Emergency.Blog

Al Qaeda vows more U.S. attacks

19 Sep 2008 - 21:00 p.m. CDT

In video, Al Qaeda vows more U.S. attacks
Speaker in video posted on al Jazeera says "major, large-scale attacks" to come

(CNN) -- In a video marking the seventh anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, al Qaeda's top leader in Afghanistan vows more "large-scale" attacks against the United States and its allies.

In another segment, the personal adviser to Taliban leader Mullah Omar says al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is alive and well. Al Qaeda leaders featured on the video promise more violence against their enemies.

"We inform the forces of the Cross and their apostate agents that the Mujahedeen's policy in the coming stage, God permitting, is going to be more major, large-scale attacks like the Kandahar prison operation, the Nuristan raid, the Sarobi ambush and Khost airport operation in which approximately 50 Americans and 100 apostates were killed and four helicopters were hit and destroyed," Mustafa Abu al-Yazid says.

CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the video posted on jihadi Web sites, purportedly by al Qaeda's video production arm, As Sahab...

-- Source/continues: http://tinyurl.com/erri467

Denver: A possible plot to kill Sen. Barack Obama?

Aug 25, 2008 8:30 pm US/Mountain

Plot to Kill Obama: Shoot From "High Vantage Point"

By Brian Maass

DENVER, CO (CBS4): CBS4 has now learned at least four people are under arrest in connection with a possible plot to kill Sen. Barack Obama at his Thursday night acceptance speech in Denver. All are being held on either drug or weapons charges.

CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass reported one of the suspects told authorities they were "going to shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a...rifle...sighted at 750 yards."

Law enforcement sources tell Maass that one of the suspects "was directly asked if they had come to Denver to kill Obama. He responded in the affirmative..."

The Secret Service, FBI, ATF and the joint terrorism task force are all investigating the alleged plot.

The U.S. Attorney in Denver has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon...Watch EmergencyNet News for more on this developing story..

-- Source/continues: http://cbs4denver.com/denver2008/assisination.plot.obama.2.802827.html

Woman arraigned in courthouse bombing case

May 16, 2008

Woman arraigned in courthouse bombing case

The woman arrested Thursday in connection with the investigation into the federal courthouse bombing on May 4 in downtown San Diego has been identified as Rachelle Lynette Carlock, 31, according to U.S. Attorney Karen P. Hewitt.

Carlock was arraigned today after being driven to federal court in El Centro - more than 100 miles from where she was arrested - on a felony complaint charging her with using a false identification document to obtain explosive materials and being a felon in possession of explosive materials.

The investigation is ongoing and no person has yet been charged with the actual bombing, the FBI said.

The government asked that Carlock remain in custody based upon risk flight and danger to the community.

Carlock was arrested shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday near 35th Street and National Avenue in San Diego by members of the San Diego FBI SWAT team.

Search warrants were also served Thursday at two San Diego residences. Six people were detained at one of the houses, in City Heights, but were released shortly afterward.

Posted by Susan Shroder May 16, 2008 15:39 PM

Click here: Newsblog - Woman arraigned in courthouse bombing case:
http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/news/breaking/2008/05/woman
_arrested_in_courthouse_b_1.html

'Chilling' UK Plot Details Going Unreported by U.S. Media

April 4, 2008

Chertoff Blasts U.K. Plot Press Coverage

DHS Secretary Says 'Chilling' Plot Details Going Unreported by U.S. Media

By JASON RYAN

LONDON, ENGLAND: As the London trial for the alleged plotters of the foiled 2006 U.K. plane bombings gets underway, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff blasts what he calls minimal press coverage of the "disturbing" and "chilling" case, which led to a ban on liquids brought on aircraft for 18 months.

In a post to the department's blog, Leadership Journal, Chertoff criticized the focus on "celebrity peccadilloes and microscopic analysis of political comments," charging that the media is overlooking "a very significant story that tells us a lot about why we need some of the moderately inconvenient security measures with which we live" ? a reference to the limit on liquids allowed on board flights, and other airport security requirements.

On trial are eight men who, according to the prosecution, planned to strike at least seven jetliners bound for North America on United Airlines, American Airlines and Air Canada flights into New York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Montreal and Toronto.

The new restrictions on liquids were a result of the thwarted attack, but "because we couldn't say more without violating British legal rules, some of you may have wondered whether the plot was all that serious," Chertoff wrote. "The details being unfolded are riveting ? and chilling," he continued. "Unfortunately, the trial is not getting much play in our domestic news outlets, but the evidence should be required reading for those who travel by air..."

