Middle Eastern Men & Kayak Rentals

memo from Anti Terrorism Task Force | 7 June 2002 | Frank Shults,

[UnsinkableMollyBrown]

United States Attorney

Eastern District of Virginia

District of Columbia

TO: Anti-Terrorism Task Force

FROM: Frank Shults
Chief Information Officer

RE: Kayak rentals

The ATTF CIO in Milwaukee obtained the following information from an intelligence summary report of an Army CID ATTF rep. It is passed on to you for information purposes.

(U//FOUO) California: On 21 May 2002, US Coast Guard (USCG) personnel were notified by a kayak distributor in Wilmington, CA, in metropolitan Los Angeles, that three or four men appearing to be of Middle-Eastern descent attempted to purchase four small "sit on top" kayaks several weeks ago. The men were only interested in obtaining the kayaks "right away." The men recently made repeated attempts to purchase three kayaks. The men also insisted that the kayaks be built by "Cobra." Comment: The kayak distributor is adjacent to the Port of Los Angeles. Cobra kayaks have a capacity upwards of 850lbs, and one- and two-seat Cobra kayaks have a capacity of 600lbs. Taking the fact that the bombers of the USS Cole used 600lbs of C-4, it is certainly plausible that a similar attack could occur using this type of platform.

According to the National Maritime Intelligence Center (NMIC), kayaks would likely not be distinguishable on radar from the background because they are made of rubber or plastic. Further, there have been several suspicious incidents at US ports including Los Angeles since October 2001. On 3 May 02 a man, appearing to be of Middle-Eastern descent, was observed taking video footage of the cruise ship terminal in Los Angeles, CA. Another report in mid-May related that several Middle Eastern persons were found to have taken SCUBA diving lessons within the last 2 years. According to FBI records, all three persons were known to have associations with either Hamas or Hizballah.

[John H K]

I for one want to see the video of a person raised in the desert

Arabs don't live in the desert, nor are they raised there, nor do they ride camels, except for a very tiny minority consisting of Bedouin nomads, which are probably smaller in population relative to the overall Arab population than the population of real cowboys riding horses and herding cattle in the US relative to the total US population.

The odds are overwhelming that any given Arab is basically a city-slicker who has barely seen a real camel in their life or spent any time at all in the desert.

Remember all the idiotic garbage by clueless Chicken Littles prior to the Gulf War about the Iraqis and all their desert combat experience?(which actually was completely non-existent; the Iran-Iraq War was fought in soggy MARSHES)

Actually, given the geography of Southeast Iraq and the fairly dense population there, there actually are more "Marsh Arabs" living on the water, in an environment similar to southern Louisiana, than Arabs that actually live in the desert.

[snippy_about_it]

Ping

[porte des morts]

A little touchy in our high security mode aren't we?

As a matter of fact, crashing a 747 after it has reached cruise is probably easier than getting a kayak w/ 600lbs of cargo going in rough seas.......

Secondly;if we are so all fired serious to catch people like this....don't post it on the internet. The people that need to know, and anyone with a drop of common sense, is already aware of the miriad of possible means of terrorism.

[Free Trapper]

A canoe will haul about the same weight but doesn't work as well as a kayak for a person getting back into it or on it after being in the water.

[Mo1]

So...what? They're attacking igloos now?

Oh please .. if you think they won't attack us again .. then you are a fool

These terrorist will do anything and use anything they can to kill americans

And that is not just fact .. but it is reality

[DETAILER]

Somebody approaching a ship at night on a kayak would be very, very difficult to spot.

[TBall]

I hate to say this because I don't want to give away any ideas, but what if the terrorists try to purchase roller blades.

[txhurl]

Think lakes created by dams on July 4th.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

I think I speak for several Freepers when I say that, there are times when, whatever the topic, I can't resist making a smartass remark of some kind. Most of the time I don't regret it.

Then there are topics that give me the idea for a really cool joke, but given the seriousness of the topic, I refrain from posting it. This happens nearly every day.

In essence, I guess I'm saying that, in my case, posting a sarcastic reply does not impugn the post nor the poster, necessarily. In fact, I don't recall ever making an ad hominem attack on anybody (though I have been misinterpreted as having done so, more than once).

Thank you for the information...and keep in mind that most of us in Freeperland are on the right side, even if we don't always treat things seriously on a consistent basis. Free Republic is as much a site I browse for humor as for political debate. I wouldn't bother coming here without the humor. I'm grateful that the moderators give us a long leash on it.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

He is a she. Hi EggsAckley!

