Here is an analysis by L Mansfield, I post it because it deserves its due consideration if you are truely interested in the terrorist threat and al-Qaeda.
Thoughts on Thursday's message from Zawahiri
by Laura Mansfield
Each member of the Al Qaeda "leadership team" has special interests that differentiate one from the other. Ayman al Zawahiri reminded us in his message on Thursday that the issue near and dear to his heart is his homeland of Egypt .
Half of Zawahiri's message focused on recent events in Mahalla el Kubra , a town known for spinning and weaving about 60 miles north of Cairo in the fertile Nile Delta region. His focus on the events in Mahalla also provide us with somewhat of a time stamp for his message - the strike began on April 6, and Zawahiri's message (released the evening of April 17) was recorded after that date based on references to those events in the message.
It's easy to draw a quick conclusion that because much of the message deals with Egyptian local events, it is not applicable to the United States . But a careful read of Zawahiri's message makes is clear that he holds the United States responsible and accountable for the current situation in Egypt .
Bread prices in Egypt have been largely subsidized for decades, and the last time the Egyptian government tried to end the bread subsidies in 1977, the infamous "Bread Riots" occurred. The subsidy was reinstituted, and remains. For years, consumers in Egypt have been able to select between the highly subsidized and thus very cheap bread and higher quality, more expensive bread. In recent months, food prices have soared and the availability of the cheaper subsidized bread has dropped dramatically, while salaries remained stagnant.
On April 6, textile workers in Mahalla el Kubra attempted to strike to protest these increasing food prices especially of bread. The strike was met with strong resistance by Egyptian security forces, and several days of rioting ensued, with at least four people killed including a 15 year old boy.
Security forces and governmental response quieted things down. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak offered concessions, promising to improve health care facilities, and offered workers a month of salary as a bonus. He also ordered the military to immediately begin baking and distributing the cheap bread.
But Zawahiri sees these concessions as "crumbs" thrown to the masses. And it's clear that ultimately he places responsibility for this on the US because of its support for the Mubarak government.
It's clear that a key goal for Zawahiri is the removal of the Mubarak regime. It would be foolhardy not to take Zawahiri seriously; he was very much involved in the assassination of Mubarak's predecessor, Anwar Sadat in 1981, and was tried and imprisoned for his role in that assassination.
How much of a following Zawahiri has in Egypt is unclear. The recent events in Mahalla el Kubra were secular - even Egypt 's Muslim Brotherhood sat this one out. It is also evident that Al Qaeda did not have any role whatsoever in organizing the strike. The strike appears to have initiated with a young Egyptian woman named Esraa Abdel Fattah who began organizing it on Facebook.
In his message, Zawahiri blames the woes of the Muslim world on the United States . He blames the lack of electricity and water in Saudi Arabian slums on the US , claiming that America enables the Saudi royal family and its 7000 plus princes to loot the countries wealth for the benefit of the US . He goes on to lash out at Saudi King Abdullah for meeting with the Pope, who he claims insulted Islam. He blames conditions in Gaza on the "Zionist-Crusader" alliance.
In the first portion of his message, he stresses the importance of securing Iraq as what Al Suri refers to as a "safe haven"- a location where Al Qaeda can operate freely, training operatives, and to act as a base of operations to liberate other Islamic countries in the region from "oppressive regimes", and more importantly to liberate Jerusalem.
What is readily apparent from this message is that Zawahiri is very much plugged in and knowledgeable about current events which have transpired in his home country of Egypt , and has moved quickly to respond to these events publicly.
In addition, Zawahiri appears to be turning up the volume on the anti-American rhetoric once again. He may be hoping to inspire local free-lance terror cells to take his cue and lash out at US and Israeli interests.
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For more translations and news on terrorism, visit http://www.lauramansfield.com or visit our forum at http://www.lauramansfield.com/forum/
Strategic Translations is a service provided by Laura Mansfield through http://www.lauramansfield.com
You may email Laura at laura@lauramansfield.com
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Threats continue, do you know where ?
Random Strangers Hunted, Slashed With Razor Blades For Gang Initiations In Florida
Posted: 26 Apr 2008 02:20 AM CDT
Investigators said a gang in Flagler County is sending its future members to Daytona Beach to seek out victims to cut. Once a gang recruit slashes a stranger, he gains the respect of his peers and is inducted into their underground society.
The latest victims have prompted a warning to the community from police.
“It could be anybody they see,” Daytona Beach police Sgt. Bill Walden said. “In both incidents, it was just someone walking down the road, taken by surprise.”
Joshua Burgundy, one of the victims, required 22 staples after suffering slash wounds on his abdomen and back.
“That’s close to my heart, you know. Just a little bit up would’ve been my heart,” Burgundy said, showing his scars. “I thought I was going to die. I mean, that was the only thing that was going through my mind.”
Burgundy and another victim told Daytona Beach police that the assailants jumped out of a car, approached them and slashed them with razor blades without saying a word.
“Even when they left they did not say one word. They didn’t try to go in my pockets. They didn’t try to take anything from me. They didn’t ask for anything. I just felt they were out to kill me,” Burgundy said.
Burgundy said the assailants were wearing all-black clothing with red bandanas covering their faces.
Dozens of stitches were required for the other victim’s wounds, police said.
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Al-Qaeda Pirates Target UK Ships - Attacks Increasing
Posted: 26 Apr 2008 02:01 AM CDT
Britains 18,000 merchant sailors face a growing danger from pirates with links to al-Qaeda.
Attacks worldwide are up 20 per cent this year – and tourists on passenger liners are now feared to be at risk.
One of the most dangerous areas is the 1,800-mile coastline of east African country Somalia – where extremist militias with ties to Osama Bin Laden’s terror network operate unhindered.
A British skipper was seized in the area earlier this year and held hostage for 47 days by pirates demanding a £350,000 ransom.
And only this week the Japanese oil tanker Takayama came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades.
Around the world in the past year, 36 vessels have been boarded, with six crew kidnapped, three killed and one missing, presumed dead.
The modern-day pirates use high-powered motor-boats, grenade launchers and machine-guns.
British seamen’s union Nautilus wants the Government to review its policy on piracy.
Nautilus spokesman Andrew Linington said: “We are talking about sophisticated, organised, violent gangs, who jeopardise the lives of seafarers.
“The number of attacks and the level of violence are increasing.
Sooner or later, there will be a major incident in the region.”
One notorious gang with terror links calls itself the “Somalia Coastguard”.
Mr Linington said: “Intelligence indicates gangs like the Somalia Coastguard have links to al-Qaeda.
Unless there is action against these thugs, it amounts to a green light for a terrorist outrage.”
One dreads to think what would happen if a cruise ship fell into their hands.”
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Hanford High School - Two Arrested In Pipe Bomb Explosion - Hanford California
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 10:47 PM CDT
A pipe bomb exploded behind the auto shop at Hanford High School shortly after noon today. The explosion sent debris flying for 30 feet, but no one was injured.
After the incident, the school was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure, and students were sent home at the end of the school day.
Police and ATF officials are investigating the incident, trying to find out who planted the bomb on the school campus.
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Nuclear Gauge Likely Stolen In Philadelphia
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 10:41 PM CDT
Philadelphia police said they are seeking to recover a portable nuclear gauge that was reported stolen Friday.
The device was apparently stolen from the truck bed of a construction vehicle on the 500 block of Dickinson Street, although the complainant’s truck had also recently been in the communities of Hatfield and Glenside in Montgomery County.
Police said the gauge contains small amounts of radioactive material and is used for measuring the density of soil at construction sites. It is enclosed in a bright-yellow case with an exterior decal of three triangular shapes surrounding a small circle — the universal symbol for radioactive contents.
When the gauge is in its yellow plastic case (pictured above), it does not pose any threat or harm. The container should not be opened, however, because the device inside consists of a shielding container with a plunger-type handle protruding from the top.
As long as the source elements of the gauge are in the shielded position, the gauge does not present a hazard to the public, police said. But any attempt to tamper with the device or handle the source would subject the person doing so to potentially dangerous radioactive exposure.
A similar theft occurred in March 2007. In that case, the case was found and a piece of the device was missing, but it was later recovered.
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Semi Truck Plows Into Chicago Train Station, 2 Dead, Several Injured
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 07:34 PM CDT
A fire department spokesman two people are dead and more than a dozen others injured after a tractor trailer crashed into the stairwell of a Chicago Transit Authority station during rush hour.
Spokesman Larry Langford says the two women killed Friday apparently were walking near the Cermak-Chinatown Red Line elevated train station on the city’s South Side when the collision occurred. They were dead at the scene, Fire Department spokeswoman Eve Rodriguez said.
Eighteen people were transported to area hospitals, Rodriguez said. Seven adults and four children were in critical condition, five adults were in stable condition and two adults were in good condition.
Rodriguez did not know the driver’s condition, or whether the driver was injured.
Witnesses say the truck didn’t appear to slow down before it plowed into the station.
Chicago police say the accident happened about 5:20 p.m.
WBBM reports the tractor trailer truck crashed into the north stairwell of the station, where an escalator carries passengers up to the elevated platform. The crash appears to have caused extensive damage. The truck remains jammed underneath the tracks.
“We’re working right now to get into the wreckage to find out if there are any more victims in there, triage anyone we find and deal with the medical situation,” said Fire department spokesperson Larry Langford. “And also we’re dealing with the structural integrity of the CTA platforms and the glass walls and whatnot that are around the station.”
“It’s going to take a little time to get to anyone that’s in there, but we’re moving as fast as we can,” Langford added.
Witness Maury said, “I was standing across the street from the entrance to the CTA elevated trains on Cermak, for the Cermak/Chinatown stop. Then, as I looked back towards the entrance of the train station, I saw this tractor trailer truck, and I think the company name is Xtra, he either was coming off the Dan Ryan Expressway or the Stevenson, headed north and you’re supposed to make the left on Cermak. He just, like he was out of control, went straight ahead to the base of where the escalator is to the train station.”
Authorities are still trying to confirm the cause of the accident.
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Interpol Says Terror Attack At Olympic Games Possible
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 12:26 PM CDT
The head of Interpol said on Friday that there is a “real possibility” that the Beijing Olympics will be targeted by terrorists or that anti-China groups could attack athletes.
China, whose Communist rulers value stability above all else, have come down hard on anyone they fear could upset the Games, from people protesting against the demolition of their houses for venues to the country’s sometimes restless ethnic minorities.
“An attempted act of terrorism is a real possibility and a real concern that all Olympic host countries have shared in recent years,” Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble told the opening of the International Conference on Security Cooperation in Beijing. “Recent Tibet-related protests have introduced significant additional complications to the normal security considerations for a major international event like these Olympics.” The international leg of the Olympic torch relay has been dogged by pro-Tibet and anti-China protests, following unrest in Tibet last month in which China says about 20 people died.
“In light of recent events, all countries whose athletes will participate and whose citizens will attend the Beijing Olympics must be prepared for the possibility that the groups and individuals responsible for the violence during the global torch relay could carry out their protests at the actual Games,” Noble, the police organisation’s chief full-time official, said.
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UK Police Say 3 Terror Suspects Have Been Arrested in London
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 12:23 PM CDT
Scotland Yard says it has arrested three terror suspects in London.
Britain’s Metropolitan police say the three men are aged 24, 25, and 23. They say they were arrested at separate addresses Wednesday morning by officers from the force’s Counter Terrorism Command.
Police said in a statement Friday that the men remain in custody at a central London police station.
The men have not been identified. Authorities in Britain do not usually name suspects until they are charged.
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Pipe Bomb Explodes at Fed Ex Building In San Diego
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 12:16 PM CDT
A pipe bomb exploded at a Federal Express building in Webster early this morning. The bomb blew up just before 2 a.m. at the building on 47th Avenue near Federal Boulevard and broke the glass front door and set off the alarm, San Diego police said.
The fire department found a second bomb in the parking lot and detonated it, police said.
An employee at the business was unhurt. He told investigators he thought some boxes had fallen over.
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Posted: 26 Apr 2008 02:20 AM CDT
Investigators said a gang in Flagler County is sending its future members to Daytona Beach to seek out victims to cut. Once a gang recruit slashes a stranger, he gains the respect of his peers and is inducted into their underground society.
The latest victims have prompted a warning to the community from police.
“It could be anybody they see,” Daytona Beach police Sgt. Bill Walden said. “In both incidents, it was just someone walking down the road, taken by surprise.”
Joshua Burgundy, one of the victims, required 22 staples after suffering slash wounds on his abdomen and back.
“That’s close to my heart, you know. Just a little bit up would’ve been my heart,” Burgundy said, showing his scars. “I thought I was going to die. I mean, that was the only thing that was going through my mind.”
Burgundy and another victim told Daytona Beach police that the assailants jumped out of a car, approached them and slashed them with razor blades without saying a word.
“Even when they left they did not say one word. They didn’t try to go in my pockets. They didn’t try to take anything from me. They didn’t ask for anything. I just felt they were out to kill me,” Burgundy said.
Burgundy said the assailants were wearing all-black clothing with red bandanas covering their faces.
Dozens of stitches were required for the other victim’s wounds, police said.
Source
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Al-Qaeda Pirates Target UK Ships - Attacks Increasing
Posted: 26 Apr 2008 02:01 AM CDT
Britains 18,000 merchant sailors face a growing danger from pirates with links to al-Qaeda.
Attacks worldwide are up 20 per cent this year – and tourists on passenger liners are now feared to be at risk.
One of the most dangerous areas is the 1,800-mile coastline of east African country Somalia – where extremist militias with ties to Osama Bin Laden’s terror network operate unhindered.
A British skipper was seized in the area earlier this year and held hostage for 47 days by pirates demanding a £350,000 ransom.
And only this week the Japanese oil tanker Takayama came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades.
Around the world in the past year, 36 vessels have been boarded, with six crew kidnapped, three killed and one missing, presumed dead.
The modern-day pirates use high-powered motor-boats, grenade launchers and machine-guns.
British seamen’s union Nautilus wants the Government to review its policy on piracy.
Nautilus spokesman Andrew Linington said: “We are talking about sophisticated, organised, violent gangs, who jeopardise the lives of seafarers.
“The number of attacks and the level of violence are increasing.
Sooner or later, there will be a major incident in the region.”
One notorious gang with terror links calls itself the “Somalia Coastguard”.
Mr Linington said: “Intelligence indicates gangs like the Somalia Coastguard have links to al-Qaeda.
Unless there is action against these thugs, it amounts to a green light for a terrorist outrage.”
One dreads to think what would happen if a cruise ship fell into their hands.”
Source
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Hanford High School - Two Arrested In Pipe Bomb Explosion - Hanford California
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 10:47 PM CDT
A pipe bomb exploded behind the auto shop at Hanford High School shortly after noon today. The explosion sent debris flying for 30 feet, but no one was injured.
After the incident, the school was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure, and students were sent home at the end of the school day.
Police and ATF officials are investigating the incident, trying to find out who planted the bomb on the school campus.
Source
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Nuclear Gauge Likely Stolen In Philadelphia
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 10:41 PM CDT
Philadelphia police said they are seeking to recover a portable nuclear gauge that was reported stolen Friday.
The device was apparently stolen from the truck bed of a construction vehicle on the 500 block of Dickinson Street, although the complainant’s truck had also recently been in the communities of Hatfield and Glenside in Montgomery County.
Police said the gauge contains small amounts of radioactive material and is used for measuring the density of soil at construction sites. It is enclosed in a bright-yellow case with an exterior decal of three triangular shapes surrounding a small circle — the universal symbol for radioactive contents.
When the gauge is in its yellow plastic case (pictured above), it does not pose any threat or harm. The container should not be opened, however, because the device inside consists of a shielding container with a plunger-type handle protruding from the top.
As long as the source elements of the gauge are in the shielded position, the gauge does not present a hazard to the public, police said. But any attempt to tamper with the device or handle the source would subject the person doing so to potentially dangerous radioactive exposure.
A similar theft occurred in March 2007. In that case, the case was found and a piece of the device was missing, but it was later recovered.
Source
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Semi Truck Plows Into Chicago Train Station, 2 Dead, Several Injured
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 07:34 PM CDT
A fire department spokesman two people are dead and more than a dozen others injured after a tractor trailer crashed into the stairwell of a Chicago Transit Authority station during rush hour.
Spokesman Larry Langford says the two women killed Friday apparently were walking near the Cermak-Chinatown Red Line elevated train station on the city’s South Side when the collision occurred. They were dead at the scene, Fire Department spokeswoman Eve Rodriguez said.
Eighteen people were transported to area hospitals, Rodriguez said. Seven adults and four children were in critical condition, five adults were in stable condition and two adults were in good condition.
Rodriguez did not know the driver’s condition, or whether the driver was injured.
Witnesses say the truck didn’t appear to slow down before it plowed into the station.
Chicago police say the accident happened about 5:20 p.m.
WBBM reports the tractor trailer truck crashed into the north stairwell of the station, where an escalator carries passengers up to the elevated platform. The crash appears to have caused extensive damage. The truck remains jammed underneath the tracks.
“We’re working right now to get into the wreckage to find out if there are any more victims in there, triage anyone we find and deal with the medical situation,” said Fire department spokesperson Larry Langford. “And also we’re dealing with the structural integrity of the CTA platforms and the glass walls and whatnot that are around the station.”
“It’s going to take a little time to get to anyone that’s in there, but we’re moving as fast as we can,” Langford added.
Witness Maury said, “I was standing across the street from the entrance to the CTA elevated trains on Cermak, for the Cermak/Chinatown stop. Then, as I looked back towards the entrance of the train station, I saw this tractor trailer truck, and I think the company name is Xtra, he either was coming off the Dan Ryan Expressway or the Stevenson, headed north and you’re supposed to make the left on Cermak. He just, like he was out of control, went straight ahead to the base of where the escalator is to the train station.”
Authorities are still trying to confirm the cause of the accident.
