Secret Document: U.S. Fears Terror 'Spectacular' Planned
A secret U.S. law enforcement report, prepared for the Department of Homeland Security, warns that al Qaeda is planning a terror "spectacular" this summer, according to a senior official with access to the document.
"This is reminiscent of the warnings and intelligence we were getting in the summer of 2001," the official told ABCNews.com.
Nice. Just dandy. This is getting ridiculous.
Why do I say that?
Well, lets see, we had the failed attempts to blow up cars in London, the ramming into the Glasgow airport with the spectacular fireshow added in.
We see the UK has 7 people under arrest, yes, Islamic extremists,in connection with the above aforementioned terror plot and they are hunting for more and Yemen had a suicide bomber kill 7 or 8 people.
We also see that there are warnings to London that more bombings are on the way.
Could it be the failed attempts in the UK had anything to do with this? (Hat tip to The American Israeli Patriot)
Al-Qaeda's car bomb guide
London terror analysis: Online manual on car bombs instructs terrorists 'not to park illegally'
The three botched terror attacks launched in Britain in the past 72 hours bear all the hallmarks of first-time British-born jihadis attempting to emulate al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Multiple car bombs designed to slaughter hundreds of civilians and strikes against critical infrastructure are daily events in Baghdad, and al-Qaeda in Iraq has decided to put its experience in mass murder on the internet for the benefit of its members around the world, in the form of an online training course on bomb attacks.
The bombing manual, available in Arabic on a jihadi website, contains a number of key pieces of advice for car bombers. It instructs terrorists not to park their vehicles illegally, and advises the car bomber to leave the scene quietly, if he plans to detonate the vehicle from a distance, in what al-Qaeda terms "non-martyrdom operations."
[...]
The manual details precise locations inside the vehicle where explosives should be placed, and recommends various targerts such as "cinemas" and "stadiums."
Other forms of explosives, the guide says, should be aimed at "groupings demonstrations, celebrations or festivals."
The guide calls on terrorists to "monitor and identify the route of the enemy, how they leave a cinema or a stadium at the end of a game," and also gives instructions on how to carry out suicide car bombings.
"Drive the car on the road passing the crowd. If a car passes near these places, it could draw the attention of the enemy, and the car could be inspected," the guide said. It went on to explain in detail how suicide car bombers can fool security guards, and suggests a correct speed to drive a vehicle packed with explosives into a target.
Go read the rest, it is enlightening.
Jules Crittenden points out that many successful attacks were often precceeded by failed attempts, they learn from their mistakes, too bad we don't, as witnessed by Brainless at Breakfast.
A series of bungled and seemingly inept attacks — to include the Fort Dix and JFK Int’l plots along with the failed British fire-bomb attempts — doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of not screwing it up, or that the kinds of things we’ve seen can’t be highly effective, or that they are even the main events. Successful attacks are often preceded by failures. The growing trend of what appear to be al-Qaeda-inspired local amateurs itself represents a disturbing evolution. Those British fire bombs are now being viewed as inefficent weapons, ineffectively deployed. But 9/11, the major catastrophe of our time, was carried out with inefficient weapons that could have proven ineffective under any number of alternative scenarios.
All of which gets us back to the old truth we all know now, even if we don’t really think it will ever apply to us. London, Glasgow, JFK and Dix are just reminders. Glasgow and the pine barrens of New Jersey? Fort Dix is in the middle of nowhere. It can happen anywhere, at any time. Which is why you need to be alert, and need to have already thought about what you’re going to do. Whether you can or even get a chance to is what you find out later.
Good suggestion Jules and in that same vein, now would be the time to remind people of the 7 signs of terrorist activity.
There is a file showing the 7 signs to watch for terror activity, it is a word file and everyone should read it.
