Counter-Terrorism Page II
14 Sep 2002
Five In Reputed New York State Al-Qaeda Cell Arrested
LACKAWANNA, NEW YORK: Five Islamic men believed to be an active al-Qaeda terror cell were arrested on Friday after months of surveillance in a Buffalo suburb on charges of giving material support and resources to terrorists. According to a federal official who did not want to be identified, the indictment -- which will be unsealed Saturday -- does not indicate that the five were planning any imminent action. However, law enforcement personnel believe the men are all graduates of a terrorist training camp of the fugitive Usama bin Laden prior to the attacks of 9/11.
The five will be arraigned in federal court in Buffalo on Saturday and
they are being held at the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization detention
facility in Batavia, New York, located 30 miles east of Buffalo. The men,
whose names have not been released, all lived within a block of the center
of the local Muslin community and all are said to have attended the
Lackawanna Islamic Mosque daily. All five are of Yemini decent and three of
the men were born in Mercy Hospital in Lackawanna. A fourth was born in the
United States and the fifth is a naturalized U.S. citizen...
29 Aug 2002
Six Charged With Plotting Terror In US
DETROIT, MI/SEATTLE, WA: Six men have been charged with conspiring to provide material support and resources to Islamic militants for a series of attacks in the US and overseas. Five men, all Arab nationals, were indicted in Detroit on charges of acting as a terrorist cell for Islamic groups waging a self-professed holy war on the United States and of falsely obtaining passports and other travel documents. A sixth man, an American Muslim, was charged in Seattle with conspiring to provide material support and resources to Usama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network.
The charges against the six men are among the most serious leveled in America's hunt for Islamic terror groups after 9/11. Earnest James Ujaama, who was arrested in July, has strongly denied being linked to terrorist groups. A federal grand jury charged him with conspiring to aid al-Qaeda while living in London and Seattle.
Ujaama was accused of providing training, facilities, computer
services, safe houses, and personnel to al-Qaeda with the knowledge that
they would be used "to destroy property and murder and maim persons
located outside the United States." Prosecutors in Detroit said at least
three of the five suspects there had "operated as a covert underground
support unit for terrorist attacks" and were also functioning as a
"sleeper" operational terror cell. The indictment suggested the men -- one
of whom was charged in absentia -- were involved with an Islamic extremist
movement known as Salafiyya, which has been linked to al-Qaeda.
27 Aug 2002
Ridge Says Al-Qaeda Still Active In US
WASHINGTON, DC: According to the director of Homeland Security, Gov. Tom Ridge, cells of the criminal Usama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network are operating in the United States. Ridge says there are still weaknesses in US security which terrorists could easily exploit. He added that although airline safety has improved, the threat from chemical and biological weapons remains a major concern.
Ridge said the US had become much safer since the attacks of 9/11, but he warned that al-Qaeda cells are still waiting to strike. He also said US law enforcement agencies had already foiled a number of planned attacks, though he would not elaborate. Ridge warned that further terrorist strikes were "virtually inevitable."
Speaking about the 9/11 hijackers, he said: "It would be foolish to
conclude -- given the fact that at least 19 had made their way months, if
not years, before into this country to plan for and prepare for the attacks
of 9/11 --- it would be very foolhardy to conclude that there were only 19."
Policy Overhaul Recommended For FDNY
NEW YORK CITY: According to a report written after a five-month study of the New York Fire Department's response to the 9/11 attacks, a more rigorously structured command system is needed to ensure tight control of firefighters and equipment. The report to be released on Monday determined that at least one of the FDNY's most senior officers should oversee large-scale emergencies from its remote operations center instead of the disaster scene. The study recommends overhauling many systems and procedures to prepare for emergencies that could be more daunting than even the World Trade Center collapse.
According to officials, keeping senior officers at the FDNY's operations center in Brooklyn could save lives and allow for a coordinated response to multiple emergencies. The report makes about 20 recommendations for changes to the department's preparedness, communications technology and services to support department members and their families. It praises what it calls firefighters' "historic evacuation" of an estimated 25,000 people from the twin towers, and emphasizes that it would have been nearly impossible for any fire department to prepare for such an event...
The McKinsey report assessing the FDNY response to the WTC on 9/11 is
now available online at:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/mck_report/toc.html
17 June 2002
Man Arrested, Terrorist Ties Probed
MIAMI, FL: Officials said on Saturday that a man linked to an organization under investigation for terrorist ties was arrested in Florida on a purported immigration violation. Adham A. Hassoun, 40, was arrested on Wednesday and was being held at Krome Detention Center. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service declined to provide further details on the investigation.
State records show that Hassoun was listed as the Florida registered
agent of Chicago-based Benevolence International Foundation, which in April
was charged in federal court in Chicago with funding al-Qaeda terrorists.
The foundation describes itself as an international charity organization
benefiting refugees and children. Hassoun's arrest came the same week the
U.S. Justice Department announced the arrest in Chicago on 8 May of Jose
Padilla, also known as Abdullah al Muhajir, an American accused of
conspiring to explode a radiological device in the United States...
20 May 2002
Potential Infrastructure Attacks...
