U.S. fears New Year's Eve terror try

New York Daily News ^ | 12/27/03 | JAMES GORDON MEEK

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON - Officials are girding for a possible terrorist act on New Year's Eve, replaying fears of Al Qaeda's unsuccessful millennium plot to blow up Los Angeles Airport. "We're still concerned," a senior U.S. law enforcement official said yesterday. The official cautioned that the passing of Christmas without an attack had not diminished heightened fears of terrorism on U.S. soil.

But ringing in the new year under a terror threat against large public gatherings is only one of the scenarios that have counter.terrorism agents worried.

"There's a lot of little pieces of information that we've been able to obtain, and we're in the process of analyzing that intelligence and ascertaining what it may mean," a senior law enforcement official told the Daily News.

"Some of it was associated with New Year's Day," the source added.

Other U.S. intelligence officials said that the volume of terrorist chatter overheard or intercepted yesterday had changed little since Christmas Eve.

One source said a few days ago that the volume of excited talk among extremists had declined somewhat from its peak last weekend, when the fourth Code Orange alert this year was announced by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.

Yesterday, Air France resumed service to Los Angeles after six flights set to depart Christmas Eve or Christmas Day were canceled because of U.S. suspicions that terrorists could attempt an attack on a U.S. city.

The first Air France flight to L.A. was delayed for nearly three hours because of extra security checks, officials said.

Meanwhile, the latest issue of Al Qaeda's Internet magazine, The Voice of Jihad, hit the Web Thursday and included praise for a Dec. 19 audiotape by Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the terror network's second in command under Osama Bin Laden.

The site claimed "America is falling [in] just a matter of time."

The message in the magazine - which came a day after Al Qaeda thug Abu Mohammed al-Ablaj E-mailed threats against the U.S. to a Saudi weekly - is worrisome because the group's attacks often follow high-profile communications, said Rita Katz, author of "Terrorist Hunter," who obtained the screed.

"It definitely indicates the latest Zawahiri tape was very important to Al Qaeda members," Katz said. "It appears they were actually waiting for messages like this."

Originally published on December 27, 2003

[eastforker]

After doing a little more research I am a bit more concerned about Pakistan's Nukes and who might have control over them.Pakistan backed the Tali-ban thats a fact and IMHO the only reason they backed us was because we held a gun to their head.Just how secure are those Nukes anyway?

[milemark]

Pakistan has announced that their Army is taking full control of their nucler facilities. Is this pre-emptive plausible deniability? Who controls the army and the nukes when one of these attempts to kill Musharraf gets him?

Al Qeada assassinated an anti-Taliban Afghan resistance commander named Massoud just before 9-11-01, knowing U.S. would ally with him against Taliban/AQ. Why are they now so eager to off Musharraff? They've made 2 tries in last 2 weeks. Because if another attack happens, U.S. would lean on him and get U.S. forces into the Pak/Afghan border area on the Pak side, where AQ likes to hide.

When Musharraf takes his dirt nap, break out the duct tape.

[backhoe]

-The India-Pakistani Conflict... some background information- --

[cajungirl]

You may be right. It would behoove us to protect Muscharef or however he spells his name.

[Sender]

Who controls the army and the nukes when one of these attempts to kill Musharraf gets him?

I think it's safe to say it will be someone who reports to Allah. Not good.

[SLB]

Didn't you have a discussion that was similiar to this with someone here yesterday?

[Dave S]

Pakistan has announced that their Army is taking full control of their nucler facilities. Is this pre-emptive plausible deniability? Who controls the army and the nukes when one of these attempts to kill Musharraf gets him?

The same guy that already heads the Army, General xxxx (cant remember his name). Musharraf agreed to step down from his head of the army role a week or two ago. The person who has been picked to take that role is a top Army supporter of Musharraf who is believed will follow his policies. I guess that means he will have a big target painted on his back as well.

