Terrorists Possibly Targeting Texas, Chat Cites Attack in July; Energy Facilities on Alert

Houston Chronicle ^ | June 24, 2003 6:19 AM | Mike Hedges

[ewing]

United States Intelligence Agencies early this month eavesdropped on two suspected Al Qaeda operatives discussing potential terrorism in Texas timed for the Fourth of July Weekend raising the spectre of an attack on Energy Facilities in the Houston area, officals said Monday.

That information which did not specify a target, an exact time or type of terrorist attack, was passed along to state officials.

With Texas as the target, officials are especially concerned about oil, gas facilites and pipelines because Al Qaeda terrorists in the past have talked about attacking the energy sector as a way of damaging Americas economy, officials said.

A Federal official confirmed an account first published in Newsweek Magazine that a possible Al Qaeda operative known as 'Sakr' told another person during an Internet Chat Room conversation that an attack had been planned for a long time, and that terrorists inside the United States were waiting for approval from a man dubbed 'The Sheik' before striking in early July.

The information was much more intriguing to intelligence analyists than much of the avalanche of vaguely suspicious electronic intercepts, because Sakr had sent a message predicting 'good news' coming from Morocco shortly before a successful terrorist strike in that country.

[appalachian_dweller]

Maybe they'll try to blow up the harbor by just sailing one of those explosive laiden ships in. Just trying to try it in, get the big picture.

BBQ Ham on the 4th? Baked beans w/ plenty of bacon? That and cold brew sound like a plan.

[trebb]

Also, it celebrates a document whose language is enormously threatening to the small-minded fools who make up what's left of 'al-quaeda.'

The Dims seem to find it threatening too...

[Xenalyte]

Holy crap, dude!

[john316]

Are reffering to the RATS or ISLAMOFACISTSDEVELWORSHIPINGPIGS

[john316]

Try living between the 2 (TC and PASA-GETDOWN-DEANA)

[ewing]

And they were making the same threats last 4th of July exCEPT in NY and DC..

[marshmallow]

What a load of BS. Like these guys are going to be yakking to each other in internet chat rooms about upcoming attacks with all the surveillance and eavesdropping now taking place.

These guys know how to yank our chain. One of their successes with 9/11 was that it built up a huge amount of capital, which they can spend at leisure for a considerable time afterwards. All they need to do is pick up a phone or go online, utter a few key phrases and then sit back and watch the Americans run around like headless chickens, raising their alert level to orange for the umpteenth time.

[mykdsmom]

Hey, here is the answer to all of NC's manufacturing woes. Pig part exports....

MKM

[Principled]

lol!

[americanSoul]

Yep, it was "Black Jack" Pershing and it was in the Phillipines.

[scott7278]

You don't mess with Texas!

[TexasCowboy]

I'm going out on a limb here.
I haven't been concerned about rumors of terrorists attacks in the past because I don't think they'll target large numbers of people in specific areas again.
All that does is piss us off.
I think they'll go after our infrastructure, and what better place to start than our energy supplies.
Houston and it's environs are particularly susceptible because of the huge storage facilities and refineries in places like Texas City.
I can say this seriously - if I were in the Houston area right now I'd make plans to be somewhere else on July 4th.
Yes, I'm concerned about this one.

[Xenalyte]

Is Matagorda far enough away?

[scott7278]

"...a possible Al Qaeda operative known as 'Sakr' told another person during an Internet Chat Room conversation that an attack had been planned for a long time, and that terrorists inside the United States were waiting for approval from a man dubbed 'The Sheik' before striking in early July."

Time to find the sheik!

[Constitution Day]

Sounds like a great strategy!
Good to see you back. :)

CD

[areafiftyone]

Yup I remember. I do believe they do this purposely just to yank our chains. Believe me they know the security will be tighter on those days. If they are going to plan anything it will be on a random day when we are all doing our normal routine just like they did on 9/11.

[john316]

From Houston maybe, but what about Bay City? STNP!

[Xenalyte]

Oh, damn. Good point.

[ewing]

I think what has them making this public is that Mohammad Atta and his cronies were awaiting orders from 'The Sheik' before 9/11 for the go sign.

[AngryJawa]

Find them. Kill them. Restore our liberties.

Honestly, it shouldn't be any simpler than that, but our government has decided to make a meal of it.

It's come to the point that the biggest impact in the War on Terror will be made when a Texan with a CCW stops a terrorist in the act.