Bibliography of ERRI/ |
Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI) USAMA BIN LADEN PAGE |
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| 1999 April 20, December 21, 1998--Bin Laden November 5, 1998--United States Puts $5
Million Bounty August 31, 1998- International Terrorism; Where Do We Go From Here? August 16, 1998--Latest On Embassy Bomb Investigations Update/Series of Reports; Bombings of Two U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Africa -10 Aug 98 August 8, 1998-- Search For Embassy Bombers Begins June 16, 1998 - Special Report -- Saudi Arabia: Bin-Ladin, Others Sign Fatwa To 'Kill Americans' Everywhere (Los Angeles Times Award Winner) February 25, 1998-- Testimony of ERRI's
Clark 1997 July 25, 1997 - Vol. 3, No. 206 --
Usama Bin Laden Bides His Time; To Strike The U.S. Again? ERRI analysts are |
June 1999
Source and reference URL: http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/topten/laden.htm
This page has been accessed Supplemental EmergencyNet News Stories: 1999-2005 Dec 2004 Reference Locator:
28 Feb 2005 - 17:05CST Communication Intercepts Seem to Indicate That Usama Bin Laden (UBL) Wants Zarqawi To Attack Within the United States WASHINGTON, DC: Information
released today in Washington seems to indicate that communications have
been intercepted between
In the message, counterterrorism officials said that Bin Laden wants Zarqawi to expand his operations outside Iraq, and within the United States. Analysis of the message would seem to indicate that the message for Zarqawi was transmitted through Ayman Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda's #2 man.
21 Feb 2005 "Recommended Reading," ERRI
Analysts say The message notes further that Usama bin Laden’s pre-US election statement to the American people was a “warning and an invitation to the American people to change the policy of its Government before pain is inflicted upon them as a result of their silence and their approval of the crimes committed by their Government. This would be the last or penultimate message, after which they will endure the pain that will fall upon them, and they must choose between their lives and the Crusader-Zionist project that will only bring them destruction, poverty, fear and death.” Want to read more? Visit the Site Institute at: http://www.siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications19805&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 20 Feb 2005 New Videotape Released on Al-Jazzera; Al-Qaeda #2 Again Threatens USA QATAR: A news video tape, purportedly containing the image and voice of Al-Qaeda #2 Ayman Zawahiri, has been released today by Al-Jazerra. U.S. military and intelligence services say that they are reviewing the tape for authenticity and content as this report is written. In the tape Zawahiri reportedly said, "Your new crusade will end, God willing, with the same defeat as its predecessors, but only after you have suffered tens of thousands of dead and the destruction of your economy." Zawahiri said his tape was addressed to the "the peoples of the West." Al-Jazeera reported that the excerpt was part of a longer videotape, but it did not indicate the length of the entire tape. The station also did not say if or when it would air the rest of the video. EmergencyNet News is closely monitoring all channels for additional translations, authentication of the tape, or a release of additional data from Zawahiri. Watch this page for additional information... 17 Nov 2004 Although there have been no attacks on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001, Mr. Scheuer believes one is on the horizon. He thinks that another videotape of Osama bin Laden will soon surface with a warning of such an attack. Click here for the whole article from the Voice of America news... http://www.voanews.com/english/2004-11-17-voa73.cfm (also, see 12 Nov 2004 reference below) 29 Oct 2004 - 17:00CDT/18:00EDT New Usama Bin Laden Tape Broadcast
EmergencyNet News is currently attempting to obtain a complete copy of the tape and produce a translation thereof. We will bring you additional links and analysis concerning this important development as soon as we are able to obtain them. Watch this page for more official data... (Partial) Transcript of Al Jazeera Tape 15 Oct 2004 Analysis: Suspected Al-Qaeda Links Emerge In Egypt, Libya 25 Dec 2003 Another Threat Indicator From Al-Qaeda? AUSTRALIA/SAUDI ARABIA: According to "The Age" newspaper and the Australian Associated Press, Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden will issue the next of his video messages after a massive attack on US territory, Saudi weekly Al-Majallah quotes an official of the terror network as saying, in its next edition. Quoting an e-mail received from a man who goes by the name of Abu
Mohammed al-Ablaj (a.k.a. Abu Bakr), the weekly reports that "an emissary of
bin Laden has informed me that the al-Qaeda chief's (next) appearance (on
video cassette) will come after a deadly, far-reaching operation on American
territory. On 11 May 2003, Al-Ablaj previously warned that the Al-Qaeda
network was about to carry out major attacks in Saudi Arabia in an e-mail,
sent just one day before a
deadly assault
in the Saudi capital (12 May 2003). NEWSFLASH: Friday 19 December 2003 - 15:00EST 04 Dec 2003 PHILOSOPHY OF
TERRORISM/ECONOMIC TARGETS 03 Aug 2003 Al-Qaeda Leader Warns U.S. Over Detainees
A translation of the individual on the audiotape said: "I swear by the almighty God...that crusader America will pay dearly for any harm done to any of the Muslim prisoners it is holding." It was not immediately possible to authenticate the tape. The tape said all those who handed the prisoners to America or to any of its "agents" will also pay. It should be noted that the tape has not been authenticated by Western military and intelligence sources. The tape continued: "Let it be clear to those who conspire with America, that America cannot defend itself, let alone defend others." It said every prisoner held by the "infidels" should know that his release is a "debt hanging from the neck of every" Muslim fighter and that "his brothers have not forgotten that they will avenge him from the new crusaders." The Arabic recording said, "But we tell America one thing: what you have seen so far is nothing but the first skirmishes. The real battle hasn't started yet." ERRI's Clark Staten said that if the tape can be verified as actually being Al-Zawahri, that it must be taken very seriously. Al-Zawahri's whereabouts are not presently known. U.S. officials believe bin Laden, who was not mentioned in the latest audio tape, and al-Zawahri, are both hiding in the outlaw wilderness between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Other reports have placed him in or having transited through Iran, though that has not been confirmed. The tape warned the American people if they were "keen on their future and the future of their generations...to follow reason and logic before it is too late." Theperson on the tape added: "America and its agents are torturing your prisoners, show them how you will avenge them." Some 660 terror suspects from 42 countries have been held for nearly two years at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba. The detainees were arrested during the U.S.-led war on Afghanistan, launched after the 9/11 terror attacks, blamed on al-Qaeda. The voice purported to be Al-Zawahri's said by putting the men on trial, America is putting "its people on trial," and "by convicting them, it is convicting its own people." 31 July 2003 Al-Qaeda Said To Have Many Different Ways To Operate WASHINGTON, DC: According to the recent 9/11 report that was released by the U.S. Congress, the al-Qaeda terror network of today is not solely a top-down network, in which potential terrorists report up through the hierarchy and, ultimately, to the evil Usama bin Laden. Instead, like some comic book criminal organization, it is like a Hydra, the mythological serpent with many heads: operatives directed from the top; extreme and religiously motivated guerrillas with aspirations of autonomy or separatism; minor-league 'waanabes' with deadly intentions, such as would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid. The al-Qaeda described by the congressional inquiry into the 9/11 attacks is one of a large, disjointed and dispersed movement with many resources available around the world. The report released last Thursday primarily was a review of the performance of U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies before the attacks. It also contained a detailed analysis of al-Qaeda and its capabilities. The report said that bin Laden's terror network mounts operations in at least four ways: (1) A "top-down approach" using skilled operatives, as in the 9/11 attacks. Some of these attacks may take years of planning. (2) Training "amateurs" like Reid, for relatively unsophisticated strikes. (3) Providing direct support for local followers -- i.e. the report points to a group of Jordanians who plotted to bomb U.S. and Israeli tourist targets in Amman, Jordan's capital, at the millennium. That attack was broken up by security services, and some senior al-Qaeda operatives were charged. (4) Providing long-term support for guerrilla groups sympathetic to al-Qaeda objectives, in several countries. The report said: "Its organizational and command structures, which employ many activists who are not formal members of the organization, make it difficult to determine where al-Qaeda ends and other radical groups begin." ERRI analysts said that in some ways al-Qaeda functions like an international 'holding company' that provides weapons, explosives, and financing to like-minded militant groups who are likely to carry their murderous intent. Since the report was finished seven months ago, counterterrorism officials say bin Laden's network has been dismantled to a significant degree. But they acknowledge it remains capable of doing harm. Since 9/11, much of the group's leadership has turned up in either Iran or Pakistan. Only bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, are thought to remain in the wilderness between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many of those in Pakistan have been detained, including alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. The status of the group in Iran -- which may include Saif al-Adil, probably the No. 3 man left at large in the network -- is unclear. The Iranians say they have detained several al-Qaeda members, but they have refused to identify them. Suicide bombings in May in Saudi Arabia and Morocco are demonstrative of the kind of operations al-Qaeda may be turning to in the future. The Saudi bombings, at housing compounds inhabited largely by Westerners, appear to have been orchestrated by senior al-Qaeda lieutenants, some in Saudi Arabia, in Iran, and elsewhere. U.S. counterterrorism officials have some evidence al-Qaeda financed and guided the Moroccan attack from overseas, as well. Officials describe the attackers as less sophisticated than those in Saudi Arabia, The report said: "Although the number of highly skilled and dedicated persons who have sworn fealty to bin Laden was probably in the low hundreds before Sept. 11, the organization as a whole is much larger, with tens of thousands having gone through the training camps in Afghanistan, and been indoctrinated into a 'jihadi' mindset." U.S. counterterrorism officials estimate perhaps 20,000 of those attended such camps between 1996 and 2001, when bin Laden was in Afghanistan. According to the report: "Interviews of intelligence officials indicate that al-Qaida can draw on thousands of supporters when raising funds, planning and executing attacks." 