Report Says New York City Water Vulnerable To
Attack
NEW YORK CITY: According to a report released on Sunday,
security at New York City water facilities fails to meet federal and state
guide-lines, making them potentially vulnerable to biological or chemical
attacks. The report was compiled by the New York State Assembly Committee
on Oversight, Analysis and Investigation. It found that security at the
facilities failed more than half of the federal Environmental Protection
Agency and state Department of Health guidelines. New York City's water
system serves nine million people in the city's five boroughs and the
city's northern suburbs. The committee's findings were based on
several months of analysis using
a 21-point security checklist at eight
water facilities within the region.
Authorities Investigate Threat To Florida Water
Supply
ORLANDO: An unspecified threat to Orlando's water system
prompted federal and state authorities to alerted the public as a
precaution on Sunday. Officials described the threat as vague and
unsubstantiated, but said it was being taken seriously. Orlando, home to
Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando, has Florida officials
worried that the city's international profile might invite a terror
attack. Officials said the FBI alerted local and state law enforcement
agencies on Sunday, and water treatment facilities throughout Orlando and
Orange County were locked down and under guard.
24 Feb 2002
Senator Says 100 Al-Qaeda Terrorists Are Inside The US
WASHINGTON, DC: According to the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, at least 100 al-Qaeda terrorists are inside the United States and pose an immediate threat. On the CNN program "Novak, Hunt and Shields," Florida Senator Bob Graham said: "There are 100 or more al-Qaeda operatives inside the United States, some of whom have been here for a considerable period of time." Graham, who receives regular intelligence briefings from the CIA and the FBI added that all have been trained "to carry out terrorist plots when they were called upon to do so."
Without elaborating, Graham also said that other international terrorist organizations have agents inside the United States. Graham said Congress would shortly begin a joint investigation into possible intelligence failures leading up to the September attacks.
In the latest possible terrorist incident on US soil, the FBI has been
called in to investigate the theft of government property from the Federal
Highway Administration office in Lakewood, Colorado, overnight Thursday to
Friday. Missing hard drives were thought to contain "sensitive information"
about Hoover Dam, one of the world's largest dams, located on the
Arizona-Nevada border and a major supplier of hydroelectric power and water
for the US west. A 24-year-old woman was arrested in Golden, Colorado, early
Saturday, in connection to the case. Raul Carballido of the FBI, however,
told the Associated Press that investigators did not believe the break-in
involved a "terrorist threat." He said authorities believe it was simply a
"random property crime."
From: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-Wednesday, January 23, 2002-Vol. 8, No. 023-09:00CST
TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS
Planned Anti-Terrorism Measures In Washington; Communications Emphasis
By Steve Macko, ERRI Risk Analyst
WASHINGTON, DC: With about $320 million in federal anti-terrorism aid at their disposal, Washington area governments are racing to install 100 British-like surveillance cameras along major District of Columbia streets and synchronize traffic lights at 1,600 inter- sections in the nation's capital and adjoining suburban corridors to speed a potential evacuation. Officials reportedly plan to stockpile thousands of protective suits and nerve gas antidotes and distribute 400 "containment units" -- equipment used to isolate someone who may be contagious or dangerous to other patients or medical staff -- to prevent a bioterror epidemic at hospitals.
Money has also been approved to install 350 X-ray and metal detectors at all D.C. public schools and to build the nation's first regional (multi-state) law enforcement communications network so that 100 state and local public safety agencies can share data nearly instantly. All told, the capital area will tighten security at public places and beef up capabilities of first responders to address an array of what were previously considered "nightmare scenarios."
Included in a $20 billion anti-terrorism package passed by Congress last month and recently signed by POTUS, the D.C. plans offer the country a taste of what to expect when the President outlines an additional $15 billion for homeland security later this year. Most of the money will go to bolster police and fire departments across the country.
In explaining how the District of Columbia lobbied for the lawmakers for the funds, D.C. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Margret Nedelkoff Kellems, explained: "We would brief them and say, 'We cannot protect you if a plane crashes into the Capitol and 600 gallons of jet fuel pours into your office -- we are not equipped to respond to that.' Four months ago, that was an absurd, fantastic scare tactic. Three months ago, it became a real possibility."
In several cases, local D.C. governments got virtually everything they wanted. Alexandria, Virginia, received $8 million from Congress even though it initially asked for $3.5 million. City Manager Philip Sunderland said officials revised their request to include long- deferred communications improvements.
Mainly, Congress has drawn on preexisting long-range purchasing plans and they say that they have been talking with police and fire chiefs about what their crews need to respond to a World Trade Center-scale disaster or to a nuclear, chemical or biological attack.
In the heart of Alexandria's Old Town, where the U.S. District Court is the host court for terrorism trials, city officials have tightened security at the jail, ringed sensitive areas with concrete barriers and begun checking people approaching public buildings. Officials are contemplating installing additional fencing and blastproof window coverings and reinforcing jail and public safety buildings. Such physical security is only part of changes that ordinary citizens will begin to see.
District planners even envision public emergency drills reminiscent of the old Cold War "duck-and-cover" exercises. Overall, fire, police and transportation officials say their first priority will be spending tens of millions of dollars to strengthen and adapt radio systems to eliminate dead zones, share data with outside agencies and encrypt messages. Costs to upgrade land-based and wireless communications are up to $46 million in the District, $7 million in Arlington and $4 million in Alexandria.