[olivia3boys]

Well, not so much A-rabs, but specifically Muslims. This is a religious war.

[vannrox]

Cobra Explorer


Cobra Strike


Cobra Expedition

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

This doesn't pass my stink test...how many attempts does one have to make before one successfully purchases a kayak? Is there some waiting period or background check that I'm not aware of?

Do you suppose some states require a concealed-carry permit for folding kayaks? < /rim shot>

[livius]

Interesting. I hope this gets wide publicity among the folks who sell kayaks, especially here in Florida (where, as we all recall, several of the terrorists spent a good deal of time).

Terrorists in kayaks may sound silly, but the boats are very quiet and low-profile and can zip along in just a few inches of water. Granted, they wouldn't be going very fast if they had 600 pounds of something in them, and they'd certainly need enough water under them to hold them up. Here in Florida, I'd watch for them around shipping along the coast or the St. John's - and near nuclear power plants, which are, of course, located on rivers that are filled with perfectly innocent recreational kayakers. What better cover?

[EggsAckley]

Hi T.I.L.H.!!

[vannrox]

COBRA TRIPLE

...This is the first ever sit-on-top that is big, sturdy and stable enough to accommodate three adults paddling simultaneously as well as ample supplies of heavy diving and long range fishing gear. The Cobra Triple answers a request from coed Adventure Teams for a kayak that allows them to combine all their power into one boat. (Cobra Kayaks was invited to be the official supplier for the first ever Fogdog 24-Hour Adventure Race held in Southern, California). The versatility of the Cobra Triple is not lost on parents who want to share their paddling experience with their children. And there is even room for the family dog!

The Cobra Triple V-hull with its wide beam provides for excellent tracking and extra stability. The narrow bow and stern, coupled with clean lines, lets paddlers slice through water quickly and smoothly. The combination of these design elements helps paddlers shed waves and remain on a straight course. Pictured with optional paddles, backrests, hatches, and bungies.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Length: 16’ 6”....
Width: 36”....
Weight: 80 lbs.
Capacity: 850 lbs.....
Material: Super Linear Polyethylene
Includes: Handles & eyelets

[OReilly]

This definitely something to not overlook. I remember that the bomb was delivered to the Cole via a small rubber(?) raft. Some of these reports seem a little ridiculous, but this one looks ominous. Good find.

Yes and a first attempt was scuttled when the first boat sank because it wsa overloaded.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Coast Guard Auxiliary Members PING

"On 21 May 2002, US Coast Guard (USCG) personnel were notified by a kayak distributor in Wilmington, CA, in metropolitan Los Angeles, that three or four men appearing to be of Middle-Eastern descent attempted to purchase four small "sit on top" kayaks several weeks ago. The men were only interested in obtaining the kayaks "right away." The men recently made repeated attempts to purchase three kayaks. The men also insisted that the kayaks be built by "Cobra." Comment: The kayak distributor is adjacent to the Port of Los Angeles. Cobra kayaks have a capacity upwards of 850lbs, and one- and two-seat Cobra kayaks have a capacity of 600lbs. Taking the fact that the bombers of the USS Cole used 600lbs of C-4, it is certainly plausible that a similar attack could occur using this type of platform."

[LibertyGirl77]

How long would it take you to learn to survive in the dessert?

Well, if it was cheesecake, not long...but I'll skip the pecan pie. :)

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

United States Coast Guard role under the new Department of Homeland Security proposal.

In order to secure our nation’s territorial waters, including our ports and waterways, the Department would assume authority over the United States Coast Guard, which would maintain its existing independent identity as a military organization under the leadership of the Commandant of the Coast Guard. Upon declaration of war or when the President so directs, the Coast Guard would operate as an element of the Department of Defense, consistent with existing law.

The U.S. Coast Guard is charged with regulatory, law enforcement, humanitarian, and emergency response duties. It is responsible for the safety and security of America’s inland waterways, ports, and harbors; more than 95,000 miles of U.S. coastlines; U.S. territorial seas; 3.4 million square miles of ocean defining our Exclusive Economic Zones; as well as other maritime regions of importance to the United States.

The Coast Guard has command responsibilities for countering potential threats to America’s coasts, ports, and inland waterways through numerous port security, harbor defense, and coastal warfare operations and exercises. In the name of port security specifically, the Coast Guard has broad authority in the nation’s ports as “Captain of the Port.” Recently the Coast Guard has worked to establish near shore and port domain awareness, and to provide an offshore force gathering intelligence and interdicting suspicious vessels prior to reaching U.S. shores.