Source
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Interpol Says Terror Attack At Olympic Games Possible
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 12:26 PM CDT
The head of Interpol said on Friday that there is a “real possibility” that the Beijing Olympics will be targeted by terrorists or that anti-China groups could attack athletes.
China, whose Communist rulers value stability above all else, have come down hard on anyone they fear could upset the Games, from people protesting against the demolition of their houses for venues to the country’s sometimes restless ethnic minorities.
“An attempted act of terrorism is a real possibility and a real concern that all Olympic host countries have shared in recent years,” Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble told the opening of the International Conference on Security Cooperation in Beijing. “Recent Tibet-related protests have introduced significant additional complications to the normal security considerations for a major international event like these Olympics.” The international leg of the Olympic torch relay has been dogged by pro-Tibet and anti-China protests, following unrest in Tibet last month in which China says about 20 people died.
“In light of recent events, all countries whose athletes will participate and whose citizens will attend the Beijing Olympics must be prepared for the possibility that the groups and individuals responsible for the violence during the global torch relay could carry out their protests at the actual Games,” Noble, the police organisation’s chief full-time official, said.
Source
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UK Police Say 3 Terror Suspects Have Been Arrested in London
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 12:23 PM CDT
Scotland Yard says it has arrested three terror suspects in London.
Britain’s Metropolitan police say the three men are aged 24, 25, and 23. They say they were arrested at separate addresses Wednesday morning by officers from the force’s Counter Terrorism Command.
Police said in a statement Friday that the men remain in custody at a central London police station.
The men have not been identified. Authorities in Britain do not usually name suspects until they are charged.
Source
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Pipe Bomb Explodes at Fed Ex Building In San Diego
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 12:16 PM CDT
A pipe bomb exploded at a Federal Express building in Webster early this morning. The bomb blew up just before 2 a.m. at the building on 47th Avenue near Federal Boulevard and broke the glass front door and set off the alarm, San Diego police said.
The fire department found a second bomb in the parking lot and detonated it, police said.
An employee at the business was unhurt. He told investigators he thought some boxes had fallen over.
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Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Todays Threats to Watch
Homeland Security Cancels Plans For Virtual Fence Along Arizona-Mexico Border
Posted: 23 Apr 2008 02:43 AM CDT
The government will replace its highly touted “virtual fence” on the Arizona-Mexico border with new towers, radars, cameras and computer software, scrapping the brand-new $20 million system because it doesn’t work sufficiently, officials said.
The move comes just two months after Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff officially accepted the completed fence from The Boeing Co.
With the decision, Customs and Border Protection officials are acknowledging that the pilot program to detect illegal immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border doesn’t work well enough to keep or to continue tweaking.
Chertoff accepted the program on Feb. 22 after Boeing apparently resolved software glitches. But less than a week later, the Government Accountability Office told Congress it “did not fully meet user needs and the project’s design will not be used as the basis for future” developments.
The project is made up of nine towers along a 28-mile (45-kilometer) section of border straddling the border crossing at Sasabe, southwest of Tucson.
DHS will put in about 17 new towers, some holding just communications gear, others featuring new cameras or new radars, at an undetermined cost.
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Probation For Police Sergeant In Terrorism Case - Provided Info To Member of Mosque - Fairfax VA
Posted: 22 Apr 2008 11:14 PM CDT
A Fairfax County police sergeant was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Alexandria to two years’ probation for his admission that he checked police databases for someone who was the target of a federal terrorism case.
Sgt. Weiss Rasool, 31, initially faced up to six months in jail, but federal prosecutors urged U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry R. Poretz to consider as much as a year of jail time after Rasool took a lie-detector test last week and “was not fully compliant” with the test procedures. Prosecutors also said in a motion filed with the court that FBI agents “do not believe that he has been truthful.”
Before sentencing, Rasool stood and wept as he admitted breaking the law.
“If I could turn back time, I would maybe do things different,” he said. “It was an error in judgment. I never intended for things to turn out this way. I don’t know what to say to you or anyone. . . . I admit I made errors of judgment. But I never intended to put anybody’s life at risk.”
The police sergeant said after the sentencing that he hopes to remain with the Fairfax department. A misdemeanor conviction does not automatically disqualify him from continuing with the force. Rasool remains on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation, Fairfax police said.
In June 2005, when federal agents had a Fairfax man under surveillance, the man apparently asked Rasool to check the license plates of three vehicles he thought were following him. Rasool’s lawyer described the man as a member of Rasool’s mosque.
According to court records, Rasool checked the databases and left the following voice-mail message for the man:
“Umm, as I told you, I can only tell you if it comes back to a person or not a person, and all three vehicles did not come back to an individual person. So, I just wanted to give you that much.”
The three vehicles were undercover FBI vehicles, according to a letter from the FBI filed in court yesterday, and Rasool’s message “likely alerted the subject of the FBI investigation which had a disruptive effect on the pending counterterrorism case.” Prosecutors said the vehicles were listed with a leasing company, which an experienced officer might have known was an indicator of law enforcement vehicles.
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Man Indicted on Federal Ricin Charges in Las Vegas
Posted: 22 Apr 2008 11:01 PM CDT
A man suspected to have been poisoned by ricin found later in his hotel room was indicted Tuesday on federal charges that include possession of a biological toxin.
Roger Bergendorff and his lawyer, Paul Riddle, did not appear when U.S. District Court Magistrate Peggy Leen unsealed the indictment and scheduled Bergendorff for an arraignment and plea May 2, federal prosecutor Gregory Damm said.
Damm declined to comment further, and Riddle did not immediately respond to messages.
Bergendorff, 57, also was charged with possession of unregistered firearms and possession of firearms not identified by serial number. The charges against him carry a possible penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a $750,000 fine.
The unemployed graphic designer was hospitalized Feb. 14 and spent several weeks in what authorities variously described as a coma and heavy sedation before he was released from a Las Vegas hospital April 16 into the waiting arms of FBI agents.
Vials containing about 4 grams of powdered ricin were found in Bergendorff’s extended-stay motel room several blocks off the Las Vegas Strip about two weeks after he was admitted to the hospital. Authorities say illegal firearms also were found in the room.
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2 Taken To Hospital After Opening Letter With Suspicious Substance
Posted: 22 Apr 2008 10:58 PM CDT
Toledo police Tuesday were investigating a letter containing death threats and a suspicious powdery substance with a strong odor that left two people feeling sick after they opened the letter at their central city residence Monday, authorities said.
Leola Green-Haynes and Oscar Haynes, both of Forest Avenue, called 911 after opening the letter. When they complained of feeling nauseous and light-headed, they were taken to and admitted to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, police said.
Mr. Haynes and Ms. Green-Haynes were listed in fair condition Tuesday, a hospital spokesman said.
The incident occurred about 3 p.m. in the 1800 block of Forest. The Toledo Fire Department’s hazardous material unit and police arrived a short time later, took control of the scene, and removed the letter, officers said.
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Strange, Mystery Lights Appear Over Phoenix
Posted: 22 Apr 2008 09:43 AM CDT
Several people reported seeing four lights forming various formations above the Valley Monday night.
Tony Toporek was talking with his neighbors in north Phoenix when the lights appeared at about 8 p.m.
He grabbed his video camera and started taping.
Witnesses reported that the lights formed a vertical line, then formed a diamond-shape, followed by a u-shape.
The lights reportedly moved from side to side and upward before disappearing one by one.
Toporek said the last light vanished and then briefly reappeared before disappearing again.
ABC15 contacted several agencies Monday night, including the FAA, Sky Harbor, Luke Air Force Base, and the Phoenix Police Department. No one could explain what the lights are.
Source - Watch Video
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Posted: 23 Apr 2008 02:43 AM CDT
The government will replace its highly touted “virtual fence” on the Arizona-Mexico border with new towers, radars, cameras and computer software, scrapping the brand-new $20 million system because it doesn’t work sufficiently, officials said.
The move comes just two months after Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff officially accepted the completed fence from The Boeing Co.
With the decision, Customs and Border Protection officials are acknowledging that the pilot program to detect illegal immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border doesn’t work well enough to keep or to continue tweaking.
Chertoff accepted the program on Feb. 22 after Boeing apparently resolved software glitches. But less than a week later, the Government Accountability Office told Congress it “did not fully meet user needs and the project’s design will not be used as the basis for future” developments.
The project is made up of nine towers along a 28-mile (45-kilometer) section of border straddling the border crossing at Sasabe, southwest of Tucson.
DHS will put in about 17 new towers, some holding just communications gear, others featuring new cameras or new radars, at an undetermined cost.
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Probation For Police Sergeant In Terrorism Case - Provided Info To Member of Mosque - Fairfax VA
Posted: 22 Apr 2008 11:14 PM CDT
A Fairfax County police sergeant was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Alexandria to two years’ probation for his admission that he checked police databases for someone who was the target of a federal terrorism case.
Sgt. Weiss Rasool, 31, initially faced up to six months in jail, but federal prosecutors urged U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry R. Poretz to consider as much as a year of jail time after Rasool took a lie-detector test last week and “was not fully compliant” with the test procedures. Prosecutors also said in a motion filed with the court that FBI agents “do not believe that he has been truthful.”
Before sentencing, Rasool stood and wept as he admitted breaking the law.
“If I could turn back time, I would maybe do things different,” he said. “It was an error in judgment. I never intended for things to turn out this way. I don’t know what to say to you or anyone. . . . I admit I made errors of judgment. But I never intended to put anybody’s life at risk.”
The police sergeant said after the sentencing that he hopes to remain with the Fairfax department. A misdemeanor conviction does not automatically disqualify him from continuing with the force. Rasool remains on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation, Fairfax police said.
In June 2005, when federal agents had a Fairfax man under surveillance, the man apparently asked Rasool to check the license plates of three vehicles he thought were following him. Rasool’s lawyer described the man as a member of Rasool’s mosque.
According to court records, Rasool checked the databases and left the following voice-mail message for the man:
“Umm, as I told you, I can only tell you if it comes back to a person or not a person, and all three vehicles did not come back to an individual person. So, I just wanted to give you that much.”
The three vehicles were undercover FBI vehicles, according to a letter from the FBI filed in court yesterday, and Rasool’s message “likely alerted the subject of the FBI investigation which had a disruptive effect on the pending counterterrorism case.” Prosecutors said the vehicles were listed with a leasing company, which an experienced officer might have known was an indicator of law enforcement vehicles.
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Man Indicted on Federal Ricin Charges in Las Vegas
Posted: 22 Apr 2008 11:01 PM CDT
A man suspected to have been poisoned by ricin found later in his hotel room was indicted Tuesday on federal charges that include possession of a biological toxin.
Roger Bergendorff and his lawyer, Paul Riddle, did not appear when U.S. District Court Magistrate Peggy Leen unsealed the indictment and scheduled Bergendorff for an arraignment and plea May 2, federal prosecutor Gregory Damm said.
Damm declined to comment further, and Riddle did not immediately respond to messages.
Bergendorff, 57, also was charged with possession of unregistered firearms and possession of firearms not identified by serial number. The charges against him carry a possible penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a $750,000 fine.
The unemployed graphic designer was hospitalized Feb. 14 and spent several weeks in what authorities variously described as a coma and heavy sedation before he was released from a Las Vegas hospital April 16 into the waiting arms of FBI agents.
Vials containing about 4 grams of powdered ricin were found in Bergendorff’s extended-stay motel room several blocks off the Las Vegas Strip about two weeks after he was admitted to the hospital. Authorities say illegal firearms also were found in the room.
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2 Taken To Hospital After Opening Letter With Suspicious Substance
Posted: 22 Apr 2008 10:58 PM CDT
Toledo police Tuesday were investigating a letter containing death threats and a suspicious powdery substance with a strong odor that left two people feeling sick after they opened the letter at their central city residence Monday, authorities said.
Leola Green-Haynes and Oscar Haynes, both of Forest Avenue, called 911 after opening the letter. When they complained of feeling nauseous and light-headed, they were taken to and admitted to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, police said.
Mr. Haynes and Ms. Green-Haynes were listed in fair condition Tuesday, a hospital spokesman said.
The incident occurred about 3 p.m. in the 1800 block of Forest. The Toledo Fire Department’s hazardous material unit and police arrived a short time later, took control of the scene, and removed the letter, officers said.
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Strange, Mystery Lights Appear Over Phoenix
Posted: 22 Apr 2008 09:43 AM CDT
Several people reported seeing four lights forming various formations above the Valley Monday night.
Tony Toporek was talking with his neighbors in north Phoenix when the lights appeared at about 8 p.m.
He grabbed his video camera and started taping.
Witnesses reported that the lights formed a vertical line, then formed a diamond-shape, followed by a u-shape.
The lights reportedly moved from side to side and upward before disappearing one by one.
Toporek said the last light vanished and then briefly reappeared before disappearing again.
ABC15 contacted several agencies Monday night, including the FAA, Sky Harbor, Luke Air Force Base, and the Phoenix Police Department. No one could explain what the lights are.
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
New Threats
Feds Want To Require Visitors’ Fingerprints When Leaving US
Posted: 22 Apr 2008 03:34 AM CDT
The Bush administration would require commercial airlines and cruise-line operators to collect information such as fingerprints from international travelers and send the information to the Homeland Security Department soon after the travelers leave the country, according to a proposed rule.
The proposal, which will be announced Tuesday, will close a security gap identified after the 9/11 attacks and identify which visitors have overstayed their visas.
Airlines and cruise ship operators must already provide the department with biographical information on international passengers before they leave the country. But this rule would require biometric information — such as fingerprints — to be collected and then transmitted within 24 hours of a visitor leaving the U.S., according to a Homeland Security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.
Over 10 years, officials estimate it will cost air and sea carriers about $2.7 billion to carry out the requirement. The department plans to enforce the rule by June 30, 2009. Some air carriers have complained the federal government should cover the cost of implementing this rule.
U.S. officials already collect fingerprints from visitors when they come into the country, but the administration has yet to complete the exit portion of the tracking program — known as US-VISIT.
Lawmakers, including Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., have pressed the department to roll out its biometric exit system for more than a year.
“Any uncertainty about who is entering and leaving our country is an unacceptable risk that must be addressed,” Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement Monday.
There will be a 60-day comment period for the proposed rule.
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Megahed, Mohamed To Receive Separate Trials In Goose Creek Case
Posted: 22 Apr 2008 03:19 AM CDT
A judge has severed the federal trials of two former University of South Florida students whose legal battle began after their car was pulled over by deputies in South Carolina.
A judge made the decision this morning in U.S. District Court after the two defendants, Ahmed Mohamed and Youssef Megahed, entered not guilty pleas today before a different judge during their arraignment on charges handed up last week.
The new seven-count indictment adds terrorism and weapons charges against Mohamed. It also includes a new charge against Mohamed and Megahed relating to devices found in the trunk of their car when they were arrested Aug. 4 in South Carolina.
The new indictment replaced a two-count indictment handed up in 2007.
Megahed’s trial is now scheduled to start May 5 and Mohamed’s July 7 under the ruling by Judge Steven Merryday.
The two defendants appeared together this morning to enter their pleas.
A half-hour later in another courtroom, the men were not present when their attorneys disagreed on when trial should begin.
Megahed and Mohamed had been scheduled to go on trial April 28 on a charge of illegally transporting explosives.
Megahed’s attorney asked to proceed as scheduled. Mohamed’s attorney said she needed more time due to the new indictment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hoffer, meanwhile, asked for two to three more weeks before a trial begins.
Merryday said it was in the best interest of all to sever the trials. All sides, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting the case, ultimately agreed.
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Judge Won’t Toss Charges Against Man Accused of Bombing Salt Lake City Library
Posted: 21 Apr 2008 09:00 PM CDT
U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball today refused to throw out charges against an Illinois man accused of bombing the downtown Salt Lake City Library, saying Thomas Zajac’s constitutional rights were not violated when Weber County jailers recorded his telephone calls to his attorneys.
Defense lawyers claimed the recording was an egregious violation of attorney-client privilege and asked for a dismissal. They alleged that agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had reviewed recordings of about 40 telephone calls and provided written reports on them to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors denied the allegations and said they received only a listing of the calls made.
Kimball ruled the government had a legitimate reason for subpoening the telephone records from the jail - investigators say they had reason to believe Zajac had made incriminating statements to the press and family members - and noted that the ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated they did not review recordings that could be protected by attorney-client privilege.
The judge also denied a motion to throw out two charges that Zajac used explosives to damage a building used in any activity affecting interstate commerce. Zajac’s attorneys contended that library operations do not affect out-of-state businesses.
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Charges Dismissed Against NY Professor Who Obtained Biological Materials For Art
Posted: 21 Apr 2008 08:56 PM CDT
A judge on Monday dismissed charges against a college professor accused of illegally obtaining biological materials for an art exhibit protesting U.S. government food policies.
U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara ruled that a mail and wire fraud indictment brought nearly four years ago against Steven Kurtz, a University at Buffalo professor, was “insufficient on its face.”
Kurtz is a founding member of the Critical Art Ensemble, which has used human DNA and other biological materials in works meant to draw attention to political and social issues. His arrest drew international attention, with artists in several countries protesting the charges as an intrusion on artistic freedom.
He became the target of a federal terrorism investigation in May 2004 when firefighters found the materials — two kinds of bacteria — and equipment they deemed suspicious after a 911 call to his home. Kurtz had called to report that his wife was dead from an apparent heart attack.
Investigators later determined that the lab equipment used for DNA extraction and amplification equipment was part of his artwork and that Hope Kurtz died naturally. But Kurtz was indicted a month later on the mail and wire fraud charges that carried a maximum of 20 years in prison.
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Secret Service Probes Suspicious Package Discovered Near White House
Posted: 21 Apr 2008 08:49 PM CDT
The Secret Service says a suspicious package found on the northeast grounds of the White House has been declared safe.
Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan says the package was spotted around 3 p.m. and was cleared at 5:10 p.m. He declined to say what type of package it was, or whether any arrests were made.