The region also persuaded Congress to spend $20 million to create a
regional wireless, integrated network for federal, state and local police,
fire, emergency and transportation agencies. In theory, it will enable a
District police officer, Prince George's County firefighter and Virginia
transportation worker to communicate quickly via squad car laptop computers
or pager- size devices.
FBI Reportedly Investigating 150 Domestic Al-Qaida Links
[Terror Group Reference: al-Qaida]
WASHINGTON:
The Washington Post was reporting on Sunday that the Federal Bureau of
Investigation is probing more than 150 groups and individuals living in the
U.S. with possible links to the evil Usama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror
network. The newspaper cited U.S. officials as saying some targets were
under electronic surveillance and others were being watched by undercover
agents. Sources declined to name targets. But they said although some cases
concerned suspects already in U.S. custody, most involved individuals who
had been questioned and released or who had never been detained.
14:10CDT/12:10PST - 12 Dec 2001
Members of JDL Arrested in Bomb Plot
Los Angeles, CA (EmergencyNet News) -- In a statement issued by John Gordon of the L.A. U.S. attorney's office in the past five minutes, it was announced that two members of the Jewish Defense League had been arrested as they plotted to bomb a mosque in Culver City, CA and U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa. The two suspects were identified as Irv Rubin, 56, and Earl Krugel, 59. Both are known members of the militant Jewish Defense League. Members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force reportedly raided a house last night and recovered explosive-related materials and other weapons. It is believed that formal charges against Rubin and Krugel will be filed later today.
ERRI's Clark Staten said of the arrests, "These acts, planned by Jewish Defense League members, must be condemned just as strongly as those carried out by Islamic Jihad or Hamas...terrorists are terrorists...these arrests show that anyone who would target innocent civilians in such a manner will be brought to justice and dealt with in a expeditious manner." EmergencyNet News will bring you additional details if/when become available...
09:00CST - 12 Dec 2001
Captured American Says Biological Strike On U.S. Planned
U.S. intelligence officials have told The Washington Times that an American Taliban fighter who was captured in Afghanistan has told U.S. officials that al-Qaeda's next attack on the United States will take place within days and may involve "biological weapons." John Walker Lindh, the Taliban guerrilla captured near Mazar-e-Sharif, is reported to have said in intelligence debriefings at the U.S. Marine Corps base near Kandahar that "Phase II" of al-Qaeda's war against the United States will occur at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends on Sunday.
According to the article written by Bill Gertz
, Lindh told U.S. intelligence officials that the Ramadan attack will involve the use of biological weapons. A third phase of al-Qaeda's war on the United States will result in the destruction of the entire country.U.S. officials tell EmergencyNet News that they question the
credibility of Lindh's claim because of his relatively low-level position.
No other official details were available about Lindh's debriefing.
18 Nov 2001
Authorities Find Clusters Of Terrorist Supporters In Six U.S. Areas
By Steve Macko, ERRI Risk Analyst
Officials are saying that the largest criminal investigation in U.S. history has uncovered the rough outlines of at least six centers of terrorist support in the nation that was operating before the 11 September suicide attacks. Law enforcement officials say they believe suspected supporters of terrorism have stolen credit cards and used wire transfers to finance their activities, created false visas and identity documents and moved frequently with like-minded Middle Easterners.
Federal investigators believe they have arrested a small number of terrorist supporters among the more than 1,000 people, most of Middle Eastern descent, they have detained since 11 September and they are looking for more. The pockets of terrorist support exist in Boston, New Jersey, suburban Washington, Texas, southern California, and the Upper Midwest, particularly Detroit.
One law enforcement official, speaking only on condition of anonymity, said: "We don't call each of them cells. We call them terrorist presences. They're almost like cliques. Clear in their hatred for America, and loosely working together." Officials said the suspected terrorists appear to be aligned with several groups, including master terrorist Usama bin Laden's al-Qaida network and the Palestinian HAMAS and Islamic Jihad movements.
The investigation is drawing the most comprehensive picture to date of terrorist threats on U.S. soil. The emerging evidence is the product of a massive joint investigation by the FBI, immigration officials, Customs Service and other federal agencies. They have developed evidence through phone intercepts, surveillance, search warrants, meticulous reconstructions of money transfers and interviews.
Thousands of agents have re-examined nearly every piece of evidence gathered in terrorism investigations and intelligence operations of the past decade. They have used the investigation of the hijackers to create an extensive dossier on suspected terrorist sympathizers. Hundreds have been detained or arrested, and others are being monitored in hopes they will provide leads to additional suspects.
The suspected activities span the gamut from fund-raising in Texas and recruiting among Arab college students in California to planning in Boston and Detroit of attacks overseas. The evidence shows suspected sympathizers are remarkably transient, just like the 19 hijackers who crisscrossed the country from San Diego to Maine before their attacks.
With its easy access to Canada via the Windsor bridge, Detroit has emerged as a possible coordination point for Algerian extremists who are known to have a presence north of the border.
A recent report by Michigan police detailed suspected terrorism activity. The report said: "It is important to note that the Detroit/Dearborn area is a major financial support center for many Middle Eastern terrorist groups. Southeast Michigan is known as a lucrative recruiting area and potential support base for IT (International Terrorism) groups. It is also conceivable that 'sleeper cells' may be located in this area of the state."
In New Jersey, authorities have detained more than two dozen men in an area where at least six hijackers lived. New Jersey has been on the counterterrorism radar since the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.
