Posted on 12/26/2009 2:37:05 PM PST by Cindy
“Report suspicious activity
1-866-DHS-2-ICE”
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Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0912/091229detroit.htm
December 29, 2009
ICE: A Federal Leader in Combating Terrorism
As the second largest federal contributor to the nationwide network of Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plays a critical role in protecting the country against the threat of terrorism. With agents assigned to counter-terrorism investigations across the United States and around the world, ICE lends its expertise in enforcing immigration and customs laws to the over 100 JTTFs to investigate, detect, interdict, prosecute and remove terrorists and to dismantle terrorist organizations.
The failed bombing attempt on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 flying into Detroit on Christmas Day is a stark reminder that the terrorism threat is ever present. ICE, along with the entirety of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), stands at the ready to respond to this threat. ICE agents assigned to the Detroit JTTF were quickly on the scene to provide support to the investigation and response effort.
“When we got the word that there was a potential terrorist attack on Flight 253, our team sprang into action,” said John P. Woods, deputy assistant director of ICE’s National Security Investigations Division. “We immediately provided investigative support, including Arabic language translation, travel document review capabilities and other law enforcement expertise. Thanks to our history of working together with other agencies on the JTTF, everyone knew their role when it came time to respond to this critical incident.”
A few facts about ICE’s role on JTTFs:
Virtually every foreign terrorism investigation has a relationship to ICE’s authorities for investigating cross-border crime. Foreign terrorists need to move money, weapons and people across international borders to conduct their operations, and ICE holds a unique set of law enforcement tools for disrupting these illicit activities.
Our federal partners on JTTFs depend on ICE’s authorities for enforcing immigration and customs laws in counter-terrorism investigations, because these prosecutions disrupt terror plots while protecting investigative techniques.
An ICE representative serves in the second most senior position in the National JTTF and is the highest ranking DHS official in the JTTF organization.
ICE’s JTTF participation is only one example of the agency’s commitment to partnerships in law enforcement and homeland security. For more information on ICE partnership initiatives, visit the ICE ACCESS page.
— ICE —
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6973954.ece
From The Sunday Times
January 3, 2010
“MI5 knew of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s UK extremist links”
David Leppard
SNIPPET: “The security services knew three years ago that the Detroit bomber had “multiple communications” with Islamic extremists in Britain, it emerged this weekend.
Counterterrorism officials said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was “reaching out” to extremists whom MI5 had under surveillance while he was studying at University College London.
Officials said the 23-year-old Nigerian was “starting out on a journey” in Britain that culminated in his attempt to bring down flight 253 as it prepared to land in Detroit, Michigan, on Christmas Day.”
SNIPPET: “British officials believe Abdulmutallab was recruited to undertake the Detroit plot after he left Britain, most probably while he was in Yemen last summer. Up to a dozen young British Muslims are thought to be engaged in terrorist training there, according to officials.”
SNIPPET: “While in Britain, Abdulmutallab attended a mosque in Goodge Street, central London, which is run by the Muslim World League, a Saudi-based organisation. The league promulgates a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam, but has repeatedly condemned terrorism.
One of the radical preachers believed to have inspired Abdulmutallab is the American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who is based in Yemen and is believed to have inspired several terrorist cells in Britain and the United States.”
Note: The following text is a quote:
Home • Briefing Room • Statements & Releases
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release December 31, 2009
Statement from the President on Preliminary Assessments from Reviews Ordered on the Christmas Day Incident
This morning, I spoke with John Brennan about preliminary assessments from the ongoing consultations I have ordered into the human and systemic failures that occurred leading up to the attempted act of terrorism on Christmas Day and about our government-wide efforts at continued vigilance on homeland security and counterterrorism efforts. In a separate call, I spoke with Sec. Napolitano to receive an update on both the Department of Homeland Security review of detection capabilities and the enhanced security measures in place since the Christmas Day incident.
I anticipate receiving assessments from several agencies this evening and will review those tonight and over the course of the weekend. On Tuesday, in Washington, I will meet personally with relevant agency heads to discuss our ongoing reviews as well as security enhancements and intelligence-sharing improvements in our homeland security and counterterrorism operations.
NOTE: John Brennan is Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.
Lots of profiling and bomb sniffing dogs in every airport. It is the only way. And if the muzzies keep it up...tell Saudis that Mecca is going bye-bye if they dont issue a world wide fatwa ending terror practices.
Speaking of Yemen...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2423399/posts?page=17#17
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Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2423399/posts
Suspect in Soldier Attack Was Once Detained in Yemen (The almost forgotten terrorist attack)
NY Times ^ | 6/3/2009 | JAMES DAO and DAVID JOHNSTON
Posted on January 7, 2010 2:57:29 PM PST by tobyhill
A 23-year-old man charged with killing one soldier and seriously wounding another in a shooting outside an Army recruiting office in Little Rock, Ark., was once detained in Yemen for possessing a fake Somali passport and other counterfeit documents, law enforcement officials said Tuesday.
The episode in Yemen prompted a preliminary inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other American law enforcement agencies into whether the man, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, had ties to extremist groups, the officials said. But that investigation was inconclusive, they said, leaving the bureau with insufficient evidence to wiretap his phone or put him under surveillance.
It is not clear when Mr. Muhammad, an American convert to Islam who was traveling on a valid United States passport, was detained in Yemen or why he would have been carrying counterfeit documents. His detention in Yemen was first reported Tuesday by ABC News.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/20100108_release.pdf
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ODNI News Release No. 04-10
January 8, 2010 www.dni.gov
DNI ASKS JOHN E. MCLAUGHLIN TO HEAD GROUP
THAT WILL EXAMINE RECENT INTELLIGENCE CHALLENGES
Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair announced today that he has asked John E. McLaughlin, a former Acting Director of Central Intelligence, to head a small group of national security experts who will look into recent challenges facing the Intelligence Community.