He says Lafayette Park and Pennsylvania Avenue by the White House were closed to the public during the investigation, but have been reopened.
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Suspicious Object at Dirksen Federal Building - Chicago
Posted: 21 Apr 2008 08:38 PM CDT
Chicago police are investigating a “suspicious object” found at the Dirksen Federal Building.
Police spokeswoman JoAnn Taylor says the object was located around 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
Taylor says the police departments Bomb and Arson squad has been called to the scene.
She did not have further details on what the object was and who located it.
Authorities are blocking traffic around the downtown Chicago building and several nearby buildings have been evacuated.
Officials from the Chicago Fire Department are on the scene.
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Woman Accused Of Falsely Claiming Bomb In Suitcase At JFK
Posted: 21 Apr 2008 09:20 AM CDT
A 44-year-old woman trying to board a JetBlue flight in New York City is accused of falsely claiming there was a bomb in her suitcase. The woman has denied the allegation.
Prosecutors say in a complaint filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court that Rosalinda Baez was trying to board the flight on Wednesday but that an attendant barred her because the jetway had closed.
The complaint alleges Baez told the attendant her suitcase was on the aircraft and asked, “What if I had a bomb in my bag?”
Baez says she asked: “Isn’t it a security risk to let my bag travel without the passenger when there could be a bomb in the bag?”
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Additional details from the NY Daily News
A globe-hopping executive was grounded by JetBlue after she threw a hissy fit at Kennedy Airport and triggered a bomb scare aboard a flight, the Daily News has learned.
Rosalinda Baez was arrested by the FBI for falsely claiming there was a bomb in her suitcase at JFK, according to a complaint filed last week in Brooklyn Federal Court.
Baez, who earns $190,000-a-year and has homes in Manhattan and Texas, was returning from a business trip in Costa Rica last Tuesday when she was blocked by a gate attendant from boarding JetBlue Flight 1061 to Austin, Tex., because the jetway had closed.
Her suitcase was already aboard the aircraft.
“What if I had a bomb in my bag?” the 44-year-old told the gate attendant, according to the federal complaint. “Well, I have a bomb in my bag, so are you guys going to turn the plane around cuz I need my bag.”
Baez then raged that the Transportation Security Administration “does not know how to do their f—— job because if it did TSA would not catch it and let it go through,” authorities said.
The flight took off anyway, but was forced to make an emergency landing in Richmond, Va., according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Dennehy.
Three hundred passengers were yanked off the aircraft and screened, while bomb-sniffing dogs checked the commercial jet, authorities said.
Meanwhile, Baez waited several hours in a Wi-Fi computer lounge at Kennedy for another flight - until she was approached by JetBlue officials and federal agents.
Baez, a Web consultant to Dell Computers, said an FBI agent questioned her about “my love of this country.”
“I was asked, have I ever had any thoughts of suicide or thoughts of doing damage to the United States,” she said.
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Utility Workers Face MI5 Background Checks Amid al-Qaeda Fears - UK
Posted: 21 Apr 2008 09:16 AM CDT
Thousands of utility workers face MI5 checks amid fears al-Qaeda is trying to infiltrate vital industries and businesses.
The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure is carrying out a threat assessment on gas, electricity and telecoms staff.
Engineers, plumbers and even caretakers could also be subject to vetting.
Cpni Director Stephen Cummings told the Royal United Services Institute: “The insider threat is real. It is a concern.”
Sabotaging power supply and transport or utilities would hugely damage the economy, cripple hospitals and emergency services and could cause loss of life.
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Posted: 22 Apr 2008 03:34 AM CDT
The Bush administration would require commercial airlines and cruise-line operators to collect information such as fingerprints from international travelers and send the information to the Homeland Security Department soon after the travelers leave the country, according to a proposed rule.
The proposal, which will be announced Tuesday, will close a security gap identified after the 9/11 attacks and identify which visitors have overstayed their visas.
Airlines and cruise ship operators must already provide the department with biographical information on international passengers before they leave the country. But this rule would require biometric information — such as fingerprints — to be collected and then transmitted within 24 hours of a visitor leaving the U.S., according to a Homeland Security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.
Over 10 years, officials estimate it will cost air and sea carriers about $2.7 billion to carry out the requirement. The department plans to enforce the rule by June 30, 2009. Some air carriers have complained the federal government should cover the cost of implementing this rule.
U.S. officials already collect fingerprints from visitors when they come into the country, but the administration has yet to complete the exit portion of the tracking program — known as US-VISIT.
Lawmakers, including Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., have pressed the department to roll out its biometric exit system for more than a year.
“Any uncertainty about who is entering and leaving our country is an unacceptable risk that must be addressed,” Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement Monday.
There will be a 60-day comment period for the proposed rule.
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Megahed, Mohamed To Receive Separate Trials In Goose Creek Case
Posted: 22 Apr 2008 03:19 AM CDT
A judge has severed the federal trials of two former University of South Florida students whose legal battle began after their car was pulled over by deputies in South Carolina.
A judge made the decision this morning in U.S. District Court after the two defendants, Ahmed Mohamed and Youssef Megahed, entered not guilty pleas today before a different judge during their arraignment on charges handed up last week.
The new seven-count indictment adds terrorism and weapons charges against Mohamed. It also includes a new charge against Mohamed and Megahed relating to devices found in the trunk of their car when they were arrested Aug. 4 in South Carolina.
The new indictment replaced a two-count indictment handed up in 2007.
Megahed’s trial is now scheduled to start May 5 and Mohamed’s July 7 under the ruling by Judge Steven Merryday.
The two defendants appeared together this morning to enter their pleas.
A half-hour later in another courtroom, the men were not present when their attorneys disagreed on when trial should begin.
Megahed and Mohamed had been scheduled to go on trial April 28 on a charge of illegally transporting explosives.
Megahed’s attorney asked to proceed as scheduled. Mohamed’s attorney said she needed more time due to the new indictment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hoffer, meanwhile, asked for two to three more weeks before a trial begins.
Merryday said it was in the best interest of all to sever the trials. All sides, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting the case, ultimately agreed.
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Judge Won’t Toss Charges Against Man Accused of Bombing Salt Lake City Library
Posted: 21 Apr 2008 09:00 PM CDT
U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball today refused to throw out charges against an Illinois man accused of bombing the downtown Salt Lake City Library, saying Thomas Zajac’s constitutional rights were not violated when Weber County jailers recorded his telephone calls to his attorneys.
Defense lawyers claimed the recording was an egregious violation of attorney-client privilege and asked for a dismissal. They alleged that agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had reviewed recordings of about 40 telephone calls and provided written reports on them to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors denied the allegations and said they received only a listing of the calls made.
Kimball ruled the government had a legitimate reason for subpoening the telephone records from the jail - investigators say they had reason to believe Zajac had made incriminating statements to the press and family members - and noted that the ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated they did not review recordings that could be protected by attorney-client privilege.
The judge also denied a motion to throw out two charges that Zajac used explosives to damage a building used in any activity affecting interstate commerce. Zajac’s attorneys contended that library operations do not affect out-of-state businesses.
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Charges Dismissed Against NY Professor Who Obtained Biological Materials For Art
Posted: 21 Apr 2008 08:56 PM CDT
A judge on Monday dismissed charges against a college professor accused of illegally obtaining biological materials for an art exhibit protesting U.S. government food policies.
U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara ruled that a mail and wire fraud indictment brought nearly four years ago against Steven Kurtz, a University at Buffalo professor, was “insufficient on its face.”
Kurtz is a founding member of the Critical Art Ensemble, which has used human DNA and other biological materials in works meant to draw attention to political and social issues. His arrest drew international attention, with artists in several countries protesting the charges as an intrusion on artistic freedom.
He became the target of a federal terrorism investigation in May 2004 when firefighters found the materials — two kinds of bacteria — and equipment they deemed suspicious after a 911 call to his home. Kurtz had called to report that his wife was dead from an apparent heart attack.
Investigators later determined that the lab equipment used for DNA extraction and amplification equipment was part of his artwork and that Hope Kurtz died naturally. But Kurtz was indicted a month later on the mail and wire fraud charges that carried a maximum of 20 years in prison.
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Secret Service Probes Suspicious Package Discovered Near White House
Posted: 21 Apr 2008 08:49 PM CDT
The Secret Service says a suspicious package found on the northeast grounds of the White House has been declared safe.
Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan says the package was spotted around 3 p.m. and was cleared at 5:10 p.m. He declined to say what type of package it was, or whether any arrests were made.
He says Lafayette Park and Pennsylvania Avenue by the White House were closed to the public during the investigation, but have been reopened.
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Suspicious Object at Dirksen Federal Building - Chicago
Posted: 21 Apr 2008 08:38 PM CDT
Chicago police are investigating a “suspicious object” found at the Dirksen Federal Building.
Police spokeswoman JoAnn Taylor says the object was located around 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
Taylor says the police departments Bomb and Arson squad has been called to the scene.
She did not have further details on what the object was and who located it.
Authorities are blocking traffic around the downtown Chicago building and several nearby buildings have been evacuated.
Officials from the Chicago Fire Department are on the scene.
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Woman Accused Of Falsely Claiming Bomb In Suitcase At JFK
Posted: 21 Apr 2008 09:20 AM CDT
A 44-year-old woman trying to board a JetBlue flight in New York City is accused of falsely claiming there was a bomb in her suitcase. The woman has denied the allegation.
Prosecutors say in a complaint filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court that Rosalinda Baez was trying to board the flight on Wednesday but that an attendant barred her because the jetway had closed.
The complaint alleges Baez told the attendant her suitcase was on the aircraft and asked, “What if I had a bomb in my bag?”
Baez says she asked: “Isn’t it a security risk to let my bag travel without the passenger when there could be a bomb in the bag?”
Source
Additional details from the NY Daily News
A globe-hopping executive was grounded by JetBlue after she threw a hissy fit at Kennedy Airport and triggered a bomb scare aboard a flight, the Daily News has learned.
Rosalinda Baez was arrested by the FBI for falsely claiming there was a bomb in her suitcase at JFK, according to a complaint filed last week in Brooklyn Federal Court.
Baez, who earns $190,000-a-year and has homes in Manhattan and Texas, was returning from a business trip in Costa Rica last Tuesday when she was blocked by a gate attendant from boarding JetBlue Flight 1061 to Austin, Tex., because the jetway had closed.
Her suitcase was already aboard the aircraft.
“What if I had a bomb in my bag?” the 44-year-old told the gate attendant, according to the federal complaint. “Well, I have a bomb in my bag, so are you guys going to turn the plane around cuz I need my bag.”
Baez then raged that the Transportation Security Administration “does not know how to do their f—— job because if it did TSA would not catch it and let it go through,” authorities said.
The flight took off anyway, but was forced to make an emergency landing in Richmond, Va., according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Dennehy.
Three hundred passengers were yanked off the aircraft and screened, while bomb-sniffing dogs checked the commercial jet, authorities said.
Meanwhile, Baez waited several hours in a Wi-Fi computer lounge at Kennedy for another flight - until she was approached by JetBlue officials and federal agents.
Baez, a Web consultant to Dell Computers, said an FBI agent questioned her about “my love of this country.”
“I was asked, have I ever had any thoughts of suicide or thoughts of doing damage to the United States,” she said.
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Utility Workers Face MI5 Background Checks Amid al-Qaeda Fears - UK
Posted: 21 Apr 2008 09:16 AM CDT
Thousands of utility workers face MI5 checks amid fears al-Qaeda is trying to infiltrate vital industries and businesses.
The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure is carrying out a threat assessment on gas, electricity and telecoms staff.
Engineers, plumbers and even caretakers could also be subject to vetting.
Cpni Director Stephen Cummings told the Royal United Services Institute: “The insider threat is real. It is a concern.”
Sabotaging power supply and transport or utilities would hugely damage the economy, cripple hospitals and emergency services and could cause loss of life.
Source
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Thursday, April 17, 2008
Whats Happening in the World
Seven Police Hurt In Spanish Bomb Blast At Socialist Party Offices
Posted: 17 Apr 2008 02:27 AM CDT
A bomb has exploded outside an office of the ruling Socialist party in Spain, lightly wounding seven police officers.
Police said the blast, in the northern Basque city of Bilbao, happened at 0600 (0400 GMT), after a telephone warning.
The separatist group Eta has been blamed for the attack, which seriously damaged the building.
The explosion came a day after parliament was inaugurated in Madrid, following elections won by Socialist PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
Developing…
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LAX Launches Trial of Full Body Imaging Scanner
Posted: 17 Apr 2008 02:10 AM CDT
Travelers passing through Los Angeles International Airport may be left feeling a little more exposed beginning today.
A body-scanning machine capable of peeking underneath the clothing of airline passengers will be unveiled at LAX’s Terminal 5, giving security screeners another tool in searching for hidden weapons and explosives, according to Nico Melendez, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.
“LAX is one of the largest airports in the country, so this gives us a chance to test the machine’s impact on airport operations,” Melendez said. “At the same time, it gives us an opportunity to poll passengers to find out their impressions and feelings about the technology.”
Privacy issues surrounding the TSA’s Millimeter Wave Whole Body Imaging system hampered development for about five years. Although the faces of passengers are obscured and the revealing images are immediately deleted, concerns remain regarding passenger rights, according to Peter Bibring, staff attorney for the ACLU of Southern California.
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South Korea Raises Bird Flu Alert, Troops On Standby
Posted: 17 Apr 2008 12:42 AM CDT
South Korea on Wednesday issued a nationwide bird flu alert, deployed troops and put firefighters on standby to try to contain the spread of the disease, officials said.
The agriculture ministry said in a statement the “orange” vigilance level was extended to the whole country after previously covering only the badly hit southwest.
The ministry said it had confirmed 20 outbreaks involving the H5 virus, of which at least six were the deadly H5N1 subtype, since the first case was reported in Gimje, 260 kilometres (162 miles) south of Seoul, in early April.
It is investigating 14 more suspected cases, including one on a farm in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometres south of Seoul.
Officials have slaughtered 2.2 million chickens and ducks in and around infected farms. These are mainly in the South and North Jeolla provinces, a hub of the poultry industry.
“As avian influenza is spreading, the military has decided to help slaughter and bury poultry in the infected areas,” a defence ministry spokesman said.
The spokesman said an initial contingent of about 200 troops was deployed in and around the Gimje area Wednesday to help cull chickens and ducks.
A separate group of about 180 soldiers had already been manning checkpoints to help control movements in infected areas.
The National Emergency Management Agency ordered local firefighters to be ready to help with disinfecting vehicles and farms or other tasks, although it said they would not take part in culls.
“We’ll do whatever we can do to prevent the bird flu outbreaks from spreading nationwide, which is now a national concern,” Kim Kook-Rae, a senior agency official, told AFP.
Authorities have yet to fully explain why the outbreaks are not abating, but said Tuesday that a poultry dealer was under investigation for breaching quarantine restrictions.
The dealer was found to have taken hundreds of ducks from an infected Gimje farm and supplied them to retailers and restaurants in other regions.
The agriculture ministry said it had located 141 restaurants or farms which had recently been visited by the dealer, and had so far slaughtered poultry at 34 of the total.
South Korea reported seven cases of H5N1 infection between November 2006 and March last year, resulting in the temporary suspension of poultry exports to Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and elsewhere.
But last June the World Organisation for Animal Health classified the country as free from the disease.
The H5N1 strain has killed more than 230 people worldwide since late 2003. No South Koreans have contracted the disease.
Source AFP
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US To Begin Collecting DNA Samples From All Federal Arrestees
Posted: 17 Apr 2008 12:31 AM CDT
The US government will begin collecting DNA samples from every person arrested under federal laws, a Department of Justice spokesman said Wednesday. Federal agencies are authorized to collect DNA samples under a 2006 amendment to the Violence Against Women Act, but previously had only collected DNA from people actually convicted of federal crimes.
About 1.2 million additional people could be added to the FBI’s Combined DNA Indexing System (CODIS) every year under the expansion, although people who are not convicted can request the destruction of their DNA samples.
Supporters of the new measures say the expanded database will help prevent crime, but civil rights groups have expressed privacy concerns. The law will soon be published in the Federal Register and will then be subject to a 30-day comment period.
Thirteen states have implemented policies similar to the new federal policy. In November 2007, The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that all convicted federal felons must provide DNA samples to a federal database available to police departments throughout the country. In 2005, the Third Circuit ruled that a convicted bank robber had to submit DNA samples to CODIS. A New Jersey state appeals court upheld a comparable state law in 2005.
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Pilgrim’s Pride - Homeland Security Takes 400 Into Custody
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 05:38 PM CDT
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. (PPC) confirmed the Department of Homeland Security took 400 employees into custody at five processing facilities across the South.
The company said it is working to “prevent or minimize” disruptions in operations at the affected sites.
“According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, these individuals have engaged in immigration-related crimes, including aggravated identity theft, in order to fraudulently obtain employment with the company,” the company said in a statement.
Pilgrim’s Pride said no civil or criminal charges have been filed against the company in any of the cases.
Officials from the Customs Enforcement division took into custody employees at plants in Batesville, Ark.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Live Oak, Fla.; Morefield, W.Va.; and Mt. Pleasant, Texas.
Pilgrim’s Pride said it had terminated all employees who were arrested and would terminate employees found to have engaged in similar misconduct.
The company said the employees taken into custody represent about 4% of the 9, 400 people employed at the facilities.
Source
More from the Dallas Morning News
Federal immigration officials, working with local law enforcement agencies, arrested more than 280 foreign nationals Wednesday at Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plants in five states, including Texas. They are suspected of committing identity theft and other crimes to get their jobs, authorities said.
The arrests were coordinated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said Carl Rusnok, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The criminal investigation involves administrative charges, as well as criminal charges, ICE officials said in a written statement.
The poultry plants were in Mount Pleasant, Texas; Live Oak, Fla.; Moorefield, West Va.; Batesville, Ark.; and Chattanooga, Tenn.