The FBI also has focused on the Maryland and Virginia suburbs of
Washington, D.C., since learning several hijackers spent months there. FBI
special agents also have been examining an area in southern California near
San Diego where they have evidence dating to the early 1990s of fund-raising
efforts for suspected terrorists and extremist newsletters linked to an
Algerian terrorist group. A few hijackers also stayed among college students
in San Diego.
For Immediate Release
October 11, 2001 Washington D.C.
FBI
National Press Office
Additional Threat Advisory From the FBI
"Certain information, while not specific as to target, gives the
government reason to believe that there may be additional terrorist
attacks within the United States and against U.S. interests overseas over
the next several days. The FBI has again alerted all local law enforcement
to be on the highest alert and we call on all people to immediately notify
the FBI and local law enforcement of any unusual or suspicious activity."
Source:
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel01/101101.htm
FBI's List of the 22 Most Wanted Terrorists
http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/terrorists/fugitives.htm
Webposted: 10 Sep 2001
Worldwide Caution - Public Announcement
Dtd. September 7, 2001
Over the last several months, the U.S. Government has learned that U.S. citizens and interests abroad may be at increased risk of a terrorist action from extremist groups. In addition, we have received unconfirmed information that terrorist actions may be taken against U.S. military facilities and/or establishments frequented by U.S. military personnel in Korea and Japan. We are also concerned about information we received in May 2001 that American citizens may be the target of a terrorist threat from extremist groups with links to Usama Bin Ladin's Al-Qaida organization. In the past, such individuals have not distinguished between official and civilian targets. As always, we take this information seriously. U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert.
U.S. citizens are urged to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness to reduce their vulnerability. Americans should maintain a low profile, vary routes and times for all required travel, and treat mail and packages from unfamiliar sources with suspicion. In addition, American citizens are also urged to avoid contact with any suspicious, unfamiliar objects, and to report the presence of the objects to local authorities. Vehicles should not be left unattended, if at all possible, and should be kept locked at all times.
U.S. Government personnel overseas have been advised to take the same precautions. In addition, U.S. Government facilities have and will continue to temporarily close or suspend public services as necessary to review their security posture and ensure its adequacy.
U.S. citizens planning to travel abroad should consult the Department of State's Public Announcements, Travel Warnings, Consular Information Sheets, and regional travel brochures, all of which are available at the Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov. We will continue to provide updated information should it become available. American citizens overseas may contact the American Citizens Services unit of the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate by telephone or fax for up-to-date information on security conditions. In addition, American citizens in need of emergency assistance should telephone the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate before visiting the Embassy or Consulate.
Department of State travel information and publications are available at Internet address: http://travel.state.gov. U.S. travelers may hear recorded information by calling the Department of State in Washington, D.C. at 202-647-5225 from their touch-tone telephone, or receive information by automated telefax by dialing 202-647-3000 from their fax machine.
This Public Announcement supersedes the Public Announcement - Worldwide Caution of June 22, 2001 to inform U.S. citizens of unconfirmed threats against U.S. military facilities, personnel and establishments frequented by U.S. military personnel. This Public Announcement expires on December 22, 2001.
See
http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html for State Department Travel
Warnings
Special Report - 26/27 August 2001
"Jihadi" Website, Under Investigation by RCMP, Moves To the U.S.A.
According to a by-lined article by Stewart Bell of the National Post, a website used by Mid-Eastern radicals, and reportedly under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), has moved its registration from Canada to an address in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The website in question, islamway.com, was allegedly being used to recruit potential volunteers for terrorist training at camps run by mujahedeen guerrillas in Afghanistan. Additionally, posts made to website also openly issue a call for "jihad" or "holy war" and advocate violence against Israel and the United States. The Web site denies responsibility for the postings.
A second Canadian-registered Web site, qudscall.com, which U.S. experts claim was set up by the Middle Eastern terrorist group Islamic Jihad, is also being investigated by the RCMP. Its domain is still registered in Toronto, Canada.
Mr. Bell says that since the National Post began reporting on the content of the two "jihadi" websites, that they have been subjected to a number of death threats and have received a volume of racist e-mail containing profanity and virulent anti-Jewish content.
ERRI counter-terrorist (CT) analysts said that the nature and language of the threats received by the National Post would appear similar to a series of phone calls and e-mail threats that have been received by EmergencyNet News (and reported here) following its publication of a number of articles revealing extremist intentions and terrorist threats.
ERRI's CEO and senior national security analyst, C. L. Staten said, "It would appear that a certain segment of those that support this world-wide terrorist campaign believe that they can threaten and intimidate journalists into adopting their position or avoiding the issue altogether... this is certainly not the first instance that we have heard of such tactics." "Apparently, given the views expressed in today's article by Mr. Bell in the National Post, they have chosen a similar path to that continuously taken by EmergencyNet News...namely to expose the terrorists and hate-mongers for what they are and not to capitulate to their threats," Staten added.
"There is a certain amount of risk involved in telling the truth about
those who would advocate the mass murder of innocents ...but freedom of the
press, like the many other freedoms that citizens of the United States and
Canada enjoy...is not free," the veteran CT analyst added. "I'm sure that we
will receive additional threats following this article...but, ultimately,
that is the responsibility of any real journalist, to tell the truth as best
one knows it, regardless of the potential consequences," Staten concluded.
