Threat Matrix: July 2007

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[nwctwx]

Threat Matrix:
July 2007

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US Steps Up Security Following Attack in Britain

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff made appearances on several television talk shows.

He told ABC's This Week program there is no indication of a linkage between the events in Britain and any specific attacks on the United States. "We do not have, at this point, specific, credible intelligence that there is an attack, a particular attack, focused on this country," he said.

But at the same time, speaking on CNN's Late Edition program, Chertoff said U.S. authorities are concerned about the threat of terrorism, especially in the coming months. "We have had a number of al-Qaida leaders quite publicly talking about how they want to carry out their threats against the West. So, given that and given the history that we have had over past summers, with attacks in Britain, I think we were clearly focused on this as a possibility," he said. Full story...

	More United Kingdom Attacks Possible
	More US Air Marshals on Flights to Europe
	Officials: Car Bomb Plot Bears al Qaida's Trademark

[GOPJ]

Yes, I take Bill Gertz seriously too...

[Cindy]

Yep...maybe he loves to scuba dive, too.
Those who play together, stay together —
in normal marriages.

[Cindy]

“He answered that there are some things that they (ABC) have been asked not to report...”

Yes, I saw the interview.

Thanks for posting it here, good old days.

[Cindy]

Thank you for the translation.

[LayoutGuru2]

Local6.com

Charges Coming in Erie Collar-Bomb Case Washington Post, United States - 10 hours ago The Erie Times-News, citing an unnamed source, reported that an acquaintance of Diehl-Armstrong was also notified that he could face similar charges. ... Indictment: Bomb Victim in on Bank Plot Washington Post 'A Million Little Pieces' ABC News Erie bomb victim was the dupe in a greedy plan Cleveland Plain Dealer ABC News - KDKA all 553 news articles »

[Cindy]

Thank you very much LayoutGuru2 for that update.

[Cindy]

http://internet-haganah.org/hmedia/27apr07/27apr07-salafy_forums.html

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www.ekhlaas.org

www.ekhlaas.org/forum/

2-up.info/uploads/31271f7e0a.gif

www.ekhlaas.org/forum/showthread.php?t=68863

2-up.info/uploads/2a646f8d1b.gif

www.ekhlaas.org/forum/showthread.php?t=68863

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Speech Translation from LauraMansfield.com
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1859319/posts?page=1051#1051

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http://siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications301807&Category=publications&Subcategory=0

“’The Aggression Against Lal Masjid [Red Mosque]’” – An Audio Speech by Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri Produced by as-Sahab Media
By SITE Intelligence Group
July 11, 2007

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www.youtube.com/results?search_type=search_videos&search_query=as%20sahab&search_sort=video_date_uploaded&search_category=0&search=Search&v=

www.youtube.com/results?search_type=search_videos&search_query=mujahideen&search_sort=video_date_uploaded&search_category=0&search=Search&v=

www.youtube.com

[Oorang]

I'm not sure what to make of it. Looking around I found that there was a 1999 movie titled "The Haunting" with a U.S. release date of July 23rd (U.K. release of July 24th). The 1999 movie poster looks nothing like the one at the link referencing the Iraq war.

There is some very fine print on the fake movie poster in the lower left and right corners that I cannot make out. When I enlarge the image enough to see that there is print it has become too fuzzy to read. Unfortunately I am not computer savvy enough to remedy the problem.

There is the Egyptian Revolution of July 23rd (1952):
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/000928/2000092846.html

On July 23rd, 1941 Austria-Hungary issues an ultimatum to Serbia allowing the Austrians to find out who killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand. When Serbia denies Austria-Hungary their demands World War I is sparked on July 28, 1914 (1914). Also throws in a Bosnian connection.
http://thelearningcalendar.com/this_day_in_history/index.cfm

July 23, 1957 is the date of Theo van Gogh's birth.

Yazid Ibn Muawiyah Ibn Abu Sufyan was born on July 23rd. He was the second Caliph of the Umayyad dynasty.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazid_I

But, having listed all of the above, I believe the jahidi's will strike when their preparations are complete and they feel they are ready.

[Oorang]

Lots of interesting tidbits in that article. Thanks much Joe.

[Cindy]

http://www.fbi.gov/headlines/collar071107.jpg
Photo caption: “Metal Collar used in explosive device”
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NOTE: The following text is a quote:

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/july07/collar071107.htm

COLLAR BOMB CASE
Charges in Bizarre ‘03 Bank Heist

07/11/07

Four years after a pizza delivery man in Erie, Pennsylvania, robbed a bank with a time-bomb secured to his neck and then died when it detonated during a standoff with police, charges have been filed against two people for their alleged roles in the case.

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday announced an indictment against Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, 58, and Kenneth Barnes, 53, for allegedly helping to plot and carry out the botched scheme that culminated on August 28, 2003, when Brian Wells was stopped by police after robbing an Erie bank. Wells warned police that he was wearing a bomb and running out of time, but as bomb technicians were summoned the device exploded, killing Wells and leaving behind an odd lot of clues and characters.

The felony charges, announced during a press conference by U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan, answer some central questions about the case, foremost whether Wells was a willing participant or an innocent victim. Buchanan said Wells played a “limited” role in the planning phase of bank robbery. According to the indictment, Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes contrived a plan to make it look as though Wells was “merely a hostage,” which would give Wells an alibi should he be captured. If the bomb detonated, meanwhile, Wells couldn’t be a witness against them, Buchanan said.

“It may be that his role transitioned from that of the planning stages to being an unwilling participant in the scheme,” Buchanan said.

Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes are currently serving unrelated sentences in prison—Diehl-Armstrong for killing her boyfriend in 2003 and Barnes for a drug-related offense.