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Two Face Federal Charges For Obstructing Flow Of Ammunition To The Army
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 05:27 PM CDT
Prosecutors unsealed an indictment Tuesday charging two area men with federal sabotage for allegedly stealing tons of copper from an ammunition manufacturing plant.
Charles Dale Osborn, 45, of Odessa, Mo., and Timothy Duane Langevin, 36, of Independence, were charged in the 10-count indictment. If sentenced to the maximum on each of their respective counts, Osborn would face 245 years in federal prison and Langevin would face 35 years.
The material — described as “bullet cups” in the indictment — was to have been used to produce about 1.5 million rounds of copper-jacketed ammunition for troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, according to federal court records.
“The diversion of the bullet cups interfered with and obstructed the ability of the United States to prepare for and carry on war activities by interrupting the supply of 7.62mm rounds of ammunition to the United States Army,” the indictment alleged.
The volume of stolen material accounts for more than two weeks’ production of 7.62mm ammunition at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, from which it was stolen, prosecutors alleged.
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Officer: Suspect Calm When Stopped Prior To Terror Rampage at Seattle Jewish Center
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 04:41 PM CDT
A Seattle police officer who pulled over Naveed Haq said everything about the encounter seemed routine, leaving no hint that in less than 20 minutes, the man would walk into the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and open fire.
Officer Glen Cook told jurors Tuesday that he has since gone over that July 2006 traffic stop in his head over and over, “kind of second-guessing myself.”
“Was there something I missed?” he wonders. “Should I have seen something?”
But what may be most important for jurors in Haq’s ongoing King County Superior Court trial is the 32-year-old Tri-Cities man’s demeanor during that brief run-in with police, which happened so close in time to the deadly shooting.
His attorneys contend that he was delusional when he forced his way into the federation’s Seattle offices with two guns and a knife on that sunny Friday afternoon and shot six women, leaving one of them dead.
Prosecutors contend that he’d planned the attack and knew exactly what he was doing: Trying to make a political statement with his rant against Jews, U.S. foreign policy and the troops in Iraq.
On July 28, 2006, Cook said, he noticed Haq’s white Mazda pickup headed north on Third Avenue at 3:37 p.m. — a rush-hour time when the busy downtown street is mainly limited to bus traffic. He flipped on his lights and chirped his siren. Haq pulled over.
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Fresno Student Shot, Killed by Police Officer After Bat Attack
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 04:35 PM CDT
A 17-year-old high school sophomore was shot and killed Wednesday by a police officer on campus.
The officer, identified as Tom Perry, fired after the student at Roosevelt High School allegedly hit the officer with a baseball bat, police said.
Perry walked out of an office and was struck with a baseball bat, falling backwards and then to the ground. While trying to draw his weapon, the gun fell to the ground.
He grabbed his second weapon from his ankle holster and fired at least once at the approaching student who was still holding the bat.
The incident occurred just before 12 p.m. Officers arriving at the scene attempted CPR on the student.
An 18-year-old student said her mother, who is a resource teacher at the school, saw everything.
“She was walking her students back to class when she saw a boy push the officer and the officer shot the boy and the boy died at the scene,” Gardy Zuniga told the Fresno Bee, adding the student had been in trouble recently and was allegedly armed with a gun.
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Risk of Nuclear Attack on Rise
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 03:52 PM CDT
Concerned that not enough attention is being paid to the risk of a nuclear attack, a Senate committee yesterday looked at the consequences of such a terrorist strike in Washington — and said that more could be done to save lives.
A hearing, called by the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, featured charts showing the horrific effects of a small nuclear device detonating near the White House. It was the panel’s third session in recent months on the threat of a nuclear explosion.
“The scenarios we discuss today are so hard for us to contemplate and so emotionally traumatic that it is tempting to push them aside,” said Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), the panel’s chairman. “However, now is the time to have this difficult conversation, to ask the tough questions, then to get answers.”
Source - Washingtonpost.com
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Police Search for Man Who Fired Shot At Scottsdale Arizona School
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 03:44 PM CDT
Scottsdale police are looking for a man who allegedly fired one gunshot on the grounds of Cocopah Middle School Wednesday morning.
The campus went into lockdown for about 90 minutes as officers searched for the gunman, but has since returned to a normal schedule.
No students were injured in the shooting.
Witnesses tell Scottsdale police they saw the suspect in the bus lane pull out a handgun and fire the shot.
The search for that person continues in the area.
Early reports indicate the suspect may be in their mid to late 30s, wearing a red baseball cap, a dark colored shirt, and blue jeans.
Source
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Mistrial in Florida Liberty City Seven Terror Trial
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 03:41 PM CDT
A US federal judge on Wednesday declared a mistrial in case of six Florida men charged with plotting to blow up buildings with help from the Al-Qaeda terror network.
Prosecutors had asked for stiff prison sentences for the defendants known as the “Liberty City Seven” — named after the poor, predominantly African-American Miami neighborhood where they live — who were arrested in June 2006.
The group’s first trial ended in December 2007 in a hung jury. At that time one of the accused was released.
Alicia Valle, a spokeswoman at US attorney’s office in Miami, said Wednesday that prosecutors will announce their next legal move on April 23.
Federal Judge Joan Leonard ruled that, after two weeks of deliberations, enough time had gone by for the jury to reach a verdict. Since no decision was taken, she ruled a mistrial.
The six men had been accused of conspiring to provide assistance to Al-Qaeda, to carry out acts of terror and to bring down the US government. They allegedly planned to blow up the 108-story Sears Tower in Chicago and the FBI offices in Miami, and shoot any survivors.
Prosecutors admitted the terrorist plot was in its infancy, but insisted that the group, and especially its leader, Narseal Batiste, were serious about the attacks.
The 12 jurors were shown secretly-taped video footage of the defendants pledging an oath to Al-Qaeda in the presence of an undercover FBI informant posing as a member of the terrorist network.
Source
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Man At Center of Las Vegas Ricin Case Arrested, Charged
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 03:39 PM CDT
An unemployed graphic designer who authorities believe was nearly killed by ricin was arrested Wednesday on federal charges of possessing the deadly toxin in what he described as an “exotic idea,” never carried out, to poison unspecified enemies.
Roger Bergendorff was arrested upon his release from the hospital where he had been treated since Feb. 14.
He is charged with possession of a biological toxin and two weapons offenses stemming from materials authorities said were found Feb. 26 and Feb. 28 in his room at an extended-stay motel several blocks off the Las Vegas Strip.
“He was released from the hospital and he’s in custody,” said FBI Special Agent Joseph Dickey, spokesman for the bureau’s Las Vegas office.
The charges carry a possible penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a $750,000 fine. Bergendorff, 57, was scheduled to appear Wednesday afternoon before a federal judge in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas.
Source
Additional From National Terror Alert
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Associated Press Photographer Bilal Hussein Released
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 02:59 PM CDT
Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein embraced sobbing relatives and thanked colleagues after being released Wednesday from more than two years in U.S. military custody. Hussein, 36, was freed at a checkpoint in Baghdad, where he was taken by the military aboard a prisoner bus. He left U.S. custody wearing a traditional Iraqi robe and appeared in good health.
The U.S. military had accused Hussein of links to insurgents, but did not file specific charges. In December, military authorities brought Hussein’s case into the Iraqi court system for possible trial. But an Iraqi judicial panel this month dismissed all proceedings against Hussein and ordered his release. A U.S. military statement on Monday said Hussein is no longer considered a threat.
Source
Charles at LGF points out…
The Associated Press story about the release of photographer Bilal Hussein, strangely, does not explain that Hussein was released because of a new Iraqi amnesty law—not because the charges were found to be without merit: AP photographer freed by US military after 2 years.
Source
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Al Qaeda´s Threat To Peace
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 02:46 PM CDT
There is no doubt that peace-loving population in the entire world was once against horrified to know that second-ranking leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, called for new strikes against Jewish and American interests in a new radio address.
Notorious Zawahiti said, “Muslims, today is your day. Strike the interests of the Jews, the Americans, and all of those who participated in the attack on the Muslims.”
Zawahiri´s threat was circulated as audio speech issued by al-Qaeda’s As-Sahab information network on Sunday.
Zawahiri urged the faithful to “monitor the targets, collect the money, bring the equipment, plan accurately, and then — while depending on Allah - storm, seeking martyrdom and paradise.”
Source
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Posted: 17 Apr 2008 02:27 AM CDT
A bomb has exploded outside an office of the ruling Socialist party in Spain, lightly wounding seven police officers.
Police said the blast, in the northern Basque city of Bilbao, happened at 0600 (0400 GMT), after a telephone warning.
The separatist group Eta has been blamed for the attack, which seriously damaged the building.
The explosion came a day after parliament was inaugurated in Madrid, following elections won by Socialist PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
Developing…
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LAX Launches Trial of Full Body Imaging Scanner
Posted: 17 Apr 2008 02:10 AM CDT
Travelers passing through Los Angeles International Airport may be left feeling a little more exposed beginning today.
A body-scanning machine capable of peeking underneath the clothing of airline passengers will be unveiled at LAX’s Terminal 5, giving security screeners another tool in searching for hidden weapons and explosives, according to Nico Melendez, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.
“LAX is one of the largest airports in the country, so this gives us a chance to test the machine’s impact on airport operations,” Melendez said. “At the same time, it gives us an opportunity to poll passengers to find out their impressions and feelings about the technology.”
Privacy issues surrounding the TSA’s Millimeter Wave Whole Body Imaging system hampered development for about five years. Although the faces of passengers are obscured and the revealing images are immediately deleted, concerns remain regarding passenger rights, according to Peter Bibring, staff attorney for the ACLU of Southern California.
Source - Read More
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South Korea Raises Bird Flu Alert, Troops On Standby
Posted: 17 Apr 2008 12:42 AM CDT
South Korea on Wednesday issued a nationwide bird flu alert, deployed troops and put firefighters on standby to try to contain the spread of the disease, officials said.
The agriculture ministry said in a statement the “orange” vigilance level was extended to the whole country after previously covering only the badly hit southwest.
The ministry said it had confirmed 20 outbreaks involving the H5 virus, of which at least six were the deadly H5N1 subtype, since the first case was reported in Gimje, 260 kilometres (162 miles) south of Seoul, in early April.
It is investigating 14 more suspected cases, including one on a farm in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometres south of Seoul.
Officials have slaughtered 2.2 million chickens and ducks in and around infected farms. These are mainly in the South and North Jeolla provinces, a hub of the poultry industry.
“As avian influenza is spreading, the military has decided to help slaughter and bury poultry in the infected areas,” a defence ministry spokesman said.
The spokesman said an initial contingent of about 200 troops was deployed in and around the Gimje area Wednesday to help cull chickens and ducks.
A separate group of about 180 soldiers had already been manning checkpoints to help control movements in infected areas.
The National Emergency Management Agency ordered local firefighters to be ready to help with disinfecting vehicles and farms or other tasks, although it said they would not take part in culls.
“We’ll do whatever we can do to prevent the bird flu outbreaks from spreading nationwide, which is now a national concern,” Kim Kook-Rae, a senior agency official, told AFP.
Authorities have yet to fully explain why the outbreaks are not abating, but said Tuesday that a poultry dealer was under investigation for breaching quarantine restrictions.
The dealer was found to have taken hundreds of ducks from an infected Gimje farm and supplied them to retailers and restaurants in other regions.
The agriculture ministry said it had located 141 restaurants or farms which had recently been visited by the dealer, and had so far slaughtered poultry at 34 of the total.
South Korea reported seven cases of H5N1 infection between November 2006 and March last year, resulting in the temporary suspension of poultry exports to Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and elsewhere.
But last June the World Organisation for Animal Health classified the country as free from the disease.
The H5N1 strain has killed more than 230 people worldwide since late 2003. No South Koreans have contracted the disease.
Source AFP
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US To Begin Collecting DNA Samples From All Federal Arrestees
Posted: 17 Apr 2008 12:31 AM CDT
The US government will begin collecting DNA samples from every person arrested under federal laws, a Department of Justice spokesman said Wednesday. Federal agencies are authorized to collect DNA samples under a 2006 amendment to the Violence Against Women Act, but previously had only collected DNA from people actually convicted of federal crimes.
About 1.2 million additional people could be added to the FBI’s Combined DNA Indexing System (CODIS) every year under the expansion, although people who are not convicted can request the destruction of their DNA samples.
Supporters of the new measures say the expanded database will help prevent crime, but civil rights groups have expressed privacy concerns. The law will soon be published in the Federal Register and will then be subject to a 30-day comment period.
Thirteen states have implemented policies similar to the new federal policy. In November 2007, The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that all convicted federal felons must provide DNA samples to a federal database available to police departments throughout the country. In 2005, the Third Circuit ruled that a convicted bank robber had to submit DNA samples to CODIS. A New Jersey state appeals court upheld a comparable state law in 2005.
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Pilgrim’s Pride - Homeland Security Takes 400 Into Custody
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 05:38 PM CDT
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. (PPC) confirmed the Department of Homeland Security took 400 employees into custody at five processing facilities across the South.
The company said it is working to “prevent or minimize” disruptions in operations at the affected sites.
“According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, these individuals have engaged in immigration-related crimes, including aggravated identity theft, in order to fraudulently obtain employment with the company,” the company said in a statement.
Pilgrim’s Pride said no civil or criminal charges have been filed against the company in any of the cases.
Officials from the Customs Enforcement division took into custody employees at plants in Batesville, Ark.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Live Oak, Fla.; Morefield, W.Va.; and Mt. Pleasant, Texas.
Pilgrim’s Pride said it had terminated all employees who were arrested and would terminate employees found to have engaged in similar misconduct.
The company said the employees taken into custody represent about 4% of the 9, 400 people employed at the facilities.
Source
More from the Dallas Morning News
Federal immigration officials, working with local law enforcement agencies, arrested more than 280 foreign nationals Wednesday at Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plants in five states, including Texas. They are suspected of committing identity theft and other crimes to get their jobs, authorities said.
The arrests were coordinated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said Carl Rusnok, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The criminal investigation involves administrative charges, as well as criminal charges, ICE officials said in a written statement.
The poultry plants were in Mount Pleasant, Texas; Live Oak, Fla.; Moorefield, West Va.; Batesville, Ark.; and Chattanooga, Tenn.
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Two Face Federal Charges For Obstructing Flow Of Ammunition To The Army
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 05:27 PM CDT
Prosecutors unsealed an indictment Tuesday charging two area men with federal sabotage for allegedly stealing tons of copper from an ammunition manufacturing plant.
Charles Dale Osborn, 45, of Odessa, Mo., and Timothy Duane Langevin, 36, of Independence, were charged in the 10-count indictment. If sentenced to the maximum on each of their respective counts, Osborn would face 245 years in federal prison and Langevin would face 35 years.
The material — described as “bullet cups” in the indictment — was to have been used to produce about 1.5 million rounds of copper-jacketed ammunition for troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, according to federal court records.
“The diversion of the bullet cups interfered with and obstructed the ability of the United States to prepare for and carry on war activities by interrupting the supply of 7.62mm rounds of ammunition to the United States Army,” the indictment alleged.
The volume of stolen material accounts for more than two weeks’ production of 7.62mm ammunition at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, from which it was stolen, prosecutors alleged.
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Officer: Suspect Calm When Stopped Prior To Terror Rampage at Seattle Jewish Center
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 04:41 PM CDT
A Seattle police officer who pulled over Naveed Haq said everything about the encounter seemed routine, leaving no hint that in less than 20 minutes, the man would walk into the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and open fire.
Officer Glen Cook told jurors Tuesday that he has since gone over that July 2006 traffic stop in his head over and over, “kind of second-guessing myself.”
“Was there something I missed?” he wonders. “Should I have seen something?”
But what may be most important for jurors in Haq’s ongoing King County Superior Court trial is the 32-year-old Tri-Cities man’s demeanor during that brief run-in with police, which happened so close in time to the deadly shooting.
His attorneys contend that he was delusional when he forced his way into the federation’s Seattle offices with two guns and a knife on that sunny Friday afternoon and shot six women, leaving one of them dead.
Prosecutors contend that he’d planned the attack and knew exactly what he was doing: Trying to make a political statement with his rant against Jews, U.S. foreign policy and the troops in Iraq.
On July 28, 2006, Cook said, he noticed Haq’s white Mazda pickup headed north on Third Avenue at 3:37 p.m. — a rush-hour time when the busy downtown street is mainly limited to bus traffic. He flipped on his lights and chirped his siren. Haq pulled over.
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Fresno Student Shot, Killed by Police Officer After Bat Attack
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 04:35 PM CDT
A 17-year-old high school sophomore was shot and killed Wednesday by a police officer on campus.
The officer, identified as Tom Perry, fired after the student at Roosevelt High School allegedly hit the officer with a baseball bat, police said.
Perry walked out of an office and was struck with a baseball bat, falling backwards and then to the ground. While trying to draw his weapon, the gun fell to the ground.
He grabbed his second weapon from his ankle holster and fired at least once at the approaching student who was still holding the bat.
The incident occurred just before 12 p.m. Officers arriving at the scene attempted CPR on the student.
An 18-year-old student said her mother, who is a resource teacher at the school, saw everything.
“She was walking her students back to class when she saw a boy push the officer and the officer shot the boy and the boy died at the scene,” Gardy Zuniga told the Fresno Bee, adding the student had been in trouble recently and was allegedly armed with a gun.
Source
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Risk of Nuclear Attack on Rise
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 03:52 PM CDT
Concerned that not enough attention is being paid to the risk of a nuclear attack, a Senate committee yesterday looked at the consequences of such a terrorist strike in Washington — and said that more could be done to save lives.
A hearing, called by the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, featured charts showing the horrific effects of a small nuclear device detonating near the White House. It was the panel’s third session in recent months on the threat of a nuclear explosion.
“The scenarios we discuss today are so hard for us to contemplate and so emotionally traumatic that it is tempting to push them aside,” said Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), the panel’s chairman. “However, now is the time to have this difficult conversation, to ask the tough questions, then to get answers.”