-- Source/continues: http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Blotter/story?id=4591780&page=1

Additional references:

Thursday, August 10, 2006 - Analysis of Improvised Liquid Bombs in London Terrorist Plot, can be found at:
http://www.emergency.com/archives/08-01-2006_08-31-2006.htm

Monday, August 21, 2006 - 11 Atlantic Bomb Plot Suspects Charged (Video), can be found at:
http://www.emergency.com/archives/08-01-2006_08-31-2006.htm

Drug Cartels Training Near U.S. Border

Recruiting Station Bombed in Times Square

03/06/08 08:00:29 AM

EmergencyNet News *FLASH* News

Recruiting Station Bombed in Times Square

NEW YORK, NY: According to both emergency service and media reports an explosion occurred near a U.S. military recruiting station in Times Square.

No injures were immediately reported as no one was inside the station, at 03:45 a,.m. EST, when the blast happened.

Police cordoned-off the area to investigate the explosion. The detonation left a gaping hole in the front window and shattered a glass door, twisting and blackening its metal frame.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that someone riding by on a bicycle tossed an IED into the front of the structure. It is thought that this can be quickly verified as there is a surveillence camera pointing in the vicinity of the recruiting station.

Police, FBI, DHS and specialized units are all on the scene investigating the incident. Watch EmergencyNet News for more on this still developing story...

U.S. Cities At High Risk For [Bio] Terrorist Attacks Identified

Mar. 5, 2008

U.S. Cities At High Risk For [Bio] Terrorist Attacks Identified

ScienceDaily: A University of Arizona researcher has created a new system to dramatically show American cities their relative level of vulnerability to bioterrorism.

Walter W. Piegorsch, an expert on environmental risk, has placed 132 major cities -- from Albany, N.Y., to Youngstown, Ohio -- on a color-coded map that identifies their level of risk based on factors including critical industries, ports, railroads, population, natural environment and other factors...

(click on the map above for larger view and comments)

Reference:

University of Arizona (2008, March 5). US Cities At High Risk For Terrorist Attacks Identified. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 5, 2008, from:
http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/03/080304092842.htm

[ ERRI WMD/Haz-Mat specialist note: We note with interest that Chicago is listed as "high-risk" on the Professor's map of potential targets. Please click on the map above to get a larger view of the hazard zones]

Homeland Security Issues Warning on Sports Arenas

March 4, 2008

March Madness: Homeland Security Issues Warning on Sports Arenas

FBI and DHS Issue Warning Just in Time for March Madness

By RICHARD ESPOSITO

As the spring sports season moves into high gear, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI today issued an assessment, called "Potential Threats to Popular Sports and Entertainment Venues," that said arenas and stadiums are attractive "potential targets during events."

The assessment repeatedly noted that the FBI and DHS have no "information on any credible or specific current terrorism plots to attack stadiums or arenas in the United States."

The report, however, said "operational planning and surveillance against sporting facilities are often difficult to detect," and college and professional basketball playoffs, the stock car racing season, hockey playoffs and horse racing's Triple Crown are among the events that "regularly bring tens of thousands of fans...into large open-access facilities."

Prepared at the request of the private sector with input from federal agencies, the report is intended to provide "decision makers with the broad, analytically-based threat information necessary to inform investment priorities and program design."

"The FBI and DHS put out a joint bulletin for law enforcement concerning potential threats against sporting events. This is routine; we have no current threats against sports venues," FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said in a statement...

-- Source/continues at: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4387469&page=1

Undercover Police Buy Toxic Chlorine In Terror Demonstration

13:37 pm EST February 13, 2008

Undercover Police Buy Toxic Chlorine In Terror Demonstration

NEW YORK -- Undercover NYPD investigators secretly set up a fake water-purification company last year to demonstrate how easily and anonymously a terrorist could purchase toxic chlorine on the Internet for a deadly chemical strike against the city.

A videotape -- showed at a counterterrorism briefing for private security executives on Wednesday -- discusses the threat and for the first time discloses the results of "Operation Green Cloud" -- a reference to the yellow-green color of chlorine gas.

The purpose was "to assess the ease or difficulty with which a terrorist in the United States could acquire large quantities of chlorine without being detected by law enforcement or intelligence agencies," a narrator says on a copy of the video obtained by The Associated Press.

The conclusion: "At the present time, few if any barriers stand in his way."

There has been no specific terror threat against the city involving chemicals, but the NYPD recently put more emphasis on screening shipments of chlorine after learning that it has become a favored component of homemade bombs in Iraq. A 2007 United Nations report found that at least 10 attacks there involved explosives attached to chlorine canisters.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said that while there were no places to obtain chlorine in New York, there are several locations in neighboring New Jersey.

"It's something we have to be concerned about," he said of the potential of an attack using chlorine. "We think the whole area needs a lot of regulation."