10:45CDT - 13 July 2001
Millennium Bombing Defendant Convicted of Five Charges, Including Conspiracy to Engage in Terrorist Acts
New York City (EmergencyNet News) -- A jury in federal court in New
York City has today convicted Mokhtar Haouari, a 32-year-old Algerian
national, of "conspiracy to supply material support to a terrorist act."
Additionally, Mr. Haouari was also convicted of four charges involving
document fraud. The defendant was acquitted on one other terrorism-related
charge. Haouari, along with Ahmed Ressam and Abdel Ghani Meskini, were
charged in a plot to carry out terrorist acts during
Y2K Millennium
celebrations, to include a bombing of Los Angeles International Airport.
12 July 2001
WORLDWIDE:
04:00CDT - 12 July 2001
FBI Official Predicts Major Terrorist Attacks Directed Against U.S.A.
According to a report by the Reuters News service, FBI officials yesterday said that during the past year they are in receipt of more than 250 threats involving the use of Chemical, Biological, or Nuclear weapons and directed against U.S. targets at home and abroad.
"We predict one major terrorist attack against U.S. interests overseas, one per year for the next five years, Assistant Director Dale Watson of the FBI Counter-terrorism Division told a National Governors Association conference on Wednesday. "I'm not a gloom-and-doom type person, but I will tell you this, what I see and what most smart people see, the United States is headed for a (weapons of mass destruction) incident inside the United States," he said.
As previously reported by EmergencyNet News, on a number of occasions, the threat of terrorist use of a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) continues to deeply concern counter-terrorism analysts both in the government and in private think-tanks. Moreover, this threat prompts a continued examination of the state of preparedness by American fire, police, EMS, medical, and military forces. Several recent studies suggest that much progress has been made in efforts to defend the United States against a WMD attack, but others still point out deficiencies in regard to coordination and cooperation among various agencies.
, who has been studying and teaching about terrorism and WMD issues for more than 14 years said today, "We wholeheartedly concur with the FBI assessment... this is something that we have been warning the American public about for several years." "Prime consideration must be given to getting more 'bang for our counter-terrorism buck,' avoiding duplication among agencies, and assuring adequate training and equipment for first responders in our local communities," Staten continued. "Most of all, we need to find innovative ways to better communicate, cooperate, and coordinate between government agencies at all levels...our defensive efforts must move faster and be better implemented than those of the 'bad guys' if we are to avoid a major disaster," Staten concluded.19:00CDT - 10 July 2001
Security Threat Reported At Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center, FL (EmergencyNet News) -- According to a by-lined article by Craig Covault of AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY, and published on the Space-flight Now website, security has been stepped up at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, following a major security breech that took place on 05 July 2001.
The incident in question reportedly concerns an unauthorized water-front access to the base by a Jamaican smuggler and 15 Chinese illegal aliens. The intruders were reportedly found by a security patrol in an area that is "uncomfortably close" to both Pad 41 and Pad 39A, where the Shuttle Discovery is presently being prepared for a 12 July launch.
The 05 July breech then reportedly prompted a NASA/U.S. Air Force review
of perimeter security at the base. NASA security officials have
since expressed their concerns that the intrusion demonstrated a "serious
vulnerability," according to Calvin Burch, chief of the Kennedy Protective
Services Branch. Security patrols have now been stepped up and additional technical
security and sensor equipment is being used at the Space Center,
authorities said.
10 July 2001 - 10:15CDT
African Embassy Bomber Given Life Sentence
From ERRI/EmergencyNet News Watchdesk
New York, NY (EmergencyNet News) -- A verdict was announced a short
time ago at a NYC courthouse, in the case of a convicted African embassy
bomber, Khalfan Khamis Mohamed. He was reportedly given a life sentence
(without possibility of parole), not the death penalty, because jurors
seemed to believe that a death sentence would have made him "a martyr."
13:00CDT - 09 July 2001
Chicago Institute Receives Multiple Death Threats
Chicago, IL (EmergencyNet News) -- The offices of the Emergency Response & Research Institute and its subsidiary, EmergencyNet News, have received at least six phone calls today, threatening to kill staff members. Additionally, the phone calls also contained profanity and racially-charged remarks, speaking disparagingly of Caucasians. ERRI's Clark Staten, the recipient of three of the calls said, "We must have touched a nerve with some of the 'bad guys' in our recent reporting...it seems whenever we report on developments concerning Osama Bin Laden or other related radical organizations that the deaths threats begin anew."
Staten said in an interview today that several times in recent threatening calls that references were made to discontinuing the EmergencyNet News coverage of Osama Bin Laden, the Muslim Brotherhood, other terror organizations, and including our most recent coverage of the Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines. (See Philippines "HotSpot report)
ERRI/EmergencyNet News has previously issued an editorial statement affirming the fact that we refuse to be intimidated and will continue to report the facts as we see them concerning terrorism and its perpetrators. Information about the threatening calls has been turned over to appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Staten concluded by saying, "We believe this most recent
set of calls to be the work of one unbalanced individual(s) who seems to
think that they can force us to change our editorial policy by using threats
of violence...I can assure him and our reading public that he will not be
successful and the truth will prevail."
