been a lot of movement within al-Qaeda recently."

US intelligence analysts believe last month's attack on a synagogue on the Tunisian resort island of Djerba, which killed 19 people, and a suicide bombing in Karachi, Pakistan, that killed 11 French naval engineers and three Pakistanis, were the work of al-Qaeda.

"That, in conjunction with other factors, indicates al-Qaeda has been able to reorganize itself" since the loss of its bases in Afghanistan, said one of the intelligence experts.

The increase signals traffic among al-Qaeda cells was first reported by The New York Times, which described the intercepted messages as cryptic and ambiguous but with a pattern reminiscent of the period leading up to the September 11 attacks.

The Bush administration has accused al-Qaeda and its leader, Saudi-born Islamist militant Osama bin Laden, of masterminding the September 11 attacks, and launched a massive military campaign to disrupt the group's activities.

Where is the evidence that al-Qaida did what it did? Al-Qaida never takes responsibility for actions other than indirectly. Secondly your "Causus Belli" is a flase argument.

The invasion of Dagestan by the Chechens was all the excuse needed to put an end to the Chechen Wahabist state. The apt bombings happened after. That is plural as in bombings, with several occuring in Dagestan as well, including an army barracks housing military families.

Next time do your research.

Here is where I put your claims to rest that the Russians needed an excuse to LIBERATE Chechnya. As you can see from the time line the Chechens already invaded Dagestan TWICE! The Russians needed no "soccer mom" type excuse to go back in to take back Chechnya:

THE DAGESTAN CONFLICT IN A PERSPECTIVE: MOSCOW, MAKHACHKALA AND GROZNY, 2 AUGUST - 19 SEPTEMBER (I don't do the time line justice click link to see original)

2-8 August Militants from Chechnya, 1,200 strong, invade Dagestan

16-22 August Russian troops rebuffed in an attempt to storm a village occupied by fighters from Chechnya. Eight servicemen are reported killed, the figure is later revised downward to four. Russia transfers command of Dagestan operations from the Interior Ministry to the Defense Ministry. Chechnya mobilizes reservists and veterans of the 1994-96 war with Russia

23-29 August Russian forces clash with Islamic fundamentalist strongholds in Karamakhi and Chabanmakhi villages. Rebels led by Basayev announce pullout from Dagestan. Russian Federation Council Chairman Yegor Stoev says the planned meeting between presidents of Russia and Chechnya is "absurd and useless" Russia bombs the territory of Chechnya for the first time since the 1994-96 war.

30 August - 5 September Bomb levels military barracks in the Dagestani city of Buynaksk, 64 killed Militants from Chechnya invade Dagestan again; third stage of conflict begins First bomb explosion in Moscow kills a woman in a shopping mall Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov calls for international recognition for Chechnya

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Ok, here I pause. The Chechens invade Dagestan again! No need for the Russians to invent a reason to go to war. In addition the planting of bombs is a well known and practiced M.O. of Al-Qaeda/Chechens.

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6-12 September Dagestani authorities say 25,000 people volunteered to fight against the invaders from Chechnya Russia sends an estimated 1,500 troops to the Novolakskoye region to stop the invasion from Chechnya Second bomb explosion in Moscow kills 94 in apartment building. National Security Committee of Chechnya meets to discuss the "military aggression against Chechnya"

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I Pause again. As you can see Muslim Dagestanis themselves rise up and help Russia defend against the Chechen invasion. A blow to Chechen field commander Shamil Basayev's plan of creating an Islamic uprising. The Chechens plant more apartment bombs. It is plain to see their is no need to manufacture an issue to rally the Russian nation.

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13-19 September Karamakhi and Chabanmakhi conquered and occupied by Russian forces Dagestani parliament bans Wahabi movement Chechen militants announce second withdrawal from Dagestan completed Another bombing in the Southern Russian city of Volgodonsk kills 17 and injures 115 Russia continues sporadic bombardment of Chechnya, President Aslan Maskhadov calls the act "aggression against Ichkeria [Chechnya]"

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More terror bombings by the Chechens as Russians push the Chechens out of their strongholds. Sounds just like what has happened in Afghanistan by our forces. These Wahabist scum Chechen/Al-Qaida follow the same textbook M.O.

Choke on the facts.

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