The group will review the Dec. 25 bombing attempt by alleged terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab aboard Northwest Flight 253, and the Nov. 5 shootings at Fort Hood, allegedly carried out by Army Maj. Nidal Hasan.
The DNI has requested a careful examination of the sequence of events leading up to both incidents, as well as proposals to remedy potential weaknesses in intelligence systems and procedures that these incidents exposed.
“John McLaughlin is especially well-qualified to lead an independent assessment in this area and provide candid, constructive guidance to improve our future performance,” Blair said. “I am pleased that his more than three decades of experience and wide range of leadership responsibilities in intelligence will once again be put to use in service to our country. I thank him for accepting this assignment, and look forward to receiving the results of his work.”
# # #
GUARDIAN.co.uk: "UK MUSLIM TV CHANNEL LINKED TO AL-QAIDA CLERIC AL-AWLAKI" by Jamie Doward (SNIPPET: "The channel's chief executive officer, Mohamed Ali Harrath, has been on an Interpol wanted list since 1992...") (January 10, 2010)
Blog:
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/23632.htm
“Yemeni Official: Christmas Day Bomber Abdulmutallab Met in Yemen with Extremist Sheikh Anwar Al-’Awlaqi”
SNIPPET: “Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister Rashad Al-’Alimi said that Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian who attempted to bomb Northwest Airlines flight 253 on Christmas Day, had hidden in the Shabwa governorate in Yemen, where he met with extremist sheikh Anwar Al-’Awlaqi (who is also suspected of having been in contact with Major Nidal Hasan of the Ft. Hood shooting).”
Posted January 8, 2010
Note: The contact number was X’d out by me. -Cindy
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Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1263500695287.shtm
Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
Release Date: January 14, 2010
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: XXX-XXX-XXXX
“In view of the event of Christmas Day we must remain vigilant about the continued threat we face from al-Qa’ida. We are taking an additional set of aviation security precautions to protect the American people. Some of these measures include enhanced random screening, additional federal air marshals on certain routes and adding individuals of concern to our terrorist watch list system. As a result of these measures and others we have put in place since Christmas, travelers should allot extra time when flying—particularly into the United States from overseas. We are facing a determined enemy and we appreciate the patience of all Americans and visitors to our country, and the cooperation of our international partners as well as a committed airline industry. We will continue to update and adapt our defenses as needed to ensure air travel is both safe and efficient. As always, we continue to ask all Americans to report any suspicious behavior to the local law enforcement authorities.”
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This page was last reviewed/modified on January 14, 2010.
Note: Audio interview included.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122556018
“Al-Qaida Expert Monitors Jihadist Web Postings”
Listen to the Story
Morning Edition
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January 14, 2010
SNIPPET: “Islamic extremist Web sites are full of commentary on two men viewed as heroes: the CIA suicide bomber and the Nigerian man suspected of trying to blow up a plane. Al-Qaida expert Jarret Brachman talks to Deborah Amos about jihadist activities on the Internet. Brachman describes who’s posting, and who’s reading such tributes on the Web.”
Quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2432579/posts
RADICAL YEMENI CLERIC’S EXTENSIVE AMERICAN CONTACTS A SOURCE OF MAJOR CONCERN
INVESTIGATIVE PROJECT - IPT News ^ | January 19, 2010 | n/a
Posted on January 19, 2010 6:08:57 PM PST by Cindy
SNIPPET: “U.S. intelligence officials believe there are dozens — perhaps hundreds - of Americans who have been in e-mail contact with the radical Yemeni cleric who is believed to have inspired and directed both the Fort Hood shooter and the failed Christmas Day airline bomber, the Investigative Project on Terrorism has learned. Efforts to learn the details of that communication, or even to target Anwar Al-Awlaki militarily, may be hindered by his status as an American citizen.”
(Excerpt) Read more at investigativeproject.org ...
www.google.com/search?&rls=en&q=jihad4ever&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
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http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100102/WEEKENDER/701019622/1306
“The anatomy of a suicide bomber”
Loveday Morris
Last Updated: January 02. 2010 3:00PM UAE / January 2. 2010 11:00AM GMT
SNIPPET: “Farouk1986 asks for a link to a “jihad forum” from a fellow Islamic Forum contributor calling himself Jihad4Ever, going on to say he hopes to meet the other posters in another forum where they can share “useful knowledge”.
The Islamic Forum is monitored by moderators, and supporting cult or sectarian ideas, or supporting civilian killings, is banned. But sites sympathetic to al Qa’eda such as Muntada al Ansar al Islami and al Ekhlas are less restrictive.
The news service Agence France-Presse has quoted family members as saying that Abdulmutallab was “radicalised” during his stint as a student at University College London, but even before leaving for the UK he was talking about his “jihad fantasies” on the internet.”
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=9921&page=0
(YaleGlobalOnline)
“Terrorism’s new avatars - part II”
By Gabriel Weimann - posted Thursday, 14 January 2010
SNIPPET: “One of the little-noticed facts that connects many recent acts of terrorism - from Nidal Malik Hassan, the Fort Hood Shooter, to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Christmas day bomber, is the growing use of the Internet by terrorists not only to spread their propaganda but also to recruit and raise funds.”
Thanks to rdl6989 for pointing to this link.
Note: Audio included.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122868637
“Bomb Plot Suspect Tied To Alleged U.K. Terrorists”
by DINA TEMPLE-RASTON
(January 25, 2010)
SNIPPET: “Security officials say Abdulmutallab had started meeting with a man named Waheed Zaman, one of the men accused in that airliner plot. They met around 2006. It is unclear exactly how the two met, though it likely was through programs sponsored by the Islamic student society at a neighboring college, London Metropolitan University. Zaman was its president. Abdulmutallab became president of University College London’s Islamic Society in 2007.
Officials say Zaman is about to be retried on charges linked to that airliner case. If officials have the timing of their contacts right, Abdulmutallab would have been with Zaman around the same time the alleged plot was being hatched.”