Chlorine typically is used as a disinfectant or purifier, and as an ingredient in plastics and other products. While routinely transported in liquid form, it can turn into a deadly toxic gas when exposed to air.

Kelly said that the NYPD has been lobbying the Department of Homeland Security to draft stricter regulations requiring chlorine vendors to verify the legitimacy of their customers.

The department sent federal officials a copy of the videotape and "asked them to include strict 'know-your-customer' rules," Kelly said...

Story source/continues: http://www.wnbc.com/news/15291083/detail.html?rss=ny&psp=news

Additional reference:

Chlorine Shown As Terror Hazard

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008 By AP/TOM HAYS: Undercover police secretly set up a fake company to demonstrate how easily and anonymously a terrorist could purchase chlorine on the Internet for a deadly chemical strike against the city. Can be found in Time magazine:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1713016,00.html

Chemical Terrorism,Threat Assessment:(2005): http://www.emergency.com/pdf/Chemical_Terrorism2005.pdf

Tuesday, March 20, 2007 -- "The Specter of Suicide Attacks with CBRN Weapons": http://www.emergency.com/archive/2007/03/entry_135.htm

Saturday, March 17, 2007 - "[Chlorine] Gas Sickens More Than 350 in Iraq Blasts":http://www.emergency.com/archive/2007/03/entry_134.htm

ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT, EmergencyNet News Service, Wednesday, 13 February, 2008, Vol. 12, No. 044 (Includes analysis)

Emergency.com Hazardous Materials/WMD Archive: http://www.emergency.com/hzmtpage.htm

DHS, FBI Warn of Possibility of Female Homicide Bombers

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

DHS, FBI Warn of Possibility of Female Homicide Bombers

The growing use by terrorist groups of women -- some disguised as expectant moms -- to deliver deadly homicide bombs has prompted the Department of Homeland Security and FBI to issue a rare warning that such attacks could take place on American soil.

The joint security assessment cited recent female homicide bomber attacks in Baghdad -- in which two women who appeared to have Down syndrome delivered a deadly explosion that killed 99 -- as well as in Sri Lanka, Chechnya, India, Pakistan and the Palestinian territories as reason for the warning.

"Female suicide bombers may have an advantage over their male counterparts in accessing targets," the analysis cautioned. "The means to conduct a suicide attack vary widely, but a key element in maximizing the lethality of a suicide bombing is the bomber's ability to get close to the target."

The assessment also strongly warned that potential female homicide bombers could use "prosthetic devices that mimic the look of a pregnant woman."

"Regardless of delivery by a man or a woman," the warning reads, "improvised explosive devices may contain fragmentation or shrapnel, such as nails, bolts, glass fragments, marbles, ball bearings, or other small metal pieces."

The assessment, which emphasizes that DHS and FBI have no solid evidence indicating imminent homicide bombing attacks on U.S. soil, also reminds law enforcement officials that "facilities such as public places" are the most vulnerable to homicide bombing attacks and that "the terrorist's latitude in determining and adjusting the target and timing of an attack up to the point of detonation" make it difficult to prepare countermeasures.

"These factors indicate the importance of ... alertness by security professionals to potential threats from the full range of gender and age groups," the bulletin reads...

-- Source/continues at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,330415,00.html

Embattled Muslim aide to leave Pentagon job (Coughlin follow-up)

Embattled Muslim aide to leave Pentagon job

Hesham Islam's 'resume didn't add up,' official says

February 11, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC: In a stunning turn of events, a high-level Muslim military aide blamed for costing an intelligence contractor his job will step down from his own Pentagon post, WND has learned.

Meanwhile, his rival, Maj. Stephen Coughlin, (click for previous Emergency.Blog story on this topic) a leading authority on Islamic war doctrine, may stay in the Pentagon, moving from the office of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the office of the secretary of defense. However, sources say a former U.S.ambassador to Turkey is trying to block his new contract.

The top Pentagon aide, Egyptian-born Hesham H. Islam, came under a cloud of suspicion after reports raised doubt about his resume and contacts he had made with radical Muslims. He is expected to leave the government next month, officials say.

Islam and Coughlin recently quarreled over intelligence briefings Coughlin presented showing a close connection between the religion of Islam and terrorism. Coughlin's contract with the Joint Chiefs, which ends in March, was not renewed.

But as a result of the ensuing firestorm that played out in the conservative press -- led by Washington Times Pentagon reporter Bill Gertz -- Islam was put under a microscope, and questions were raised regarding his background.

For example, Claudia Rosett of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies wrote a column challenging key claims in Islam's official biography. Within days, a Defense Department profile of Islam was removed from the department's website.

A Pentagon spokesman said it was "taken down in an attempt to reduce the rhetoric and the emotion surrounding this issue while we try to determine the facts."