1. Surveillance
If there is a specific target that terrorists have chosen, that target area will be most likely be observed during the planning phase of the operation. They do this in order to determine the strengths, weaknesses, and number of personnel that may respond to an incident. Routes to and from the target are usually established during the surveillance phase. Therefore, it is important to take note of such things as someone recording or monitoring activities, drawing diagrams or annotating on maps, the use of vision-enhancing devices, having in one's possession floor plans or blue prints of places such as high-tech firms, financial institutions, or Government / military facilities. Any of these surveillance-type acts MAY be an indicator that something just is not right. Nothing is too menial and should not be discarded as such.
2. Elicitation
The second sign or signal is elicitation. What this means is anyone attempting to gain information about a place, person, or operation. An example is someone attempting to gain knowledge about a critical infrastructure like a power plant, water reservoir, or a maritime port. Terrorists may attempt to research bridge and tunnel usage, make unusual inquiries concerning shipments, or inquire as to how a military base operates. They may also attempt to place "key" people in sensitive work locations.
3. Tests of Security
Tests of Security are another area in which terrorists would attempt to gather data. This is usually conducted by driving by the target, moving into sensitive areas and observing security or law enforcement response. They would be interested in the time in which it takes to respond to an incident or the routes taken to a specific location. They may also try to penetrate physical security barriers or procedures in order to assess strengths and Weaknesses. They often gain legitimate employment at key locations in order to monitor day-to-day activities. In any event, they may try to gain this knowledge in order to make their mission or scheme more effective.
4. Acquiring Supplies
Another area to be cognizant of is anyone acquiring supplies. It may be a case where someone is purchasing or stealing explosives, weapons, or ammunition. It could also be someone storing harmful chemicals or chemical equipment. Terrorists would also find it useful to have in their possession law enforcement equipment and identification, military uniforms and decals, as well as flight passes, badges or even flight manuals. If they can't find the opportunity to steal these types of things, they may try to photocopy ID's, attempt to make passports or other forms of identification by counterfeiting. Possessing any of these would make it easier for one to gain entrance into secured or usually prohibited areas.
5. Suspicious People Who Don't Belong
A fifth pre-incident indicator is observing suspicious people who just "don't belong." This does not mean we should profile individuals but what it does mean is that we should profile behaviors. This includes suspicious border crossings and stowaways aboard a ship or people jumping ship in a port. It may mean having someone in a workplace, building, neighborhood, or business establishment that does not fit in because of their demeanor, their language usage or unusual questions they are asking. You, as an officer, may respond to a complaint that may appear to be a routine investigation but results in something much bigger in scope.
6. Dry Runs
Another sign to watch for is "dry runs." Before execution of the final operation or plan, a practice session will be run to work out the flaws and unanticipated problems. A dry run may very well be the heart of a planning stage of a terrorist act. If you find someone monitoring a police radio frequency and recording emergency response times, you may very well be observing a "dry run." Another element of this activity could include mapping out routes and determining the timing of traffic lights and flow. It is during this stage that it is actually our best chance to intercept and stop an attack. Multiple dry runs are normally conducted at or near the target area.
7. Deploying Assets / Getting Into Position
The seventh and final sign or signal to look for is someone deploying assets or getting into position. This is a person's last chance to alert authorities before the terrorist act occurs.
It is also important to remember that pre-incident indicators may come months or even years apart. Therefore, it is extremely important to document every fragment of information, no matter how insignificant it may appear, and forward this information.
The aforementioned suspicious activities should be immediately reported to the MTA Police Department, Interagency Counterterrorism Task Force at (646) 252-1050.
[Update] Strategy Page brings us one more reason why al-Qeada is desperate for a "spectacular" attack against us.
Seems the only place al-Qaeda is succeeding is OUR media... shocker huh?
Three semi related articles:
Opinion Journal, NYT and Times of London.
Others discussing this:
Outside the Beltway, Michelle Malkin, The Moderate Voice, The Jawa Report, Hot Air, Blue Crab Boulevard, Gina Cobb, Power Line, Gateway Pundit.
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