Source - Washingtonpost.com
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Police Search for Man Who Fired Shot At Scottsdale Arizona School
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 03:44 PM CDT
Scottsdale police are looking for a man who allegedly fired one gunshot on the grounds of Cocopah Middle School Wednesday morning.
The campus went into lockdown for about 90 minutes as officers searched for the gunman, but has since returned to a normal schedule.
No students were injured in the shooting.
Witnesses tell Scottsdale police they saw the suspect in the bus lane pull out a handgun and fire the shot.
The search for that person continues in the area.
Early reports indicate the suspect may be in their mid to late 30s, wearing a red baseball cap, a dark colored shirt, and blue jeans.
Source
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Mistrial in Florida Liberty City Seven Terror Trial
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 03:41 PM CDT
A US federal judge on Wednesday declared a mistrial in case of six Florida men charged with plotting to blow up buildings with help from the Al-Qaeda terror network.
Prosecutors had asked for stiff prison sentences for the defendants known as the “Liberty City Seven” — named after the poor, predominantly African-American Miami neighborhood where they live — who were arrested in June 2006.
The group’s first trial ended in December 2007 in a hung jury. At that time one of the accused was released.
Alicia Valle, a spokeswoman at US attorney’s office in Miami, said Wednesday that prosecutors will announce their next legal move on April 23.
Federal Judge Joan Leonard ruled that, after two weeks of deliberations, enough time had gone by for the jury to reach a verdict. Since no decision was taken, she ruled a mistrial.
The six men had been accused of conspiring to provide assistance to Al-Qaeda, to carry out acts of terror and to bring down the US government. They allegedly planned to blow up the 108-story Sears Tower in Chicago and the FBI offices in Miami, and shoot any survivors.
Prosecutors admitted the terrorist plot was in its infancy, but insisted that the group, and especially its leader, Narseal Batiste, were serious about the attacks.
The 12 jurors were shown secretly-taped video footage of the defendants pledging an oath to Al-Qaeda in the presence of an undercover FBI informant posing as a member of the terrorist network.
Source
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Man At Center of Las Vegas Ricin Case Arrested, Charged
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 03:39 PM CDT
An unemployed graphic designer who authorities believe was nearly killed by ricin was arrested Wednesday on federal charges of possessing the deadly toxin in what he described as an “exotic idea,” never carried out, to poison unspecified enemies.
Roger Bergendorff was arrested upon his release from the hospital where he had been treated since Feb. 14.
He is charged with possession of a biological toxin and two weapons offenses stemming from materials authorities said were found Feb. 26 and Feb. 28 in his room at an extended-stay motel several blocks off the Las Vegas Strip.
“He was released from the hospital and he’s in custody,” said FBI Special Agent Joseph Dickey, spokesman for the bureau’s Las Vegas office.
The charges carry a possible penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a $750,000 fine. Bergendorff, 57, was scheduled to appear Wednesday afternoon before a federal judge in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas.
Source
Additional From National Terror Alert
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Associated Press Photographer Bilal Hussein Released
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 02:59 PM CDT
Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein embraced sobbing relatives and thanked colleagues after being released Wednesday from more than two years in U.S. military custody. Hussein, 36, was freed at a checkpoint in Baghdad, where he was taken by the military aboard a prisoner bus. He left U.S. custody wearing a traditional Iraqi robe and appeared in good health.
The U.S. military had accused Hussein of links to insurgents, but did not file specific charges. In December, military authorities brought Hussein’s case into the Iraqi court system for possible trial. But an Iraqi judicial panel this month dismissed all proceedings against Hussein and ordered his release. A U.S. military statement on Monday said Hussein is no longer considered a threat.
Source
Charles at LGF points out…
The Associated Press story about the release of photographer Bilal Hussein, strangely, does not explain that Hussein was released because of a new Iraqi amnesty law—not because the charges were found to be without merit: AP photographer freed by US military after 2 years.
Source
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Al Qaeda´s Threat To Peace
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 02:46 PM CDT
There is no doubt that peace-loving population in the entire world was once against horrified to know that second-ranking leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, called for new strikes against Jewish and American interests in a new radio address.
Notorious Zawahiti said, “Muslims, today is your day. Strike the interests of the Jews, the Americans, and all of those who participated in the attack on the Muslims.”
Zawahiri´s threat was circulated as audio speech issued by al-Qaeda’s As-Sahab information network on Sunday.
Zawahiri urged the faithful to “monitor the targets, collect the money, bring the equipment, plan accurately, and then — while depending on Allah - storm, seeking martyrdom and paradise.”
Source
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Todays Threats
NYPD Counterterrorism Unit Ramps Up For Popes Visit To New York
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 01:06 AM CDT
As one might imagine, security is extremely tight in both Washington D.C. and New York City. With Pope Benedict XVI’s much-anticipated landing Tuesday at Maryland’s Andrews Air Force Base, the NYPD has already begun beefing up its police presence underground.
[..]
Over the course of the pontiff’s three-day visit, the NYPD will have round-the-clock coverage of high-profile MTA stops starting as soon as the pope arrives in the city. Officers will take a peek inside every train that comes through the station.
[..]
Besides watching closely what’s happening below the city streets, the NYPD will be watching closely what’s happening on the streets. Police will be using hand-held sensors to check for radiation and chemical presence under trucks and vehicles, and random spot checks will be executed at many busy city intersections.
Needless to say, the NYPD counterterrorism unit is ramping up. The mobile radiation detection unit has 360-degree capability, and will be located all over the city, watching cars as they go past “choke points.”
“It’s extremely sensitive, not sensitive to the point where we are going to inconvenience people, but we will know when something is there,” Counterterrorism Unit Inspector Brendan Sheerin said of the radiation detector. “Every day we will move this. Twice a day, in the morning and the afternoon to different locations.”
Source
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Bomb Maker Dies In House Explosion - Puyallup Washington
Posted: 15 Apr 2008 06:26 PM CDT
The Pierce County sheriff’s office says a 26-year-old man who was making a bomb died in an explosion and fire that destroyed a home in Puyallup.
A body was found in the rubble.
“We’re finding pieces 75-100 feet away,” said spokesman Ed Troyer.
Troyer said the man - a registered sex offender - had rented a room in the home from a couple.
When the couple came home at around midnight, they saw their roomate, who they say had been acting paranoid lately, with a cache of bombs and explosive materials.
The couple called 911.
“He grabbed the duffel bags and went upstairs. We got the people outside of the house,” said Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Dept. “Shortly after there was a large explosion, which engulfed the whole entire house and took off the top floor.”
“He either accidentally or intentionally set the explosion off, which took the whole top floor off of the residence and engulfed the house in flames,” Troyer said. “Our deputies were standing 75 to 100 yards away. It drenched our deputies in beauty bark and dirt.”
Investigators say the bags contained shrapnel-packed, homemade explosives.
Source -KING5
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Suspicious Truck Under Investigation In Boston
Posted: 15 Apr 2008 05:58 PM CDT
Authorities are investigating a suspicious truck that was discovered leaking.
There were no permits for the truck that listed it had anything inside it that could leak.
The truck was last in the possession of two Saudi Arabian men who are now believed to be in New York City. The truck was to be shipped to Saudi Arabia.
The truck last came from the Chuckran Junkyard in Bridgewater, where there was a four-alarm fire Tuesday night.
The truck was found filled with auto parts. It is believed the truck was involved in a stolen auto parts ring.
The Governor’s Auto Theft Task Force is investigating.
Source
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Operation Sudden Impact Leads To Several Arrests
Posted: 15 Apr 2008 11:21 AM CDT
Federal agencies raided several Memphis businesses in a coordinated effort to find information about possible terrorism ties. Law-enforcement agencies in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas participated the an anti-crime and anti-terrorism initiative that involved officers from more than 50 federal, state and local agencies.
Called “Operation Sudden Impact,” the initiative had officers from six counties rounding up fugitives, conducting traffic checkpoints and doing other crime-abatement programs from 7 a.m. Saturday through 7 a.m. Sunday.
The FBI along with hundreds of officers said they were looking for anything out of the ordinary and agents apparently seized computers and paperwork from at least some of the businesses.
While some business owners feel they are being targeted, law-enforcement officers said they are just trying to track down possible terrorists before something big happens.
“What we have found traditionally is that terrorists are involved in a number of lesser known type crimes,” said Mark Luttrell, Shelby County sheriff.
The U.S. Coast Guard in Memphis was also a part of Saturday’s round-up, checking a boat on the river.
“We look at everything, the safety of the tow boat in general. We also check out the crew members, just to make sure there is nobody hiding out on the tow boat, felons, criminals etc.,” says Lt. Timothy Martin of the U.S. Coast Guard in Memphis.
They say sharing information and building relationships is a big step in fighting back against those intent on harm.
The complete results of the operation, from all the counties won’t be in until Monday, April 14.
The Sheriff’s Department says that altogether 332 people were arrested, 142 of whom are considered fugitives. No word on how many of those arrested may actually have ties to terrorism.
All crime-related information will be forwarded to the State of Tennessee’s Homeland Security Center in Nashville to see if there are possible ties to terrorism.
ShareThis
Posted: 16 Apr 2008 01:06 AM CDT
As one might imagine, security is extremely tight in both Washington D.C. and New York City. With Pope Benedict XVI’s much-anticipated landing Tuesday at Maryland’s Andrews Air Force Base, the NYPD has already begun beefing up its police presence underground.
[..]
Over the course of the pontiff’s three-day visit, the NYPD will have round-the-clock coverage of high-profile MTA stops starting as soon as the pope arrives in the city. Officers will take a peek inside every train that comes through the station.
[..]
Besides watching closely what’s happening below the city streets, the NYPD will be watching closely what’s happening on the streets. Police will be using hand-held sensors to check for radiation and chemical presence under trucks and vehicles, and random spot checks will be executed at many busy city intersections.
Needless to say, the NYPD counterterrorism unit is ramping up. The mobile radiation detection unit has 360-degree capability, and will be located all over the city, watching cars as they go past “choke points.”
“It’s extremely sensitive, not sensitive to the point where we are going to inconvenience people, but we will know when something is there,” Counterterrorism Unit Inspector Brendan Sheerin said of the radiation detector. “Every day we will move this. Twice a day, in the morning and the afternoon to different locations.”
Source
ShareThis
Bomb Maker Dies In House Explosion - Puyallup Washington
Posted: 15 Apr 2008 06:26 PM CDT
The Pierce County sheriff’s office says a 26-year-old man who was making a bomb died in an explosion and fire that destroyed a home in Puyallup.
A body was found in the rubble.
“We’re finding pieces 75-100 feet away,” said spokesman Ed Troyer.
Troyer said the man - a registered sex offender - had rented a room in the home from a couple.
When the couple came home at around midnight, they saw their roomate, who they say had been acting paranoid lately, with a cache of bombs and explosive materials.
The couple called 911.
“He grabbed the duffel bags and went upstairs. We got the people outside of the house,” said Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Dept. “Shortly after there was a large explosion, which engulfed the whole entire house and took off the top floor.”
“He either accidentally or intentionally set the explosion off, which took the whole top floor off of the residence and engulfed the house in flames,” Troyer said. “Our deputies were standing 75 to 100 yards away. It drenched our deputies in beauty bark and dirt.”
Investigators say the bags contained shrapnel-packed, homemade explosives.
Source -KING5
ShareThis
Suspicious Truck Under Investigation In Boston
Posted: 15 Apr 2008 05:58 PM CDT
Authorities are investigating a suspicious truck that was discovered leaking.
There were no permits for the truck that listed it had anything inside it that could leak.
The truck was last in the possession of two Saudi Arabian men who are now believed to be in New York City. The truck was to be shipped to Saudi Arabia.
The truck last came from the Chuckran Junkyard in Bridgewater, where there was a four-alarm fire Tuesday night.
The truck was found filled with auto parts. It is believed the truck was involved in a stolen auto parts ring.
The Governor’s Auto Theft Task Force is investigating.
Source
ShareThis
Operation Sudden Impact Leads To Several Arrests
Posted: 15 Apr 2008 11:21 AM CDT
Federal agencies raided several Memphis businesses in a coordinated effort to find information about possible terrorism ties. Law-enforcement agencies in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas participated the an anti-crime and anti-terrorism initiative that involved officers from more than 50 federal, state and local agencies.
Called “Operation Sudden Impact,” the initiative had officers from six counties rounding up fugitives, conducting traffic checkpoints and doing other crime-abatement programs from 7 a.m. Saturday through 7 a.m. Sunday.
The FBI along with hundreds of officers said they were looking for anything out of the ordinary and agents apparently seized computers and paperwork from at least some of the businesses.
While some business owners feel they are being targeted, law-enforcement officers said they are just trying to track down possible terrorists before something big happens.
“What we have found traditionally is that terrorists are involved in a number of lesser known type crimes,” said Mark Luttrell, Shelby County sheriff.
The U.S. Coast Guard in Memphis was also a part of Saturday’s round-up, checking a boat on the river.
“We look at everything, the safety of the tow boat in general. We also check out the crew members, just to make sure there is nobody hiding out on the tow boat, felons, criminals etc.,” says Lt. Timothy Martin of the U.S. Coast Guard in Memphis.
They say sharing information and building relationships is a big step in fighting back against those intent on harm.
The complete results of the operation, from all the counties won’t be in until Monday, April 14.
The Sheriff’s Department says that altogether 332 people were arrested, 142 of whom are considered fugitives. No word on how many of those arrested may actually have ties to terrorism.
All crime-related information will be forwarded to the State of Tennessee’s Homeland Security Center in Nashville to see if there are possible ties to terrorism.
ShareThis
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
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Schools in the News Again
4 Local Schools Close Due To Threats At St. Xavier - Threats Refer To Possible Campus Attacks on 4/14
Posted: 14 Apr 2008 08:35 AM CDT
Chicago - Saint Xavier University and four other nearby schools will be closed Monday. Graffiti found in a dorm on the St. Xavier campus threatened a deadly attack Monday.
Each of the schools’ websites informs students and parents about today’s school closings. Some say it’s because of their proximity to St. Xavier, some say they are closing in solidarity with the college campus.
The schools closed Monday are Mother McAuley High School, Brother Rice High School, Queen of Martyrs Elementary School and Evergreen Park Southwest Elementary. Altogether, more than 6,200 students are enrolled at those four schools.
Mother McAuley and Brother Rice high schools share a property line on the western edge of St. Xavier’s Chicago campus. Queen of Martyrs is just east of St. Xavier and Evergreen Park Southwest is also nearby.
The Brother Rice and McAuley websites indicate that all athletic practices, home activities and events are cancelled as well and that everything will resume as scheduled on Tuesday.
The closings follow Friday’s shutdown of both campuses of St Xavier. All students were asked to leave the Chicago and Orland Park campuses by noon Saturday. Non-essential staff also are not allowed on campus.
Campus employees found two threatening messages in Regina Hall, a freshman dormitory. The second one caused university officials to take extreme precautions because it warned “Be prepared to die on 4/14.”
St. Xavier University President Dwyer said, “This is a real enough threat we do not have these types of threats and when it was so specific to name a date, law enforcement said this is different from what we’ve seen at other college campuses and certainly at St. Xavier.”
The president has not decided when to re-open the college. She said students and staff will be notified by e-mail, text messages and telephone.
Meantime, another university in Michigan is also closed Monday due to threats of violence specific to Monday’s date.
Threatening graffiti found in three men’s restrooms led Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., to cancel campus classes, sports and cultural activities for two days.
The school said it sent out a security alert Saturday after finding one threatening message, and officials said they found similar messages in men’s restrooms in two other buildings later that day.
The school didn’t reveal contents of the threats. But university Police Chief Sam Lucido told the Detroit Free Press that they referred to possible campus attacks on “4/14.”
That is the same date noted in the threatening graffiti found at St. Xavier.
Lucido spoke Sunday with the head of security at St. Xavier, Oakland spokesman Ted Montgomery told The Associated Press.
“I don’t think as of yet they’ve established any connection that seems reliable,” he said.
Lucido told the Free Press that the Oakland University threats didn’t target anyone specific, and that authorities believe the same person left all three threats.
Source
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
4 Local Schools Close Due To Threats At St. Xavier - Threats Refer To Possible Campus Attacks on 4/14
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Posted: 14 Apr 2008 08:35 AM CDT
Chicago - Saint Xavier University and four other nearby schools will be closed Monday. Graffiti found in a dorm on the St. Xavier campus threatened a deadly attack Monday.
Each of the schools’ websites informs students and parents about today’s school closings. Some say it’s because of their proximity to St. Xavier, some say they are closing in solidarity with the college campus.
The schools closed Monday are Mother McAuley High School, Brother Rice High School, Queen of Martyrs Elementary School and Evergreen Park Southwest Elementary. Altogether, more than 6,200 students are enrolled at those four schools.
Mother McAuley and Brother Rice high schools share a property line on the western edge of St. Xavier’s Chicago campus. Queen of Martyrs is just east of St. Xavier and Evergreen Park Southwest is also nearby.
The Brother Rice and McAuley websites indicate that all athletic practices, home activities and events are cancelled as well and that everything will resume as scheduled on Tuesday.
The closings follow Friday’s shutdown of both campuses of St Xavier. All students were asked to leave the Chicago and Orland Park campuses by noon Saturday. Non-essential staff also are not allowed on campus.
Campus employees found two threatening messages in Regina Hall, a freshman dormitory. The second one caused university officials to take extreme precautions because it warned “Be prepared to die on 4/14.”
St. Xavier University President Dwyer said, “This is a real enough threat we do not have these types of threats and when it was so specific to name a date, law enforcement said this is different from what we’ve seen at other college campuses and certainly at St. Xavier.”
The president has not decided when to re-open the college. She said students and staff will be notified by e-mail, text messages and telephone.
Meantime, another university in Michigan is also closed Monday due to threats of violence specific to Monday’s date.
Threatening graffiti found in three men’s restrooms led Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., to cancel campus classes, sports and cultural activities for two days.
