Posted on 02/01/2002 11:24:52 PM PST by STARWISE
Al-Qaida's Terror Manual Foretells Attacks on Nuclear Plants, Skyscrapers, Football Stadiums
By Hamza Hendawi Associated Press Writer
Published: Feb 2, 2002
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - The instructions are simple but chilling: Attack sites with "high human intensity" like skyscrapers, nuclear plants and football stadiums. Pick targets of "sentimental value" like the Statue of Liberty, Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower.
That's some of the advice contained in an al-Qaida training manual aimed at teaching Osama bin Laden's followers the best ways to kill thousands of people and spread fear in the United States and Europe.
The 11-volume "Manual of Afghan Jihad" also suggests attacks on Jewish organizations and large gatherings of Jews to cause as many deaths as possible, as well as the assassination of prominent figures in Arab nations.
The FBI has "moved heaven and Earth" to intensify security for Sunday's Super Bowl game in New Orleans and next month's Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, director Robert Mueller said.
The nation should remain on a "very high state of alert ... for some time," Mueller said, adding that there could be al-Qaida operatives hidden in the United States. "Do I know for sure? I believe there are, but I cannot say for sure," he said Thursday.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other U.S. officials have repeated calls for vigilance in recent days, warning that large terror attacks could still take place. Documents found in Afghanistan have included diagrams of American nuclear power plants, intelligence officials have said.
The two-page chapter on foreign operations was found as The Associated Press conducted an exhaustive translation of the 5,000-page manual.
The manual was produced in Arabic by al-Qaida's training department before the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States. It was obtained by AP from a former Afghan resistance fighter, who got it from a disaffected al-Qaida member in Afghanistan.
"There must be plans in place for hitting buildings with high human intensity like skyscrapers, ports, airports, nuclear power plants and places where large numbers of people gather like football grounds," the chapter said. It also recommended major public gatherings such as Christmas celebrations.
The manual said special units should work in areas with large Jewish communities. "In every country, we should hit their organizations, institutions, clubs and hospitals," it reads. "The targets must be identified, carefully chosen and include their largest gatherings so that any strike should cause thousands of deaths."
"As for Arab nations, operations should expand to include the assassination of influential and effective personalities," it said.
Bin Laden, a Saudi exile, opposes Saudi Arabia's rulers for allowing U.S. troops to be based in the country. Also, Egyptian Islamic militants who are now part of al-Qaida have killed or tried to kill several politicians and intellectuals in Egypt in their lengthy campaign to overthrow that country's government.
The chapter, entitled "External Pressure," reads like a blueprint for the Sept. 11 attacks, in which four hijacked airliners crashed into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.
U.S. officials believe the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania was to have struck a target in Washington, D.C., but crashed after passengers and crew members fought the hijackers.
"The strikes must be strong and have a wide impact on the population of that nation," the essay said. "Four targets must be simultaneously hit in any of those nations so that the government there knows that we are serious."
The chapter did not elaborate on ways to attack the targets, nor did it give any indication that specific operations were in the works.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission last week alerted nuclear power plants that terrorists may be planning an attack on a reactor using a hijacked airliner. The alert said an al-Qaida operative claimed "the attack was already planned." However, an FBI official said Thursday that the information, after being evaluated, was deemed not credible.
The Manual of Afghan Jihad was dedicated to bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam, a prominent Palestinian killed during the 1979-89 Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The writing style strongly suggests that it was written by an Egyptian.
Several members of bin Laden's inner circle in al-Qaida are known to be Egyptians. The 19 known hijackers on Sept. 11 were believed to have been led by an Egyptian, Mohammed Atta.
In other chapters, the manual offers advice on how to raise funds for covert operations through extortion, blackmail and kidnappings for ransom.
To cover the high cost of maintaining a cell, it advises creating a business to generate a regular income. Members of a cell in a country where an attack is planned shouldn't exceed seven and mustn't know each other. Only the leader of the operation should know them, it says.
Another chapter details the punishment reserved for members found to have betrayed colleagues to authorities or stolen money from the group.
"A senior member who betrays his brothers to the regime where they live should be punished in such a way that he would desire death for the rest of his days," says the manual. "But if a brother is killed as a result of his betrayal, then he must be killed to make an example of him."
Since we are on the outs with the Saudis, who seem to be bankrolling these rats anyway......
I say it's time to put them on notice:
If anything else happens to us like 9/11, the consequences will fall on you. They will be swift, unavoidable and indescribable in their scope and horror. Your existence hangs on your ability to cooperate.
Our best long term hope is to work with intelligence agencies in Israel and Great Britain to send in special forces where these animals live, and covertly kill them.
I remember one story where the Mossoud knew that a terrorist was living on the 6th floor of an apartment complex somewhere in the Mideast. Mossoud swooped in and killed EVERYONE on the 6th floor within 30 seconds and left. I believe our CIA probably has similar plans in the works. Let's hope so.
Oh, I am getting really bad in my old age arn't I??? ooops! OH, my I can just hear the moderator now.....UHUH! OH!! Better run.....eeckkkkkkk...........
One standard of enforcement for us Amerian peons, one standard of non-enforcement for illegal aliens.
And then the new arab muslims swarming among us will get the scrutiny they deserve.
Damn! It's soooo simple!
We get Clancy to write a novel in which Medina and Mecca......
Has the characteristics of international Muslim gangsters but instead of fighting over money and turf their task involves killing the greatest number of innocent human beings and wreaking the greatest havoc possible on principally Western interests. In that respect, it is light years more dangerous than the archtypical gangsters of Godfather fame.
Mecca needs to be "on the table" if there is a mega 9-11 carried out by fanatical islemmings screaming "Allah Akbar!"
With luck, they will be deep in the smoking crater.
I thought Mecca II was Dearborn, MI
Actually I agree that Mecca and Medina and Qom all need to be on the table should a disaster happen. However, even if the Super Bowl were hit by nuke this afternoon I doubt that our government would do it. I know the media and itelligenstia would not support such action. There would be an even stronger media campaign telling us about the good Muslims who live in the USA. Yes, some maybe most are good loyal Americans but how many at least passively support Al Qaeda and the destruction of American targets? How many would not turm in a fellow Muslim if they knew that the individual in question was engaged in activity against the USA?
Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown
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