sorry, I couldn't resist
Posted on 06/07/2002 11:05:23 AM PDT by 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.
sorry, I couldn't resist
As it turns out, that was their second attempt. The first attempt, their raft was overloaded and sank.
All the more reason to keep an eye on this one. They already know about overloading, and won't make that mistake again.
I agree, it would be like a guy raised on the plains of west Texas becoming an Admiral. But then again there was Chester Nimitz ...........
People can laugh at arabs etc in kayaks; i wonder what it'll take to make people stop dismissing these incidents. I hope the owner got their pictures on a storecam or took down the license numbers. After the Cole, how can we dismiss these sightings? UIA -- Unidentified Islamic A******
It looked like a credible warning to me, and not deserving of ridicule.
And these terrorists, known to the FBI, are where right now?
Which reminds me, are we going to go back to the days when we called it the Department of War instead of Department of Defense, now that we have this new Cabinet-level 'homeland defense' thing in the works? And why was it changed in the first place? Political correctness? Or did the function of the department change as well? I pose this question
He is a she, but I am a he. Si? Si.
I imagine these guys didn't get their boats because they only wanted them "right now" and the dealer probably didn't have them on hand.
Sit-on-top kayaks are essentially watertight when they are buttoned up, aren't they? They can be a trick to handle when they are that heavy, but they are sleek, low-profile, and they are not going to swamp. If you are looking for something to tow that's going to sit right at the water line, this is it...
Maybe I'm naive, but how hard can it be to purchase a kayak? How do you "attempt" to purcahse a kayak and find yourself somehow foiled before you're able to complete the transaction?
It reaffirms my nagging suspicion that on the whole these guys aren't highly motiviated terrorist masterminds, but are rather tenacious morons who have succeeded in their goals in spite of themselves. Don't get me wrong, I don't for a minute wish they were bright bulbs, but for crying out loud, we're talking about buyin kayaks! How hard can it be to make yourself look like a recreational enthusiat as opposed to someone who raises immediately raises suspicion by trying to buy four of the things at the same time? It boggles the mind...
Of course, the real solution would have to be a seven day waiting period for anyone who wanted to purcahse a kayak, a canoe or any other type of assault watercraft. That would give the FBI the time it needs to do the requiste background checks. After all, who really needs a kayak that can carry 600 lbs.? Heck, you stick a trolling motor on a canoe and the dang thing is fully automatic...
Posting inter-departmental memos regarding credible threats to this nation on the internet, should be more a concern to you and the others here , than my weak attempt at humor.
Very good! Yes that's it. They will try to mix in with some celebration or floatilla or race.
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