A senior U.S. official says the life story Islam presented now appears sketchy. "His resume didn't add up, and he knows it," the official said. "He's voluntarily leaving the government in March."

At the same time, a report by terror expert Steven Emerson revealed that Islam, as special assistant to the deputy secretary of defense, has scheduled at least two meetings in the Pentagon with Syrian-tied radicals ? including a leading member of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood ? in direct violation of U.S. policy.

As WND previously reported, FBI officials believe Islam is involved with the U.S. branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and is helping its front groups run "influence operations" against the U.S. government.

"He's a Muslim brother," an FBI official told WND. "He's a bad actor, and he's made other unreported nefarious contacts."

Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., who co-chairs the House Anti-Terrorism Caucus, has been fighting to keep Coughlin in the Pentagon, where she says his blunt analysis of the Islamic enemy is sorely needed.

Citing federal court documents introduced as evidence in a recent major terror case, she also warns that U.S. front groups for the Muslim Brotherhood are conspiring to destroy America from within.

"Our enemies have clearly stated their intention to infiltrate us, much like the Russians did during the Cold war," Myrick said. "We had no problem analyzing and acting on that information then."

"I know that some people will refuse to admit there is a subversive movement going on here, but let me remind you that we have underestimated the will and capability of our enemy for more than 30 years," she added. "They are patient and determined to achieve their radical agenda."

-- Source/continues at:WorldNetDaily

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=56110

Annual Threat Assessment of the Director of National Intelligence

5 February 2008

Annual Threat Assessment of the Director of National Intelligence
for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

J. Michael McConnell, Director of National Intelligence

"You will see from the testimony that many of the key topics I touch on are not traditional 'national security' topics. Globalization has broadened the number of threats and challenges facing the United States. For example, as government, private sector, and personal activities continue to move to networked operations and our digital systems add ever more capabilities, our vulnerability to penetration and other hostile cyber actions grows. The nation, as I indicated last year, requires more from our Intelligence Community than ever before and consequently we need to do our business better, both internally, through greater collaboration across disciplines and externally, by engaging more of the expertise available outside the Intelligence Community..."

Can be found at: http://www.dni.gov/testimonies/20080205_testimony.pdf

[requires Adobe or other .PDF reader]

Evacuations in Brooklyn after explosives found

1:46 PM EST, January 20, 2008

Evacuations in Brooklyn after explosives found

NEW YORK (BROOKLYN), NY: Residents of several Brooklyn Heights buildings were evacuated Sunday after police found several explosive devices and a cache of weapons in one apartment.

A 31-year-old man who lives on the fourth floor of 58 Remsen Street went to Long Island College Hospital at about 12:45 a.m. Sunday morning with a gunshot wound to the hand. Police said the wound was self-inflicted and possibly caused by a handgun or a similar type of firearm.

When police searched the man's home, they found the explosive devices as well as several weapons. The apartment building, as well as neighboring buildings, were evacuated while police conducted their investigation.

A police spokesman said it wasn't clear if the explosive devices were active or duds; the bomb squad planned to take them to a police range for further testing.

The man was released from the hospital and is being held for questioning. He has not yet been identified.

Terrorism has not been ruled out, police said. Officers took several items, including a computer processor and a fascimile machine, out of the apartment building...

-- Source/continues: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-nybomb21,0,5853512.story

U.S. shopping malls boost security after shooting

Dec 7, 2007 -- 02:51 AM US/Eastern

U.S. shopping malls boost security after shooting

USA: Shopping centers across America have stepped up security to protect shoppers during the busy holiday season in the wake of a deadly shooting in a Nebraska mall that left nine people dead.

While several shopping malls increased patrols after a lone gunman fired an assault rifle into a crowded store in Omaha on Wednesday, industry officials acknowledged that such tragedies are difficult to prevent.

Shopping centers, which are considered by security experts a "soft" target for terrorism, already implemented tighter security measures following the attacks of September 11, 2001.

But American shoppers are reluctant to accept even measures that would force them to go through metal detectors or be frisked by guards to enter their beloved malls, said Malachy Kavanagh, spokesman for the International Council of Shopping Centers.

"We hope that we will not get to that point in this country because we live in a free society and respect people's right to travel unimpeded," Kavanagh told AFP.

While Shoppers who were surveyed in focus groups indicated they would rather not have to go through metal detectors, they appeared willing to accept them if the government raised the terror alert level, he said.

Measures installed after September 11 include closer coordination with local police, the use of high-resolution cameras that can read car license plates in parking lots and the inspection of delivery trucks. Some malls even have bomb-sniffing dogs.

The FBI warned just last month of potential Al-Qaeda attacks on US shopping malls during the Christmas season, but conceded that the threats received may not be credible.