SNIPPET: “Officials also say Abdulmutallab was in contact with a second possible terrorist. That man was initially arrested two years ago as part of a plot to kidnap a British Muslim soldier and behead him.”
“What the Christmas Flight 253 jihadist was revealing until he was read his Miranda rights”
(January 24, 2010)
NPR.org: "AL-QAIDA EXPERT MONITORS JIHADIST WEB POSTINGS" (SNIPPET: "Islamic extremist Web sites are full of commentary on two men viewed as heroes: the CIA suicide bomber and the Nigerian man suspected of trying to blow up a plane. Al-Qaida expert Jarret Brachman talks to Deborah Amos about jihadist activities on the Internet. Brachman describes who's posting, and who's reading such tributes on the Web.") (January 14, 2010)
WHITEHOUSE.gov: "Remarks by the President on Security Reviews" (SNIPPET: "As we saw on Christmas, al Qaeda and its extremist allies will stop at nothing in their efforts to kill Americans.") (January 5, 2010)
DHS.gov - Press Release: "Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano" (STATEMENT: "In view of the event of Christmas Day we must remain vigilant about the continued threat we face from al-Qa'ida. We are taking an additional set of aviation security precautions to protect the American people. Some of these measures include enhanced random screening, additional federal air marshals on certain routes and adding individuals of concern to our terrorist watch list system. As a result of these measures and others we have put in place since Christmas, travelers should allot extra time when flying--particularly into the United States from overseas. We are facing a determined enemy and we appreciate the patience of all Americans and visitors to our country, and the cooperation of our international partners as well as a committed airline industry. We will continue to update and adapt our defenses as needed to ensure air travel is both safe and efficient. As always, we continue to ask all Americans to report any suspicious behavior to the local law enforcement authorities.") (Release Date: January 14, 2010)
CNS NEWS.com: "LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF 'KNOWN OR SUSPECTED TERRORISTS' WERE PUT ON 'NO FLY' LIST" by Terence P. Jeffrey (SNIPPET: "As of one month ago, less than one percent of the people the U.S. government has designated as "known or suspected terrorists" had been put on the "No Fly" list that the Department of Homeland Security uses to screen air travelers, according to data provided to the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Dec. 9 by Timothy J. Healy, director of the Justice Department’s Terrorist Screening Center. According to Healy, the full "Terrorist Watchlist" included at that moment approximately 400,000 people, while the "No Fly" list included only about 3,400 of those -- or 0.85 percent.") (January 6, 2010)
TOWNHALL.com: "WHY IS HILLARY'S STATE DEPARTMENT GETTING UNDYBOMBER PASS?" -Column by Michelle Malkin (SNIPPET: "Even absent the intelligence we had on this al-Qaida-trained operative before his fateful trip, Hillary Clinton's State Department was required to know better than to issue a coveted entrance pass to a globe-trotting, Nigerian-born nomad. Under federal law (section 214 (b) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act to be precise), State Department consular officials must determine that foreigners applying for temporary visas (students, tourists and business people) will in fact return to their home countries as required and will not abuse their visa privileges." SNIPPET: "He was, in other words, a textbook itinerant waving more red flags than a bullfighter.") (January 8, 2010)
NY DAILY NEWS.com: "NCTC DIRECTOR MICHAEL LEITER REMAINED ON SKI SLOPES AFTER CHRISTMAS DAY AIRLINE BOMBING ATTEMPT" by James Gordon Meek (SNIPPET: "Michael Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center since 2007, decided not to return to his agency's "bat cave" nerve center in McLean, Va., until several days after Christmas, two U.S. officials said.") (Updated January 7, 2010, 4:46 pm)
YEMEN.USEMBASSY.gov - Press Release: "EMBASSY CLOSED IN RESPONSE TO SECURITY THREAT" (SNIPPET: "The U.S. Embassy in Sana'a is closed today, January 3, 2010, in response to ongoing threats by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to attack American interests in Yemen.") (January 3, 2010)
THE MEMRI BLOG.org: "YEMENI OFFICIAL: CHRISTMAS DAY BOMBER ABDULMUTALLAB MET IN YEMEN WITH EXTREMIST SHEIKH ANWAR AL-'AWLAQI" (SNIPPET: "Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister Rashad Al-'Alimi said that Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian who attempted to bomb Northwest Airlines flight 253 on Christmas Day, had hidden in the Shabwa governorate in Yemen, where he met with extremist sheikh Anwar Al-'Awlaqi (who is also suspected of having been in contact with Major Nidal Hasan of the Ft. Hood shooting)." (Posted January 8, 2010)
DNI.gov - ODNI News Release No. 04-10: "DNI ASKS JOHN E. MCLAUGHLIN TO HEAD GROUP THAT WILL EXAMINE RECENT INTELLIGENCE CHALLENGES" (SNIPPET: "The group will review the Dec. 25 bombing attempt by alleged terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab aboard Northwest Flight 253, and the Nov. 5 shootings at Fort Hood, allegedly carried out by Army Maj. Nidal Hasan.") (January 8, 2010)