15 June 2001
FLORIDA/NEW JERSEY:
Four Arrested On Arms Smuggling Charges
Fort Lauderdale, FL -- Federal agents have arrested four men in connection with a scheme to smuggle U.S. Stinger missiles and other high-tech weapons to private buyers in Pakistan, according to a CNN report on Friday. Sources close to the investigation would not say whether the arms were intended for operatives with links to terrorist groups-- but in a court affidavit a federal agent contends there is probable cause to show the men "attempted to transport explosives with the knowledge that (they) would be used to kill, injure, or destroy property" in violation of U.S. law.
Allegedly included in the plot were plans by the accused to buy and
export Stinger and TOW anti-tank missiles, machine guns, night vision
goggles, and other equipment to Pakistan. Diaa Mohsen, 57, and Mohammed
Rajaa Malik, 52, of Jersey City, N.J. were identified by federal agents as
two of the defendants. An attorney for the accused calls the arrests a
"classic case of entrapment." Few other details were immediately available
concerning the investigation.
Long Island, NY:
ELF/ALF Claim Vandalism on New York Area Banks
The Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and the The Animal Liberation Front
(ALF) issued a joint press release claiming credit for vandalising several
banks and ATM machines in the NYC/Long Island area on 13 June 2001.
According to the vandal's press release, they carried out the attacks
because the banks were holding accounts for Huntingdon Life Sciences, who
the animal rights activists accuse of "animal abuse." The entire matter
remains under investigation by both local and federal authorities.
07:14CDT - 11 June 2001
McVeigh Pronounced Dead...
Terre Haute, IN (EmergencyNet News) -- According to Warden Harley Lappin, Timothy J. McVeigh was pronounced dead at 07:14CDT.
*****
07:00CDT - 11 June 2001
McVeigh's Final Day on Earth
Terre Haute, IN (EmergencyNet News) -- Final procedures are underway at this hour to end the life of Timonthy J. McVeigh. McVeigh was convicted of the mass murder of 168 people in Oklahoma City, OK on 19 April 1995.
Three drugs will be administered to McVeigh via
intravenous injection. First, one drug will be given and he will put
to sleep, followed by two drugs that will then stop his heart.
Shortly thereafter, a coroner will pronounce him dead. It was the
first such federal execution since 1963. EmergencyNet
News will provide additional updates as circumstances warrrant...
Ressam Reportedly Planned To Bomb LAX
The Los Angeles Times reported in Wednesday's editions that Ahmed Ressam, who refused to tell authorities anything after his 1999 arrest with explosives at a ferry landing in Washington State, told authorities he planned to bomb Los Angeles International Airport in a Millennium-related plot. The 33-year- old Ressam is said to be cooperating with federal investigators. He was convicted on 6 April on nine counts of conspiring to commit an act of international terrorism and related charges and faces up to 140 years in prison when sentenced in federal court.
Sources familiar with the case told the Times that Ressam
admitted his plans in recent weeks and is expected to receive a lighter
sentence in exchange for his continuing cooperation in the ongoing
investigation of a Montreal-based group of Islamic extremists and that group's
alleged ties to master terrorist Usama bin Laden...
Federal Authorities Look At Suspicious Fires
Fire destroyed two buildings and several vehicles were destroyed at a tree nursery in Clatskanie, Oregon. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has now entered the case to see if a radical environmentalist organization was responsible for the blaze ignited by explosives. Meanwhile, in Seattle, fire officials determined late Tuesday that arson was to blame for a fire that gutted laboratories and offices at the University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture. The FBI said that it was unclear whether the fires were related.
An FBI spokesman said: "If the Seattle fire turns out to be a politically motivated arson, then we're interested. Then we have to look to see if it's connected with anything else." Both fires were reported at about 03:20PDT Monday. No one was injured.
In the Oregon fire, about six pickup trucks, all-terrain vehicles and a semi-trailer at Jefferson Poplar Farms were destroyed along with an equipment storage building and a maintenance building. A number of undetonated explosives were found by arson investigators near the nursery's office building. The letters "ELF" were written on the side of a building, as was the phrase "You cannot control what is wild."
28 Mar 2001
N. CAROLINA:
Charlotte Hezbollah Cell Aided Overseas Militants
Federal prosecutors in Charlotte alleged on Wednesday that a Hezbollah guerrilla group cell provided material support and resources, including cash and equipment, to the Islamic militant group overseas. An indictment issued by a federal grand jury charged four people with conspiring to provide the Lebanon-based group with cash, night vision equipment, global positioning devices, mine detection equipment, cellular phones and blasting equipment.
Last summer, the same grand jury indicted 18 people on charges of cigarette smuggling, money laundering and immigration violations. Six have pleaded guilty to immigration law violations and charges are pending against the remaining 12. The indictment issued on Wednesday names six new defendants, none of whom is in custody. Three are accused of aiding Hezbollah and the other three face charges including cigarette smuggling and money laundering.
The three accused of helping Hezbollah were identified as Ali Adham Amhaz and Mohamad Hassan Dbouk, last reported to be living in Vancouver, and Hassan Hilu Laqis, whose last address was unknown.
In communiqués to the international press, Hezbollah
officials in the Mid-East yesterday denied any/all ties to the suspects in
North Carolina.
