Posted on 05/03/2006 9:29:49 PM PDT by bd476
WASHINGTON — U.S. mass transit systems should remain alert against possible terror attacks, the Homeland Security Department said in a new warning that highlighted suspicious activity at unnamed European subway stations last fall.
Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said Wednesday there is no specific or credible intelligence to indicate U.S. transit systems are being targeted, and he described the notice, sent Tuesday, as a routine reminder for transit authority operators, state security advisers and police to remain on guard.
In Chicago, transit authority spokeswoman Sheila Gregory said the nation's second largest transit system had not received any information or warning from Homeland Security regarding suspicious activity at European subway stations.
Joe Pesaturo, a spokesman for the Boston area transit authority, said the agency is already on alert.
"We have received the memo and we are continuing to operate under the procedures we have in place for the elevated threat level," he said.
The notice said a foreign man was arrested in November in an unnamed European city after videotaping the interior and exterior of several subway cars and stations, including trash cans and stairwells. The man taped nearly 17 minutes of subway pictures, the notice said, but "the camera contained no footage of tourist sites."
Three other people were later arrested for similar activity, including two in the last four months, the notice said.
The incidents "prove indications of continued terrorist interest in mass transit systems as targets, and potentially useful insights of the terrorists' surveillance techniques," said the notice, a copy of which was read to The Associated Press.
It added: "DHS has no credible or specific intelligence regarding active plots targeting U.S. mass transit systems."
Knocke said Homeland Security has no immediate plans to raise the nation's terror threat alert level.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
But let's send it out just when gas prices are high and people are considering using mass transit instead of driving....
I was on a plane that did something like that. They announced we'd be landing in about 15 minutes or so, then went into a rather steep bank -- and stayed there. After a while it occurred to me that we were flying in circles. And, a lot more than the few minutes to landing had transpired, with no mention of anything over the PA system.
After a long wait, el kapitan comes on and announces that there's a bit of a problem. One of the wing slats is stuck, and they can't un-stick it. But, they're "working on an idea", and they are very hopeful that we will be able to land safely.
Oh, joy.
After a very long time (I forget the exact time scale, thankfully memory has been blotted of much of that terror, but as I recall, we were supposed to land early evening and ended up on ground near midnight), he says OK, here we go, we think we'll be OK.
When we got to the runway, he touched the wheels down within about a tenth of an inch of the very beginning of the pavement, and hit the thrust reversers within about a nanosecond of touchdown.
The plane went screaming down the runway, and as I looked out the window I could see stuff on the ground whizzing by (*whup* *whup* *whup* *whup*). The plane did not seem to be slowing down very much if at all.
He'd landed it at flight speed!
Although we were never given an explanation, my conclusion was that instead of unsticking the stuck slat, so that they could extend it, they withdrew the other slat, to allow level flight. However, sans slats, there was no way they could slow to landing speed without stalling.
When the plane finally slowed down enough to turn off the runway -- which was at the far end of the runway -- we saw a couple of rows of firetrucks lined up, lights flashing. Glorious Leader came back on the PA to inform us not to worry about what we'd seen, that he'd told them that we didn't need the emergency vehicles, but since they were scheduled to have the exercize then anyway (golly, what a coincidence!), they decided to deploy them.
After we landed, we were held captive on the plane for several more hours. People were allowed to leave if they wanted -- but, the airport had just closed down the car rental counters. How thoughtful and considerate. When it took off again for the final leg of the flight, there was absolute silence in the passenger cabin. I still have my wife's fingernail marks in my hand from the final landing.
Fly Northwest again? NEVER!
The icing on the cake is that this occurred during one of their infamous "work slowdowns", and the takeoff was delayed by several hours while they went through the motions of pretending to find a problem (a stuck window in the kitchen!), and having to find the one person in the area "qualified" to repair it, and then another delay waiting to find the right parts, yada yada yada. Another passenger, fed up, told one of the smirking NWA clowns that he knew there was nothing wrong with the plane, that they were just abusing us because of their "work slowdown". The clowns looked at him with a real snarky smile, and silently walked off without saying a word.
So, for that BS they had all the time in the world -- but for real maintenance, well, I guess there just wasn't time to address those issues.
I used to think that Republic had established the benchmark for exactly how rude and abusive an airline could possibly be, but then, when they got absorbed into Northwest, I found out that it was just a starting point. I could go on with some of the other insane BS they've pulled, but I'm already off-topic enough. Suffice it to say that "stuff happens" that does NOT make it to "the news". I wonder how many events like this happen each year.
Northwest has a rather horrid history. At one point, a couple of years ago, they were arresting pilots for flying drunk and then there were the baggage handlers secretly videotaped tossing bags and fragile goods around just for fun to see how many they could damage.
I traveled twice with Northwest, both times having to go through the airport in Detroit. That was a whole 'nuther story there too. As Dave Barry would say, that airport shold be remodeled with nuclear weapons.
You had your eyes open and were looking out the window? Not me. Not only would my eyes be tightly shut, but I would be trying to get into the lap of the person next to me.
If 9/11 didn't teach the lesson, I doubt anything will. How nuts do you have to be to not believe they'll hit us again, and in fact, hit us again in their favorite places: New York City and Washington DC.
Did you read this?
yes ... and how the Democrats did nothing about fighting terrorists
I am looking for something to read after I finish "The Coming Nuclear War with Iran" by Kenneth Timmerman. Did you read that one? Clinton sold Iran all the necessary items for their arsenal. He turned a blind eye. But who cares! Also the Sword and the Prophet looks good.
As a kid/college student I used to fly on their Convair 580s out of Oshkosh.
No I haven't read that one yet
CAFE standards - that endanger us and our families in smaller, more dangerous cars (while trucks seem to get bigger)
go on mass transit - where more can be killed in an attack.
Turn all the illegals into dim voters.
Just how many more examples do some of the nay-sayers on FR need? Yet they come out very anti-pubbie. There are many things being done that I don't like, but I like even less the other choice. Don't give me any third party bs. That is not a true option. Think Ross Perot, and thank him for the toon.
Oh read that one. I notice when I am reading that book I twist and pull my hair. It is very nerveracking indeed!
No jihadists, no jihad terrorism..
For some reason, at the time, I was listening to NPR (I think it was the only station that came in where I was driving)
I DISTINCTLY remember the radio guy saying it was a 'private commuter plane'
Yeah, I know. It's just that they seem more edgy than usual.
Very neat!
That's true, Cindy. There's a fine line between alert and edgy. Hopefully training will help.
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