30 July 2003 U.S. Officials Issue Al-Qaeda Hijacking Warnings WASHINGTON, DC: Despite warnings that five-man al-Qaeda teams may be planning to hijack and crash more airplanes, similar to the 9/11 attacks, federal officials say they have no plans to raise the nation's terrorism alert level. A warning distributed over the weekend to airlines and law enforcement agencies said: "The hijackers may try to calm passengers and make them believe they were on a hostage, not suicide, mission. The hijackers may attempt to use common items carried by travelers, such as cameras, modified as weapons." Officials said the credibility of the threat was still being evaluated. But they noted there was no precise information on when or where such an attack could take place. The warning from the U.S. Homeland Security Department suggests an attack could take place by the end of the summer. The warning said: "No equipment or operatives are known to have been deployed to conduct the operations." It added: "Cognizant of changes in aviation security measures since Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida is looking for new ways to circumvent enhancements in aviation security screening and tightening immigration requirements." The warning was based on information obtained from interviews of at least one al-Qaeda prisoner as well as intercepted electronic communications. The information was developed in the past several weeks. The Homeland Security Department placed a statement on its Web site saying the advisory was transmitted after U.S. intelligence-gatherers "received information that al-Qaida continues to be interested in using the commercial aviation system in the United States and abroad to further their cause." 13 July 2003 Analysis: New "Anonymous" Book Details Bin Laden's Strategy WASHINGTON, DC: Among the new books these days is a title called: "Through Our Enemies' Eyes" and is written by an anonymous author who argues, among other things, that the evil Usama bin Laden is more than a terrorist, and hence more dangerous than is generally thought. Bin Laden, according to Anonymous, is for some odd reason revered in the Islamic world much as Thomas Jefferson or Theodore Roosevelt is in the United States. Anonymous says of bin Laden: "Whether you like it or not, he is a 'great man.' Without the connotation good or bad, he has changed history." Such descriptions of a cave-dwelling murderer have stirred controversy at the CIA, where the author's identity is no mystery. Anonymous is a senior officer at the agency and has worked there for nearly twenty years. The book reportedly went through the CIA's required publication review. Amazingly, Anonymous's comparison of bin Laden to great historical figures is actually one of the least troubling points he makes in the book. More disturbing is his assertion that bin Laden and al-Qaeda are not, as many U.S. officials claim, weakening after almost two years of intense attacks against them. Bin Laden is instead gaining ground, according to Anonymous. Anonymous said: "What we're really looking at is an insurgent-type organization, rather than a terrorist organization. Its terrorist or urban-warfare arm is really a small part of the whole." As bin Laden sees things shaping up now, Anonymous asserts, Iraq has emerged center stage in an Islamic insurgency against the United States that spans several continents. Anonymous is convinced that bin Laden and the remaining al-Qaeda leaders understand the economic and political toll that insurgencies can exact on nations. Their model is the Soviet Union's defeat in Afghanistan, where a superpower not only fell militarily but also suffered politically to a point where the state itself began to crack. Bin Laden and his followers seek, Anonymous contends, to re-create such a victory against the United States by fomenting guerrilla attacks on military and civilian targets in many countries rather than just one. In describing how bin Laden likely views recent U.S. military deployments, Anonymous said: "I think he's delighted since 9/11 that we turned up in the Philippines, in Yemen, in the East Coast of Africa, in Georgia. I think that's exactly the kind of thing he's looking for -- to have Americans engaged against Muslims in as many places as possible." A report released recently by a terrorism-monitoring group of the United Nations Security Council bolsters this argument. The report described an emerging generation of Islamic militants organizing themselves as a scattered guerrilla force for whom al-Qaeda is both an ideology to follow and a group to join. The U.N. terrorism committee cited Afghanistan, Algeria, Kenya, the Philippines, and the Chechnya region of Russia as areas where guerrilla activity is tied to al-Qaeda. Anonymous sees a similar pattern forming in Iraq, where fighters from neighboring countries are among the insurgents striking almost daily at U.S. troops. The recent suicide bombings in Morocco and Saudi Arabia also seem to bear al-Qaeda's signature... 16 June 2003
NEWSWEEK: Al Qaeda in America: The Enemy Within;
By Daniel Klaidman, Mark Hosenball, Michael Isikoff and Evan Thomas June 23 issue -- Khalid Shaikh Mohammed looked more like a loser in a T shirt than a modern-day Mephistopheles. But “KSM,” as he is always referred to in FBI documents, held the key to unlock the biggest mystery of the war on terror: is Al Qaeda operating inside America? THE ANSWER, ACCORDING TO KSM’s confessions and the intense U.S. investigation that followed, is yes... Get the whole story: http://www.msnbc.com/news/926691.asp?0cv=NA01 24 May 2003 Pentagon Says Al-Qaeda Pursued Bio Weapons WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has told Congress that the evil Usama bin Laden's terrorist network has been pursuing a sophisticated biological weapons research program and is seeking chemical weapons. The military said in a report that other terrorist groups and dozens of countries also are pursuing chemical and biological weapons, which could be used in a regional conflict or terrorist attack. The Pentagon report said: "The relative ease of producing some chemical or biological agents has increased concern that their use may become more attractive to terrorist groups intent on causing panic or inflicting large numbers of casualties." The report also alleged that companies in Russia and China are the key suppliers of the know-how and equipment for countries like Iran trying to develop their own biological and chemical weapons. It said Iran and Syria have chemical weapons and may be trying to make biological weapons, and Libya is trying to make both. Al-Qaeda's interest in chemical, biological and nuclear weapons has long been known. Bin Laden has said Muslims have a religious duty to make and use weapons of mass destruction against Americans and Jews. U.S. forces in Afghanistan discovered documents and equipment showing often crude attempts by the terrorist network to develop chemical weapons and strong interest in biological weapons. The Pentagon report, sent to Congress in April and disclosed in a news release late Thursday, is the first government document to say al-Qaeda had a sophisticated biological weapons development effort. New Al-Qaeda Terror Chief To Bring New Secrecy
Al-Qaeda turned to al-Adel after Mohammed's arrest in Pakistan in March removed the military commander whose careful years of planning resulted in the devastating 9/11 strikes on New York and Washington, said Rohan Gunaratna, author of "Inside Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror." Gunaratna said: "They chose him because he is their most competent man and he fits into the typical al Qaeda, Islamic jihad mindset." Al-Adel has shown ruthless efficiency in his role as chief of al-Qaeda's security and above all in protecting bin Laden, the world's most wanted man. As a highly structured organization, he said, bin Laden's al-Qaeda would have made a point of formally appointing a successor to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Al-Adel may bring a different style to future attacks. According to Gunaratna: "They will become much more secretive, much more discreet, they will learn from mistakes of the past." He added that al Qaeda's reputation for secrecy will be further enhanced... 09 May 2003 Al-Qaeda Reorganization Reportedly Underway; Interviewee Says New Attacks May Be On The Way LONDON, ENGLAND: An Arabic weekly, the London-based magazine Al Majalla, is reporting an interview with a professed new spokesman for Al-Qaeda who claims the terror network has been completely reorganized. The spokesman is identified by the magazine as Thabet bin Qais. "The Americans only have predictions and old intelligence left," the magazine quoted bin Qais as saying. "It will take them a long time to understand the new form of Al-Qaeda." The magazine quoted bin Qais as saying. Al-Qaeda remains "way ahead of the Americans and its allies in the intelligence war, and American security agencies still are ignorant of the changes the leadership has made," bin Qais reportedly alleged. Thabet bin Qais says old operatives have been replaced by new ones and that the organization is planning an attack against the United States that could be as large as that which took place on Sept. 11, 2001. Top legal and security officials from the United States and seven other major nations, meeting this week in Paris, said Al-Qaeda has apparently moved its operational centers to new locations in central Asia. ERRI analysts said that there are other locations, in other regions, that are also emerging as Al-Qaeda C&C (command and control) centers. The magazine claims are allegedly based on e-mail interviews conducted this week, the magazine reports in its Friday issue. Western intelligence officials said that authenticating e-mail communications can often prove "troublesome and unreliable." 