DNI.gov - Press Release: "STATEMENT BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER (NCTC)" (SNIPPET: "The failed attempt to destroy Northwest Flight 253 is the starkest of reminders of the insidious terrorist threats we face. While this attempt ended in failure we know with absolute certainty that Al-Qa'ida and those who support its ideology continue to refine their methods to test our defenses and pursue an attack on the Homeland.") (January 2, 2010) (pdf)
DNI.gov - Press Release: "DNI MESSAGE TO THE INTELLIGENCE WORKFORCE" (SNIPPET: "What concerns me most now is not only stopping the types of attacks of the past, but also anticipating and stopping the different, more cunning attacks of the future. Al Qa'ida and its affiliate organizations, as well as individual suicide terrorists, have observed our defenses and are designing future attacks to circumvent them. They are doing so right now, as you are reading this message. These attacks will be even harder to uncover, interpret, and stop. We must anticipate other types of attacks that are within the capability of these individuals and groups, and improve our defense to stay ahead of them. We are an adaptive, learning organization. We can and must outthink, outwork, and defeat the enemy's new ideas.") (December 31, 2009) (pdf)
THE SUN.co.uk: "25 BRITS IN JET BOMB PLOTS Cops fear that 25 British-born Muslims are plotting to bomb airliners." (SNIPPET: "The 25 suspects, of Pakistani and Somali descent, were radicalised in UK mosques. Some had been to university and studied engineering or computer sciences. Others were former street gang members. Special Branch monitored them as they flew to Yemen, in the Middle East, from British airports in the spring and summer. In almost every case, their tickets were paid for in cash and bought less than a week before travel. The source added: "Imams would have promised them rewards in heaven for becoming suicide bombers prepared to kill Westerners."") (December 27, 2009)
CNN.com: Sanaa, Yemen - "YEMEN UNIVERSITY IN FOCUS AFTER CHRISTMAS JET INCIDENT" by Paula Newton (SNIPPET: "Al-Iman University" SNIPPET: "Every year, thousands of Islamic students from Yemen, Africa and around the world are cocooned in al-Zindani's compound, where they study their faith and are instilled with a strident defense of that faith. Last year, al-Zindani made a public plea to recruit millions of young men to fight jihad against Israel.") (January 9, 2010, 3:50 am EST)
INVESTIGATIVE PROJECT.org - For The Record - blog: "'HUNDREDS' MORE AL QAEDA OPERATIVES IN YEMEN PLANNING ATTACKS, FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS" (SNIPPET: ""Of course there are a number of Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen and some of their leaders. We realize this danger," Al-Qirbi said. "They may actually plan attacks like the one we have just had in Detroit. There are maybe hundreds of them - 200, 300."") (December 29, 2009, 3:32)
YEMEN.USEMBASSY.gov - Press Release: "EMBASSY CLOSED IN RESPONSE TO SECURITY THREAT" (SNIPPET: "The U.S. Embassy in Sana'a is closed today, January 3, 2010, in response to ongoing threats by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to attack American interests in Yemen.") (January 3, 2010)
DEFENSE.gov (AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE): Washington - "OFFICIAL LAUDS YEMENI GOVERNMENT FOR TAKING ON AL-QAIDA" (SNIPPET: "The Yemeni government said the strikes were a success, but there has not been an accounting of casualties in the strikes.") (December 28, 2009)
NPR.org: "BOMB SUSPECT TIED TO ALLEGED U.K. TERRORISTS" by Dina Temple-Raston (SNIPPET: "Security officials say Abdulmutallab had started meeting with a man named Waheed Zaman, one of the men accused in that airliner plot. They met around 2006." SNIPPET: "Officials say Zaman is about to be retried on charges linked to that airliner case. If officials have the timing of their contacts right, Abdulmutallab would have been with Zaman around the same time the alleged plot was being hatched." SNIPPET: "Officials also say Abdulmutallab was in contact with a second possible terrorist. That man was initially arrested two years ago as part of a plot to kidnap a British Muslim soldier and behead him.") (January 25, 2010)
FOX NEWS.com: "INVESTIGATORS RECOVER SIM CARDS DURING SEARCHES OF HOMES TIED TO ABDULMUTALLAB" by Catherine Herridge (SNIPPET: "Cell phone-related materials, including SIM cards, were recovered during searches of "flats or apartments of interest" connected to Flight 253 bomber suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, Fox News learned Monday. SIM cards, which store cell phone numbers and incoming or outgoing calls, may be able to determine who was talking to whom in the months and days prior to Abdulmutallab’s flight from Nigeria to Detroit.") (Updated December 28, 2009)
DANIEL PIPES.org (FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "The System 'Worked Really Very, Very Smoothly' in Detroit?" by Daniel Pipes (SNIPPET: "But they did not place him on the list of about 15,000 individuals who must go through additional screening, much less the list of about 4,000 people on the "no-fly" list, who are not allowed to fly to or in the United States. Nor did they revoke Abdulmutallab's two-year, multi-entry tourist visa. Nor did an air marshal accompany his flight.") (December 28, 2009)
"Summary execution for sabotage Reader comment on item: The System "Worked Really Very, Very Smoothly" in Detroit? Submitted by robert a (United States), Dec 29, 2009 at 05:10: The bomber was an enemy combatant, operating behind the lines, without a uniform, in civilian clothes and part of a army that has declared war on the U.S. How much simpler can it get."
