Posted on 12/27/2003 4:44:39 PM PST by FairOpinion
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
There is enough oil in the Western Hemisphere to supply the USA with oil if it comes down to it. The problem of course is our trading partners, primarily Japan. We MUST look after Japan's best interests as they do look after ours.
The reality is, as need requires, Osama or even 1000 Osamas could never control the world's oil supply. At least not long term. It simply won't happen. There are several reasons, first, other producers outside the ME will jack up supply to capitalize on it such as Russia, Mexico, Venezuala, second, Uncle Sam will have his gun at your throat. We won't be caught pants down again like in the early 70s. -Mal
I grew up in Boston. I have an East coast mentality. I was in the WTC at least 20 times. I feel the loss. But aside from the initial horror, flyover country doesn't see it the same way.
Yep, just started a new one too: Teeth of the Tiger :)
This is a galactically ignorant statement.
"Flyover country" sees it more than New York does.
When the cold war was on, both sides paid for global insanity. They maintained missiles, we maintained missiles. They had subs, we had subs.
Now, with the Islamafacist, only we pay the price. We have alerts, they do nothing. Are Muslim countries going to Code Red or Orange or Yellow? No. Time for a change. We get hit, we hit back. They kill 3,000, we kill 30,000. Who do we hit? Any Muslim country that is not cooperating with us. Any Muslim country that harbors terrorist ( or any country called France).
Terrorist want to bankrupt this country. Let's level the playing field. Same rules. We go to orange, they go to orange. Both sides play, both sides pay.
The govt not doing us any favours with all these stupid warnings.
It seems our enemy is too weak these days to do anything more than blow himself up in Baghdad.
Read the opening few pages of Red Storm Rising and see how familiar it sounds.
Win.
I'm glad you left Punxsutawney Phil out of all this.
et tu vladog?
Its a matter of priorities. Your safety from terrorism is way down the list to the Liberal's assault on our borders, language and culture.
Elvis' Birthday, Jan 16, that's gotta be it!. lol
The ultimate contarian sinkspur makes his appearance with his usual disposition.
Sadly, that must be it.
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