Posted on 01/22/2007 12:16:37 PM PST by maquiladora
Edited on 01/22/2007 12:29:11 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
ABC NEWS: DOCS SEIZED IN IRAQ REVEAL INSURGENT PLAN FOR ATTACK IN U.S.
Suspects, Reportedly Tied to Al Qaeda in Iraq, Sought Student Visas
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2007 — Mimicking the hijackers who executed the Sept. 11 attacks, insurgents reportedly tied to al Qaeda in Iraq considered using student visas to slip terrorists into the United States to orchestrate a new attack on American soil.
Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, recently testified that documents captured by coalition forces during a raid of a safe house believed to house Iraqi members of al Qaeda six months ago "revealed [AQI] was planning terrorist operations in the U.S."
At the time, Maples offered little additional insight into the possible terror plot. ABC News, however, has learned new details of what remains a classified incident that has been dealt with at the highest levels of government.
Watch the full report tonight on "World News with Charles Gibson."
Sources tell ABC News that the plot may have involved moving between 10 and 20 suspects believed to be affiliated with al Qaeda in Iraq into the United States with student visas — the same method used by the 19 al Qaeda terrorists who struck American targets on Sept. 11.
U.S. officials now require universities to closely track foreign nationals who use student visas to study in the United States. University officials must report international students who fail to arrive on campus or miss class regularly.
In August, the FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement alerted intelligence agencies and state and local law enforcement about 11 Egyptian students who had failed to report to their classes at Montana State University. The students were ultimately apprehended.
Still, despite the heightened precautions, some security analysts fear that skilled terrorists — handpicked because of their clean records and because they are carefully trained — could still slip through an academic setting.
The plot was discovered six months ago, roughly the same time that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, was killed by coalition forces. Sources tell ABC News that the suspects involved in the effort to launch the U.S. attack were closely associated with Zarqawi.
The plan also came only months after Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's No. 2, had requested that Zarqawi attempt an attack inside the United States.
"This appears to be the first hard evidence al Qaeda in Iraq was trying to attack us here at home," said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, former chief counterterrorism adviser on the U.S. National Security Council.
The plan was uncovered in its early stages, and sources say there is no indication that the suspects made it into the United States. Officials also emphasize that there is no evidence of an imminent attack.
The hunt for suspects continues, however, and some fear that al Qaeda recruits in Iraq could be easily redirected.
"Anyone willing to go to Iraq to fight American troops is probably willing to try to come to the United States," Clarke said.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2813235&page=1
Terrorists planning on US attack. Hm - Bush's open border policy is making more sense now - NOT!
new AQ tape out
How can this be? The libs/media keep telling us that Iraq has nothing to do with terrorism and fighting over there wouldn't keep us safer here. If we weren't in Iraq, how would we have gotten these docs that tipped off the operation?
I really want to know the TIMEFRAME of these documents. Were these written BEFORE the War took Saddam out?
Why isn't that in the Article?
When were the documents written?
Well, that's essentially true, but it starts from a skewed premise. The U.S. 'creates terrorists' simply by existing and not converting to Islam. Now, we may take actions that are good for terrorist propaganda and recruiting, and those actions may 'make more terrorists'. That's essentially a valid observation. It just misses the point.
Western civilization and Islamic civilization are on a crash course. That friction will continue to create more terrorists, even if America vanished tomorrow. Clearly, if we take action to fight terrorism, it will spawn more terrorism, just as terrorist attacks against us will generate retaliatory strkes. There's no way to avoid that until the underlying issue is settled.
And that issue is that there ain't enough room in this town for the both of us.
Those two groups aren't big enough to get the job done on anything done in multiple cities and on a much bigger scale. Heck even Jack Bauer missed and a lousy .2 KT manpad device blew the heck outta L.A. last week! Four more devices left and now Bauer is having a nervous breakdown! Stay tuned to this BAUER channel at this BAUER time!
Seriously, I think the scenario posed on 24 is highly likely, even probable. IF the border has been used over the last six years (as it has been suspected) to bring in cells and devices they'll be scattered all over the country and while some cells will have specific targets and timetables, others will be given no specific targets but rather orders to stir up as much death and destruction as possible with more conventional means. Those folks won't have handlers, and they won't be skilled in tradecraft. The real cells will have all of that available. Figure at least two guys for logistics to establish safehouses and documents and jobs as needed. One or two for intelligence gathering on the target and then the full team of operators. These cells will have primary, secondary and tertiary targets. They will be self directed AFTER the "GO" code is given.
Here's the kicker: Doing the math based on stats given by the US Border Patrol and ICE based on the numbers of illegals CAUGHT over the last ten years....with 10% of them being from "threat" nations.....there is the possibility of having over SEVENTY THOUSAND active terrorists inside our borders right now, awaiting the "go" code. If they all cut loose at once all over the country can DELTA and SIX handle them alone? I think not.
Of course, that's the REAL purpose for having a Second Amendment in our Constitution to begin with. Think of all the FORMER SEALs and DELTA guys and even Airborne Rangers who have ets'd, or retired. NOW it's becoming a more workable issue. Heck even the patriots who never served but love this country and shoot IDPA or IPSC or just hunt a lot....will be worth their weight in gold. Try not to cut down the liberals who cross your line of fire waving their hands and....bleating....they too have their story....
So? Why would this surprise or shock anyone? If it's a war, they get to attack us, too.
Thanks ExSoldier for the ping.
Excellent post ExS, thanks.
Warner and Coleman have joined the Congressional Traitor Corp!
You can throw in opportunists of all stripes and the "enemy of my enemy" crowd as well.
More I think about it .. maybe that is the intention of putting this story out now .. considering is was known about 6 months ago
Could be.
Spot on.
A little British lingo there.
Why not learn some Spanish and come in through Mexico - after a quick catch-n-release (with the White House's blessing) they'll be on their way to killing some Infidels!
Or watch the full demonstration of what it would be like, tonight on "24" with Jack Bauer.
It wasn't me!
Right after Labor Day.
Already settled, but thanks anyway.
Beyond that, these were the same colleges that Jon Tester was in charge of when he was in the Montana Legislature.
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