KHALEEJTIMES.com: Cairo - "AL QAEDA IN YEMEN EXPANDS OPERATIONS" (SNIPPET: "Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which claimed responsibility for the attempted attack on a U.S. airliner bound for Detroit, is led by a Yemeni who was once a close aide to Osama bin Laden. The group formed in January this year, when leader Naser Abdel Karim al-Wahishi announced a merger between operatives from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Al-Wahishi, who goes by the alias Abu Basir, was among 23 Al Qaeda figures who escaped from a Yemeni prison in 2006. He is on Saudi Arabia's most wanted list, which includes many militants currently in Yemen.") (December 29, 2009)
COUNTERTERRORISM BLOG.org: "AL-QAIDA IN YEMEN CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHRISTMAS DAY AIRLINE TERROR PLOT" by Evan Kohlmann (SNIPPET: "The group acknowledged that the device had failed to properly detonate, but promised that it would "continue on this path until we achieve success."") (December 28, 2009, 08:51 pm)
ABC NEWS.go.com - The Blotter: "TWO AL QAEDA LEADERS BEHIND NORTHWEST FLIGHT 253 TERROR PLOT WERE RELEASED BY U.S. (SNIPPET: "American officials agreed to send the two terrorists from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia where they entered into an "art therapy rehabilitation program" and were set free, according to U.S. and Saudi officials. Guantanamo prisoner #333, Muhamad Attik al-Harbi, and prisoner #372, Said Ali Shari, were sent to Saudi Arabia on Nov. 9, 2007, according to the Defense Department log of detainees who were released from American custody. Al-Harbi has since changed his name to Muhamad al-Awfi.") (December 28, 2009)
INTERNET HAGANAH.com: "Thank You Mr. Kohlmann..." (SNIPPET: "NEFA Foundation has made available a collection of the 2005-2007 postings at gawaher.com by Farouk1986, generally believed to be Nigerian ball bomber Abdulmutallab." SNIPPET: "I find this one intriguing:") (December 30, 2009)
THE NATIONAL.ae: "THE ANATOMY OF A SUICIDE BOMBER" by Loveday Morris (SNIPPET: "Farouk1986 asks for a link to a "ihad forum" from a fellow Islamic Forum contributor calling himself Jihad4Ever, going on to say he hopes to meet the other posters in another forum where they can share "useful knowledge". The Islamic Forum is monitored by moderators, and supporting cult or sectarian ideas, or supporting civilian killings, is banned. But sites sympathetic to al Qa'eda such as Muntada al Ansar al Islami and al Ekhlas are less restrictive. The news service Agence France-Presse has quoted family members as saying that Abdulmutallab was "radicalised" during his stint as a student at University College London, but even before leaving for the UK he was talking about his "jihad fantasies" on the internet.") (Last updated January 2, 2010, 3:00 pm UAE)
PAJAMAS MEDIA.com - blog: "SHOCK: GOVERNMENT 'DE-RADICALIZATION' EXPERT ON TERROR WATCH LIST" by Patrick Poole (SNIPPET: "An August 8, 2006, article in the Houston Chronicle reported on a meeting in Houston with Department of Homeland Security officials where Yasir Qadhi complained openly that he was on the terror watch list. How might have the NCTC’s de-radicalization expert ended up on the terror watch list?") (January 4, 2010)
JAWA REPORT - blog: "HOUSTON-BASED GROUP HAWKED AL-QAEDA CLERIC ANWAR AL-AWLAKI'S CDS EVEN AFTER FT. HOOD MASSACRE, UNDIE-BOMBER ATTENDED THEIR "ILMFEST" HOUSTON CONFERENCE, TWO LONDON SEMINARS IN 2008" -Posted by Barbarossa (SNIPPET: "But we can report exclusively at the Jawa Report that Qadhi's Houston-based Ilmquest was selling more than a dozen different CD sets by none other than Al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki as recently as last month. Ilmquest continued to hawk Awlaki's wares even after the Ft. Hood massacre, but scrubbed any mention of Awlaki from their site as soon as he was connected to the Ft. Hood incident. Ah, but thanks to Google cache, they couldn't hide all the evidence. A screenshot of Ilmquest's Awlaki offerings is below the fold." SNIPPET: "Here's the NCTC's "moderate" de-radicalization expert Yasir Qadhi preaching Holocaust denial" [Listen to audio here.] (December 31, 2009)
Edition.CNN.com: "TERROR SUSPECT ATTENDED 2008 ISLAMIC 'KNOWLEDGE FEST' IN HOUSTON" (SNIPPET: "Qadhi, of New Haven, Connecticut, has been involved in de-radicalization efforts in the United States and was a leading participant in the U.S. Counter-Radicalization Strategy conference organized by the National Counterrorism Center in the summer of 2008. "It's ironic that he came to us," said Qadhi of AbdulMutallab. The Al Maghrib Institute has chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, and has taught more than 30,000 young Muslims in its courses.") (Updated December 31, 2009, 0354 GMT)
JIHAD WATCH.org: "HOUSTON MUSLIM GROUP HAWKED AL-QAEDA IMAM AL-AWLAKI'S WRITINGS EVEN AFTER FORT HOOD JIHAD MASSACRE" (SNIPPET: "This is the group that held a conference attended by the Flight 253 jihadist.") (December 31, 2009)
INTERNET HAGANAH.com - SNIPPET: "The image was found on the al-Qimmah forum associated with Somali al-Qaida franchise al-Shabaab. If they achieve nothing else, al-Qaida has given Freudian theories of psychosexual development a new lease on life..." (December 30, 2009)
ABC NEWS.go.com - The Blotter - Exclusive: "PHOTOS OF THE NORTHWEST AIRLINES BOMB Accused Bomber Abdulmutallab's Underwear, Explosive Packet and Detonator" (SNIPPET: "It is a six-inch long packet of the high explosive chemical called PETN, less than a half cup in volume, weighing about 80 grams. A government test with 50 grams of PETN blew a hole in the side of an airliner. That was the amount in the bomb carried by the so-called shoe bomber Richard Reid over Christmas 2001. The underpants bomb would have been one and a half times as powerful.") (December 28, 2009)
stepping back in time...INTERNET-HAGANAH.com: "FUN WITH BINARY EXPLOSIVES" (SNIPPET: "Binary explosives are bad, bad stuff. The jihadis have not yet learned how to make the stuff, but they have enough chemical engineers in their ranks that it should only be matter of time.") (January 14, 2007)
Video (CNN): "Intended Victims of Northwest Flight 253 Apprehended Islamic Terrorist" (Note: THANK YOU PASSENGER JASPER SCHURINGA for your quick action. -Cindy) (December 26, 2009)
MODERN GHANA.com: "NIGERIAN BOMBER BOUGHT TICKET IN GHANA" -Nigeria News by TheWillNigeria.com (SNIPPET: ""The passenger possessed a Nigerian machine readable passport issued Sept 15, 2005 to expire Sept 14, 2010 with passport number A3921640. His multiple entry US visa was issued in London, UK, on June 16, 2008 and set to expire June 2010."") (December 28, 2009)