The school said it sent out a security alert Saturday after finding one threatening message, and officials said they found similar messages in men’s restrooms in two other buildings later that day.
The school didn’t reveal contents of the threats. But university Police Chief Sam Lucido told the Detroit Free Press that they referred to possible campus attacks on “4/14.”
That is the same date noted in the threatening graffiti found at St. Xavier.
Lucido spoke Sunday with the head of security at St. Xavier, Oakland spokesman Ted Montgomery told The Associated Press.
“I don’t think as of yet they’ve established any connection that seems reliable,” he said.
Lucido told the Free Press that the Oakland University threats didn’t target anyone specific, and that authorities believe the same person left all three threats.
Source
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
4 Local Schools Close Due To Threats At St. Xavier - Threats Refer To Possible Campus Attacks on 4/14
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
Todays Threats Exposed
Michael Chertoff: Cyber Terror Threat On Par With 9/11
Posted: 10 Apr 2008 02:01 AM CDT
Michael Chertoff, the Homeland Security Secretary, said that computer-based attacks had the ability to cripple financial institutions and government networks and that the threat posed by cyber-crime is “on a par” with the attacks of September 11, 2001.
“We take threats to the cyber world as seriously as we take threats to the material world,” Mr Chertoff told a gathering of security industry experts in San Francisco. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Michael Chertoff: Cyber Terror Threat On Par With 9/11
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New Weapon In War On Terror - Hand-held Lie Detector
Posted: 10 Apr 2008 01:34 AM CDT
The Pentagon will issue hand-held lie detectors this month to U.S. Army soldiers in Afghanistan, pushing to the battlefront a century-old debate over the accuracy of the polygraph. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
New Weapon In War On Terror - Hand-held Lie Detector
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Philippine Police Seize Bomb Materials During Terror Hunt
Posted: 10 Apr 2008 01:12 AM CDT
Manila: Police have found hundreds of bomb parts during a search for a suspected Al Qaida-linked terrorist in Laguna, an official said on Wednesday.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno said suspected Filipino terrorist Khalid Pagayao was the target of the manhunt. (more…)
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Philippine Police Seize Bomb Materials During Terror Hunt
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Al Qaeda Chief Abu Ubaida al Masri Dead
Posted: 10 Apr 2008 01:07 AM CDT
Abu Ubaida al Masri, a suspected mastermind of Al Qaeda plots including the London transportation bombings of 2005, has died of an infectious disease in Pakistan, Western anti-terrorism officials said Wednesday.
The Egyptian militant is thought to have died of hepatitis C, a U.S. anti-terrorism official said. Masri was the powerful, if little-known, chief of the terrorist network’s external operations who allegedly trained recruits in hide-outs in Pakistan and dispatched them to carry out attacks against the West, according to Western investigators.
As The Times reported last week, anti-terrorism officials in at least three countries had come to believe that Masri had died in recent months, but investigators did not have confirmation and noted that Al Qaeda had not paid tribute to Masri with eulogies on the Internet as it has with other fallen leaders.
Recently, however, anti-terrorism investigators detected conversations among Al Qaeda militants revealing that Masri had died of hepatitis C, the U.S. official said. Death by illness would explain the lack of eulogies, which are generally reserved for extremists who die violently as “martyrs,” officials said.
“The bad guys have been talking about it among themselves,” said the U.S. anti-terrorism official, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitive information. “I would say it happened during the last three months. If it had been an airstrike they would have said it. But Abu Ubaida al Masri wasn’t well known enough or high-ranking enough to warrant automatic obituaries unless he died [as a ‘martyr’].”
Source- Los Angeles Times
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Al Qaeda Chief Abu Ubaida al Masri Dead
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HazMat Identifies Chemical Found In Water Treatment Discharge Pipe
Posted: 09 Apr 2008 07:48 AM CDT
Emergency personnel from Fayette County HazMat identified a substance found Monday in a pipe at the Kalp discharge site located off Route 711 as ammonium chloride.
Krissy Kasserman, Youghiogheny Riverkeeper for the Mountain Watershed Association (MWA), said HazMat is conducting a more detailed lab analysis to determine if any other chemicals were included in the compound initially found on top the manhole covering the pipe by officials from the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR) and National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).
According to Kasserman, the substance was found to cause respiratory tract and eye irritation and is typically used in welding.
Kasserman added ammonium chloride could be purchased at local hardware stores.
Beverly Braverman, Mountain Watershed Association (MWA) executive director, said BAMR and NCRS were going to clean the pipe as part of a routine maintenance when they discovered the substance.
Braverman added the substance was brought to the site.
“Someone tired to sabotage the system,” said Braverman who was at the site Friday, but didn’t notice anything suspicious.
Braverman said she immediately called Fayette Emergency Management and state police upon the discovery.
Kasserman said the filters were shut down at the site so that Stoy Excavating of Somerset could use a boring device to remove the blockage from the pipe.
The site is part of the Anna and Steve Gdosky Indian Creek Restoration project that involves the remediation of nine miles of the Indian Creek Watershed.
The MWA dedicated the $4 million project in December that earmarked the treatment of the single largest abandoned mine discharge in Indian Creek.
Braverman said BAMR and NRCS officials said the substance first looked like silicone while the containers it was in could be seen in the pipe.
While HAZMAT took the substance back to the lab to identify it, Braverman said BAMR and NRCS officials were looking for a way to shut down the system.
“Maybe they think they were just hurting us (MWA), but the potential of endangering life and limb for this community are huge,” said Braverman of the person or persons who committed the act.
If the substance had not been detected as early as it was, Braverman said it could have potentially backed up the discharge from the treatment site and filled up the mine pool.
Rich Beam of BAMR, said the discharge serves as a vertical flow wetlands system where the retention pond is used to remove metals such as iron and aluminum from the acid mine water.
Additionally, Beam said the system is designed to handle a maximum flow of about 350 gallons per minute.
Braverman said officials are still determining the extent of the damage since the Youghiogheny River serves as a tributary to the Indian Creek Watershed.
Source The Herald Standard
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
HazMat Identifies Chemical Found In Water Treatment Discharge Pipe
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Posted: 10 Apr 2008 02:01 AM CDT
Michael Chertoff, the Homeland Security Secretary, said that computer-based attacks had the ability to cripple financial institutions and government networks and that the threat posed by cyber-crime is “on a par” with the attacks of September 11, 2001.
“We take threats to the cyber world as seriously as we take threats to the material world,” Mr Chertoff told a gathering of security industry experts in San Francisco. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Michael Chertoff: Cyber Terror Threat On Par With 9/11
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New Weapon In War On Terror - Hand-held Lie Detector
Posted: 10 Apr 2008 01:34 AM CDT
The Pentagon will issue hand-held lie detectors this month to U.S. Army soldiers in Afghanistan, pushing to the battlefront a century-old debate over the accuracy of the polygraph. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
New Weapon In War On Terror - Hand-held Lie Detector
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Philippine Police Seize Bomb Materials During Terror Hunt
Posted: 10 Apr 2008 01:12 AM CDT
Manila: Police have found hundreds of bomb parts during a search for a suspected Al Qaida-linked terrorist in Laguna, an official said on Wednesday.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno said suspected Filipino terrorist Khalid Pagayao was the target of the manhunt. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Philippine Police Seize Bomb Materials During Terror Hunt
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Al Qaeda Chief Abu Ubaida al Masri Dead
Posted: 10 Apr 2008 01:07 AM CDT
Abu Ubaida al Masri, a suspected mastermind of Al Qaeda plots including the London transportation bombings of 2005, has died of an infectious disease in Pakistan, Western anti-terrorism officials said Wednesday.
The Egyptian militant is thought to have died of hepatitis C, a U.S. anti-terrorism official said. Masri was the powerful, if little-known, chief of the terrorist network’s external operations who allegedly trained recruits in hide-outs in Pakistan and dispatched them to carry out attacks against the West, according to Western investigators.
As The Times reported last week, anti-terrorism officials in at least three countries had come to believe that Masri had died in recent months, but investigators did not have confirmation and noted that Al Qaeda had not paid tribute to Masri with eulogies on the Internet as it has with other fallen leaders.
Recently, however, anti-terrorism investigators detected conversations among Al Qaeda militants revealing that Masri had died of hepatitis C, the U.S. official said. Death by illness would explain the lack of eulogies, which are generally reserved for extremists who die violently as “martyrs,” officials said.
“The bad guys have been talking about it among themselves,” said the U.S. anti-terrorism official, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitive information. “I would say it happened during the last three months. If it had been an airstrike they would have said it. But Abu Ubaida al Masri wasn’t well known enough or high-ranking enough to warrant automatic obituaries unless he died [as a ‘martyr’].”
Source- Los Angeles Times
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Al Qaeda Chief Abu Ubaida al Masri Dead
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HazMat Identifies Chemical Found In Water Treatment Discharge Pipe
Posted: 09 Apr 2008 07:48 AM CDT
Emergency personnel from Fayette County HazMat identified a substance found Monday in a pipe at the Kalp discharge site located off Route 711 as ammonium chloride.
Krissy Kasserman, Youghiogheny Riverkeeper for the Mountain Watershed Association (MWA), said HazMat is conducting a more detailed lab analysis to determine if any other chemicals were included in the compound initially found on top the manhole covering the pipe by officials from the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR) and National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).
According to Kasserman, the substance was found to cause respiratory tract and eye irritation and is typically used in welding.
Kasserman added ammonium chloride could be purchased at local hardware stores.
Beverly Braverman, Mountain Watershed Association (MWA) executive director, said BAMR and NCRS were going to clean the pipe as part of a routine maintenance when they discovered the substance.
Braverman added the substance was brought to the site.
“Someone tired to sabotage the system,” said Braverman who was at the site Friday, but didn’t notice anything suspicious.
Braverman said she immediately called Fayette Emergency Management and state police upon the discovery.
Kasserman said the filters were shut down at the site so that Stoy Excavating of Somerset could use a boring device to remove the blockage from the pipe.
The site is part of the Anna and Steve Gdosky Indian Creek Restoration project that involves the remediation of nine miles of the Indian Creek Watershed.
The MWA dedicated the $4 million project in December that earmarked the treatment of the single largest abandoned mine discharge in Indian Creek.
Braverman said BAMR and NRCS officials said the substance first looked like silicone while the containers it was in could be seen in the pipe.
While HAZMAT took the substance back to the lab to identify it, Braverman said BAMR and NRCS officials were looking for a way to shut down the system.
“Maybe they think they were just hurting us (MWA), but the potential of endangering life and limb for this community are huge,” said Braverman of the person or persons who committed the act.
If the substance had not been detected as early as it was, Braverman said it could have potentially backed up the discharge from the treatment site and filled up the mine pool.
Rich Beam of BAMR, said the discharge serves as a vertical flow wetlands system where the retention pond is used to remove metals such as iron and aluminum from the acid mine water.
Additionally, Beam said the system is designed to handle a maximum flow of about 350 gallons per minute.
Braverman said officials are still determining the extent of the damage since the Youghiogheny River serves as a tributary to the Indian Creek Watershed.
Source The Herald Standard
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
HazMat Identifies Chemical Found In Water Treatment Discharge Pipe
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Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Bombs, Guns, Precursors Found
Bomb squad finds explosive device, weapons in Newton home
By Kerri Roche/Daily News Tribune
Tue Apr 08, 2008, 06:36 PM EDT
Newton - A Newton homeowner is facing a slew of charges after the State Police Bomb Squad evacuated his neighborhood Monday evening when an explosive device, various weapons and a cabinet full of chemicals were found in his home.
Stephen Wong, 56, of 21 Talbot St., was arrested after he turned over an inventory of weapons to police just before 6 p.m., said Lt. Bruce Apotheker.
When police arrived, Wong directed them to a bedroom on the second floor of his home and allowed officers to remove two unsecured loaded guns from a closet.
Officers also found several dangerous weapons in plain view inside the closet, including knives, throwing stars and blowguns.
When police uncovered a device they believed was explosive the house was immediately cleared of all officers and the state’s Bomb Squad was called. The neighborhood was evacuated and cordoned off, police said.
According to reports, Newton Police were at the house earlier in the day for a related but non-criminal incident.
Apotheker declined to provide any further information about the earlier incident.
Wong was arrested once the area was secured and charged with possession of a firearm without a firearm identification card, possession of a firearm silencer, possession of an infernal machine, unlawful possession of fireworks, improper possession of ammunition and a weapon storage security violation.
An infernal machine, said Apotheker, includes any device used to cause damage by fire or explosion.
“This is a very serious offense,” said Apotheker.
Apotheker said additional charges could be forthcoming after the state’s Haz-Mat team returned to the residence yesterday morning and found a make-shift science lab inside a gun cabinet.
“The observed various glass and plastic containers with various labels on them,” said Apotheker,
Mercury, sulfur flour, nickel chloride, potassium chloride and calcium chloride were among other chemicals recovered by the Haz-Mat team, said Apotheker.
Also, eight devices that spray harmful gases and are used to kill rodents were recovered, he said.
Apotheker did not have any information as to what happens when the chemicals or devices are mixed.
Wong was likely arraigned in Newton District Court yesterday morning, but as of press time, that information could not be confirmed.
Kerri Roche can be reached at kroche@cnc.com or 781-398-8009.
By Kerri Roche/Daily News Tribune
Tue Apr 08, 2008, 06:36 PM EDT
Newton - A Newton homeowner is facing a slew of charges after the State Police Bomb Squad evacuated his neighborhood Monday evening when an explosive device, various weapons and a cabinet full of chemicals were found in his home.
Stephen Wong, 56, of 21 Talbot St., was arrested after he turned over an inventory of weapons to police just before 6 p.m., said Lt. Bruce Apotheker.
When police arrived, Wong directed them to a bedroom on the second floor of his home and allowed officers to remove two unsecured loaded guns from a closet.
Officers also found several dangerous weapons in plain view inside the closet, including knives, throwing stars and blowguns.
When police uncovered a device they believed was explosive the house was immediately cleared of all officers and the state’s Bomb Squad was called. The neighborhood was evacuated and cordoned off, police said.
According to reports, Newton Police were at the house earlier in the day for a related but non-criminal incident.
Apotheker declined to provide any further information about the earlier incident.
Wong was arrested once the area was secured and charged with possession of a firearm without a firearm identification card, possession of a firearm silencer, possession of an infernal machine, unlawful possession of fireworks, improper possession of ammunition and a weapon storage security violation.
An infernal machine, said Apotheker, includes any device used to cause damage by fire or explosion.
“This is a very serious offense,” said Apotheker.
Apotheker said additional charges could be forthcoming after the state’s Haz-Mat team returned to the residence yesterday morning and found a make-shift science lab inside a gun cabinet.
“The observed various glass and plastic containers with various labels on them,” said Apotheker,
Mercury, sulfur flour, nickel chloride, potassium chloride and calcium chloride were among other chemicals recovered by the Haz-Mat team, said Apotheker.
Also, eight devices that spray harmful gases and are used to kill rodents were recovered, he said.
Apotheker did not have any information as to what happens when the chemicals or devices are mixed.
Wong was likely arraigned in Newton District Court yesterday morning, but as of press time, that information could not be confirmed.
Kerri Roche can be reached at kroche@cnc.com or 781-398-8009.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Advice
The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in
defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more
important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is
supplemental.
As John Steinbeck once said:
1. Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight,
he'll just kill you.
2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
3. I carry a gun cause a cop is too heavy.
4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.
5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The
reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked
him "Why do you carry a 45?" The Ranger responded, "Because they don't make
a 46."
6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.
7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady
commented on his wearing his sidearm. "Sheriff, I see you have your pistol.
Are you expecting trouble?" "No Ma'am. If I were expecting trouble, I would
have brought my rifle."
8. Beware the man who only has one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE
IT!!!
But wait, there's more!
I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I
said I did. She said "Well I certainly hope it isn't loaded!" To which I
said, of course it is loaded, can't work without bullets!" She then asked,
"Are you that afraid of some one evil coming into your house?" My reply was,
"No not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I
have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too." To which I'll
add, having a gun in the house that isn't loaded is like having a car in the
garage without gas in the tank.
I'm a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment!
defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more
important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is
supplemental.
As John Steinbeck once said:
1. Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight,
he'll just kill you.
2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
3. I carry a gun cause a cop is too heavy.
4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.
5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The
reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked
him "Why do you carry a 45?" The Ranger responded, "Because they don't make
a 46."
6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.
7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady
commented on his wearing his sidearm. "Sheriff, I see you have your pistol.
Are you expecting trouble?" "No Ma'am. If I were expecting trouble, I would
have brought my rifle."
8. Beware the man who only has one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE
IT!!!
But wait, there's more!
I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I
said I did. She said "Well I certainly hope it isn't loaded!" To which I
said, of course it is loaded, can't work without bullets!" She then asked,
"Are you that afraid of some one evil coming into your house?" My reply was,
"No not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I
have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too." To which I'll
add, having a gun in the house that isn't loaded is like having a car in the
garage without gas in the tank.
I'm a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Todays threats
Man, 21, Talks Way Onto Middle School Bus, Claims To Have Chemical Bomb
Posted: 05 Apr 2008 02:04 AM CDT
Why should this story concern you? Read this previous article School Bus Terrorism - A Practical Analysis
Jupiter Florida - A 21-year-old Tequesta man rode a bus with more than 50 Jupiter Middle School students Wednesday, all the while boasting to the children that he was carrying a switchblade knife and a chemical bomb, according to school officials and parents. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Man, 21, Talks Way Onto Middle School Bus, Claims To Have Chemical Bomb
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British Terror Suspects Videos Promised Body Parts Decorating The Streets
Posted: 05 Apr 2008 01:49 AM CDT
The gang of British Muslims who plotted to blow up transatlantic passenger flights made chilling suicide videos in which they promised to leave body parts “decorating the streets”, a court has heard.
