Some Names of Al Qaeda Terrorists Plotting Hot Summer for America

[NewGuy]

http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=854

May 26, 2004, 1:49 PM (GMT+02:00)

US Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Direct Robert Mueller promise a news conference Wednesday afternoon, May 26, to elaborate on reports that al Qaeda terrorists are present in the United States preparing for a large-scale attack this summer. Americans will be asked to watch out for several suspected al Qaeda operatives, some of whom will be named. Of special concern is the possibility that these terrorists may possess and use a chemical, biological or radiological weapon.

Most but not all the high profile targets are inside America or American. The first may be the new WWII Memorial dedication in Washington this coming Saturday, May 29, followed by President George W. Bush’s trip to Rome next week to attend the NATO summit in Istanbul, the G-8 summit at Georgia’s Sea Island next month, the Democratic Convention in Boston in July, the Republican National convention in New York City in August, or the Olympic Games opening in Athens on August 13.

The November presidential election must also be considered a target after the Madrid rail bombing toppled Spanish government. Law enforcement agencies have also been urged to be vigilant for bombers in shopping malls and on American national rail, subway and bus lines. Al Qaeda strikes are not excluded in the main cities of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Israel.

The intelligence does not specify a time, place or method of attack but is nonetheless disturbing and ties in with persistent chatter.

DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources reveal that US counter-terrorist authorities are focusing on tracking down two key suspects: a 32-year old Pakistani woman called Aafaya Siddiqui, doctor of neurology who attended a university in the Boston area, and Adnan G. Al Shukrijmah, an al Qaeda activist known to have spent time in Florida.

Our sources add that American and foreign counter-terror and intelligence agencies are also hunting for Midaat Mursi, known as Abu Khabab, prominent member of al Qaeda’s operational partner, the Egyptian Jihad Islami, who is considered the organization’s top expert on radiological bombs. Mursi heads a number of terrorist rings who have been instructed to infiltrate the United States through Canada for a dirty bomb attack. They may have made the crossing already.

The price on the head of Musab Zarqawi, Osama bin Laden’s top operative in Iraq, may be raised from $10m to $25m after he was identified as the terrorist who beheaded Nicholas Berg. All his nets are the subject of intensive search, some composed of Saudis and Chechens trained for chemical or biological attacks and buried somewhere in Europe for some time. Efforts are also underway to locate underground terrorist cells of al Qaeda’s Far Eastern ally, Jemaa al Islamiyah, which are thought to be on their way to seize a merchant freighter or supertanker for use as a massive seaborne bomb vessel.

Several sleeper cells are also known to have infiltrated the United States in ship’s containers in 2003 and early this year. Some of these containers were spotted at important US ports with signs of occupation by men with weapons and explosives who were never caught. They may have been decoys to distract attention from landings of large parties of armed terrorists on American shores, whom intelligence sources believe headed undetected for safe houses inland to await orders to strike.

These are others are some of the unidentified enemies that Ashcroft and Mueller will ask Americans to watch out for this summer.

 

[Annie]

I had trouble deciding where to post this; Homeland Security, Political Races; or here. Decided here was good:

ACLUdem is going to love this:

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110005131

Let's Catch Them Now
Leave the second-guessing for later.

Thursday, May 27, 2004 12:01 a.m.

"The Justice Department and the FBI plan to ask for the public's help today in locating several suspected terrorist sympathizers, including some whose names have not been made public before. The bureau probably plans another public push to find Aafia Siddiqui, 32, a Pakistani woman who has a doctorate in neurological science and has studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University in the Boston area, as well as in Houston. The FBI also could seek help locating a man Siddiqui has been linked to, Adnan G. El Shukrijumah. He is a suspected al Qaeda member who spent time in Florida, and his name has come up in interrogations of captured al Qaeda lieutenant Khalid Sheik Mohammed."

--Washington Post, May 26
"The FBI has apologized to a man it arrested in connection with the Madrid train bombings, hours after he was cleared of any wrongdoing. The Federal Bureau of Investigation detained Oregon lawyer Brandon Mayfield for two weeks after investigators thought they had matched his fingerprint to one found on a bag of detonators in Madrid. Last week, US officials released the 37 year old Mayfield after Spanish police said the fingerprints belonged to an Algerian man."


