Group of 5 Middle Eastern Men Purchase Special Diving Equipment In South Florida

NBC | 5-30-02 | My Favorite Headache

[My Favorite Headache]

This just broke after the Nets-Celtics game on NBC. Apparently the FBI is investigating a group of middle eastern men who purchased top of the line "undetectable diving equipment" sometime before the recent FBI warning.

This is more than likely why the alert has been given about divers committing acts of terror. I have also gone through my usual sources through news-press paper out of Ft.Myers which is where the purchase was made. Now I ask those of you on here to do your research into this area.

A few of the 9-11 terrorists lived in a rented room in Ft.Myers before they were kicked out. Also trained out this way as well....developing.

[codebreaker]

There has to be a patriotic or political angle to this somehow..possibly fireworks displays on 4th of July??

[Shooter 2.5]

I'm thinking that the target would be oil rigs or the pipelines from the rigs.

[rwfromkansas]

I tried Scuba (well, surface supplied air diving) when I went to Key West. Even without tanks on my back I think that is the most exhausted I have ever been. I was sore and could barely walk after doing that. It is some major exercise just diving.....

[Husker24]

The United Nations cant ORDER sh*t, France should have told them to pack it in their as*.

[Shermy]

Interesting. The "economic" targets would not interfere with the importation of OPEC/Saudi oil, but to interfere with local competitive production.

[newwahoo]

Who knows? I'm not sure now the security has been ramped up here after 9/11 that they care about any symbolism other than killing as many Americans as they can. Losing the shuttle, the Washington Monument etc. would all hurt, but losing another couple thousand people would be far worse.

As for dates, I don't think they're into that. They're going to go for it when they can.

[rwfromkansas]

If the terrorists didn't think of what they could do underwater before, after the terror alert I am sure they are racking their brains about what types of things they could hit.

[codebreaker]

But the lockdown was called on the oil companies a week ago.

The elements of the attack (from previous knowledge) will be: Massive, have the element of surprise, political/symbolic in nature, and designed for media attention

That's why I was thinking 4th of July Celebrations plenty of boats, landmarks etc.

[Betty Jo]

Islamic Jaws!

Jihad Jaws!

[newwahoo]

"I'm thinking that the target would be oil rigs or the pipelines from the rigs."

I wonder what the economic impact of losing three or four rigs would be? Another team could knock out the Alaskan pipeline while they're at it.

[codebreaker]

Russia could just ramp up production, I dont see the big impact there..

[Betty Jo]

Oh. I loved that show! Thanks.

[Pee_Oui]

...the last launch had F-16's screaming all over the place because a cessna flew into the air space and the guy never budged until he was surrounded. Of course you did not see this on the news...but ask anyone who was up in the Cocoa Beach/Merritt Island area last launch

This is very true, we watched them circle near our home several times. We didn't realize what was going on at the time, and with Patricks Air Base next door, we couldn't figure out why so many. Finally the local news explained it.

The shuttle is scheduled for tomorrow, wouldn't you know we will have to "sweat" this one out now.

DL

[soundbits]

Coolant water intake pipes for n. power plants, or drinking water purification plants? A suicide diver could deliver explosives or cyanide.

[Shooter 2.5]

I found out that there is a SCUBA park on the next road where I shoot High Power Rifle. That's just the ticket to recuperate from wearing a shooting jacket, muffs, boots, gloves and a hat on a hot Texas July or August day. I noticed that they don't allow weapons in their park. I guess what's left in the car won't bother them.

[Shooter 2.5]

I found out that there is a SCUBA park on the next road where I shoot High Power Rifle. That's just the ticket to recuperate from wearing a shooting jacket, muffs, boots, gloves and a hat on a hot Texas July or August day. I noticed that they don't allow weapons in their park. I guess what's left in the car won't bother them.

[section9]

If these guys were Al Qaeda, then they are going to try to infiltrate a naval base and sink a carrier. That's a high value target for a terrorist!

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[brat]

There goes the Carnival Cruise stock!

[codebreaker]

Now you have got your thinkin' cap on...that would dove tail with the swarthy males taking pictures and video of the water plants in the Northeast and California

[newwahoo]

Just looking over this thread FReepers have come up with a whole bunch of fun things for a terrorist to do with scuba gear. And it took less than an hour. We're never going to win this just by playing good defense.

We are truly the land of targets of opportunity.

[codebreaker]

Too much security around the carriers and too obvious (I think) they are looking for something like water plants to cause uproar..

[My Favorite Headache]

Husker the report was the FBI was tipped off by a shop owner of the purchase when they did not want full training for the equipment. Apparently everyone who buys this stuff or comes to his shop gets some sort of diving lessons or taken out and shown how to operate the equipment properly.

[Betty Jo]

Remember that the WTC was built in some kind of "bathtub"?

They were worried that this ,I guess, foundation,would give way , and the ocean would come pouring in?

Maybe lightning does strike twice?

Anybody know what the heck I'm talking about?

Could this foundation be blown up and let the ocean in?

[codebreaker]

Actually, I feel better just knowing that we can come up with just about every scenario possible for these b*stards to screw with us.

The more warning information gets out the better, because we can better figure out how to stop a potential attack.

[codebreaker]

Yes, we discussed the retaining wall by the Hudson holding the water in by the Subway on the first Scuba thread.

Again a risky move for the swarthy males unless they were going in on a kamikaze mission, and still there would be major security.

[Betty Jo]

Could they blow up Niagra falls? The huge dams? TVA Dams?