"If you look back through the years, this is a tactic and practice of Al-Qaeda to express threats during the Christmas season," FBI special agent Ross Rice said at the time, adding that the information had not been corroborated.

Rice said an FBI bulletin went out to law enforcement agencies to advise them to be vigilant as malls become crowded with holiday shoppers.

But he said he did not think any new security measures would be put in place in response to the threat as most local agencies already increase patrols at malls during this time. "This time of the year is very busy in and around malls and they focus additional security there," he said.

-- Source/continues at: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=071207075053.auvf30tq&show_article=1

FBI dismisses Fort Huachuca terror plot story

27 Nov 2007 - 09:00 CST

FBI dismisses Fort Huachuca terror plot story

ARIZONA: The plot was like something from a Hollywood blockbuster: dozens of foreign terrorists working with a Mexican drug cartel to attack a Southern Arizona Army post with anti-tank missiles and grenade launchers.

Paying one of Mexico's most ruthless drug cartels $20,000 apiece, 60 Afghan and Iraqi terrorists would be smuggled into Texas and hole up at a safe house.

Their weapons, Soviet-made and easily acquired on the black market, were funneled through Arizona and New Mexico in hand-dug tunnels that cut across the border.

Their target: 13,500 military personnel and civilians working at Fort Huachuca, roughly 75 miles southeast of Tucson.

But the plot, widely reported by local stations and national TV networks and The Washington Times, turned out to be nothing more than fiction, an FBI spokesman said Monday.

"A thorough investigation was conducted, and there is no evidence showing that the threat was credible," said Manuel Johnson, an FBI spokesman based in Phoenix.

Read all about it at: Arizona Daily Star, by Aaron Mackey, 11.27.2007, which can be found on the internet at: http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/213503

Intelligence Training Center Concerned About Terror Attack

U.S. intel center wary of terrorist attack

November 25, 2007

FT. HUACHUCA, AZ/WASHINGTON, DC: The nation's largest intelligence training center changed security measures in May after being warned that Islamist terrorists with the aid of Mexican drug cartels were planning an attack on the facility.

Fort Huachuca changed security measures after sources warned that possibly 60 Afghan and Iraqi terrorists were smuggled into the U.S. through underground tunnels with high powered weapons to attack the post, according to multiple confidential law enforcement documents obtained by The Washington Times.

The FBI report is based on Drug Enforcement Agency sources, including Mexican nationals with access to "sub-sources" in the drug cartels. The report's assessment is that the DEA's Mexican contacts have proven reliable in the past but the "sub-source" is of uncertain reliability.

The connections between criminal enterprises, such as powerful drug cartels, and terrorist organizations have become a serious concern for intelligence agencies (and including Emergency Response & Research Institute analysts) monitoring the U.S.-Mexico border.

The story continues at: http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071125/NATION/71125002/1001

Experts fault U.S. preparation for anthrax attack

Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:22pm EST

Experts fault U.S. preparation for anthrax attack

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has done too little to prepare for another potential domestic anthrax attack six years after spore-laden mail killed five people, a former CIA director and other experts said on Wednesday...

I think we're very poorly prepared," James Woolsey, who headed the CIA from 1993 to 1995, said at a news conference to unveil a report by a security consulting firm warning of U.S. vulnerability to another anthrax attack. Click on the highlighted title to review the article...

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1419886420071114?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Biohazard/Infectious Disease Page

All emergency service/military/medical personnel are potentially subjected to biohazards/infectious diseases during the course of their duty. In light of these hazards, ERRI is proud to present additional information regarding these concerns.

http://www.emergency.com/infctous.htm

Hazardous Materials/WMD Related Articles and Research

http://www.emergency.com/hzmtpage.htm

"Series of EmergencyNet News Reports Concerning Both Real and Hoax Chemical/Biological Incidents in the Wake of the 11 Sep 2001 Terrorist Attacks in NYC and DC: 22 Sep to 20 Oct 2001," can be found at: http://www.emergency.com/2001/bio-scare2001b.htm

New Shopping Mall Terror Threats?

11/8/2007 11:49:14 AM CT

EmergencyNet News BREAKING NOW

New Shopping Mall Terror Threats?

CHICAGO, IL: Early/unconfirmed reports of terror threats to CONUS shopping malls...during upcoming holiday season...supposedly in planning for two years. Possible Targets: L.A. and Chicago... Details to follow as confirmed by official sources. Watch EmergencyNet News for more on this emerging story...

RESOURCES ON TERRORISM FROM THE FBI

On terrorism....