[SevenDaysInMay]

Folks, we need to and press others to carry in their cars and to keep in offices and homes, lots of First Aid bandaging materials. Sterile eye wash is critical in dust/smoke, as is clean drinking/mouth wash water. Maxipads with any tape, yes, even duct tape. Know how to control burn injuries and crushed/broken bones: SPECIFICALLY LEARN HOW TO COPE WITH INJURED'S SHOCK, until real medical care is available.

Take at least a Red Cross Approved First Aid course. The life you save may be in your family or office. I'd like more small businessmen to have their crews trained, espescially those who may work out side, exposure and on-scene help. In a crisis, emergency medical services: EMT, ambulances, and ERs - are overwhelmed.

Terror harmed innocents may not even live a minute without effective aid. Stop and render aid.

IMHO, God will provide us all skills and strength we do not have when we are helping the helpless. Just be careful.

I recommend that each of your family members and employees keep a quality face mask an eye goggles ( even $6 swim type) to keep you from being chocked and blinded on dust and smoke - seconds are critical. These could give the precious minutes to evacuate with our without aid to the injured. Latex or nitril (more durable) gloves are cheap in boxes of 50 or 100: Very good with bloody/burned injured. Then as First Responder, always help the injured with Buddy Aid.

Ask names and HOLD their hands to let the injured know that they are not alone.

Remember "ABC" - Airway, Breathing, Circulation. You have no more than several minutes to render effective 1st aid to clear the airway, chest compressions IF NEEDED, and control bleeding, especially arteries (they squirt with each beat of the victim's heart)

I also urge you (of course pistol armed) to have in the car and (office if possible) shotguns, scoped (semi-auto)rifles, and ammunition.

We are our Militia, pursuant to the Law of our Land, our Ratified Constitution - no matter what "officials" may bark purporting their own police powers are THE "controlling legal authority".

Often those not in control are the first to claim that they are.

We are in for a hot front here - likely HamAssed type mass murder terror whether or not Qaeda can mount their threatened strikes surpassing 9/11. Defensive positions are uncomfortable, but each of us must be able to treat the wounded - even if we are not able to destroy attackers before they are able to kill and maim our friends and families.

We shall live our lives in freedom only so long as we Live life the American Way.

[eastforker]

As I said earlier,the only reason Musharraf is cooperating is cuz we have a bigger gun to his head than the Tali-ban an queda.There is a huge Islaminazi faction in pakistan and we allowed and even encouraged it in the 80's and early 90's.We then left and it festered into what we have today.Well over 50% of those in the military and man on the street have no secular education.There may be a reason we are outsourcing so many jobs to India,we may be setting up for a proxy war with Pakistan.It won't be the first and I doubt the last.Watch this area for the next 5 years, it will be the next hot spot.

[Stonewall Jackson]

There has been speculation that the assassination of Mossoud on September 9th was the trigger for Atta and his madmen, so I wonder if these recent attempts on Musharraf are attempts at signalling another attack.

[eastforker]

Possibly,I would be more inclined to think it was a move to control Pak's Nukes.If the islaminazis ever control even one nuke there is no doubt in my mind they will use it on us.Musharraf is a traitor in the eyes of most Pakistanis,Taliban,etc.. They have been instucted by more than 30,000 Madras schools to destroy us at all cost. Musharraff allowed and encouraged this kind of thinking until we threatened him with the same fate as Afghanistan. The Islaminazis will get him in time,we will have to step in and secure the Nukes,we can not allow to let the Nukes fall into the wrong hands.

[FairOpinion]

"Al Qeada assassinated an anti-Taliban Afghan resistance commander named Massoud just before 9-11-01, knowing U.S. would ally with him against Taliban/AQ. Why are they now so eager to off Musharraff? They've made 2 tries in last 2 weeks. "

==

GOOD point!
It's excellent thinking that you connected the two assassinations.

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20031226-025637-7758r

Analysis: Al-Qaida's second breath

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- The two recent failed attempts on the life on Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, the heightened terror threat-level in the United States and the scare over trans-Atlantic airline hijackings on Christmas Day are obvious indications that al-Qaida is alive and well, and clearly engaged on a second major offensive.