[Jeff Head]

Dams ... all over the country ... thousands of them.

[My Favorite Headache]

Was that not like you were in some world war or what? I was over in Viera/Rockledge at the time...never have seen the F-16's fly that low and all over the place like they did. I was so sure that something was going on and that I was about to see it on FOX or MSNBC.

[codebreaker]

So there is someone else who might have knowledge already what to do..

[bonesmccoy]

Cyanide is unlikely as a source for one individual to contaminate an entire water supply. The levels required to pollute the water source of most major cities would necessitate large drums of poison. This is too much for one individual diver to deliver into intake systems.

On the other hand, clean water is a crucial supply. Destruction of a water/electrical source for a major town would seriously disrupt several states (due to mutual aide agreements).

[bonesmccoy]

I hope you're right. I hope those guys at Pearl, Norfolk, et al are loaded and aiming!

[My Favorite Headache]

You and Jeff were right on there with some more thinking about dams. Whatever they are going for it will be a show for sure. A horror show.

[Shooter 2.5]

I remember a vision that Edgar Case[sp] had and New York was supposed to be a wasteland before 2025. The only scenario at the time that people thought could have created the type of damage of that sort was natural gas storage containers near one of the harbors being destroyed. We're truly running late in getting some of these suspects out of the country. Our borders are a sieve and nothing is being done.

[Tennessee_Bob]

If you're talking about technical diving, then yeah, there is a legitimate reason for purchasing and using it. My former neighbor (I've moved, he's still alive) is a technical diver and volunteers with the surrounding sheriff departments for recovery operations - talking about going way deep in quarries, caves, or similar locations. It's also used for deep diving on oilrigs and such.

His wife considered it a very expensive hobby.

[newwahoo]

Vigilance is key. We should all, especially law enforcement and emergency workers, wake up every morning thinking "this could be the day". I'm not sure even the 3000 dead last September have put us in that mindset.

BTW, I've always loved the pic that you placed on your profile page all the way on the left! Very inspiring, especially these days...

G'night!

[redhead]

"Maybe the sharks will get them. Or a whale."

A nice male orca could manage it in about two bites. Maybe one, if the angle was just right...

[nutmeg]

FYI

[newwahoo]

Reality was worse then what they thought up, except maybe for "Escape from New York". Of course you're right about the borders, and the visa system still stinks too. I just hope we haven't lost valuable time due to complacency and PC. If we get hit big again there won't be as much shock, and there will be more anger- directed right at our leadership as well as at the perps.

Sleep well...

[bonesmccoy]

Yes, that's one of the concerns I had.

My target list is:
1. Hydroelectric installations, including Hoover Dam (damage here eliminates a major source of electrical power for the Southwestern US and damages crops for years).
The solution here is to establish a security ring around the perimeter of the dam and have a "no-float" zone near Hoover dam. If USCG is available, deploy them to enforce the security zone.

2. Nuclear power plant intake and outflow systems. Nuke plants have a need to intake water for cooling. If you disrupt cooling systems, you can shut-down US plants and impact electrical power supplies for that region of the US.
The solution here is similar to #1, establish a no-float zone using a USCG ship. Empower USCG to shoot any violators.
3. Nuclear USN Carriers in port- solution: USN shortens port time of carriers and does not announce arrival/departure times of fleet.

I also had another chilling thought. Hugh Hewitt was discussing the Italian intercepts (describing further acts of terrorism from the sky and moving across the country). If you have a self-contained breathing apparatus, you can use it above ground as well as underwater.

If these terrorists sabotage the air in a widespread area with poison gas canisters at various locations (like Aum Shinrikyo did to the Tokyo Subways), they can don SCUBA and drive around while they shoot the rescuers trying to contain the situation.
This troubling scenario would suggest that Marine Corp and US Army need to train for urban chemical weapons operations within our major cities.

I hope that FEMA/DOD is reading this thread and considers doing civilian protection planning for mass evacuation under various circumstances.

[HiJinx]

FEMA might be able to. DoD couldn't if it wanted to. We had plans for the evacuation of dependents in Germany in case the bad guys came boiling across the border. They were practiced. They were less than useless.

[AtticusX]

Dudes, heads up.

[Fred Mertz]

I'm on it, my friend. Thanks.

[dread78645]

... that before leaving port it was standard procedure to send down divers.

Yep. But likely as not, the divers were disconnecting hull fittings (sewage, intake flanges, etc.)

It would take at least half a day to do a thorough search of the underside.
The cruise lines don't spend that much time in a port of call.

[princess leah]

Better start training those swimming pigs to swim around the "target rich" areas...

[dread78645]

His wife considered it a very expensive hobby.

A beer-buddy of mine lives on a on-call retainer @ $1500/mo for a major oil company.
When he goes out on a job he pulls some $350 per hour.

Not bad for a hobby, but the downside really suxs.

[bonfire]

Was this reported anywhere else other than NBC? I hate this time of night....all news is reruns.

[Cindy]

Once in awhile, I take key phrases and words from a news thread and stick it in "Google" to see if anything interesting comes up. Tonight I tried several of the diving terms and nothing special came up. I tried "5 Middle Eastern Men." See what you get checking Google.

Google Search: "5 Middle Eastern Men"

[SuziQ]

and he was demonstrating how this equipment is used and that he gives dive classes and lessons on how to use this stuff. What does this remind us all of??

Maybe the FBI should be checking out Dive Schools!