- National Intelligence Estimate: The Terrorist Threat to the U.S. Homeland, July 2007 (pdf) http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/20070717_release.pdf

- The FBI's Counterterrorism Program Since September 2001 (pdf) http://www.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/publications/commission/9-11commissionrep.pdf

- Terrorism 2002-2005 (pdf) (html) http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terrorism2002_2005.pdf

(.pdf - indicates that the file requires Adobe Acrobat reader in order to review the file)

Media Refernce on this story:

Exclusive: FBI: Al Qaeda May Strike U.S. Shopping Malls in LA, Chicago
November 08, 2007 11:48 AM
Richard Esposito and Vic Walter Report

Can be found at: http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/11/exclusive-fbi-a.html

Homeland Security: California response working

Oct 25 16:40 PM US/Eastern

Homeland Security: California response working

WASHINGTON, DC: The southern California wildfires disaster response of federal, state and local partners "working together' is operating as it should, an administration official said.

The role of the federal government is to support state and local response, "which is exactly what we've been doing since these fires started," Fran Townsend, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, said during a media briefing.

She was unable to provide the cost of the federal commitment, which began Sunday with the fire management assistance grants.

While it was difficult draw comparisons, Townsend said the wildfires were the most challenging natural disaster the federal government faced since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.

"This is over a wider swath of area and certainly there's a larger body of people affected ... but it's hard to compare natural disasters," she said. "Floods are very different in terms of the scale of damage than tornadoes. Tornadoes are different from fires. And so it's hard to compare. All natural disasters are not equal."

Townsend said airborne water drops are more effective since the winds shifted, but "I think it's too soon to say" whether firefighters turned the corner...

-- Source: UPI, http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=upiUPI-20071025-162553-7431&show_article=1

FBI Assisting Local Authorities in O.C. Fire Investigation

Oct. 25, 2007 (KABC-TV)

FBI Assisting Local Authorities in O.C. Fire Investigation
Approximately 3,000 Homes Threatened and 43,000 Residents Evacuated

IRVINE, CA: A $120,000 reward for information leading to the arsonist who set the Santiago Fire in Orange County is being offered, as federal agents help local law enforcement investigate the still-burning wildfire.

The fire, started in three separate places near Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon roads about 5:55 p.m. Sunday, has destroyed 14 homes and eight outbuildings, according the Orange County Fire Authority. Eight homes and 12 outbuildings have been damaged.

About 22,000 acres in the mostly rural horse country east of Irvine has been blackened. Virtually every canyon community, including Trabuco, Modjeska and Silverado canyons, was evacuated.

Mandatory evacuations remain in effect for the canyon areas of Santiago Canyon Road between Silverado Canyon Road and Live Oak Canyon Road, including the Santiago Estates area and Jackson Ranch Road. Areas along Live Oak Canyon Road through the Trabuco Canyon area, including O'Neill Regional Park, to Trabuco Creek Road are also included in this mandatory evacuation.

Approximately 3,000 homes have been threatened and 43,000 residents have been evacuated.

"The Orange County Fire Authority is offering a $70,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the arsonist," OCFA Capt. Stephen Miller said.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Thursday an additional $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for setting the fire.

Anyone with more information as to the cause of the fire is asked to call the Orange County Fire Authority arson tip line at (800) 540-8282.

-- Source/Continues at: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5719542

[ERRI emergency service analysts said that they have been informed that there are at least four (4) arson investigations on-going in S. California at this time, and that more may be begun, depending on preliminary inquiries into the source and origin of other wildfires. The identity and motives of any alleged arsonist(s) is presently not known. Watch this page for more official information as it develops...]

Officials: Arson Behind Santiago Fire

Oct. 25, 2007

Officials: Arson Behind Santiago Fire
Investigations Into Cause and origin of Fires Begin...

SAN DIEGO, CA: CBS News has learned a task force of agencies, including the FBI, ATF, the Orange County Fire Authority and the California Department of Forestry will announce shortly that the massive Santiago Canyon Fire -- which has caused an estimated $10 million in damage -- is being officially declared an arson, and a $70,000 reward is being offered to find the arsonist.

Investigators have identified two separate "points of origin" where they believe the fire was set, CBS News has learned. FBI agents secured the scene to "maintain its integrity."

The Santiago Fire has burned about 19,200 acres east of Irvine, officials said, and it is around 30 percent contained. Six homes and eight outbuildings have been destroyed, with another eight homes and 12 outbuildings damaged. Four firefighters have been injured fighting the blaze and about 3,000 people evacuated.

In San Bernardino County, a man suspected of starting a small fire was arrested and another man was shot to death by police after he fled officers who approached to see if he might be trying to set a fire... -- Source/Continues: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/24/national/main3401265.shtml

UPDATED: 2:02 pm PDT October 24, 2007

Home Not Searched In California Wildfire Arson Investigation

WASHINGTON -- California authorities and FBI agents did not search a home Wednesday as part of an arson investigation into one of the wildfires devastating Southern California, a law enforcement official said. But, authorities were investigating arson as a possible cause of at least one of the wildfires. FBI evidence response teams did recover materials they hoped would identify the source of the fires that have burned for four days.