06 May 2003 Lack of Terror Events Bolsters Belief That Al-Qaeda is "Crippled" WASHINGTON, DC: According to a Washington Post article today, a failure of al Qaeda to launch terrorist attacks against the United States or its allies during the war in Iraq has bolstered a growing belief among U.S. intelligence agencies that 19 months of worldwide counterterrorism operations and arrests have nearly crippled the organization. While warning that al Qaeda still appears capable of mounting substantial terrorist operations, senior intelligence officials and members of Congress who review classified material on the matter speak optimistically about the progress made since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by the CIA and FBI working with their foreign counterparts. The starkest reflection of al Qaeda's status, according to terrorism experts, has been the lack of reprisals for the U.S.-led war against Iraq, especially after leader Osama bin Laden, in an audiotape released April 7, urged followers to mount suicide attacks against the United States and Britain to "avenge the innocent children ...assassinated in Iraq." By contrast, in 2002, bin Laden messages preceded or followed attacks by al Qaeda and its associates in Pakistan, Tunisia, Kuwait, Yemen and Bali. ERRI Sr. analyst Clark Staten said that the basic premise that Al-Qaeda
is "crippled" is not in concurrence with the most recent ERRI assessment and
that the group has only been reduced by about 30-35%. Staten said, "We still
believe that one or more Al-Qaeda terror events is forthcoming...it is only
a matter of time. Yes, they have been somewhat disrupted by U.S. and allied
counter-terror efforts, but they remain an unconventional force to be
reckoned with." 27 Apr 2003 Bin Laden/Iraqi Link Confirmed by Newly Found Documents?? LONDON, ENGLAND: Iraqi intelligence documents discovered in Baghdad by The Telegraph have provided the first evidence of a direct link between Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'eda terrorist network and Saddam Hussein's regime. Papers found yesterday in the bombed headquarters of the Mukhabarat, Iraq's intelligence service, reveal that an al-Qa'eda envoy was invited clandestinely to Baghdad in March 1998. Click here to read the whole story from the the London Telegraph... 25 Apr 2003 THREAT MATRIX: U.S. Says Al-Qaeda Still A Threat WASHINGTON: U.S. military and counterterrorism officials said Thursday that al-Qaeda has been badly disrupted by the loss of several key leaders but continues to try to put together terrorist attacks. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said: "There's no question but that the intelligence community broadly feels that al-Qaeda has been significantly weakened." Many captured leaders were taken in Pakistan, which officials had characterized as one of the fugitive Usama bin Laden's new power centers after his network fled Afghanistan during the U.S.-led war in late 2001. A senior Turkish intelligence official recently said that another emerging power center may be Iran, where U.S. and allied officials say several leaders have surfaced. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Iranians have been sending planeloads of low- level al-Qaeda fighters back to Saudi Arabia in the past year but that several senior figures are trying to stay inside the country. In recent months, U.S. officials have identified three al-Qaeda leaders in Iran: Saif al-Adil, bin Laden's security and intelligence chief; Saad bin Laden, Usama's son, and Abu Hafs the Mauritanian, a religious scholar. Their activities are unclear. To what extent the Iranians know about, and tolerate, their presence, is not known. Yemen remains another al-Qaeda hotbed... 24 Apr 2003 Al-Qaeda Losing Credibility? WASHINGTON: According to a report in Thursday's edition of the Washington Times, even though al-Qaeda and its terrorist allies remain a threat, their failure to carry out a successful strike during the U.S.-led military campaign in Iraq has raised questions about their ability to carry out major new attacks. The fears of senior U.S. officials and some private terrorism analysts that fugitive al-Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden (UBL) would attempt to use Muslim opposition to the Iraq war to prompt a spectacular new attack have proved unfounded. Mark Burgess, director of the Terrorism Project at the Center for Defense Information, said: "I think their credibility is increasingly on the line the longer we go without a successful terrorist strike. We know al-Qaeda is a patient lot, but I don't know if they can afford to be too patient. Bin Laden made a lot of noise before the war about defending the Iraqi people, and so far there's nothing to show for it." The Times said that despite a few suicide bombings that targeted U.S. forces in Iraq, speculation that Saddam's regime would resort to widespread terrorist attacks to disrupt the coalition campaign also did not pan out. Counterterrorism analysts say the arrest of al-Qaeda operations chief Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in Pakistan just days before the war began is the most damaging blow to al-Qaeda since the loss of its Afghanistan training camps, when U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban. All of that said, terrorism experts agree that there are still plenty of battles left to fight in the war on terrorism. 11 Apr 2003 CIA Says New Bin Laden Tape Likely Authentic MID-EAST: A U.S. intelligence official said on Thursday that the Central Intelligence Agency has determined that a new audiotape that was obtained earlier this week is likely an authentic recording of Usama bin Laden. The audiotape encourages Muslims to rise up against Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bahrain and Afghanistan, which it claims are "agents of America," and calls for suicide attacks against U.S. and British interests to "avenge the innocent children" of Iraq. CIA analysts, after listening to the audio, were fairly certain the voice was bin Laden's. There was no clear indication of when the recording was made. It refers to the outbreak of war in Iraq, so officials suspect it was a recent recording. However, the references are so general that it is conceivable it was recorded before the war. The 27-minute tape quotes extensively from the Muslim holy book, the Quran, and says jihad, or holy war, is the "only solution to all the problems." The message focused exclusively on suicide attacks, unlike many of bin Laden's previous messages, which bore many themes. He said: "Do not be afraid of their tanks and armored personnel carriers. These are artificial things. If you started suicide attacks you will see the fear of Americans all over the world. Those people who cannot join forces in jihad should give financial help to those mujahedeen who are fighting against U.S. aggression." 08/09 Apr 2003 Another Bin Laden Tape Urges Terror Attacks MID-EAST: An audio tape said to be from the fugitive Usama bin Laden has emerged in which he urges Muslims to rise up against countries that support the war on Iraq. In the tape, the al-Qaeda terror leader is said to call for attacks on governments in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Unlike previous recordings allegedly by bin Laden, this one has a single theme - suicide attacks. Since the 9/11 attacks, numerous video tapes, audio recordings, facsimiles and other statements have been attributed to bin Laden, but many are unverifiable. In February 2003, an audio tape purporting to be by bin Laden called for attacks on US and British targets if Iraq was invaded. In the latest Arabic language tape, the world's most-wanted man is reported to say: "All of them [supporting countries] have been imposed upon you and jihad against them is your duty. The United States has attacked Iraq and soon he will also attack Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Sudan." The most recent intelligence on bin Laden was revealed following the capture of al-Qaeda mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in Pakistan in early March. Investigators believe he kept in contact with bin Laden through e-mails and hand-delivered messages. They hope items seized during the raid could lead them to bin Laden. The latest tape was obtained from an Algerian national who said he had slipped across the border from Afghanistan, where the tape was apparently recorded. It was translated by an Arabic-speaking Afghan who met bin Laden years ago and who said the voice appeared to be his. The tape has NOT been verified as to authenticity by Western intelligence sources... 04 Apr 2003 U.S. Officials Say No Credible Terror Threats Since War WASHINGTON: U.S. officials say the high terror alert status will continue while hostilities continue in Iraq even though there has been no credible domestic terror threat since the war in Iraq began. Authorities are said to be convinced there continues to exist a "hidden network of cold-blooded killers," waiting to attack. But officials acknowledge being pleasantly surprised that the war has not so far triggered a response by terror groups or "lone wolf" extremists. Fugitive al-Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden, Iraqi officials and other crazed Muslim extremists have sought to make the war a pretext for attacks on America, renewing calls for a jihad, or holy war. But so far, no attacks on American soil have occurred and no evidence of plans to conduct terrorism have been uncovered. Still, law enforcement officials said it makes sense to keep the government at a heightened state of vigilance. Efforts to identify and disrupt those who might try to harm America continue. As of Thursday, the FBI had interviewed more than 9,000 of the 11,000 Iraqis living in the country who officials believe recently traveled to Iraq or have some ties to the Iraqi military. About 40 have been detained, almost all for visa violations. None has been arrested on criminal charges or as suspected terrorists. Some Iraqis suspected of links to terrorist groups or sympathetic to Saddam have been under increased surveillance in the United States since the war began. Law enforcement officials say there has been no spike in terrorist "chatter" picked up by U.S. intelligence services that could signal an attack. One tip early in the war that Iraqis armed with chemical weapons would try to slip across the U.S. border from Mexico turned out to be unfounded. In the United States, the Iraqi interviews have produced information of direct help to U.S. troops on the battlefield. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said in congressional testimony on Tuesday that this includes the locations of bunkers, tunnel systems, telecommunications networks, manufacturing plants and military installations. 31 Mar 2003 New Holy War Called For By Fugitive Taliban Leader PAKISTAN: In his latest decree, released on posters widely displayed in eastern Afghanistan, the Taliban's elusive leader Mullah Mohammed Omar has issued a fresh call for a holy war against U.S. troops and Afghans who work with them. A black-and-white poster reportedly written by the fleeing Omar said: "Whenever the non-Muslims attack a Muslim land it is the duty of everyone to rise up against the aggressor. We were blamed for Usama bin Laden because they said he was a terrorist and he was taking shelter with us. But what is the fault of Iraq? Iraq has no Usama bin Laden in his country." Taliban loyalists in hiding in the tribal regions of Pakistan are saying that the regrouping and alliance building with al-Qaeda and rebel warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-e-islami had been completed. The next phase they said would be hit and run attacks. Yet international peacekeepers and the U.S. military headquartered at Bagram Air Base north of Kabul say they don't expect the war in Iraq to cause a deterioration in the security situation. Since the conflict in Iraq began, however, Afghanistan has been shaken by one terrorist incident after another. 27 Mar 2003 Report Says Al-Qaeda Targeted Many Places In U.S. NEW YORK CITY: A report in the current issue of "Time" magazine lists even St Louis bridges among targets of interest to the al-Qaeda terror network. The "Time" report cites Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the high- ranking al-Qaeda leader recently captured in Pakistan, as saying the terror group is also interested in the White House, the Israeli embassy in Washington, the Sears Tower in Chicago and bridges in both San Francisco and Manhattan. Lieutenant Chris O'Neil, of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in St Louis, says the threats in the article are the same types of non- specific threats that have blanketed the country since the 9/11 attacks. O'Neil says the Coast Guard, along with law enforcement agencies at all levels, have been looking carefully at bridge security since the attacks. 07 Mar 2003 Hunt For Criminal Bin Laden Intensifies PAKISTAN: According to US officials, the search for the fugitive Usama bin Laden is focusing on Pakistan's northwestern region. Special forces are reported to have poured into the area bordering Afghanistan after obtaining fresh leads from bin Laden's betrayer Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the former al-Qaeda chief of operations who was arrested in Pakistan on Saturday. After being interrogated in Pakistan, Mohammed is in US custody. It is believed he is now being questioned at Bagram air base in Afghanistan. The Washington Post has said that Mohammed is reported to have warned Pakistani interrogators that US forces in the Gulf would be attacked. A Pakistani official quoted Mohammed as saying: "Let the Iraq war begin, the US forces will be targeted inside their bases in the Gulf. I don't have any specific information, but my sixth sense is telling me that you will get the news from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait." Investigators believe he kept in contact with Bin Laden through e-mails and hand-delivered messages and may have an idea where he is hiding. An officially unconfirmed report from the Associated Press suggests that two men, possibly related to Usama Bin Laden, have been apprehended in Pakistan. But, U.S. authorities told EmergencyNet News that these reports are uncorroborated at this time. The AP is quoting Pakistan's provincial home minister Sanaullah Zehri as saying the two men had been arrested and that seven others had been killed during a firefight with security forces. A similar report appeared today in the Reuters news service. ERRI analysts are watching apparent counter-terrorism operations in Pakistan closely and will bring you updates as circumstances warrant... 06 Mar 2003 Bin Laden Thought To Be Living In Pakistani Border Area
The meeting took place in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province (see map above) or in the rugged mountain peaks that run along the border with Afghanistan. Mohammed said he didn't know bin Laden's exact whereabouts now, but that he was in the region. In describing Mohammed's initial behavior, the Pakistani intelligence official said: "He said proudly, 'the sheikh (bin Laden) is a hero of Islam and I am his tiny servant. Life, family, money, everything can be sacrificed for the sheikh.'" In what appeared to corroborate Mohammed's information, similar information surfaced on Monday from a former Taliban intelligence chief. The former intelligence chief said bin Laden was seen in South Waziristan in Baluchistan province less than two months ago. Bin Laden was meeting with Taliban members. Both U.S Special Forces and Pakistani soldiers are in South Waziristan trying to flush out fugitive Taliban and al-Qaeda. Several sources say that bin Laden moves with only a small number of guards, changing his location nightly, never using satellite telephones. Instead he reportedly sends messages through intermediaries to a selected person who makes telephone calls on his behalf. 03 March 2003 Al-Qaeda Reportedly Targets Pearl Harbor Honolulu, HI:
The Washington
Times was reporting on Monday that militants linked to the fugitive
Usama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network have targeted U.S. military
facilities at Pearl Harbor, including nuclear-powered submarines and ships.
In the past two weeks, U.S. officials are said to had received intelligence
reports about the terrorist threat to the Hawaiian harbor and these
coincided with reports of the planning of a major attack by al-Qaeda. The
Times said the reports were one reason why the threat level was raised from
yellow to orange. A spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Command, based in Hawaii,
declined to comment on the potential threat. Security, however, has
reportedly been increased at nearby Honolulu International Airport. Other Targets Reported... Yet other reports suggest that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and the Al-Qaeda network were planning to attack suspension bridges, gas stations and power plants in New York and other major cities, Newsweek magazine reported on Sunday. His plan, according to Newsweek: Al-Qaeda operatives would steal or hijack tanker trucks and crash them into fuel pumps at filling stations, while other terror operatives would slash the suspension cables on bridges, causing them to collapse. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said officials knew before his capture that Mohammed had knowledge and/or participation in a "significant terrorist plot" directed at the United States. His plot was allegedly another reason for raising the national threat alert to orange, or high risk, last month. It has since been lowered back to yellow, or elevated level. EmergencyNet News is closely monitoring events concerning Mohammed and Al-Qaeda, and we will bring you immediate updates as circumstances warrant... 17 Feb 2003 Another Bin Laden Tape Reported WASHINGTON: U.S. Homeland Security Department Secretary Tom Ridge said on Sunday that the national terrorist threat level may be downgraded from its heightened status, and that U.S. intelligence officials are evaluating a new tape, said to be of the fugitive Usama bin Laden saying U.S. war plans against Iraq are part of a broader plot against Muslim nations. Appearing on ABC News' "This Week," Ridge said there has been some information about a second bin Laden tape "swirling around within the intelligence community for the past couple of days. Obviously we haven't authenticated it, but again the message is consistent: The values of the West are anathema to these people. If you don't believe in what they believe, you're an infidel." Although the release of statements from bin Laden have foreshadowed some past terrorist attacks, Ridge said he saw no "trigger" in the latest tape. He added: "But there is no rhyme or reason to when they attack. Ultimately they attack when they are ready." The speaker on the tape said the goal of any U.S. war against Iraq would be to alter the map of the Middle East to benefit Israel. The recording appeared to be the same 53-minute tape of which a few excerpts were released Thursday by the British-based Islamic Al-Ansaar news agency. It began appearing in full Sunday on Islamic-oriented Web sites. The tape has not been officially authenticated by Western intelligence agencies. 15:00CST - 11 Feb 2003 Alleged New Bin Laden Tape Calls For World-Wide Jihad in Support of Iraq; Suicide Attacks on Americans QATAR: An audio tape, allegedly carrying the voice of Usama bin Laden,
today called on Iraqis to carry out suicide attacks against Americans and
defend themselves against a U.S. attack. The speaker on the tape,
broadcast today on the al-Jazeera Arab satellite station, described Al
Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan as withstanding heavy U.S. bombardment by
hiding in trenches. In qasi-religious terms, the voice on the tape also warned other nations against assisting the U.S. or allies in a conflict against Iraq: "Anyone who helps America, from the Iraqi hypocrites (opposition) or Arab rulers...whoever fights with them or offers them bases or administrative assistance, or any kind of support or help, even if only with words, to kill Muslims in Iraq, should know that he is an apostate." It should be noted that the voice on the tape has not been confirmed as Bin Laden by Western intelligence sources at the time of this report. EmergencyNet News is monitoring and analyzing the translation of the audio tape and will bring you additional details if/when they become available... Click Here For Complete Translation of Bin Laden's 11 Feb 2003 Statement from ABCNews... 04 Feb 2003 Arrests Of Terrorists Said To Disrupt Plans For Attack; More May Still be Likely...