MLIVE.com: "SECOND PERSON WAS DETAINED BY U.S. CUSTOMS AFTER ALLEGED ATTACK ON FLIGHT 253" (SNIPPET: "Update: In an interview on Wednesday afternoon, Smith said MLive.com's story was accurate. He clarified that the man taken into custody came to Detroit aboard a separate flight and was detained for issues unrelated to the attack on Flight 253. Bill Carter, a spokesman with the FBI in Washington, D.C., said in an interview Tuesday that Abdulmutallab was the only person arrested or charged in relation to Friday’s foiled attack.") (December 29, 2009, 6:46 pm)
AF.REUTERS.com: Amsterdam - "DUTCH PROBE CLAIMS OF NIGERIAN BOMBER ACCOMPLICE" (SNIPPET: "A U.S. couple on the flight, Kurt and Lori Haskell, told Reuters and other news agencies that they saw a tall, well-dressed man aged about 50 with the suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on Friday morning at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.") (December 28, 2009, 7:37 am GMT)
JIHAD WATCH.org (MLIVE.com, December 26, 2009): "WHO WAS THAT SHARPLY DRESSED MAN" (SNIPPET: "Haskell said he and his wife were sitting on the ground near their boarding gate in Amsterdam, which is when they saw Mutallab approach the gate with an unidentified man. Kurt and Lori Haskell are attorneys with Haskell Law Firm in Taylor." SNIPPET: "While Mutallab was poorly dressed,his friend was dressed in an expensive suit, Haskell said. He says the suited man asked ticket agents whether Mutallab could board without a passport. "The guy said, 'He's from Sudan and we do this all the time.'" Mutallab is Nigerian.") (December 27, 2009)
JIHAD WATCH.org (ABC NEWS): "SUSPECT IN ATTEMPTED BOMBING OF DETROIT FLIGHT HAD VISA TO ATTEND 'RELIGIOUS CEREMONY'" (SNIPPET: "The suspect was identified as Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, who according to federal documents is an engineering student at University College of London.") (December 25, 2009)
THE JAWA REPORT - blog: "FLIGHT 253 BOMBER CLAIMS AL-QAEDA IN YEMEN LINKS (Updated - Video Image of Abdulmutallab added)" (SNIPPET: "I received a copy of this video the other day. The 23rd to be exact. It was the subject of some chatter on a the boards talking about "Was it really safe to fly". No kidding.") (December 26, 2009, 07:27 am)
GUARDIAN.co.uk: "UK MUSLIM TV CHANNEL LINKED TO AL-QAIDA CLERIC AL-AWLAKI" by Jamie Doward (SNIPPET: "The channel's chief executive officer, Mohamed Ali Harrath, has been on an Interpol wanted list since 1992...") (January 10, 2010)
FOX NEWS.com: "AIRLINE TERROR MISSION BLESSED BY RADICAL IMAM" (SNIPPET: "The Nigerian accused of trying to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner had his suicide mission personally blessed in Yemen by Anwar al-Awlaki, the Muslim imam suspected of radicalizing the Fort Hood shooting suspect, a U.S. intelligence source has told The Washington Times. The intelligence official, who is familiar with the FBI's interrogation of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, said the bombing suspect has boasted of his jihad training to the FBI and has said it included final exhortations by al-Awlaki.") (December 30, 2009)
DAWN.com: "BRITISH EMBASSY IN YEMEN TARGETED BY AL-QAEDA" (SNIPPET: "Sanaa: The British embassy in Sanaa was the target of an al-Qaeda suicide plot foiled by Yemeni authorities last week, a defence ministry-linked website said on Thursday.") (December 24, 2009)
WASHINGTON POST.com: "SIX YEMENI DETAINEES AT GUANTANAMO BAY TO BE REPATRIATED" (SNIPPET: "The Obama administration is planning to repatriate six Yemenis held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a transfer that could be a prelude to the release of dozens more detainees to Yemen, according to sources with independent knowledge of the matter.") (December 18, 2009, 5:04 am)
INTERNET-HAGANAH.com: "ICT JIHADI WEBSITES MONITORING GROUP..." (SNIPPET: "One of the surfers suggests using a low power laser in order to bring planes down. Several surfers show enthusiasm for this suggestion, but one surfer doubts it, including suggestions made by other surfers to use higher powered lasers, such as those appearing on the website of the...") (December 23, 2009)
Thanks to a special emailer for pointing to this article.
http://www.isria.com/pages/27_January_2010_189.php
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NOTE: The following text is a quote:
http://www.state.gov/m/rls/remarks/2010/135865.htm
Home » Under Secretary for Management » From the Under Secretary » Remarks » 2010 » Flight 253: Learning Lessons from an Averted Tragedy
Patrick F. Kennedy
Under Secretary for Management
Hearing before the House Committee on Homeland Security
Washington, DC
January 27, 2010
Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member King and distinguished Members of the, thank you for the opportunity to address you today. As a result of the attempted Committee terrorist attack on Flight 253, the President ordered corrective steps to address systemic failures in procedures we use to protect the people of the United States. Secretary Clinton reiterated this direction when she stated, “we all are looking hard at what did happen in order to improve our procedures to avoid human errors, mistakes, oversights of any kind. We in the State Department are fully committed to accepting our responsibility for the mistakes that were made, and we’re going to be working hard with the rest of the Administration to improve every aspect of our efforts.” Therefore, the Department of State now is working on reviewing visa issuance and revocation criteria and determining how technological enhancements can facilitate and strengthen visa-related business processes.
Our immediate attention is on addressing the deficiencies identified following the attempted attack on Flight 253. At the same time we continue to plan for the future, incorporating new technology, increasing data sharing and enhancing operational cooperation with partner agencies.
We have a record of quickly adapting and improving our procedures to respond to security imperatives. We have a highly trained global team working daily to protect our borders and fulfill the overseas border security mission and other critical tasks ranging from crisis management to protection of American interests abroad. Within the Department we have a dynamic partnership between the Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security that adds a valuable law enforcement and investigative component to our capabilities. We will use these strengths to address the continuing security threats .