--Voice of America, May 27
"In April, an FBI bulletin to law enforcement agencies warned of possible truck bombs. A source familiar with the government's threat discussions said yesterday that truck bombs are a primary concern. 'I'm more worried than I was at Christmastime,' said one senior U.S. intelligence official, comparing the 'election threat' to the canceling of specific airline flights around the holidays. He said the U.S. government is convinced there are as yet unidentified al Qaeda operatives residing in the United States, waiting for the word to launch plots."


--Washington Post, May 27
"The so-called 'War on Terror' started by U.S. President George W. Bush after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington has led to a 'new wave' of human rights abuses, campaign group Amnesty International said."


--Bloomberg News, May 26




It's kind of crazy out there. So this might be a good time to say: Let's do our best as a people to catch and imprison terrorists. Let's get 'em. Let's make it our highest national priority. Let's find those who mean to end the lives of hundreds, or thousands, or tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of innocent people. Then, once it looks like all or most of the bad guys are captured, let's turn our national attention to studying how we could have done it better, more gently, more justly, more competently. But first the capture, then the criticism.
It is terrible for Mr. Mayfield that he was mistaken for a Madrid bomber. It's awful that he was arrested. He'll probably sue the government and win damages. But whatever he does, he's still alive, and the U.S. government has cleared him and apologized to him in front of the world. It is better to be alive and free after a false arrest than it is to be dead and maimed and the victim of a terror bomb. When you are dead it doesn't matter who apologizes. When you're dead you can sue nobody, though the trial lawyers association will probably change that eventually.

It is too bad Amnesty International is worried about possible U.S. insensitivity in apprehending potential terrorists. No doubt there has been and will be roughness. But mostly Amnesty is talking about this because they don't really like us, they don't know what time it is, they have to do something for a living, they think we're more competent than we are, and they still don't understand Sept. 11.

They will understand terrorism better after the next attack. But Americans don't have to wait. We were there. We can cut to the chase. Let's aggressively, passionately and with no ambivalence pursue bad guys. Let's give as much respect, assistance and credit to the searchers as we can. And if we have to hold symposiums and commissions to criticize them for overexuberance and unnecessary roughness, let's do it later, like in 2016, when this is over and our children have been allowed to grow up.





In New York right now we are planning our Memorial Day weekends. We know we are in a difficult historical time, but we do not dwell on it. We don't always even think. We free-associate, like this: I should get a new dress for the graduation at the Saks sale. They could blow up the Lincoln Tunnel. Meg would love one of those little Chanel knockoffs from the street vender. If New York is bombed while we're in Boston, where will we stay? If Boston is bombed while we're at the graduation, how will we get home? Bring cousin Holly's number in northern Connecticut. Pick up mascara.
From the dire to the banal. No, not from one to another but both interweaved. Having the jits and planning the party. People are dieting because summer's coming and wondering if an al Qaeda hit on New York would trigger a food shortage.

My general sense is that New Yorkers don't really think anything bad is going to happen right now. The government gives a lot of warnings, it's not as if they're shocking. And they always issue the warnings in a sort of helpful but not helpful way. They don't know precisely what to fear but they're somewhat alarmed; they don't know what precisely to tell you but they'd like you to share their alarm, so that if something bad happens, they told you. In New York we don't really expect the Next Big Bad Thing to happen when we've been warned it will happen. We expect it to happen when it isn't expected. We assume that increased levels of chatter means increased levels of surveillance, which means increased levels of safety. Al Qaeda likes to surprise us. They don't move when we expect. It's all head-fakes.

This should mean that New Yorkers expect trouble when we are not being told by the government to expect trouble. But that's not true either. Because when we're not being warned about trouble, we forget to think about trouble. We're thinking about the school meeting or the car or the price of steak.

When I go through the Lincoln Tunnel at a relatively quiet time in terms of government warnings I think, "Nothing will probably happen today, it's quiet." When I go through the Lincoln Tunnel at a terror alert time I think, "Nothing will probably happen today, there's security all over and the terror-cell guys in Jersey City are probably playing cards."