15 Mar 2001: Series
of EmergencyNet News Reports Concerning Allegations that the Earth
Liberation Front (ELF) Calls For "Direct Action" Against FBI: 14-15 Mar to
05 Apr 2001 (updated to include
information about an FBI raid on an ELF spokesman)
L.A./IRAN/IRAQ:
FBI Arrests Seven Members Of Mujahedin Al-Khalq
The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on Wednesday it had arrested seven Iranians in Los Angeles, believed to be members of the Iraq-based Iranian dissident movement Mujahedin al-Khalq (MEK). The arrests were made after a three year investigation. The arrests were made as part of an investigation by the Los Angeles Task Force on Terrorism, prompted by a request from German officials, in connection with the soliciting of money from people.
The following is the US State Department profile of the Mujahedin al-Khalq organization:
Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO)
a.k.a. The National Liberation Army of Iran (NLA, the militant wing of the MEK), the People's Mujahidin of Iran (PMOI), National Council of Resistance (NCR), Muslim Iranian Student's Society (front organization used to garner financial support)
Description: Formed in the 1960s by the college-educated children of Iranian merchants, the MEK sought to counter what it perceived as excessive Western influence in the Shah's regime. Following a philosophy that mixes Marxism and Islam, has developed into the largest and most active armed Iranian dissident group. Its history is studded with anti-Western activity and, most recently, attacks on the interests of the clerical regime in Iran and abroad.
Activities: Worldwide campaign against the Iranian Government stresses propaganda and occasionally uses terrorist violence.
During the 1970s the MEK staged terrorist attacks inside Iran and killed several US military personnel and civilians working on defense projects in Tehran. Supported the takeover in 1979 of the US Embassy in Tehran. In April 1992 conducted attacks on Iranian embassies in 13 different countries, demonstrating the group's ability to mount large-scale operations overseas.
Recent attacks in Iran include three explosions in Tehran in June 1998 that killed three persons and the assassination in August 1998 of Asadollah Lajevardi, the former director of the Evin Prison. In April 1999, Brigadier General Ali Sayyad Shirazi, the deputy joint chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, was allegedly killed in Tehran by a MEK operative.
Strength: Several thousand fighters based in Iraq with an extensive overseas support structure. Most of the fighters are organized in the MEK's National Liberation Army (NLA).
Location/Area of Operation: In the 1980s the MEK's leaders were forced by Iranian security forces to flee to France. Most resettled in Iraq by 1987. In the mid-1980s the group did not mount terrorist operations in Iran at a level similar to its activities in the 1970s. In the 1990s, however, the MEK claimed credit for an increasing number of operations in Iran.
External Aid: Beyond support from Iraq, the
MEK uses front organizations to solicit contributions from expatriate
Iranian communities.
20 Jan 2001
LOS ANGELES/CANADA/ALGERIA:
LAX Was Possible Target Of Terrorist Bomb
U.S. federal prosecutors say that an alleged Algerian terrorist accused of assembling a powerful bomb in Vancouver, British Columbia, and trying to smuggle it into the United States may have been plotting to blow up the Los Angeles International Airport. According to the Canadian newspaper National Post, court documents filed in U.S. district court in Seattle claim RCMP officers searching the Montreal apartment of Ahmed Ressam following his arrest found a map of southern California with three airports circled in pen.
The documents also reveal that when he was arrested on 14 December 1999, trying to cross into Washington State from Victoria, British Columbia, Ressam was carrying a French-language guidebook of California. The court documents said: "It is quite possible a reasonable person would conclude that one or more of these airports may have been an ultimate target of this conspiracy." The other circled airports on the map were at Long Beach and Ontario County.
Ressam's arrest just over a year ago set off an international terrorism investigation that uncovered what prosecutors allege was a plot by a Montreal-based Islamic militant cell to "punish America" on the eve of the new millennium. The terrorist cell was said to be associated with the "Afghan Alumni," veterans of the war in Afghanistan who turned their attention to fostering an international Islamic movement, headed by Usama bin Laden and using violence to fight Americans and Jews.
The intended target of the alleged millennial bombing conspiracy has so far remained a mystery. Initially, authorities feared it might have been meant for the Seattle Space Needle. The document is the first suggestion that the plot may have targeted one of the largest airports in the United States. Ressam, an alleged member of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), is scheduled to go on trial in Los Angeles on 12 March.
Using a fake French passport, the 33-year-old Ressam
came to Canada in 1993 claiming to be a refugee. He later obtained a
fraudulent Canadian passport using a false name. According to police, he
and another Algerian extremist, Abdelmajid Dahoumane, checked into a motel
in Vancouver, British Columbia. There they assembled a bomb which Ressam
tried to bring into the United States in the trunk of a rented car.
Dahoumane disappeared and is the subject of a US$5 million reward. He has
reportedly been arrested in Algeria and is being held for questioning.
Terrorism Resource Notification:
Combating Terrorism: Federal Response Teams Provide Varied Capabilities; Opportunities Remain to Improve Coordination. GAO-01-14, November 30.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0114.pdf
(Requires Adobe Acrobat .pdf Reader/Plug-in to review)
02 Jan 2001
NEW YORK, NY:
Embassy Terrorism Trial Starts In New York
New York City -- In a heavily guarded Manhattan courtroom on Wednesday, a trial began for four men facing conspiracy charges that could bring the death penalty for two of them for allegedly taking part in the bombings of two US embassies in East Africa nearly 2 1/2 years ago. The jury selection began on Wednesday in the courtroom of US District Judge Leonard B. Sand. The jury selection process may take up to a month to complete.
