Report: Al Qaeda Tells U.S. to Get Ready for Attack

abcnews.com | 6/2/02 | Reuters

[arete]

If I'm a terrorist, I'd probably tie the next attack in with the 4th of July holiday. It would make a statement about just how unsafe we are and how they can strike whenever they like. To be honest, I am surprised that they haven't attacked us again since 9/11. Must be up to something big -- or they aren't as well orgainized as we give them credit for being.

Richard W.

[freeperfromnj]

Because fear is their most effective weapon.

Fear is definitely an effective weapon - but they already hit us twice in NYC, a couple of times at military installations and embassys. Why wouldn't they do it again? They are probably more inclined to seek vengence now that we've hit back at them in Afghanistan and other parts of the world, cut off a lot of their funding and backed Israel in its latest fight against the Palestinians.

[Angelique]

I could not agree more.

[Semper Paratus]

Cheney also said then that this will be America's first war where our civilian casualties will exceed our military's.

[Piquaboy]

Get ready for an attack, but make sure that racial profiling is not used to help prevent it. Can't hurt anyone's feelings, don't you know.

[spetznaz]

Actually my policy on that is three to the head. Lesser chances for 'accidental survival!'

[Angelus Errare]

Forgive me, but hasn't even al-Qaeda admitted that they've carried out 9/11? The gloating videotape written last December aside, bin Laden appeared alongside his second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri praising the attacks in videotaped statements back in March. More to the point, the same tape showed the kamikaze 19 delivering their will and testimony and talking about what they were about to do. It seems to me that the only people who haven't admitted al-Qaeda's guilt at this point are either the media or conspiracy nuts.

The idea of a new attack isn't all that frightening. Hell, we've known that it's been coming for quite awhile. People keep forgetting that al-Qaeda is a global organization and while we've taken out their pseudo-state sponsorship, al-Qaeda still has training camps set up in Chechnya, Sudan, Indonesia, and probably Pakistan pumping out more jihadis for bin Laden's shadow army to replace those killed in Afghanistan. From what Mullah Omar's been saying to the Arab press lately, the Taliban's plan for now is to wait until the US and UN peacekeepers leave and then head back into Kabul, content that nobody'll care so long as they keep the hypothetical oil pipelines (a major figment of 9/11 conspiracy theories) in place.

What I'm more concerned about, however, is that Suleiman Abu Ghaith is still alive. This is disconcerting both because of his high visibility (he was the one who came on the air right after 9/11 to say "We advise all Muslims, and those Americans and Britons who oppose US foreign policy, not to fly in airplanes or live in tall buildings") and the $5 million dollar price tag he currently has on his head. What he's saying is nothing new, as the Arab press (and al-Hayat is far more reliable than most of the other Arab newspapers) is generally pretty keen to publish statements from bin Laden, al-Zawahiri, or Mullah Omar. Heck, last Christmas they spent twelve days doing a publicity run for al-Zawahiri's "Knights Under the Prophet's Banner," which is sure to become the jihadi version of the Turner Diaries.

[d4now]

Does anyone remember reading reports - around last July - (posted here at FR) of bin laden saying the U.S. should expect something "really big"?

I've done a search of the archives but couldn't find anything.

[windchime]

I agree with you. I didn't mean to say they wouldn't hit us again, they probably will...... just that I REFUSE TO BE AFRAID and to live my life in anticipation of the next attack.

[MarMema]

I think we should be studying the illustrations in Arab calendars.

I have had this same thought, but have been unable to find anything to look at. On another thread awhile back there were photos of the jihadist manuals and some pics of air balloons. One freeper recalled that in that calendar from last year, one picture had air balloons over a pretty desolated city. I remember that as well. I tried to find the calendar from last year, but couldn't.

[MarMema]

Website ping.

[mhking]

We'll tell you we're coming, because...

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise...

[oceanperch]

yawn Chicken Little surfaces again.

[MarMema]

FYI ping.

[JennysCool]

The newspaper quoted al Qaeda spokesman Sulaiman bu Ghaith as saying in a statement.

Um...Maybe somebody we ought to be rounding up?

[bushfamfan]

At what point to we become so angry that we decide it's better if we use our significant nukes to just blast the Arabs totally off the planet to meet Satan? Keep it up and the cowboy will act!!

[MarMema]

was from Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar

Radar alert. Isn't this the same guy who has all the interviews on all the islamic sites right now?

Answering my own question here - Interview

I recall seeing all the sites carrying his interview and it brought up a red flag, because so many of them deemed it important enough to have online, but when I read the interviews I was not impressed, so I blew it off.

[TomGuy]

1000 possible sleepers still in this country already.

Still mostly open borders, north and south.

1000's of shipping cartons by air and by sea arriving daily, most unchecked.

[galt-jw]

how many times did the fbi have to stop the attack?
how many, that we KNOW of? how many?

the folks who dropped the ball on this, klinton fbi, etc, are guilty parties as well, guiltier.
only your own can betray you. the terrorists were acting as we knew they do.

these terrorist turds NEVER could have succeeded without the deadly incompetence and perhaps intent of those charge with our security.

attacks WILL happen again. why? because this nation seemingly intends it to. are they serious? see if they behave seriously, you'll know by their deeds.

do you see border security? do you see internment camps or other measures to find out WHO is here? do you see elimination of the SOURCES of terrorism, expedited elimination based on serious concern?

i am not blaming anyone. that is for everyone to think about. but there ARE those here in the US who seemingly either want this to happen, or are so incompetent or dumb as to be indistinguishable from an ally to the enemies.