Jurors were shown images of one of the alleged plotters as he prepared for his “martyrdom” - telling of his desire for Americans, Britons and Jews to die in “hellfire” in revenge for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
British Terror Suspects Videos Promised Body Parts Decorating The Streets
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Al Qaeda’s Rising Leader - Abu Yahya al-Libi
Posted: 05 Apr 2008 01:40 AM CDT
On the night of July 10, 2005, an obscure militant preacher named Abu Yahya al-Libi escaped from an American prison in Afghanistan and rocketed to fame in the world of jihadists. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Al Qaeda’s Rising Leader - Abu Yahya al-Libi
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Friday, April 4, 2008
Threats
British Muslims Planned To Kill Thousands By Bringing Down 7 Planes With Liquid Bombs
Posted: 04 Apr 2008 03:15 AM CDT
A gang of British Muslims planned to blow up seven planes within hours in the biggest terrorist atrocity since 9/11, a court heard yesterday.
Two thousand passengers would have died in the plot by eight fanatics working “in the name of Islam”, the jury was told. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
British Muslims Planned To Kill Thousands By Bringing Down 7 Planes With Liquid Bombs
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Shin Bet Fears Terror Attack on Israeli Plane
Posted: 04 Apr 2008 02:54 AM CDT
The security measures on aircraft belonging to Israeli airlines and around them during takeoffs and arrivals abroad have been significantly boosted over the past few days for fear that Hizbullah would act on its promise to avenge the February assassination of its top commander Imad Mugniyah.
The number of armed security guards on some of the flights to several destinations has been increased, as was the number of guards surrounding the plane after the landing and before the takeoff. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Shin Bet Fears Terror Attack on Israeli Plane
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Florida Man With Weapons Cache Threatened Virginia Tech-Style Massacre
Posted: 04 Apr 2008 02:48 AM CDT
A 20-year-old with a weapons cache that included four AK-47s was arrested after threatening over the Internet to undertake a Virginia Tech-style massacre, authorities said Thursday.
Oregon authorities learned of a March 25 Internet message allegedly posted by Calin Chi Wong in which he threatened to re-enact the Virginia Tech killings. (more…)
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Florida Man With Weapons Cache Threatened Virginia Tech-Style Massacre
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Utah Man Indicted In Connection With Las Vegas Ricin Scare
Posted: 04 Apr 2008 02:37 AM CDT
The Utah man claiming he discovered the deadly biological agent ricin in his cousin’s Las Vegas hotel room is now accused of a dangerous cover-up.
A grand jury says Thomas Tholen knew that ricin was being made but didn’t tell police.
On February 29th, officers converged on his Riverton home asking neighbors to evacuate while haz-mat teams went in.
They were looking the toxic powder made from tiny castor beans.
An amount the size of a pinhead can be deadly.
In fact, Tholen’s cousin was critically ill with symptoms typical of ricin exposure.
Tholen gave a few vials of the white powder to a front desk worker at a Las Vegas hotel when he went to check on his critically ill cousin.
Now, federal prosecutors claim Tholen put the public at risk.
U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman says, “This type of substance in the hands of those individuals that intend to use it poses a clear, present and lethal danger to the community.”
There are few uses for ricin. It can be used in medical research. But Thomas Tholen is a retired East High art teacher.
FBI Special Agent-in-Charge, Timothy Fuhrman says, “You have individuals who are potential lone wolves.”
The FBI poses the question, “Were he and his cousin involved in some criminal plot?”
Fuhrman says, “We still don’t have any indication that this was planned as an act of terror, but we cannot say for certain that it was not planned as an act of terror.”
Source
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Utah Man Indicted In Connection With Las Vegas Ricin Scare
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Suspicious Package Discovered On New York Thruway
Posted: 04 Apr 2008 02:30 AM CDT
A section of the Thruway was closed for two hours because of a suspicious package. It happened around 2 p.m. Thursday at the Weedsport exit in Cayuga County.
State Police said a maintenance worker found explosive material near the exit. Hazardous material crews were able to remove the explosive and no one was injured.
No word how the device got there.
Source
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Suspicious Package Discovered On New York Thruway
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Posted: 04 Apr 2008 03:15 AM CDT
A gang of British Muslims planned to blow up seven planes within hours in the biggest terrorist atrocity since 9/11, a court heard yesterday.
Two thousand passengers would have died in the plot by eight fanatics working “in the name of Islam”, the jury was told. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
British Muslims Planned To Kill Thousands By Bringing Down 7 Planes With Liquid Bombs
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Shin Bet Fears Terror Attack on Israeli Plane
Posted: 04 Apr 2008 02:54 AM CDT
The security measures on aircraft belonging to Israeli airlines and around them during takeoffs and arrivals abroad have been significantly boosted over the past few days for fear that Hizbullah would act on its promise to avenge the February assassination of its top commander Imad Mugniyah.
The number of armed security guards on some of the flights to several destinations has been increased, as was the number of guards surrounding the plane after the landing and before the takeoff. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Shin Bet Fears Terror Attack on Israeli Plane
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Florida Man With Weapons Cache Threatened Virginia Tech-Style Massacre
Posted: 04 Apr 2008 02:48 AM CDT
A 20-year-old with a weapons cache that included four AK-47s was arrested after threatening over the Internet to undertake a Virginia Tech-style massacre, authorities said Thursday.
Oregon authorities learned of a March 25 Internet message allegedly posted by Calin Chi Wong in which he threatened to re-enact the Virginia Tech killings. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Florida Man With Weapons Cache Threatened Virginia Tech-Style Massacre
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Utah Man Indicted In Connection With Las Vegas Ricin Scare
Posted: 04 Apr 2008 02:37 AM CDT
The Utah man claiming he discovered the deadly biological agent ricin in his cousin’s Las Vegas hotel room is now accused of a dangerous cover-up.
A grand jury says Thomas Tholen knew that ricin was being made but didn’t tell police.
On February 29th, officers converged on his Riverton home asking neighbors to evacuate while haz-mat teams went in.
They were looking the toxic powder made from tiny castor beans.
An amount the size of a pinhead can be deadly.
In fact, Tholen’s cousin was critically ill with symptoms typical of ricin exposure.
Tholen gave a few vials of the white powder to a front desk worker at a Las Vegas hotel when he went to check on his critically ill cousin.
Now, federal prosecutors claim Tholen put the public at risk.
U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman says, “This type of substance in the hands of those individuals that intend to use it poses a clear, present and lethal danger to the community.”
There are few uses for ricin. It can be used in medical research. But Thomas Tholen is a retired East High art teacher.
FBI Special Agent-in-Charge, Timothy Fuhrman says, “You have individuals who are potential lone wolves.”
The FBI poses the question, “Were he and his cousin involved in some criminal plot?”
Fuhrman says, “We still don’t have any indication that this was planned as an act of terror, but we cannot say for certain that it was not planned as an act of terror.”
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Utah Man Indicted In Connection With Las Vegas Ricin Scare
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Suspicious Package Discovered On New York Thruway
Posted: 04 Apr 2008 02:30 AM CDT
A section of the Thruway was closed for two hours because of a suspicious package. It happened around 2 p.m. Thursday at the Weedsport exit in Cayuga County.
State Police said a maintenance worker found explosive material near the exit. Hazardous material crews were able to remove the explosive and no one was injured.
No word how the device got there.
Source
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Suspicious Package Discovered On New York Thruway
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justificatioon ? Don't think so!!
Al Qaeda’s No. 2 Defends Attacks
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAIRO (AP) — A speaker on an audiotape identified as Ayman al-Zawahri, the chief deputy to Osama bin Laden, has rejected criticism of attacks by Al Qaeda’s followers that have killed thousands of people, maintaining that Al Qaeda does not kill innocent people.
The comment came during a 90-minute audio response, issued Wednesday, that was described as the first installment of answers to the more than 900 questions submitted on extremist Internet sites by Al Qaeda’s supporters, critics and journalists in December.
“We haven’t killed the innocents, not in Baghdad , nor in Morocco , nor in Algeria nor anywhere else,” the speaker identified as Mr. Zawahri said, according to a transcript posted on Web sites linked to Al Qaeda.
“If there is any innocent who was killed in the mujahedeen’s operations, then it was either an unintentional error or out of necessity,” he said.
NYTimes.com
April 4, 2008
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAIRO (AP) — A speaker on an audiotape identified as Ayman al-Zawahri, the chief deputy to Osama bin Laden, has rejected criticism of attacks by Al Qaeda’s followers that have killed thousands of people, maintaining that Al Qaeda does not kill innocent people.
The comment came during a 90-minute audio response, issued Wednesday, that was described as the first installment of answers to the more than 900 questions submitted on extremist Internet sites by Al Qaeda’s supporters, critics and journalists in December.
“We haven’t killed the innocents, not in Baghdad , nor in Morocco , nor in Algeria nor anywhere else,” the speaker identified as Mr. Zawahri said, according to a transcript posted on Web sites linked to Al Qaeda.
“If there is any innocent who was killed in the mujahedeen’s operations, then it was either an unintentional error or out of necessity,” he said.
NYTimes.com
April 4, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Terror alerts
Man Tosses Firebombs “Molotov Cocktails” From New York City Rooftop
Posted: 02 Apr 2008 02:28 AM CDT
A man with a machete slashed someone who was coming out of a subway station before climbing to a building’s rooftop and hurling firebombs at cars, setting one ablaze, police said.
The 21-year-old attacker set upon a 45-year-old man Tuesday night at a Queens subway station exit, police said. (more…)
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Man Tosses Firebombs “Molotov Cocktails” From New York City Rooftop
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Coordinated Cluster Attack With Lasers On Six Aircraft In Australia
Posted: 02 Apr 2008 02:56 AM CDT
Six aircraft flying into Sydney Airport have been hit in a co-ordinated attack by blinding green lights in what safety officials say is the city’s worst laser attack.
Air traffic controllers closed the approach flight path and diverted incoming aircraft to a different runway on Friday night, forcing some flights to land up to half an hour late. (more…)
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Coordinated Cluster Attack With Lasers On Six Aircraft In Australia
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US Embassy Warns Americans of Kidnapping Threat In Philippines
Posted: 02 Apr 2008 02:42 AM CDT
U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Thompson said she was unaware of specific details of the threat.
A Philippine security official said authorities received intelligence last month that the Abu Sayyaf — a small but violent al-Qaida-linked group — planned to kidnap wealthy Filipino Chinese traders, not Americans, in the south to raise money for operations.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.
Zamboanga Mayor Celso Lobregat said police told him there was no kidnapping plot specifically directed at Americans in Zamboanga, about 530 miles south of Manila.
“This is really very disappointing,” Lobregat told The Associated Press by telephone. “Zamboanga is a very peaceful city.”
U.S. counterterrorism troops have been based in recent years in Zamboanga and on nearby Jolo island, where they provide training to Filipino troops battling the Abu Sayyaf and Indonesian militants.
Abu Sayyaf guerrillas have been blamed for bombings, kidnappings and beheadings, but their attacks have considerably eased in recent years.
U.S.-backed offensives against the militants, arrests and surrenders have reduced the Abu Sayyaf’s strength to about 300 armed fighters from more than 1,000 in 2000, according to the military.
Source
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
US Embassy Warns Americans of Kidnapping Threat In Philippines
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Radioactive Material Goes Missing
Posted: 02 Apr 2008 02:38 AM CDT
A box containing radioactive material stolen from a truck more than a week ago is still missing, an official from a Houston-based company said Monday.
A lead box containing a radioactive chemical was stored inside an F-250 truck stolen from the parking lot of the La Quinta Inn in Pharr on March 20.
The truck was recovered in Falfurrias on Sunday, Pharr police said. But the box containing the radioactive material was not recovered.
Gary Flaharty, a spokesman for Baker Hughes, a Houston-based oil and natural gas company that owned the chemical, said he did not know the exact quantity or type of chemical stolen. He characterized it as “low-level radioactive source.”
He said the material is in a locked, lead box and is not dangerous unless the box is tampered with. A total of $2 million worth of tools was stolen with the truck, he added.
Source
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Radioactive Material Goes Missing
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Police Officer’s Truck, Uniforms and Several Weapons Stolen - Arizona
Posted: 01 Apr 2008 06:12 PM CDT
A police officer’s pickup truck, loaded with the officer’s personal weapons, was stolen Sunday night from the parking lot of a Peoria bar.
Peoria police said the El Mirage officer was at McDuffy’s near the Peoria Sports Complex for about 45 minutes. When he came outside around 7:30 p.m., his truck was missing.
Inside the truck, police said, were two .40-caliber Glock pistols with 100 rounds of ammunition, an AR-15 assault rifle with five fully loaded magazines, a ballistic vest, police uniforms and IDs, flat badges and wallet badges.
Police said those are not the sort of weapons they want on the street.
“You anticipate most of the bad guys you come in contact with are going to have some form of weapon, but now we’re giving them an assault rifle, which is a long distance weapon, and several pieces of ammunition to go along with it. Not to mention a ballistic vest, and it kind of gives them an advantage when we have to deal with them,” said Peoria police Sgt. Jon Meck.
The vehicle is described as a white 2003 Ford F-350 with a slight lift and a chrome toolbox in the bed, with Arizona license plate CC-21638.
Source
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Police Officer’s Truck, Uniforms and Several Weapons Stolen - Arizona
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Orlando Airport - Man Had Explosive-making Materials In Luggage
Posted: 01 Apr 2008 06:01 PM CDT
Authorities say they have detained a passenger who tried to check a bag with suspicous items at Orlando International Airport.
According to television station WFTV, sources say the man had components to make explosives in a bag that he tried to check onto an Air Jamaica flight. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Orlando Airport - Man Had Explosive-making Materials In Luggage
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London Terror Plot Foiled - Targeted London Eye and MI6 Headquarters
Posted: 01 Apr 2008 10:42 AM CDT
Police have foiled a plot to bomb the London Eye and MI6 headquarters, The Sun can reveal.
Terrorists tested security by leaving two bags outside the intelligence service building on the Thames at Vauxhall and another at the giant ferris wheel on the South Bank. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
London Terror Plot Foiled - Targeted London Eye and MI6 Headquarters
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Posted: 02 Apr 2008 02:28 AM CDT
A man with a machete slashed someone who was coming out of a subway station before climbing to a building’s rooftop and hurling firebombs at cars, setting one ablaze, police said.
The 21-year-old attacker set upon a 45-year-old man Tuesday night at a Queens subway station exit, police said. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Man Tosses Firebombs “Molotov Cocktails” From New York City Rooftop
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Coordinated Cluster Attack With Lasers On Six Aircraft In Australia
Posted: 02 Apr 2008 02:56 AM CDT
Six aircraft flying into Sydney Airport have been hit in a co-ordinated attack by blinding green lights in what safety officials say is the city’s worst laser attack.
Air traffic controllers closed the approach flight path and diverted incoming aircraft to a different runway on Friday night, forcing some flights to land up to half an hour late. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Coordinated Cluster Attack With Lasers On Six Aircraft In Australia
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US Embassy Warns Americans of Kidnapping Threat In Philippines
Posted: 02 Apr 2008 02:42 AM CDT
U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Thompson said she was unaware of specific details of the threat.
A Philippine security official said authorities received intelligence last month that the Abu Sayyaf — a small but violent al-Qaida-linked group — planned to kidnap wealthy Filipino Chinese traders, not Americans, in the south to raise money for operations.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.
Zamboanga Mayor Celso Lobregat said police told him there was no kidnapping plot specifically directed at Americans in Zamboanga, about 530 miles south of Manila.
“This is really very disappointing,” Lobregat told The Associated Press by telephone. “Zamboanga is a very peaceful city.”
U.S. counterterrorism troops have been based in recent years in Zamboanga and on nearby Jolo island, where they provide training to Filipino troops battling the Abu Sayyaf and Indonesian militants.
Abu Sayyaf guerrillas have been blamed for bombings, kidnappings and beheadings, but their attacks have considerably eased in recent years.
U.S.-backed offensives against the militants, arrests and surrenders have reduced the Abu Sayyaf’s strength to about 300 armed fighters from more than 1,000 in 2000, according to the military.
Source
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
US Embassy Warns Americans of Kidnapping Threat In Philippines
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Radioactive Material Goes Missing
Posted: 02 Apr 2008 02:38 AM CDT
A box containing radioactive material stolen from a truck more than a week ago is still missing, an official from a Houston-based company said Monday.
A lead box containing a radioactive chemical was stored inside an F-250 truck stolen from the parking lot of the La Quinta Inn in Pharr on March 20.
The truck was recovered in Falfurrias on Sunday, Pharr police said. But the box containing the radioactive material was not recovered.
Gary Flaharty, a spokesman for Baker Hughes, a Houston-based oil and natural gas company that owned the chemical, said he did not know the exact quantity or type of chemical stolen. He characterized it as “low-level radioactive source.”
He said the material is in a locked, lead box and is not dangerous unless the box is tampered with. A total of $2 million worth of tools was stolen with the truck, he added.
Source
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Radioactive Material Goes Missing
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Police Officer’s Truck, Uniforms and Several Weapons Stolen - Arizona
Posted: 01 Apr 2008 06:12 PM CDT
A police officer’s pickup truck, loaded with the officer’s personal weapons, was stolen Sunday night from the parking lot of a Peoria bar.
Peoria police said the El Mirage officer was at McDuffy’s near the Peoria Sports Complex for about 45 minutes. When he came outside around 7:30 p.m., his truck was missing.
Inside the truck, police said, were two .40-caliber Glock pistols with 100 rounds of ammunition, an AR-15 assault rifle with five fully loaded magazines, a ballistic vest, police uniforms and IDs, flat badges and wallet badges.
Police said those are not the sort of weapons they want on the street.
“You anticipate most of the bad guys you come in contact with are going to have some form of weapon, but now we’re giving them an assault rifle, which is a long distance weapon, and several pieces of ammunition to go along with it. Not to mention a ballistic vest, and it kind of gives them an advantage when we have to deal with them,” said Peoria police Sgt. Jon Meck.