The article, written by well-known national security correspondent Bill Gertz, said that officials would not provide details on the latest threat, which was contained in intelligence reports sent to the White House last week. The warning did not say whether the attacks would be in the United States or abroad. CIA Director George Tenet said in December that more than a third of the senior leaders of al-Qaeda have been killed or captured and that half the successes against the group came in recent months. Tenet said more terrorist attacks are being planned by al-Qaeda and that every captured al-Qaeda member has confirmed that more strikes are planned. He noted that recent al-Qaeda recordings have threatening attacks on economic targets and U.S. allies, that were "unprecedented in their bluntness and urgency." Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge said in November that al-Qaeda poses the "most immediate and serious threat" of attack, despite the disruptions to the network of terrorists in 60 nations. 22 Jan 2003 Al-Qaeda Turns to Assassination Tactics AFGHANISTAN: The Cable News Network (CNN) and Mike Boettcher and Henry Shuster, are reporting today that, "Al Qaeda has been associated with high-profile, explosive terror -- September 11, bombings in Pakistan, Kenya, Indonesia and the Philippines -- but is increasingly turning from mass killings to the assassination of political figures." In a 30 July 2002 assessment by ERRI's C. L. Staten, he reached a similar conclusion: "Our most current assessment at ERRI suggests that lower level Al-Qaeda associates are in the midst of undertaking a series of small or medium strikes on "easier" targets to retain public attention...and to include car bombings and assassinations. These acts are being undertaken by "independent cells" with motivation by (and funding?), but little direction from top leadership of Al-Qaeda." Click here to read the CNN article... 15 Jan 2003 Al-Qaeda Said To Adapt To U.S. Military Pursuit Tactics AFGHANISTAN: The military says die-hard Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters have eluded capture by quickly learning and adapting to the United States' hunt- and-destroy techniques. A U.S. Army Special Forces soldier who spent months in Afghanistan trying to find leaders of the ousted Taliban regime said: "They have learned our tactics, and we have to adapt to them." In a recent speech at the Brookings Institution, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Richard Myers said: "Since the Taliban has fallen, since the al-Qaeda has scattered, mainly to the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and other places in the world, for that matter in the region, since then, they've adapted their tactics, and we've got to adapt ours." General Myers and other senior officials do not always publicize in what ways the enemy has adjusted, so as not to reveal U.S. countermoves. But interviews with veterans of the campaign in Afghanistan show that al-Qaeda fighters and Taliban fugitives learn quickly. Some examples include: -- Taliban leaders ceased using convoys and sport utility vehicles, switching to motorcycles and donkeys, and began traveling alone so as not to draw surveillance. -- Fugitives also move alone in cities, blending in with friendly Afghans. -- Al-Qaeda fighters learned to discern the distinctive sound of the four- engine AC-130 gunships. Early in the war, the "flying battleships" had great success in attacking enemy troops. The enemy also learned to detect the more muffled sound of unmanned Predator spy planes and rapidly moved for cover to avoid deadly Hellfire missiles. -- Al-Qaeda leaders greatly reduced their time on telephones and radios after realizing the United States' unmatched technical ability to monitor voice communications. During the summer, the military found a large cache of brand-new satellite phones -- unused. -- Taliban and al-Qaeda fugitives have paid teenage Afghans to act as spies. The agents position themselves outside known U.S. special-operations bases near Kandahar and near Khost in eastern Afghanistan and notify their handlers when special-operations patrols leave the compounds. 08 Dec 2002 New Threats From Purported Al-Qaeda Spokesman DUBAI, UAE: Alleged al Qaeda spokesman, Sulaiman Bu Ghaith, today was heard on Qatar's al Jazeera channel in an audiotape claiming responsibility for the twin Mombasa attacks in Kenya. Additionally, new threats against the "Jewish Crusader coalition" were posted to the jehadonline.org website. "We must use shock weapons against the enemy, by mounting lightning well-targeted operations against him everywhere in the world so that he feels danger, insecurity and instability on land, at sea and in the air," the al-Qaeda spokesman reportedly said. "We are going to
strike at its vital installations and strategic interests with all means at
our disposal," Ghaith is quoted as saying, and he called on al-Qaeda
fighters to "prepare themselves seriously for the next phase which will be
bigger and more serious." 18 Nov 2002 Officials Say Tap is Authentic; Bin Laden Alive
INSTANT UPDATE - 12:00CST - 17 Nov 2002 Director Ridge Says Nothing New in Threatening Letter WASHINGTON, DC: Referring to a new six-page document given to a journalist at the Arabic-language television channel al-Jazeera (see below) that stated new attacks would be aimed at civilians in New York and Washington, Ridge told "Fox News Sunday" U.S. officials were "familiar with that piece of information" and "assigned it no particular credence." "There are no new threats, there are the same old conditions," Ridge said. "It's really nothing new." Reassuringly, Ridge went even one step further and added, "We have to be prepared, and I think we are, for every eventuality." ERRI counter-terrorism analysts said that officials in both the U.K, and in Washington have raised concerns in recent days that the public will experience "alert fatigue" if too many non-specific terrorism advisories are issued and no major events occur. U.S. and allied authorities are trying very hard to balance the public's "right to know" and maintaining the necessary secrecy to effectively combat terrorist insurgents. ***** 01:00CST/07:00 London time - 17 Nov 2002 Another Threatening Letter Received, Allegedly From Al-Qaeda Militants LONDON, ENGLAND/: -- According to an overnight report from the Cable News Network (CNN), a new statement purported to be from the terrorist network al Qaeda warns the United States to "stop your support for Israel against the Palestinians, for Russians against the Chechens and leave us alone, or expect us in Washington and New York." "Do not force us to ship you in coffins," it says. Chief investigative correspondent Yosri Fouda, for the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite television station told CNN he received the document "through previously tested channels" and that he believes it to be authentic. Chechnya, Kashmir, the Philippines and the Iraqi government are also issues raised in the letter, Fouda reportedly said, which ends with a call for "all the American people to convert to Islam." 14:30CST - 12 Nov 2002 Bin Laden Allegedly Praising Terrorist Attacks in Russia, Indonesia, and Yemen QATAR: (EmergencyNet News) -- An audio-tape, purportedly made by terror mastermind Usama Bin Laden, is being broadcast today by the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television station. In the tape, the speaker reportedly praises a recent bomb attack in Bali, Indonesia, a hostage incident in Moscow, Russia, and an attack on a petroleum tanker off the coast of Yemen. The tape also reportedly contains additional terrorist threats directed against the United States, England, Germany, Australia and other allies in the war on terrorism. Western intelligence officials said that they are reviewing the developing information, but that it can not be confirmed that the voice on the tape is that of one of America's most wanted terrorists. Officials said that they can not confirm that Bin Laden is alive, nor that today's tape is authentic. Inquiry into the tape continues...29 Oct 2002 New Al-Qaeda Leaders Said To Be Emerging WASHINGTON: The Washington Post was reporting on Tuesday that six militants have emerged from within al-Qaeda ranks to direct the group's terrorist activities and fill the void left by the death or absence of the evil Usama bin Laden and his top lieutenants. The nucleus of the group has reportedly worked together for years. one U.S. intelligence official told the newspaper: "The strength of the group is they don't need centralized command and control. They know what it is they want to do." The new leaders are believed to have directed a wave of recent terrorist plots against Western targets, including the 12 October bomb attack of a Bali nightclub district, which killed 180, most of them tourists. The report said Saif al-Adel, an Egyptian is viewed as the new military leader for the remnants of al-Qaeda and the Taliban in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. He took over as chief of military operations late last year, after U.S. bombs killed Muhammad Atef, al Qaida's military commander. Another Egyptian, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, is named in the Post report as al-Qaeda's new chief financial officer. Riduan Isamuddin, an Indonesian, is described as al-Qaeda's liaison to loose-knit radical Islamic groups in Southeast Asia. The others named as emerging group leaders are Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian; Tawfiq bin Atash, a Saudi or Yemeni; and Rahim al-Nashri, a Yemeni. 15 Oct 2002 U.S. Said Concerned that Al-Qaeda Is Targeting Oil WASHINGTON: After hitting one tanker off Yemen and failing in an attempt to attack a Saudi pipeline and a nearby port complex, U.S. counterterrorism officials believe al-Qaeda is targeting oil interests in the Middle East. Saudi authorities reported foiling a planned terrorist attack on a major pipeline this summer. Documents found during the war in Afghanistan also suggested al-Qaeda was planning strikes on oil interests. Yemeni officials now acknowledge that the French tanker Limburg was rammed by an explosives-laden boat on 6 October off the coast of Yemen. U.S. counterterrorism officials say they believe the attack was conducted by al-Qaeda operatives. Details of the Saudi plot were sketchy, but Saudi authorities are said to have made more than 20 arrests over the summer in connection with the plot. The target was believed to have been the Ras Tanura oil terminal and refinery, as well as pipelines that serve it. Whether the plotters had the capability to actually knock such a large facility out of action is unclear. 01:00CDT/02:00EDT - 10 Oct 2002 FBI Urges Extra Caution and Preparedness; Concerns Raised About Al-Qaeda Messages WASHINGTON, DC (EmergencyNet News) -- The FBI today urged law enforcement agencies to take extra precautions in the coming days to "detect, disrupt, deter, and defend against potential attacks" against the United States, both at home and abroad. According to law enforcement sources, taped statements by al-Qaida leaders that were broadcast recently may signal that another significant attack on the United States may be forthcoming. "The group's leaders have said that they aim to undermine what they see as the backbone of U.S. power, the economy," the FBI said in a prepared statement that was distributed. 09 Oct 2002 Another Purported Tape Threatens More Attacks On U.S.