Following their ouster from Afghanistan by U.S. forces in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Osama bin Laden's group was forced to flee its strongholds, abandoning training camps and safe houses. But by now they have had ample time to catch their breath, regroup, reassess and plan their next steps, which now appears to be unfolding.

Al-Qaida's strategy, it would seem, is being implemented on three separate fronts. The first is to strike at targets of opportunity, such as U.S. military and forces associated with them in Iraq. The presence of thousands of U.S. troops concentrated in and around Baghdad and other Iraqi localities makes that job all the easier for them. Infiltrating Iraq through its long and porous frontiers with Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran further facilitates that task for al-Qaida jihadis.

Furthermore, recruiting cashiered former Iraqi military personnel in dire need of cash, ready and willing to carry out attacks against U.S. forces simplifies the task for al-Qaida operatives in Iraq. Identifying and conscripting people willing to kill Americans in exchange for money in post-Saddam Iraq should not be a terribly difficult task given the circumstances.

Al-Qaida's second front seems to be centered on Pakistan. There are a number of reasons why that country has become of prime importance to bin Laden and his acolytes. First, is its proximity to Afghanistan, from where many al-Qaida operatives fled during the U.S. offensive to oust them and the Taliban. Second, al-Qaida, just as their Taliban brethren, find enormous sympathy and support in Pakistan, not only among the population at large, but also within the military. In Pakistan, bin Laden is considered a national hero and thousands of mothers have named their sons after him.

The last two assassination attempts on Musharraf's life -- the seventh and eighth since he took power in 1999 -- would also indicate that al-Qaida is intent on overthrowing the Pakistani president. Musharraf is despised by many for the about-face he adopted vis-à-vis the Taliban, abandoning them and siding with the United States in the war on terror. Not least of those who dislike him are prominent officers in the ISI, Pakistan's influential intelligence service.

Overthrowing Musharraf and assuming power in Pakistan would accomplish two objectives for the jihadis. First, it would replace Afghanistan, giving them a "legitimate" base of operations -- something they lack at the moment. It would give them a tremendous power-base with almost unlimited human resources to choose from, when compared to Afghanistan. Pakistan's population is made up of 150 million, of which, by Musharraf' own account, one percent -- or 150,000 people -- share the extremist views of al-Qaida and bin Laden.

But of far greater importance is the fact that Pakistan is a nuclear power and the country falling into the hands of the jihadis would make bin Laden a nuclear power -- far more dangerous than a group of fanatic skyjackers armed with Islamist fervor, box cutters and determination.

The Islamists' third front is, of course, Saudi Arabia. This, in fact, has been and remains bin Laden's original objective. Bin Laden intends to overthrow the House of Saud, which he sees as corrupt, and in the process take over the immense richness of Saudi's oil production -- the world's first provider of black gold. The turmoil that has gripped the kingdom in 2003 -- bombings and attacks -- is only the beginning. Look for more terrorist actions meant to undermine the royal family in the year to come.

Bin Laden sees the United States -- the sole remaining super power -- as one of the few, if not the only impediment to his grandiose dreams of establishing an Islamist caliphate that would stretch from southwest Asia, to the Arabian peninsula, the former Soviet republics and beyond.

U.S. support of Musharraf and the Saudi royal family exacerbates the jihadis' hate of the United States, and in the course any harm they can cause to the United States -- at home or abroad -- they see as an added bonus in their ongoing struggle.

Should he accomplish his objectives, with a finger on a nuclear trigger and control over the world's vastest supply of oil, bin Laden would greatly change the present world order.

[FairOpinion]

I noticed you make excellent observations in your posts.

There is an ongoing thread, where people post information, thoughts, analysis, etc., and it is sort of a "reference thread", been on-going since Nov. 3.

I think your contributions would be valuable there too and you may enjoy the thread as well.

here it is:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1013726/posts

Al Qaeda again threatens New York, Washington and Los Angeles

[milemark]

Thanks for the post and link. Sorry about the belated reply, but I've been away.

Usually all I get here when I post one of my theories is that I'm overreacting or I need a tinfoil hat.

Have a safe New Year's Eve.

Hopefully it will be uneventful.