Four defendants face trial in the 7 August 1998, bombings of US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, that left 224 people dead, including 12 Americans. The judge in a written ruling on Tuesday rejected legal arguments aimed at eliminating the possibility of a death sentence in the trial, which is expected to last up to a year. Prosecutors plan to call 100 witnesses from six countries.
Two of the defendants could be sentenced to death; the other two could face life in prison. It is the same courtroom where six defendants were convicted in the 26 February 1993, World Trade Center bombing and ten defendants were convicted in a failed plot to blow up New York City landmarks. Security will be exceptionally tight, with bomb-sniffing dogs checking the courtroom regularly.
ERRI's Clark Staten said yesterday, in an interview aired
live on CNN International, that prosecutors may have a difficult task bringing
evidence to the trial without divulging important "sources and
methods," which are essential in future anti- and counter-terrorist
operations. "Some of this court testimony...particularly that of
Wadih el-Hage and Ali Mohammed...could be particularly interesting in helping
to unraveling the Bin Laden organization ," Staten said this morning of
the trial.
11:00CDT - 27 Oct 2000
FBI Said to Be Investigating Plot To Bomb NYC Hotels
New York City, NY (EmergencyNet News) -- EmergencyNet News has today learned that an FBI investigation is underway in regard to an alleged plot to bomb several New York City hotels and crowds in Times Square. Reportedly, the threat was made in letters sent to hotels and CC'd to the Washington Post. Investigators said that they could not immediately confirm the "seriousness of the threat or the imminence of it." According to witnesses who reviewed them, the threat letters said that the attacks were to take place during the first two weeks of November. Mayor Rudolph, for his part, is quoted as saying that there is, "no reason why people should in any way panic." Police officials say that security measures have already been heightened in the wake of the crisis in the Mid-East.
EmergencyNet News continues to monitor events in New York City and will provide additional updates as circumstances dictate...
04 Oct 2000
UNITED STATES:
SecDef Says Americans Need To Be Prepared For Terrorism
U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen warned on Monday that Americans must begin facing the need for a "homeland defense" against terrorism and said the government's need to gather protective intelligence would clash with citizens' rights of privacy. Cohen said advance intelligence was the best defense against potential chemical, biological and other attacks.
In an appearance at the private Center for Strategic and International Studies, Cohen said: "I believe that we as a democratic society have yet to come to grips with the tension that exists between our constitutional protection of the right to privacy with the demand ... to protect us."
The SecDef warned that future terrorist attacks in the U.S. could come in rapid waves, such as the two bombings that struck U.S. embassies in Africa two years ago. He said: "The goal will be to create as much confusion and mass chaos as possible ... What happens if you have a sarin gas attack in New York, or D.C., or Los Angeles? You protect yourself through greater intelligence. The best way to prevent harm from coming is to have greater information. Greater information means a greater invasion of privacy."
22 July 2000
N. CAROLINA:
Lead Focus
Eighteen Alleged Hezbollah Supporters Arrested
Eighteen people said to be smuggling cigarettes out of North Carolina to raise money for the terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon were arrested by federal authorities on Friday. Agents arrested most of the suspects in raids of houses and businesses in and around Charlotte early Friday. An FBI affidavit said investigators were searching for evidence that the defendants were providing resources to Hezbollah, but it did not specify how much money the alleged scheme has funneled to the group.
U.S. Attorney Mark Calloway said that all of the suspects were indicted on federal charges including immigration violations, weapons offenses, money laundering and cigarette trafficking. Calloway said at a hearing that they were not alleged to have participated in terrorist activities. But three of the suspects are believed to have provided Hezbollah with material support or resources, including night vision devices, global positioning systems, digital photo equipment and computers.
One of the men arrested, Mohamad Youssef Hammoud, identified as the group's ringleader by a state-federal task force that investigated the group, was described in an affidavit as well-connected to Hezbollah members in Lebanon. The affidavit said he is believed to have received Hezbollah-sponsored military training.
The affidavit said that one source told the task force "that if Hezbollah issued an authorization to execute a terrorist act in the United States, Mohamad Hammoud would not hesitate in carrying it out..."
02 July 2000
UNITED STATES
CT Security Assessment Says U.S. Monuments At Risk
The Washington Post was reporting on Sunday that a counter-terrorism report commissioned by the U.S. National Park Service concluded many of Washington's major monuments and memorials were vulnerable to terrorist attack and needed better security. The newspaper said the study was most concerned about the vulnerability of nine landmarks that attract large numbers of tourists daily -- including the newly refurbished Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
According to the Post, the 200-page security assessment cited several examples of how terrorists could easily destroy national monuments and create mayhem similar to that caused by the 1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. The newspaper said the counterterrorism report drew a direct correlation between the security threat to the memorials and the funding of the U.S. Park Police.
The report, entitled the "National Park Service: Strategic Counter-terrorism Plan," said the federal law enforcement agency was understaffed and poorly funded. The report recommended "a one-time expenditure of $3 million to bring eight of the monuments up to security standards." Many of the security shortcoming cited in the report concern lack of manpower, safety procedures and poor communications equipment.
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