Richard Kolko, an FBI spokesman in Washington, said the evidence response teams "have been working with other federal, state and local authorities" to identify the source of the fires. He referred other questions to local authorities.

-- Source: Diego News Story - KGTV San Diego - http://www.10news.com/news/14415303/detail.html

Orange County Santiago fire: Arson Fires/Terror Link?

Posted Tuesday, October 23, 2007

California Fire Battalion Chief - Whoever Did This Knew What They Were Doing

Original Source: National Terror Alert Center
Date: October 22, 2007

Fire officials are now stating that the Orange County Santiago fire was purposely set and there is speculation that other fires may have also been deliberate.

Fire officials found three separate "points of origin," all near the intersection of Silverado Canyon Road and Santiago Canyon Road. Two were on one side of the road, and the third was on the other. ?Whoever did this knew what they were doing,? said Kris Concepcion, a fire authority battalion chief. Also, the fire traveled 3 miles in its first 20 minutes when it was ignited about 6 p.m. Sunday, he said.

We are NOT implying that the California fires are an act of terrorism however; the threat of pyro-terrorist attacks pose a significant risk to the U.S. and the fires in California and in Greece earlier this year should be a wake-up call.

In 2003 an FBI memo alerted law enforcement agencies that an al-Qaeda terrorist being held in detention had talked of masterminding a plot to set a series of devastating forest fires around the western United States.

It was reported that the detainee, who was not identified, said the plan involved three or four people setting wildfires using timed devices in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming that would detonate in forests and grasslands after the operatives had left the country.

?The detainee believed that significant damage to the U.S. economy would result and once it was realized that the fires were terrorist acts, U.S. citizens would put pressure on the U.S. government to change its policies,? the memo said.

This story continues at: Homeland Security National Terror Alert Center, which can be found at: http://www.nationalterroralert.com/updates/2007/10/22/california-fire-battallion-chief-whoever-did-this-knew-what-they-were-doing/

THE TOPOFF 4 TERROR DRILL; Why It Matters to Us and You

THE TOPOFF 4 TERROR DRILL

Why It Matters to Us and You

10/19/07

The destruction caused by the simulated "dirty bomb" explosion in Portland, Oregon. The victims were play acting. The blood was fake. The explosions were just for show. Even the ensuing press conferences were staged. Still, we took it all very seriously.

It's called TOPOFF 4 -- short for "Top Officials 4," since it involves the highest levels of government and is the fourth event of its kind. It's the largest terrorism exercise in the United States, meant to test the nation's collective mettle in responding to a terrorist attack.

The fabricated scenario. Terrorists snuck radioactive materials into the U.S....then launched three nearly simultaneous strikes using "dirty bombs" -- first in Guam near a power plant, then in Portland, Oregon, and in Phoenix, Arizona. Unlike conventional nukes, the bombs -- called radiological dispersal devices (RDD) -- release radioactive materials into the surrounding areas, wreaking all kinds of health and rescue havoc. Get the story from the FBI website: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/oct07/topoff101907.html

ERRI/EmergencyNet News Special Report on the Attacks of 9/11

9/11 ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
-------------------------------------

ERRI/EmergencyNet News Special Report on the Attacks of 9/11

"One Year After; 9/11 First Anniversary Special Report," compiled by ERRI and EmergencyNet News... (Review requires Adobe .pdf reader or plug-in -- large file, 556kb, users with slow internet connections may require extended download times. On the internet at: http://www.emergency.com/2002/ERRI_9-1.pdf

Click here for our original coverage of the 9/11 attacks: http://www.emergency.com/2001/11sep01-terror.htm

U.S. Studies Osama Bin Laden Video, CIA warns of Al-Qaeda plots

U.S. Studies Osama Bin Laden Video, CIA warns of Al-Qaeda plots

Posted: 08 September 2007 0350 hrs

WASHINGTON, DC: The US government said on Friday it was analyzing a copy of the latest video message from Osama bin Laden as the CIA warned Al-Qaeda was plotting fresh attacks on the United States designed to inflict massive casualties.

US authorities were examining a video said to be a message from Osama marking Tuesday's anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington that killed nearly 3,000 people, a senior US official said.

"I can confirm that USG has the video and it is currently being analyzed," a senior administration official told AFP, referring to the US government.

The video, reported late Thursday by US-based monitors that follow militant websites, would be the first such appearance by the Saudi extremist since October 2004, when he threatened new attacks against the United States just days before a US election.