The vehicle is described as a white 2003 Ford F-350 with a slight lift and a chrome toolbox in the bed, with Arizona license plate CC-21638.
Source
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Police Officer’s Truck, Uniforms and Several Weapons Stolen - Arizona
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Orlando Airport - Man Had Explosive-making Materials In Luggage
Posted: 01 Apr 2008 06:01 PM CDT
Authorities say they have detained a passenger who tried to check a bag with suspicous items at Orlando International Airport.
According to television station WFTV, sources say the man had components to make explosives in a bag that he tried to check onto an Air Jamaica flight. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
Orlando Airport - Man Had Explosive-making Materials In Luggage
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London Terror Plot Foiled - Targeted London Eye and MI6 Headquarters
Posted: 01 Apr 2008 10:42 AM CDT
Police have foiled a plot to bomb the London Eye and MI6 headquarters, The Sun can reveal.
Terrorists tested security by leaving two bags outside the intelligence service building on the Thames at Vauxhall and another at the giant ferris wheel on the South Bank. (more…)
Post from: Homeland Security National Terror Alert
London Terror Plot Foiled - Targeted London Eye and MI6 Headquarters
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Risk Management Magazine
Vol. 55 - Issue: March 01, 2008When Activists Attack
by Ashley Bohacik
In December 2006, the New York Stock Exchange announced that it would begin listing medical research company Life Sciences Research on its electronic trading platform, Arca. This was great news for the New Jersey research facility, as investors and traders would now be able buy and sell shares more easily. The bad news, however, came in the following day's headlines.
Life Sciences Research, Inc., is the parent of Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), a scientific research company that periodically uses animal testing to develop cures for diseases such as cancer and AIDS. Animal rights activists have long protested HLS' operations-while also targeting connected individuals and associated companies-with some even invoking illegal methods including intimidation, physical violence, vandalism and identity theft. In response to the NYSE listing, however, two activist groups, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) and Win Animal Rights (WAR) shifted the brunt of their protest activities to the stock exchange itself and vowed to continue campaigning until the listing was reconsidered.
This was not the first time the NYSE had come under fire on this matter. When it had considered listing Life Sciences Research in 2005, animal rights activists launched numerous protests and harassed NYSE employees, trading groups and other financial services providers. Under such activist pressure, the stock exchange removed the listing minutes before the opening bell on September 7, 2005.
Observers criticized the decision, and in April 2006 a full-page ad was published in the New York Times declaring that the NYSE was yielding to what were essentially terrorist threats.
Since then, SHAC has launched "Operation Fight Back," a renewed campaign against the NYSE. Since January 2007, activists have begun organizing protest activities against the NYSE and its European counterpart Euronext, as well as the exchange's shareholders, specialists and members. WAR, a radical animal rights group based in New York , also launched its own "Operation Helter Skelter" campaign against the NYSE in January 2007. The current campaigns have led to organized protests against the financial industry in both the United States and in various countries in Europe, primarily the United Kingdom . Activists have also carried out demonstrations against companies in other industries, specifically those that hold shares of Life Sciences Research.
Violent Tactics
While the current campaigns by SHAC and WAR against the NYSE have consisted primarily of protests (both at offices and the homes of company executives), in the past some animal rights protesters have conducted illegal and harassment-type activities. And in limited instances, such methods have already been used in the campaign against HLS.
In May 2007, for example, members of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) allegedly vandalized the property of a financial advisor of a targeted company by spray-painting messages on his home and vehicle. And as part of the 2005 campaign against the NYSE, SHAC members posted the contact information of hundreds of NYSE employees on its website, and ALF claimed responsibility for acts of vandalism at two New York yacht clubs used by employees of a firm that intended to trade shares of Life Sciences Research. SHAC activists have also posted personal information of employees (including social security numbers and bank information) as well as instructions for bypassing security at targeted firms' offices on SHAC's website. Additionally, activists have used smoke and pipe bombs to further harass and intimidate companies connected to HLS.
In October 2007, activists from ALF claimed responsibility for vandalism and other property damage at the house of a UCLA scientist who conducts nicotine research on animals. Specifically, the activists smashed a window at the house and then inserted a garden hose in an effort to flood the premises. Importantly, the letter claiming responsibility also indicated that the decision to use water to flood the house was a second choice-after the activists ruled out arson in that particular instance. A statement later released by the UCLA scientist confirmed the attack and indicated that the activists caused between $20,000 and $30,000 worth of damage to the home.
The use of water to flood a target's house is a new tactic for some members of the animal rights movement, and there is the potential for the method to now spread among other militant activists, due to the success of the attack and the interconnectivity of animal rights groups. While this particular incident involved a UCLA scientist, there is a possibility that activists could use this tactic as part of other campaigns, including those against the NYSE, in which activists have specifically targeted individual employees. That said, the activists claiming responsibility for the flood incident indicated that arson remains a preferred method for direct actions by some of the most extreme members, specifically when activists are looking to cause significant property damage.
While it is unlikely that a majority of activists in the animal rights movement will resort to illegal or harassment activity that poses a danger to humans or results in significant property damage, lone individuals or small activist cells undertaking such action remains a cause for concern. Lone actors, who carry out direct actions in support of the cause, either with or without the tacit approval of recognized animal rights organizations, remain a real and lasting threat.
Combating Activist Operations
In November 2006, Washington enacted the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), further strengthening protection for animal researchers and associated companies against extremist tactics, many of which had not been envisioned in the Animal Enterprise Protection Act of 1992. The AETA expanded offenses covered under federal law to include threats, harassment and other intimidation methods that do not "physically disrupt" animal enterprises, but instead elicit fear among employees. This can include anything from making false bomb threats to posting home telephone numbers of company workers. The legislation covers persons or companies affiliated with animal enterprises in addition to individual employees, and includes graded penalties-up to life imprisonment-that are based on the level of financial damage or bodily injury sustained from an extremist act.
While AETA addresses many important issues not included in earlier legislation, some are concerned that the act will not eliminate illegal or harassing activities. In fact, previous attempts to curtail such activities have actually provoked activists in some cases.
Following the sentencing of two members of SHAC for their efforts to shut down Huntingdon Life Sciences, an anonymous group of animal rights extremists carried out a retaliatory attack for the "unfair conviction" of the activists in September 2006.
A spokeswoman for ALF later stated that the incident served as an indication that the underground animal rights movement intended to increase its efforts. Despite the attempt by the government to "send a message" to activists by prosecuting several extremists, animal activists would use the case as motivation to carry out additional undercover attacks in order to further their agenda, according to ALF.
Following the passage of the AETA, other extremist animal rights protest groups indicated that the new act would only provoke further underground activity. Activists who previously only employed legal tactics were concerned that they would face prosecution by the government due to the new measures regardless, and therefore were considering more militant actions as little incentive remained to stay "above ground" and face detection by officials.
In a press release from the North American Animal Liberation following the attack at the UCLA scientist's home, representative Jerry Vlasak stated that due to harassment of activists by campus police at the school during regular protests, underground-and more militant-members of the movement had come forward to escalate operations.
As direct actions carried out by some animal rights extremists have continued in recent years, it is unlikely that militant members of the movement will be deterred by the measures included in the AETA. Animal rights extremists will continue their efforts targeting various animal enterprises and affiliated companies, as there are a large number of activists who are willing to risk potential repercussions in the name of the larger animal rights movement.
Corporations Fight Back
In many instances, companies are unable to take action against activists. Despite the militant actions of the few, the protests carried out by most groups, while disruptive, are perfectly legal, which prevents police or security officials from intervening. Even in home protests, police are limited based on the activists' constitutional right to demonstrate, and other prevailing laws and guidelines. In fact, during one home protest in New York , a neighbor of the targeted individual who threw objects at the activists became the subject of a police report filed by the protesters.
While some companies have increased security measures at their offices and conducted new security assessments of their physical sites, others have taken different measures to increase protection. In the United Kingdom, a rapidly growing number of corporate directors have applied for governmental permission to withhold personal information, such as home addresses, from the country's register of directors, maintained by Companies House. In general, the register allows subscribers on the Companies House website to access information on company directors, but a rising number of executives have attempted to keep certain details private by instead using the address of their accountant or solicitor.
Companies have also used the judicial system to protect their employees and customers. In 2006, animal rights activists sent anonymous letters to shareholders of a targeted company, threatening that if they did not sell their shares, their personal details would be published on an activist website. The company was able to obtain a court injunction banning any unnamed party from contacting shareholders. As the letters were anonymous, however, officials indicated that it would be difficult to ensure that they did not follow through on the threat.
In many of the instances involving animal rights groups obtaining personal information about shareholders or employees of various companies, it remains unclear what methods they used to obtain such data. There is the possibility that some of the information was collected using animal rights sympathizers-or even members- within the affected company or organization, leading some to fear an insider threat.
Additionally, open source data centers present another relatively easy method for activists to obtain personal data. Countermeasures by affected corporations should also safeguard employees who remain vulnerable due to the relative ease of obtaining this private information.
Continued Activities
Protests and other actions by members of SHAC and WAR have continued since the launch of their campaigns against the NYSE and affiliated companies. Despite efforts to curtail their activities, it is unlikely that the most extreme members of these groups will be deterred by the AETA or otherwise. Furthermore, some animal activists will only be further emboldened by their previous success against the NYSE in 2005, prompting a prolonged campaign to once again force the exchange to remove the Life Sciences Research listing. But for other companies facing similar pressure from activist groups, additional security measures and renewed legal action may prove to be an effective option to mitigate the risk to their employees and facilities.
Ashley Bohacik is an intelligence analyst for Total Intelligence Solutions' Global Fusion Center in Arlington, Virginia.
Vol. 55 - Issue: March 01, 2008When Activists Attack
by Ashley Bohacik
In December 2006, the New York Stock Exchange announced that it would begin listing medical research company Life Sciences Research on its electronic trading platform, Arca. This was great news for the New Jersey research facility, as investors and traders would now be able buy and sell shares more easily. The bad news, however, came in the following day's headlines.
Life Sciences Research, Inc., is the parent of Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), a scientific research company that periodically uses animal testing to develop cures for diseases such as cancer and AIDS. Animal rights activists have long protested HLS' operations-while also targeting connected individuals and associated companies-with some even invoking illegal methods including intimidation, physical violence, vandalism and identity theft. In response to the NYSE listing, however, two activist groups, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) and Win Animal Rights (WAR) shifted the brunt of their protest activities to the stock exchange itself and vowed to continue campaigning until the listing was reconsidered.
This was not the first time the NYSE had come under fire on this matter. When it had considered listing Life Sciences Research in 2005, animal rights activists launched numerous protests and harassed NYSE employees, trading groups and other financial services providers. Under such activist pressure, the stock exchange removed the listing minutes before the opening bell on September 7, 2005.
Observers criticized the decision, and in April 2006 a full-page ad was published in the New York Times declaring that the NYSE was yielding to what were essentially terrorist threats.
Since then, SHAC has launched "Operation Fight Back," a renewed campaign against the NYSE. Since January 2007, activists have begun organizing protest activities against the NYSE and its European counterpart Euronext, as well as the exchange's shareholders, specialists and members. WAR, a radical animal rights group based in New York , also launched its own "Operation Helter Skelter" campaign against the NYSE in January 2007. The current campaigns have led to organized protests against the financial industry in both the United States and in various countries in Europe, primarily the United Kingdom . Activists have also carried out demonstrations against companies in other industries, specifically those that hold shares of Life Sciences Research.
Violent Tactics
While the current campaigns by SHAC and WAR against the NYSE have consisted primarily of protests (both at offices and the homes of company executives), in the past some animal rights protesters have conducted illegal and harassment-type activities. And in limited instances, such methods have already been used in the campaign against HLS.
In May 2007, for example, members of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) allegedly vandalized the property of a financial advisor of a targeted company by spray-painting messages on his home and vehicle. And as part of the 2005 campaign against the NYSE, SHAC members posted the contact information of hundreds of NYSE employees on its website, and ALF claimed responsibility for acts of vandalism at two New York yacht clubs used by employees of a firm that intended to trade shares of Life Sciences Research. SHAC activists have also posted personal information of employees (including social security numbers and bank information) as well as instructions for bypassing security at targeted firms' offices on SHAC's website. Additionally, activists have used smoke and pipe bombs to further harass and intimidate companies connected to HLS.
In October 2007, activists from ALF claimed responsibility for vandalism and other property damage at the house of a UCLA scientist who conducts nicotine research on animals. Specifically, the activists smashed a window at the house and then inserted a garden hose in an effort to flood the premises. Importantly, the letter claiming responsibility also indicated that the decision to use water to flood the house was a second choice-after the activists ruled out arson in that particular instance. A statement later released by the UCLA scientist confirmed the attack and indicated that the activists caused between $20,000 and $30,000 worth of damage to the home.
The use of water to flood a target's house is a new tactic for some members of the animal rights movement, and there is the potential for the method to now spread among other militant activists, due to the success of the attack and the interconnectivity of animal rights groups. While this particular incident involved a UCLA scientist, there is a possibility that activists could use this tactic as part of other campaigns, including those against the NYSE, in which activists have specifically targeted individual employees. That said, the activists claiming responsibility for the flood incident indicated that arson remains a preferred method for direct actions by some of the most extreme members, specifically when activists are looking to cause significant property damage.
While it is unlikely that a majority of activists in the animal rights movement will resort to illegal or harassment activity that poses a danger to humans or results in significant property damage, lone individuals or small activist cells undertaking such action remains a cause for concern. Lone actors, who carry out direct actions in support of the cause, either with or without the tacit approval of recognized animal rights organizations, remain a real and lasting threat.
Combating Activist Operations
In November 2006, Washington enacted the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), further strengthening protection for animal researchers and associated companies against extremist tactics, many of which had not been envisioned in the Animal Enterprise Protection Act of 1992. The AETA expanded offenses covered under federal law to include threats, harassment and other intimidation methods that do not "physically disrupt" animal enterprises, but instead elicit fear among employees. This can include anything from making false bomb threats to posting home telephone numbers of company workers. The legislation covers persons or companies affiliated with animal enterprises in addition to individual employees, and includes graded penalties-up to life imprisonment-that are based on the level of financial damage or bodily injury sustained from an extremist act.
While AETA addresses many important issues not included in earlier legislation, some are concerned that the act will not eliminate illegal or harassing activities. In fact, previous attempts to curtail such activities have actually provoked activists in some cases.
Following the sentencing of two members of SHAC for their efforts to shut down Huntingdon Life Sciences, an anonymous group of animal rights extremists carried out a retaliatory attack for the "unfair conviction" of the activists in September 2006.
A spokeswoman for ALF later stated that the incident served as an indication that the underground animal rights movement intended to increase its efforts. Despite the attempt by the government to "send a message" to activists by prosecuting several extremists, animal activists would use the case as motivation to carry out additional undercover attacks in order to further their agenda, according to ALF.
Following the passage of the AETA, other extremist animal rights protest groups indicated that the new act would only provoke further underground activity. Activists who previously only employed legal tactics were concerned that they would face prosecution by the government due to the new measures regardless, and therefore were considering more militant actions as little incentive remained to stay "above ground" and face detection by officials.
In a press release from the North American Animal Liberation following the attack at the UCLA scientist's home, representative Jerry Vlasak stated that due to harassment of activists by campus police at the school during regular protests, underground-and more militant-members of the movement had come forward to escalate operations.
As direct actions carried out by some animal rights extremists have continued in recent years, it is unlikely that militant members of the movement will be deterred by the measures included in the AETA. Animal rights extremists will continue their efforts targeting various animal enterprises and affiliated companies, as there are a large number of activists who are willing to risk potential repercussions in the name of the larger animal rights movement.
Corporations Fight Back
In many instances, companies are unable to take action against activists. Despite the militant actions of the few, the protests carried out by most groups, while disruptive, are perfectly legal, which prevents police or security officials from intervening. Even in home protests, police are limited based on the activists' constitutional right to demonstrate, and other prevailing laws and guidelines. In fact, during one home protest in New York , a neighbor of the targeted individual who threw objects at the activists became the subject of a police report filed by the protesters.
While some companies have increased security measures at their offices and conducted new security assessments of their physical sites, others have taken different measures to increase protection. In the United Kingdom, a rapidly growing number of corporate directors have applied for governmental permission to withhold personal information, such as home addresses, from the country's register of directors, maintained by Companies House. In general, the register allows subscribers on the Companies House website to access information on company directors, but a rising number of executives have attempted to keep certain details private by instead using the address of their accountant or solicitor.
Companies have also used the judicial system to protect their employees and customers. In 2006, animal rights activists sent anonymous letters to shareholders of a targeted company, threatening that if they did not sell their shares, their personal details would be published on an activist website. The company was able to obtain a court injunction banning any unnamed party from contacting shareholders. As the letters were anonymous, however, officials indicated that it would be difficult to ensure that they did not follow through on the threat.
In many of the instances involving animal rights groups obtaining personal information about shareholders or employees of various companies, it remains unclear what methods they used to obtain such data. There is the possibility that some of the information was collected using animal rights sympathizers-or even members- within the affected company or organization, leading some to fear an insider threat.
Additionally, open source data centers present another relatively easy method for activists to obtain personal data. Countermeasures by affected corporations should also safeguard employees who remain vulnerable due to the relative ease of obtaining this private information.
Continued Activities
Protests and other actions by members of SHAC and WAR have continued since the launch of their campaigns against the NYSE and affiliated companies. Despite efforts to curtail their activities, it is unlikely that the most extreme members of these groups will be deterred by the AETA or otherwise. Furthermore, some animal activists will only be further emboldened by their previous success against the NYSE in 2005, prompting a prolonged campaign to once again force the exchange to remove the Life Sciences Research listing. But for other companies facing similar pressure from activist groups, additional security measures and renewed legal action may prove to be an effective option to mitigate the risk to their employees and facilities.
Ashley Bohacik is an intelligence analyst for Total Intelligence Solutions' Global Fusion Center in Arlington, Virginia.
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