Al-Zawahri, an Egyptian national who is regarded as a primary strategist of the al-Qaeda terror network and was with bin Laden in Afghanistan, disappeared soon after 9/11 but is widely thought to have survived U.S. bombing there. U.S. officials say they don't know whether he or bin Laden are alive. Al-Zawahri was said to be alive in a satellite telephone conversation reportedly intercepted over the weekend by U.S. and Afghan intelligence. The conversation was between fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar and his former deputy prime minister, Maulvi Abdul Kabir. The report could not be immediately confirmed by U.S. officials. 16:00CDT - 06 Oct 2002 New Threats From Bin Laden Reported On Al-Jazerra 14 Sep 2002 Top Al-Qaeda Terror Suspect Reported Captured In Pakistan PAKISTAN: Yemeni national Ramzi Binalshibh, one of the key suspects in the 9/11 terror attacks on New York and Washington has been arrested in Pakistan. Binalshibh, who recently claimed on Al-Jazzera TV to have been one of the organizers of the attack, was captured after a three-hour gun battle at an apartment building in Karachi. The suspect, who is said to have shared the Hamburg apartment where the attacks were planned with suspected hijack ringleader Mohammed Atta, is on the FBI's most wanted list and has a $25 million bounty on his head. He is now reported to be undergoing interrogation by the Pakistani police. The 30-year-old Binalshibh was detained on Wednesday - the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks - when the flat where he was staying was raided by Pakistani police commandos, supported by US intelligence officers. The operation was planned after US intelligence intercepted a satellite phone call from the apartment. The raid -- which prompted one of the fiercest gun battles in Karachi for several years -- was reported on Wednesday, but it was not until three days later that an al-Qaeda connection was confirmed. The arrests were made after police surrounded the building in southern Karachi -- an area which is home to many foreign businessmen. When police stormed the apartment used by suspected al-Qaeda members, a gunfight broke out, which reportedly spilled over on to nearby rooftops. Two suspects were killed, and the remaining five surrendered, including Binalshibh. Six policemen were injured, two of them critically. US officials said that no Americans were wounded during the operation, which led to the recovery of heavy weapons and various items of communications equipment from the building. ERRI analysts said that Binalshibh's arrest was a major victory in the battle against terrorism and that his interrogation may lead to additional arrests. 08 Sep 2002 U.S. Reportedly Picking Up Increased Al-Qaeda "Chatter" WASHINGTON: According to a report by CBS News, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies are detecting increased "chatter" or communications among known al-Qaeda operatives. One senior official described the chatter as "terrorist electronic and internet intercepts," some of which are in the form of morale boosting messages such as, "Stay tuned. Good news is on the way." Much of the increased chatter is taking place in Afghanistan and began to spike in volume earlier this week. According to some experts, the electronic intercepts suggest an impending attack against the U.S. or its allies, but contains no specific time or targets. The increased communications are less intense than the ones that occurred around July 4, but are said to be intense, nonetheless. Some U.S. officials speculated that the chatter could be related to the 9 September anniversary of the assassination in Afghanistan of a Northern Alliance leader. While officials are concerned that al-Qaeda may try an attack on the anniversary of 9/11, they note the group has never marked anniversaries or holidays, unlike a number of other terrorist organizations. Federal law enforcement officials have issued no major terror alerts to local police in recent days. 19 Aug 2002 Terrorism on Tape... ATLANTA, GA: CNN began airing excerpts on Sunday from a cache of videotapes acquired in Afghanistan that purport to show al-Qaeda terror training, bomb-making and poison gas experiments on dogs. The tapes also show al-Qaeda operatives appear to be practicing ambushes and kidnapping. Most of the tapes appear to be made before 9/11, although some show recorded television coverage of last fall's attacks in New York and Washington. CNN said it acquired more than 250 tapes through a longtime source. The New York Times, which was shown portions of the tapes last week, quoted an expert who viewed the tapes as saying the tapes suggest Western intelligence agencies may be underestimating al-Qaeda. Magnus Ranstop said: "In conjunction with the Encyclopedia of Jihad and other written manuals, the tapes show meticulous planning, preparation and attention to the tradecraft of terror." CNN plans to reveal the tapes' contents through several reports this week, and show poison gas experiments on Monday. Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the White House's Office of Homeland Security, however, told FoxNews the tapes "are consistent with our previous information that [Al Qaeda leaders] would use chemical weapons if they're able to obtain them." He said there was still no credible information that the group had been successful in its effort to obtain weapons of mass destruction. ERRI Reference: May 8, 1999: UK THINK-TANK RELEASES SURVEY ON "WMD" TERRORISM 10 Aug 2002 Lead Focus: Al-Qaeda Seen As Regrouping To Conduct Attacks AFGHANISTAN: Counterterrorism experts say that three separate clashes with al-Qaeda fighters this week, including a foiled attack inside the city of Kabul, point to the terrorist organization's resurgence as a force inside Afghanistan. Afghan military intelligence chiefs in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar say al-Qaeda has established two main bases inside Pakistan -- hundreds of miles north of where U.S. and Pakistani troops are hunting -- and is preparing for a massive strike against the Afghan government. To blunt U.S. air superiority, al-Qaeda forces are allegedly attempting to acquire surface-to-air missiles in/from China. Western intelligence sources said, however, that they believed that the official Chinese government was not providing the munitions. Brig. Rahmatullah Rawand, chief of military intelligence for the Afghan Ministry of Defense in Kunar province, said: "Al-Qaeda has regrouped, together with the Taliban, Kashmiri militants and other radical Islamic parties, and they are just waiting for the command to start operations." Spokesmen for the U.S. military operations in Afghanistan say they are able to confirm parts of the Afghan intelligence reports and are prepared for any al-Qaeda military offensive in the coming weeks or months. 30 July 2002 27 July 2002 Al-Qaeda Said To Be Trying To Recruit Hezbollah WASHINGTON, DC/LEBANON: U.S. officials said there are indications that some low- level al-Qaeda members are building relationships with members of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese group. The development has raised U.S. misgivings about greater cooperation between the world's two most sophisticated Islamic terror networks. Terrorism analysts say that the fervor and international sophistication of al-Qaeda members, coupled with the resources, organization and state backing of Hezbollah, would constitute a dangerous mix. A senior law enforcement official said that U.S. intelligence indicates that so far, the known contacts between Hezbollah and al-Qaida are neither high-level nor extensive. Officials say Hezbollah has plenty of reasons, both ideological and practical, to spurn any formal advances from al-Qaeda's leaders. The LEA official said: "Hezbollah has a very extensive support network, not only in the Mideast but in Europe and in the United States." U.S. authorities have evidence suggesting Hezbollah members have shared intelligence on the U.S. effort to track terrorists in certain cities and provided some financial assistance. That conclusion isn't universally accepted throughout the U.S. government, a fact which underscores the difficulty of gathering solid intelligence on the two terrorist groups. Other U.S. counterterrorism officials said that while they have observed increased contacts and relationship-building among members of al-Qaeda and Hezbollah, they haven't seen credible evidence of financial or operational collaboration. FBI counterterror agents reportedly believe many al-Qaeda members are desperate for resources because of U.S. efforts to reduce money available to the organization. U.S. officials have denied news reports that al-Qaeda leaders attended a meeting of Hezbollah officials in Lebanon in March. Yet, Lebanon has been the site of many of the low-level al-Qaeda contacts with Hezbollah that U.S. officials have learned about. There are no signs that Iran's government has sanctioned Hezbollah recruitment of al-Qaeda rejects. Hezbollah also receives support from Syria and Lebanon. Hezbollah's leaders are known to have been surprised by the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah would seem unlikely partners historically, because al-Qaeda is run by Sunni Muslims, Hezbollah by Shiites. Theological differences between these two major branches of Islam apparently have prevented an alliance thus far. 30 June 2002 Al Qaeda `Sleepers' May Be In U.S. MILAN, ITALY -- The Chicago Tribune is today reporting that Italian anti-terrorism investigators, poring over hundreds of hours of surreptitiously recorded conversations among members of Europe's most important Al Qaeda outpost, say they are convinced a cell in Milan supplied false passports and other bogus documents to Al Qaeda operatives who may have succeeded in entering the United States. The absence of any apparent contact between the Milan Al Qaeda operation and the Sept. 11 hijackers, who spawned their deadly plot in Hamburg, Germany, could mean that other potential Al Qaeda terrorists managed to take up residence in the United States before Sept. 11. They may still be in the U.S. awaiting a signal to strike... 