CIA Threat Assessment

CIA Director Michael Hayden meanwhile warned in a speech that the intelligence agency believed Al-Qaeda was planning new, large-scale attacks on US targets.

"Our analysts assess with high confidence that Al-Qaeda's central leadership is planning high impact plots against the American homeland," Hayden told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. "Al-Qaeda is focusing on targets that would produce mass casualties, dramatic destruction and significant economic aftershocks," he added.

Original Discovery & Translation

The Al-Qaeda network's media arm, as-Sahab, announced the purported Osama video in a notice posted on jihadist forums at about 2115 GMT, according to SITE, a group which monitors extremist websites.

"Soon, God willing, a videotape from the lion sheikh Osama bin Laden, God preserve him," the notice in Arabic read.

A website used by Islamist militants that carried the notice showed a photo of Osama in which his black beard did not have the usual streaks of gray.

He was also not wearing a camouflage jacket as in some previous appearances. Instead, the top-half photo showed him wearing a white robe topped by a beige cloak, similar to the traditional dress of men in the Gulf region, and looking more like a Muslim cleric than a fighter.

The video of the soft-spoken Al-Qaeda leader, who has claimed credit for the 9/11 attacks, will be examined intently with every word and visual detail dissected by intelligence agencies in Washington and around the world....This Article continues at: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/298563/1/.html

  ERRI Preliminary Assessment

CHICAGO, IL: While reviewing both the 07 Sep 2007 video-tape of Usama Bin Laden, and the transcript thereof...ERRI counter-terrorism analysts said that they were immediately impressed by both things that were contained in the video, and those that were was not on the tape:

Observations

1. Bin Laden's beard was one of the first and most apparent visual changes that was seen in this most recent as-Sahab publication. It had gone from long, untrimmed and grey, to trimmed and as dark as it was in some of his earlier pictures. Was this done to depict him as a younger, more healthy, and robust person?

2. Bin laden's clothing in this lateest tape was the second thing noticed by ERRI analysts. He is seen no longer was wearing the clothes of a battlefield commander, to include a camoflage jacket that he worn in many previous tapes and pictures. In this latest tape, he was seen wearing the clothes of the contemporary Middle-East citizen or those that might be worn by a modestly successful imam.

3. What was missing? ERRI analysts said that no weapon was displayed in this 09/07 tape. Bin Laden's normal image in previous tapes was almost always accompanied by that of a highly modified AK-47 assault rifle. It was omni-present in past tapes. In this latest tape, no weapon is displayed. Is this a "kinder," "gentler" Bin Laden?

4. Is the person depicted in the tape actually Bin Laden? Some physical changes in the person on the tape deserve more scrutiny, as they appear different than those in the most recently verified image of Mr. Bin Laden.

Discusssion of the Transcript

At least two ERRI analysts said that they wondered if these were Bin Laden's original words, or had they been written for him? Writing comparisons caused one analyst to even suggest that this speech may have even been written by Adam Yahive Gadahn, a.k.a. Azzam-the American (Azz?m al-Amr?ki), and simply read by Bin Laden. The tone, tenor, and idom of this speech appear somewhat different than some previous Bin Laden speeches. There are also fewer references to classic Islamic thought, and more attention given by Bin Laden to modern-day issues.

In this dissertation, he sounds even more political and less threatening than in past diatribes...to include the fact that there is no direct threat of any terrorist act in the speech. His purpose appears to be political division and to attempt to convince the world of both the rightenous of his cause as well as the illegitimacy of the position of the United States.

Furthermore, Bin Laden undertakes comment on many issues that would be seen as "partisian-politics" within the United States, taking a position in contradiction to that of the current administration in Washington. Many of Mr. Bin Laden's comments also appear consistent with extreme leftist/socialist/communist thought. And, UBL also takes what appears to be taking an anticapitalist/anti-globalist position...with his allegations and strong condemnation of corporate America.

His most current statements would again seem to make it clear that at least one of Mr. Bin Laden's stated objectives is to try to destroy the Western democracies via economic means. And finally, and most of all...his speech seems designed to promote further acrimony and divisiveness within the United States.

Food for Thought

Is Mr. Bin Laden running for some kind of office? Does his image change indicate that he now wants to be "a politician" rather than a holy warrior? Is it becoming clearer that Bin Laden actually wants to be "Caliph" of an emerging caliphate that he and Mr. Zawahiri have been planning for a long time? Or, is his image change just designed to make his propaganda more palatable to Europe and segments of the America population? Right now, there are more questions than answers about Mr. Bin Laden's latest video production.

Additional ERRI analysis will be forthcoming and additional facts will become apparent. Watch this page for more on this developing story...