Smiling assassin: Assem Hammoud, seen here with friends in Canada, was allegedly the mastermind behind a plot to bomb railway tunnels under the Hudson River in New York. Photo: AP
Posted on 07/08/2006 5:30:35 PM PDT by FairOpinion
HE was told not to grow a beard, wear Islamic clothing or show any sign of religious devotion. During his recruitment as a soldier in the global jihad, Assem Hammoud was told to act like a typical young, secular Lebanese man and warned not to attract attention, a senior Lebanese security official said.
Hammoud was an ideal recruit because he did not have any apparent ties to militants.
"He had no criminal history, and no history of involvement with militant groups," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "He was living a normal life, far from any suspicion."
Hammoud, 31, was allegedly the mastermind behind a suicide bombing plot to blow up railway tunnels under the Hudson River in New York. The plan was foiled in April, after months of investigation, with Hammoud's arrest in Beirut. The planned attack, details of which were released yesterday by New York officials, was intended to flood the subway and kill commuters.
Hammoud became involved with militant Islamic websites in 2003, soon after the US invaded Iraq. "He was angry with what America was doing in Iraq, and he began spending time on these Islamic sites and chat rooms," said the official, who was familiar with Hammoud's interrogations. "He became more and more deeply involved. He sank into this extremist environment."
Most of the advice Hammoud received on how to act, what to read, how to train for jihad and how to hide his militant tendencies came via the internet, the official said.
His frequent presence in militant chat rooms and on websites was his undoing. Tipped off by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that an alleged plot to bomb tunnels in New York was being hatched on the internet, Lebanon's internal security branch tracked down Hammoud.
The official said a special unit that monitors internet and phone activity identified him through the internet protocol address he was using to access Islamicist sites. Lebanese officials monitored his internet activity and phone calls for several months before arresting him on April 27.
While he might not have learned how to properly hide his IP address, Hammoud did allegedly pick up the jihadists' penchant for symbolism.
He used the pseudonym Emir Andalusi, which in Arabic means Prince of Andalus.
It is a reference to the Muslim empire of Al-Andalus, which was centred in what is now Spain.
In the Islamic world, few symbols are as resonant as the downfall of Al-Andalus in the 15th century. To many militants, its fall, because of infighting among rival Muslim princes and clans, marked the end of Islam's golden age.
Soon after his arrest, Hammoud admitted to being part of al-Qaeda. "He confessed that he was planning a big terrorist act in the United States," the official said. Through the internet, Hammoud sent "detailed maps and instructions" about the US targets to his associates.
Hammoud confessed he had planned to train at a camp in Pakistan with links to al-Qaeda, the official said. "He was being groomed for important missions."
Smiling assassin: Assem Hammoud, seen here with friends in Canada, was allegedly the mastermind behind a plot to bomb railway tunnels under the Hudson River in New York. Photo: AP
This demonstrates a number of important points:
1. The war on terror CANNOT be fought as a "law enforcement" issue -- we would have to wait until they murder thousands of people, before we can do anything to the terrorists.
2. The surveillance programs, like the NSA wiretapping, review of phone records, monitoring of financial transactions internationally, and other clandastine methods are absolutely essential to learn about terrorist plots BEFORE they happen, and to foil them.
3. Terrorists are learning and trying to be less obvious.
4. Terrorists may appear to be human beings, but they ARE NOT. Look at this ordinary looking guy and behind that face there is a mind of a cruel mass murdering terrorist.
Man! I hate thosre freakin Candadian's!
"Most of the advice Hammoud received on how to act, what to read, how to train for jihad and how to hide his militant tendencies came via the internet, the official said.
His frequent presence in militant chat rooms and on websites was his undoing. Tipped off by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that an alleged plot to bomb tunnels in New York was being hatched on the internet, Lebanon's internal security branch tracked down Hammoud."
Wonder how many of his civil rights were violated?
Ask me if it`s very important?
OPINION: It's good to see bad guys and alleged bad guys lose.
Note: The following text is a quote:
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http://www.internet-haganah.com/harchives/005643.html
19 June 2006
Talking points
• There is no "internet jihad".
There are jihadis who use the internet. The internet is just another territory, another area of operations, another front in a global war.
The Internet is the home front of the global jihad.
• The most important thing that the internet does for the global jihad is it provides community.
Maybe 20% of what jihadis say online has some interest from an analytical or investigative point of view.
The 80% that doesn't interest *us* is the mindless chit chat that builds bonds. It solidifies the individual jihadi's sense of identity with the global movement and it holds the global movement together and keeps it moving forwards.
• Jihadis act locally and interact globally.
This global interaction has the effect of cutting the jihadis off from their own local Muslim community and turning them towards the objectives of the global jihad, as opposed to any local struggle. This fuels the process of radicalization.
Posted on 19 June 2006 @ 07:51
Question is: Does the NYT approve of the methods used?
Good article.Quote:"While he may not have learned how to properly hide his IP address...".Is it possible to hide one's identity(IP)indefinitely?(I honestly don't know)He wasn't very stealthy.I don't doubt his sincerety,but I wonder just a bit about his competence.
I am not blaming the Canadians.
Canadian suspected in NYC terror plot
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2006/07/08/1674445-sun.html
Authorities believe a Canadian co-conspirator was involved in the alleged plot to blow up New York tunnels and submerge lower Manhattan under a torrent of flood waters.
CTV News reported the man was from Montreal.
CTV also said Canadian authorities are looking into whether alleged ringleader Assem Hammoud ever spent time in Canada.
Well, they could have leaked it to the NY Times whose circulation exceeds the NY Daily News (or, at least, use to).
Blowing yourself up? Practice makes perfect...
"tee-hee, look at us! Partying with a al-queda!! Our parents will be soo proud!"
You are right.
After your earlier post, I looked at other articles, it seems I confused this terrorists with another one who is Canadian. I asked the AM to removed the part I added in paranthesis, because it is erroneous.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
It's hard to keep all these terrorists straight.
The answer is - no. Headline:
Recent Arrests in Terror Plots Yield Debate on Pre-emptive Action by Government
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/09/us/09plot.html
"The Miami and New York cases are inspiring a new round of skepticism from some lawyers who are openly questioning whether the government, in its zeal to stop terrorism, is forgetting an element central to any case: the actual intent to commit a crime.
" 'Talk without any kind of an action means nothing,' said Martin R. Stolar, a New York defense lawyer. 'You start to criminalize people who are not really criminals.' "
You have to ask what is the NYTimes up to?
Surely they remember how the FBI was criticized for not following up on Moussaoui or the reports of Arabs taking flight training?
Just what is the NYTimes trying to accomplish? Do they really want to enable another terrorist attack, just to sell more newspapers and make Bush look bad?
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