25 June 2002 United States Says Criminal Bin Laden Probably Alive In Pakistan WASHINGTON: US officials say they really aren't certain but intelligence analysts believe master terrorist Usama bin Laden is probably alive and hiding out in the lawless tribal areas of western Pakistan. On unnamed US Defense official said on Monday: "We don't have a clue where he is. If he's dead or alive, whether he's in Afghanistan or Pakistan -- we don't know." Bin Laden's fate resurfaced over the weekend in an audio- tape attributed to al-Qaeda spokesman Suleiman Abu Ghaith, who claimed bin Laden is alive and well and will appear soon on a television broadcast. Abu Ghaith also warned that America should "fasten the seat belts" for more al-Qaeda attacks on US and Jewish targets. US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Monday US officials had not made a "final assessment" about the tape aired Sunday by the Arabic satellite television station al-Jazeera, but said al-Qaeda clearly continued to pose a threat with or without bin Laden. He said: "We've done an awful lot to dismantle the organization, to arrest their people, to roll up finances but we've also made absolutely clear that there are continuing threats from this organization and from the pieces of this organization as we go forward." A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was no way of knowing whether Abu Ghaith was telling the truth or merely boosting al-Qaeda morale in claiming that bin Laden was alive. The official said: "Our general belief is that he probably is alive. On the other hand, if he is, why aren't we hearing from him instead of Abu Ghaith??" 23 June 2002 Alleged Bin Laden Spokesman Threatens New Attacks on USA LEBANON: In audiotaped remarks aired on Al-Jazeera on Sunday, a spokesman for fugitive on the run, Usama bin Laden said the terrorist mastermind and his No. 2 man are both alive and well and their al-Qaeda network is ready to attack new U.S. targets. Abu Ghaith said al-Qaida still has "the capability to threaten America and execute such threats. The few coming days and months will prove to the whole world, Allah willing, the truth of what we are saying." Al-Qaida, he said, "is now monitoring, detecting and observing new American targets other than the targets previously monitored, which we will strike at in a period that is not long." The message also reportedly claimed responsibility for a deadly April incident at a Jewish synagogue in Tunisia that killed fourteen (14) German tourists. And, Ghaith said that Bin Laden will issue a videotape recorded statement on the 4th of July, proving that he is alive. "I want to reassure Muslims that Sheikh Usama bin Laden is in good health, thank God, and that all that is rumored about Sheikh Usama bin Laden being injured or sick in Tora Bora is not true," Ghaith said. "The whole world...will discover that in an interview with Usama bin Laden soon, God willing, which will appear on television screens." The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite television network, which has in the past aired videotaped messages of bin Laden and his top lieutenants, said that it received the recorded audiotaped message from Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, the Kuwaiti-born alleged spokesman for bin Laden. Western intelligence analysts told EmergencyNet News today that there was no way to independently confirm the authenticity of the remarks, or whether Mr. Bin Laden is actually alive. Newspaper Says Al-Qaeda Planned Church Attack In Italy ITALY: A newspaper was reporting on Sunday that investigators have broken up a Milan-based "terror cell" with links to al-Qaeda which planned an attack on a 14th century church in Bologna earlier this year. Corriere della Sera newspaper said the group was identified after intercepted telephone conversations between several Tunisians and Moroccans with links to a Libyan known as Amsa, considered one of of Usama bin Laden's chief operatives in Europe. Amsa was arrested last month in Britain. The Milan-based cell, which included members of Algeria's radical Salafist Group of Preaching and Combat, allegedly planned an attack on the basilica of San Petronio in Bologna, northern Italy, because it contains a fresco depicting Mohammad in hell. Police began intercepting telephone conversations after the 9/11 attacks on the United States, and recorded discussions between the suspected Tunisian and Moroccan extremists. They had regular contact with Amsa, who at the time was living in Milan. Italian authorities tracked Amsa's movements to countries including Afghanistan and Iran, and, after contact with the CIA, learned that the United States considered him one of bin Laden's chief operatives. Italy kept surveillance on Amsa, tracing his movements to the Netherlands and learning through other intercepted conversations he was considering an attack on the U.S. embassy in Amsterdam. 17 June 2002 New Al-Qaeda Insight MOROCCO: US intelligence experts say there is mounting evidence that al-Qaeda cells are now functioning largely independently of a central leadership. The interrogation of three suspected Saudi members of al-Qaeda and their accomplices is under way in Morocco. The Saudi government has sent its own investigators to the North African country and doubtless the CIA and Britain's SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) are taking an interest in the questioning as well. Their trial, for an alleged plot to attack US and British warships, is yet to begin. But already reports are emerging of what al-Qaeda has been up to since it was driven out of its Afghan mountain strongholds late last year. According to The Washington Post, the Saudi detainees have revealed to their interrogators how they and other al-Qaeda members were ordered to escape from Afghanistan, move back to the countries they came from, re-establish themselves and then launch terrorist attacks on American and Jewish targets... 16 June 2002 Lead Focus New Al-Qaeda Threats From Global Sites NEW YORK CITY: The New York Times reported on Saturday that senior government officials say a group of midlevel operatives has assumed a more prominent role in al-Qaeda and is working in tandem with Middle Eastern extremists across the Islamic world. They say the alliance, which extends from North Africa to Southeast Asia, now poses the most serious terrorist threat to the United States. This new alliance of terrorists, though loosely knit, is as fully capable of planning and carrying out attacks on American targets as the more centralized network once led by Usama bin Laden. Officials told the newspaper that classified investigations of the al-Qaeda threat now under way at the FBI and CIA have concluded that the war in Afghanistan failed to diminish the threat to the United States. Instead, the war might have complicated counterterrorism efforts by dispersing potential attackers across a wider geographic area. Moreover, as al-Qaeda followers have fled Afghanistan, the old bin Laden hierarchy has been succeeded by tactical operatives with makeshift alliances with militant groups in countries like Pakistan, Egypt and Algeria. Senior National Security Analyst Clark Staten said on Sunday that the NYT assessment is in concurrence with an evolving theory of ERRI consultants, "If it is possible, Al-Qaeda has become even more amorphous...the threat is now more diffuse and covert militant cells operate throughout the world." "While we may be making a good deal of progress in the 'War on Terrorism,' we must be cognizant that we probably still oppose a force of ten thousand (10,000) extremists of a similar mindset and trained in the Al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and other countries over the past decade," Staten continued. "As we have seen, it only takes a small cell of fanatical followers of Bin Laden's philosophy to cause the United States a serious insult," he added. "Our present analysis would anticipate a series of smaller and less spectacular terrorist attacks -- both within the continental United States and on our interests overseas -- followed by, or in concurrence with one or more larger and more dramatic events," the veteran crisis manager said. "In summary and contrary to those who lately seem to advocate the view that the 'War on Terrorism' is being vastly overblown and exploited for domestic political purposes...we continue to firmly believe that there is still grave danger on the horizon," Staten said last night on the Batchelor/Alexander show on WABC radio. 05 June 2002 Al-Qaeda And Taliban Said To Move On To Iran AFGHANISTAN: The U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan said on Tuesday that al-Qaeda and its Taliban sponsors have found shelter in neighboring countries, especially Iran. Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said: "We have in Afghanistan al-Qaeda on the run. Afghanistan is no longer the headquarters." Khalilzad cited Iran as the primary safe haven for al-Qaeda and the Taliban. He said: "In Iran, there is both an elected and un-elected government. And the un-elected have been giving shelter to some al Qaeda and some Taliban people." His concerns come as Afghanistan prepares for a loya jirga, or grand tribal council, that will determine the nation's next government to replace the one now led by Hamid Karzai. The fear in Kabul is that the Taliban and the al-Qaeda will attempt a terrorist attack in order to disrupt the fledgling assembly. Helicopter gunships of the 5,000-strong international peacekeeping force have begun to orbit key parts of Afghanistan's capital city, and armored personnel carriers and light-armored cars are stationed outside the loya jirga commission's office. More than 1,500 delegates from across the country will arrive in Kabul over the next five days to participate in the assembly, which is to choose a new government by 22 June. Khalilzad characterized the overall security situation as "positive." 