Then I emerge from the tunnel and realize I've been thinking about nothing but terrorism.

It is a weird time in American history. Someday someone will capture it, in a great novel. Maybe in 2016, when we've caught all the terrorists, and we're at our children's and grandchildren's graduations.

Ms. Noonan is a contributing editor of The Wall Street Journal and author of "A Heart, a Cross, and a Flag" (Wall Street Journal Books/Simon & Schuster), a collection of post-Sept. 11 columns, which you can buy from the OpinionJournal bookstore. Her column appears Thursdays.


Copyright © 2004 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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[JohnGalt]

Nice posts you two!

This summer I am moving, and I don't plan on letting those terrorist scum make me back down from ANY of my plans. I refuse to acknowledge their victory by cowering into a hole.

 

[Annie]

Originally posted by JohnGalt
Nice posts you two!

This summer I am moving, and I don't plan on letting those terrorist scum make me back down from ANY of my plans. I refuse to acknowledge their victory by cowering into a hole.

Hmm JohnGalt, trying to figure is your [sarcasm] was on or off. I think Ms. Noonan's point was that WE ARE going about our lives, but that for those that are paying any heed to current events, the awareness of the possible is with us.

I for one am planning on going to DC this summer. That doesn't mean that I am unaware of the possible danger, nor that I won't enjoy myself. Just reality.

 

[HGROKIT]

Originally posted by JohnGalt
I refuse to acknowledge their victory by cowering into a hole.

er - what victory?

 

[OCA]

Originally posted by Kathianne
Hmm JohnGalt, trying to figure is your [sarcasm] was on or off. I think Ms. Noonan's point was that WE ARE going about our lives, but that for those that are paying any heed to current events, the awareness of the possible is with us.

I for one am planning on going to DC this summer. That doesn't mean that I am unaware of the possible danger, nor that I won't enjoy myself. Just reality.

Kathianne,

I live just outside D.C. and I can tell you that it has to be one of the safest places going right now. The military and security presence in the District is overwhelming right now, even regular crime is down right now because of it. They have gotten rid of a nice portion of the freakos that constantly protest on the north side of the White House too. Only thing is with all the barricades and checkpoints is that traffic in and around the White House and Capitol Hill is a BEAR now. But you can park on the mall over by the Lincoln Memorial and catch a tram or taxi anywhere you want to go.

 

[NewGuy]

Originally posted by OCA
Kathianne,

I live just outside D.C. and I can tell you that it has to be one of the safest places going right now. The military and security presence in the District is overwhelming right now, even regular crime is down right now because of it. They have gotten rid of a nice portion of the freakos that constantly protest on the north side of the White House too. Only thing is with all the barricades and checkpoints is that traffic in and around the White House and Capitol Hill is a BEAR now. But you can park on the mall over by the Lincoln Memorial and catch a tram or taxi anywhere you want to go.

Any leads on their setups in Idaho?

:cof: :

 

[Annie]

I hear you guys. I'm 1/2 hour out of Chicago, the dangers of terrorism are always there. Fermi Lab is maybe 8 minutes from my house.

Do you KNOW how many targets there are in Idaho? Whew.

 

[NewGuy]

Originally posted by Kathianne
I hear you guys. I'm 1/2 hour out of Chicago, the dangers of terrorism are always there. Fermi Lab is maybe 8 minutes from my house.

Do you KNOW how many targets there are in Idaho? Whew.

I was humorously making reference to Big-D.

-However, I live in Sacramento.

Try THAT one on.

 

[OCA]

Originally posted by NewGuy
Any leads on their setups in Idaho?

:cof: :

FBI says operatives already on ground in Sandpoint. Posing as locals with shaved heads.

 

[NewGuy]

Originally posted by OCA
FBI says operatives already on ground in Sandpoint. Posing as locals with shaved heads.

:rotflmao:

 

[Annie]

I did know you were kidding. Thought perhaps where you lived. However, in actuality Idaho probably has 100 times the targets of Afghanistan. Not sure the ration with Iraq.

Originally posted by NewGuy
I was humorously making reference to Big-D.

-However, I live in Sacramento.

Try THAT one on.