In the case of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, on the day following his father’s November 19 visit to the Embassy, we sent a cable to the Washington intelligence and law enforcement community through proper channels (the Visas Viper system) that “Information at post suggests [that Farouk] may be involved in Yemeni-based extremists.” At the same time, the Consular Section entered Abdulmutallab into the Consular Lookout and Support System database known as CLASS. In sending the Visas Viper cable and checking State Department records to determine whether Abdulmutallab had a visa, Embassy officials misspelled his name, but entered it correctly into CLASS. As a result of the misspelling in the cable, information about previous visas issued to him and the fact that he currently held a valid U.S. visa was not included in the cable. At the same time the CLASS entry resulted in a lookout using the correct spelling that was shared automatically with the primary lookout system used by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and accessible to other agencies.
We have taken immediate action to improve the procedures and content requirements for Visas Viper cable reporting that will call attention to the visa application and issuance material that is already in the data that we share with our national security partners. All officers have been instructed to include complete information about all previous and current U.S. visa(s). This guidance includes specific methods to comprehensively and intensively search the database of visa records so that all pertinent information is obtained .
In addition to this change in current procedures to search visa records, we immediately began working to refine the capability of our current systems. When dealing with applications for 3 visas, we employ strong, sophisticated name searching algorithms to ensure matches between names of visa applicants and any derogatory information contained in the 27 million records found in CLASS. This strong searching capability has been central to our procedures since automated lookout system checks were mandated following the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. We will use our significant experience with search mechanisms for derogatory information to improve the systems for checking our visa issuance records .
The Department of State has been matching new threat information with our records of existing visas since 2002. We have long recognized this function as critical to the way we manage our records and processes. This system of continual vetting has evolved as post 9/11 reforms were instituted and is now performed by the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC). All records added to the Terrorist Screening Database are checked against the Department’s Consolidated Consular Database (CCD) to determine if there are matching visa records. Matches are sent electronically from the TSC to the Department of State to flag cases for visa revocation. In almost all such cases, visas are revoked. In addition, we have widely disseminated our data to other agencies that may wish to learn whether a subject of interest has a U.S. visa. Cases for revocation consideration are forwarded to us by DHS/Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) National Targeting Center (NTC) and other entities. Almost every day, we receive requests to review and, if warranted, revoke visas for potential travelers for whom new derogatory information has been discovered since the visa was issued. Our Operations Center is staffed 24 hours per day/7 days per week to work these issues. Many of these requests are urgent because the person is about to board a plane. The State Department then uses its authority to prudentially revoke the visa .
Since the Presidentially-ordered Security Review, there have been changes in the thresholds for adding individuals to the Terrorist Screening Database, No Fly, and Selectee lists. The number of revocations has increased substantially as a result. This revocation work is processed electronically in the Department. As soon as information is established to support a revocation, an entry showing the visa revocation is added electronically to the Department of State’s lookout system and shared in real time with the DHS lookout systems used for border screening .
In addition to these changes, the Department is reviewing the procedures and criteria used in the field to revoke visas and will issue new instructions to our officers. Revocation recommendations will be added as an element of reporting through the Visas Viper channel. We will be reiterating our guidance on use of the broad discretionary authority of visa officers to deny visas on security and other grounds. Instruction in appropriate use of this authority has been a fundamental part of officer training for several years .
The State Department has broad and flexible authority to revoke visas and we use that authority widely to protect our borders. Since 2001, we have revoked 51,000 visas for a variety of reasons, including over 1,700 for suspected links to terrorism. We have been actively using this authority as we perform internal scrubs of our data with watchlist information provided by partner agencies. For example, we are re-examining information in our CLASS database on individuals with potential connections to terrorist activity or support for such activity. We are reviewing all previous Visas Viper submissions as well as cases that other agencies are bringing to our attention from the No Fly and Selectee lists, as well as other sources. In these reviews, we have identified cases for revocation and we have also confirmed that substantial numbers of 4 individuals in these classes hold no visas and of those few who did, many were revoked prior to the current review. We recognize the gravity of the threat we face and are working intensely with our colleagues from other agencies to ensure that when the U.S. Government obtains information that a person may pose a threat to our security, that person does not hold a visa .
We will use revocation authority prior to interagency consultation in circumstances where we believe there is an immediate threat. Revocation is an important tool in our border security arsenal. At the same time, expeditious coordination with our national security partners is not to be underestimated. There have been numerous cases where our unilateral and uncoordinated revocation would have disrupted important investigations that were underway by one of our national security partners. They had the individual under investigation and our revocation action would have disclosed the U.S. Government’s interest in the individual and ended our colleagues’ ability to quietly pursue the case and identify terrorists’ plans and co-conspirators .
In addition to revocation efforts, consular officers refused 1,885,017 visas in FY2009. We now are renewing guidance to our officers on their discretionary authority to refuse visas under section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act with specific reference to cases that raise security concerns. No visa is issued without it being run through security checks against our partners’ data. And we screen applicants’ fingerprints against U.S. databases as well .
The Department has a close and productive partnership with DHS, which has authority for visa policy. Over the past seven years both agencies significantly increased resources, improved procedures and upgraded systems devoted to supporting the visa function. DHS receives all of the information collected by the Department of State during the visa process. DHS has broad access to our entire CCD, containing 136 million records related to both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas and covering visa actions of the last 13 years. Special extracts of data are supplied to elements within DHS, including the Visa Security Units of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These extracts have been tailored to the specific requirements of those units . We are working closely with ICE Visa Security Units established abroad and with domestic elements of DHS, such as CBP’s National Targeting Center .
We gave DHS access to U.S. passport records, used by CBP to confirm the identity of citizens returning to the U.S. We developed new card-type travel documents that work with the automated systems CBP installed at the U.S. land borders. We are collecting more information electronically and earlier in the process. Expanded data collection done in advance of travel will give DHS and partner agencies richer information and more time for analysis .