22:00CDT - 22 Apr 2002 Zubaydah Says Al-Qaeda Can Build a Dirty Bomb... (EmergencyNet News) -- In what appears to be another startling revelation from Abu Zubaydah, a captured senior al-Qaida field commander, Zubaydah says that Al-Qaeda has the capability to build a so-called "dirty bomb" or (RDD - Radiological Dispersal Device). U.S. intelligence sources tell EmergencyNet News that they remain uncertain about the authenticity of Zubaydah's statement, and that they think he may be engaging in some sort of "disinformation or misdirection." A U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity said: "We're aware that al-Qaeda has been interested in this for a long time. But it doesn't take much know-how to build a dirty nuke. Just because he's making the claim doesn't mean he's telling the truth." The device would explode conventional high explosives to spread industrial, medical-grade or waste radioactive material into a populated area, in an effort to cause panic and provoke a widespread fear of exposure. Such a explosion, detonated by terrorists, could necessitate evacuation and decontamination of the area and probably disrupt a local economy for a period of time, officials said. The possibility of the use of such a device has been dismissed by some U.S. government and other scientists as "improbable," but other Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) experts, including ERRI analysts, say that they remain concerned about such a possibility. Additional references: 08 Apr 2002--ERRI Special Report: Change in Terrorism Tactics Reported; Suicide Bombers Could Have Major Implications U.S. Intelligence Dates Latest Bin Laden Tapes To Last Year WASHINGTON: U.S. intelligence officials believe the latest pictures of master terrorist Usama bin Laden were probably filmed last year. They say the tapes are an attempt by his followers to keep the message alive while his true fate remains unknown, even as further reports of his whereabouts surface. On Sunday, a tribal leader said bin Laden has been hidden by sympathizers in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, a gigantic labyrinth of 3.5 million people, since early December. This report has not been verified by Western intelligence sources. Speaking on condition his name not be used, the man who commands the loyalty of over half a million tribesmen said bin Laden crossed over into Pakistan on 9 December as the Pakistani army began deploying a brigade of 4,500 troops along a 30-mile-long stretch of mountainous border. Regardless of bin Laden's whereabouts, observers say the videotapes keep his message circulating. Mohammed Salah, an Egyptian journalist who covers militant movements for the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat, said: "They are trying to prove that bin Laden is still alive, he has people and can get his word out. It's not just a declaration that al-Qaeda carried out September 11, but that they can carry out attacks against Americans again..." 19 Apr 2002 (MSNBC) Al-Qaida’s apparent use of computers and inexpensive editing
software to put together videotapes that emerged this week came as no
surprise to U.S. intelligence officials, who told NBC News that laptops and
high-speed Internet access had become terrorists’ primary tools for
communicating over the past several years. 18 Apr 2002 Al-Qaeda Again Claims 9/11 Attack SAUDI ARABIA: A recognized spokesman for Usama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network made the clearest indication yet that it was responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Sulaiman bu Ghaith said that al-Qaeda had managed to hit the United States "right on its doorstep." He was speaking in an undated recording aired on Wednesday by a Saudi-owned televison network. The tape also showed what appeared to be al-Qaeda fighters killed in Afghanistan. The spokesman, who is among Washington's most wanted men, accused the US of "publicly fighting Islam." The terrorist said: "We have managed to attack the head of infidelity, who deliberately and openly declares his hostility to Islam day and night, in his own country. God ordered us to terrorize the infidels, and we terrorized the infidels." The same broadcast - by the Middle East Broadcasting Corporation - also showed old statements made by bin Laden, himself, welcoming the homicide attacks, which killed about 3,000 people... 17 Apr 2002 WashPost Says Bin Laden Fled Tora Bora WASHINGTON: Citing unnamed US intelligence officials, the Washington Post alleged that Usama bin Laden probably got away during the battle for Tora Bora late last year because the US military failed to commit enough U.S. ground troops to the mountainous region in eastern Afghanistan. Some civilian and military officials reportedly told the Post that General Tommy Franks, top US commander in the US war in Afghanistan, misjudged the interests of Afghan allies and did not perceive the setbacks soon enough "because he ran the war from Florida." The failure to capture the terrorist mastermind and leader of the al-Qaeda network at Tora Bora is reportedly described in a series of after-action reviews. That said, SecDef. Runsfeld today called the criticism by unnamed individuals in the Post "speculation," and said that Gen. Frank's participation in Afghanistan...and the overall campaign was..."very successful." After singling out for months extremist bin Laden as public enemy number one and the evil mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States, POTUS has lately refrained from mentioning him, extolling instead the success in dismantling al-Qaeda and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, the Post said. The reviews conducted privately inside and outside the military chain of command allegedly concluded that corrupt local militias did not keep promises to seal off the mountain redoubt, and some militia leaders probably betrayed their U.S. allies and colluded in the escape of fleeing al-Qaeda fighters.... 16 Apr 2002 Bin Laden Appears In "New" Video UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Master terrorist Usama bin Laden was shown in an undated videotape excerpt aired on Monday, sitting silently alongside his top aide who praised the 9/11 attacks on the United States as a "great victory." Qatar-based satellite television network al-Jazeera broadcast the footage, which also included what it said was the video- taped will of one of the suspected 9/11 hijackers. A station official said the tape was "old" but had apparently not been broadcast before. ERRI's Clark Staten said in an interview last night on WABC radio with Paul Alexander and John Batchelor, that it appeared that both tapes may have been a composite or compilation of previous tapes that was edited for broadcast recently. A broadcast of the entire tapes is scheduled for Thursday of this week on al-Jazeera. "We'll probably learn more then...but, the tapes released on Monday contained very little new, except their own verification that Al-Qaeda was responsible for Sept. 11th," Staten said. 11 Apr 2002 AFGHANISTAN: In a telephone call to the al-Hayat newsaper, Usama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network has claimed responsibility for an attempt to kill Afghan Defense Minister Moh |
Usama
Bin Laden
The
Homeland Security Department reportedly issued a "classified bulletin" to
state and local HS officials over the weekend about the new intelligence,
which spokesman Brian Roehrkasse described as "credible but not specific."
The intelligence was obtained over the past several weeks, unidentified
officials said. Another source in Washington told EmergencyNet News that
there was no specific targets named in the Bin laden message, but that there
was a general indication that Bin laden wanted Zarqawi to expand his attacks
on America to the continental United States. ERRI analysts are reviewing
all current indicators and warnings in light of the Bin Laden request, and
we will bring you additional updates as circumstances warrant...
The first videotape of Usama Bin laden in about three years has been
broadcast on several TV stations throughout the world. It originated with
Al-Jazeera TV in Qatar, who said they were given the tape at their office in
Pakistan. Sources within the U.S. intelligence and military community have
essentially verified for EmergencyNet News that the 17-18 min. tape is
authentic, though the actual date of its production remains to be
determined. 
MIDDLE
EAST: A new audiotape, purportedly from the Usama bin Laden's top
deputy, is warning the United States that it will pay if it harms detainees
at Guantanamo Bay, and urges Muslims everywhere to avenge the prisoners. The
Arab satellite station Al-Arabiya (right)
broadcast the recording Sunday, saying it was from Ayman
How the terrorist organization is recruiting and planning strikes here in
the U.S. 
SINGAPORE: A terror expert says that the Egyptian who now guards
PAKISTAN: A Pakistani intelligence official said Thursday that the
suspected third highest-ranking al-Qaeda leader told his interrogators after
being captured last weekend that the fugitive fleeing from justice Usama bin
Laden is alive, in good health and living in the border region between
Pakistan and Afghanistan. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind
of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, is said to be singing like a birdie to
Western intelligence officials and said he met with the criminal bin Laden
in recent weeks using a complicated network of phone calls, runners and
intermediaries to line up the visit.
WASHINGTON:
WASHINGTON:
Officials said on Monday that U.S. intelligence has concluded that an
audiotape of Usama bin Laden broadcast last week is real and was recently
recorded, providing the first evidence in almost a year that al-Qaeda's
leader is still alive. The audiotape, broadcast on an Arab language
television network, does not appear to have been altered or edited,
suggesting it is what it sounds like: bin Laden himself, reading a prepared
statement promising new terrorism against the United States and its allies.
MIDDLE-EAST: The authenticity of a new audiotape could not be
independently confirmed, but a speaker purported to be the evil Usama bin
Laden's top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, threatens new attacks on the United
States, its allies and its economy. It was not known when the tape was made
-- though it includes references to the United States' recent standoff with
Iraq and a 1 July U.S. bombing in Afghanistan. The speaker, said to be al-Zawahri,
accuses the United States of trying, through its campaign against Iraq, to
subjugate the Arab world on behalf of Israel. The audiotape was broadcast,
as was an another alleged tape from Usama bin Laden, on the Al-Jazeera
television network. (See 16:00CDT - 06 Oct 2002 report
below)