The indictment alleges that Diehl-Armstrong solicited Barnes in July 2003 to help rob a bank. She would then use proceeds from the robbery to pay Barnes to kill her father and collect an inheritance, the indictment says. She is alleged to have supplied two egg timers that were used in the collar bomb. Prosecutors believe the 2003 murder of her boyfriend was intended to keep him from disclosing the emerging bank robbery plot.

The charges bring some clarity to a case that challenged investigators, who ultimately pieced together how Wells went from pizza delivery guy to bank robber in the course of an afternoon. According to the indictment, here’s how it happened:

On August 27, 2003, Diehl-Armstrong, Barnes, Wells and other unindicted co-conspirators met to discuss the next day’s plot.
On August 28, 2003 at about 1:30 p.m., the co-conspirators used a pay phone to order two pizzas for delivery to a remote TV tower site, which happened to be next door to one of the conspirator’s houses. Wells would be the delivery driver.
At about 2 p.m., the co-conspirators attached the bomb device to Wells’s neck.
At about 2:20 p.m., Wells entered a bank and presented the teller a demand note. He walked out about 12 minutes later with $8,702. The co-conspirators watched from a distance until Wells was stopped by police, at which time they fled.
Wells told police that the bomb on his neck was on a timer and that he’d been forced to rob the bank. The bomb exploded before bomb technicians arrived.
Ray Morrow, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh office, called the three-year, 10-month case “an outstanding, old-fashioned investigation” and lauded the joint efforts of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case involved nearly 1,000 interviews and as many leads, Buchanan said.

“This was a lengthy and complex investigation,” Morrow said.

Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes both face initial appearances in federal court this week. The three-count indictment, returned on July 9, contains charges of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, armed bank robbery, and using and carrying a destructive device in a crime of violence.

[Oorang]

Thanks much Ian. About 30 minutes ago my husband was channel surfing the various news and business channels. I caught a bit of Laura Mansfield on CNN talking about the new al-z tape. I wish other networks would use her as a regular terrorism expert. We so very rarely tune to CNN that I frequently miss her.

If anyone is looking for summer time reading material I highly recommend Laura's books. I found both to be very interesting.

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1864399/posts

“Al Qaeda entrenched in Pakistan, U.S. officials say”
Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 7/11/07 | David Morgan

Posted on 07/11/2007 1:36:35 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

[GOPJ]

"O you who believe! What is the matter with you, that, when you are asked to go forth in the cause of Allah, you cling heavily to the earth? Do you prefer the life of this world to the hereafter?

Sounds like old Zawahiri's got some slackers in his organization - maybe some kids looked at him and wondered why - if the afterlife is sooooooo great - why is Zawahiri "clinging" to this world... Maybe the old man is lying to them... or playing them for fools. Or maybe, if Allah is all powerful, he could come here and speak for himself.. or maybe, just maybe, self- appointed leaders like Zawahiri only speak for themselves. And they will die for nothing.

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=alibek

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Thanks to Calpernia for the ping to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1859182/posts

“Selling the threat of bioterrorism (LA Times investigates Alibek)”
LA Times ^ | 7/1/07 | David Willman

Posted on 07/01/2007 8:58:07 AM PDT by TrebleRebel

WASHINGTON

[WestCoastGal]

Time to batten down the hatches I guess.

I still say Cherthoff looks like he’s been spending many a sleepless night.

[Calpernia]

>>>I still say Cherthoff looks like he’s been spending many a sleepless night.

I think he has too much lettuce.

:)

[Rushmore Rocks]

I’m sure it’s been said elsewhere, but I always think “mortician” when I see him, espcially the past few weeks.

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=algeria

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1864303/posts

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http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-07-11T170641Z_01_L11762224_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-ALGERIA-BLAST-COL.XML&archived=False

“Truck bomb kills eight soldiers in Algeria”
Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:06 PM EDT
Printer Friendly
(Page 1 of 2)
Top News
By Lamine Chikhi

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “LAKHDARIA, Algeria (Reuters) - A truck bomb exploded at an Algerian army barracks on Wednesday, killing eight soldiers in the deadliest attack claimed by al Qaeda’s north Africa wing since a triple suicide bombing in April.

The blast in Lakhdaria village 120 km (75 miles) east of the capital in the troubled Kabylie region happened hours before the opening in Algiers of the All Africa Games, a prestigious sports event regarded as Africa’s Olympics which Algeria is hosting.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The 0530 GMT blast was caused by a truck bomb and the eight dead and 23 wounded were soldiers, the official APS news agency reported security sources as saying.

It made no mention of the attackers, but residents, citing unconfirmed reports, said the assault was carried out by a suicide bomber who gained access to the barracks by posing as the driver of a food delivery truck.

Al Jazeera television said al Qaeda’s north Africa wing, the al Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb, claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was a suicide mission.

“Our martyr was able to enter into the heart of the (barracks) and set off the explosion there,” said a spokesman of al Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb in an audio tape.

The spokesman named the suicide attacker as Suhail Abu Malih and said more than one tonne (2,200 lb) of explosives were used.

If confirmed, the highly unusual use of a suicide bomber would be the first since a triple suicide attack killed 33 people in Algiers on April 11. Those attacks were also claimed by al Qaeda’s north Africa wing.”

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http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=26211_Religion_of_Peace_Strikes_Again_in_Algeria&only

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070711/ap_on_re_mi_ea/algeria_bombing

Wed Jul 11, 7:00 AM ET

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “ALGIERS, Algeria - A car bombing killed at least eight people at military barracks southeast of the Algerian capital on Wednesday, according to local media.

The attack occurred some 50 miles southeast of Algiers, according to Algerian media reporting from the scene. No other details were immediately available.”

[nwctwx]

Ayman al Zawahri Releases Third Tape in 7 Days
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCoJ_a0GTKg