We make all of our visa information available to other involved agencies, and we specifically designed our systems to facilitate comprehensive data sharing. We give other agencies immediate access to over 13 years of visa data, and they use this access extensively. In November 2009, more than 16,000 employees of DHS, the Department of Defense (DOD), the FBI and Commerce made 920,000 queries on visa records. We embrace a layered approach to border security screening and are fully supportive of the DHS Visa Security Program .
The Department of State is at the forefront of interagency cooperation and data sharing to improve border security, and we embarked on initiatives that will position us to meet future 5 challenges while taking into consideration our partner agencies and their specific needs and requirements. We are implementing a new generation of visa processing systems that will further integrate information gathered from domestic and overseas activities. We are restructuring our information technology architecture to accommodate the unprecedented scale of information we collect and to keep us agile and adaptable in an age of intensive and growing requirements for data and data sharing .
We proactively expanded biometric screening programs and spared no effort to integrate this expansion into existing overseas facilities. In partnership with DHS and the FBI, we established the largest biometric screening process on the globe. We were a pioneer in the use of facial recognition techniques and remain a leader in operational use of this technology. In 2009 we expanded use of facial recognition from a selected segment of visa applications to all visa applications. We now are expanding our use of this technology beyond visa records. We are testing use of iris recognition technology in visa screening, making use of both identity and derogatory information collected by DOD. These efforts require intense ongoing cooperation from other agencies. We successfully forged and continue to foster partnerships that recognize the need to supply accurate and speedy screening in a 24/7 global environment. As we implement process and policy changes, we are always striving to add value in both border security and in operational results. Both dimensions are important in supporting the visa process .
The Department of State is an integral player on the border security team. We are the first line of defense. Our global presence, foreign policy mission and personnel structure give us singular advantages in executing the visa function throughout the world. Our authorities and responsibilities enable us to provide a global perspective to the visa process and its impact on U.S. national interests. The issuance and refusal of visas has a direct impact on foreign relations. Visa policy quickly can become a significant bilateral problem that harms U.S. interests if handled without consideration of foreign policy impacts. The conduct of U.S. visa policy has a direct and significant impact on the treatment of U.S. citizens abroad. The Department of State is in a position to anticipate and weigh those possibilities .
We developed and implemented intensive screening processes requiring personal interviews, employing analytic interview techniques, incorporating multiple biometric checks, all built around a sophisticated global information technology network. This frontline of border security has visa offices present in virtually every country of the world. They are staffed by highly trained and multi-lingual personnel of the Department of State. These officials are dedicated to a career of worldwide service and provide the cultural awareness, knowledge and objectivity to ensure that the visa function remains the frontline of border security .
In addition, we have 145 officers and 540 locally employed staff devoted specifically to fraud prevention and document security, including fraud prevention officers at overseas posts. We have a large Fraud Prevention Programs office in Washington, D.C. that works very closely with the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, and we have fraud screening operations using sophisticated database checks at both the Kentucky Consular Center and the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Their role in flagging applications and applicants who lack credibility, who present fraudulent documents, or who give us false information adds a valuable dimension to our visa process .
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security adds an important law enforcement element to the Department’s visa procedures. There are now 50 Assistant Regional Security Officer Investigators abroad specifically devoted to maintaining the integrity of the process. They are complemented by officers working domestically on both visa and passport matters. These Diplomatic Security officers staff a unit within the Bureau of Consular Affairs that monitors overseas visa activities to detect risks and vulnerabilities. These highly trained law enforcement professionals add another dimension to our border security efforts .
The multi-agency team effort on border security, based upon broadly shared information, provides a solid foundation. At the same time we remain fully committed to correcting mistakes and remedying deficiencies that inhibit the full and timely sharing of information. We have and we will continue to automate processes to reduce the possibility of human error. We fully recognize that we were not perfect in our reporting in connection with the attempted terrorist attack on Flight 253. We are working and will continue to work not only to address that mistake but to continually enhance our border security screening capabilities and the contributions we make to the interagency effort .
We believe that U.S. interests in legitimate travel, trade promotion, and educational exchange are not in conflict with our border security agenda and, in fact, further that agenda in the long term. Our long-term interests are served by continuing the flow of commerce and ideas that are the foundations of prosperity and security. Acquainting people with American culture and perspectives remains the surest way to reduce misperceptions about the United States. Fostering academic and professional exchange keeps our universities and research institutions at the forefront of scientific and technological change. We believe the United States must meet both goals to guarantee our long-term security .
We are facing an evolving threat. The tools we use to address this threat must be sophisticated and agile. Information obtained from these tools must be comprehensive and accurate. Our criteria for taking action must be clear and coordinated. The team we use for this mission must be the best. The Department of State has spent years developing the tools and personnel needed to properly execute the visa function overseas and remains fully committed to continuing to fulfill its essential role on the border security team .
A new study [PDF] that interviewed power plant operators and other "critical infrastructure" indicates more than 50 percent of all U.S. power plants have had to deal with an increase in cyber attacks.
Snip: Lashkar-e-Taiba has long-established cells in the Pakistani diaspora in the U.K., Western Europe, and in the Persian Gulf, as well as in Bangladesh and Nepal. It has supporters and fundraisers in the U.S. and Canada. .....
Are there any domestic terrorists NOT tied to Islamic networking website?
It's a serious question. Alabama born and Somali al Qaeda affiliate leader Omar "Abu Mansour al-Amriki" Hammami (yes, I said leader) apparently was led to jihad through his connections on Islamic Networking.
That would be the same Islamic Networking that runs Muslim Pad and is run by Sarafaz "Sasjamal" Jamal (in Jordan now?) and Fatimahye, his wife in Houston. In the past, their ClearGuidance website brought together such luminous and 'moderate' Muslims as the Toronto 18. Not-so-incidentally, Hammami spent a year in Toronto.
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