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U.S. sees credible but unconfirmed terrorism threat
Topic Started: Sep 8 2011, 03:28 PM (255 Views)
Max
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday ordered a redoubling of U.S. counter-terrorism efforts in the face of a "credible but unconfirmed" threat ahead of the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

U.S. officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the threat involved Washington D.C. and New York City -- the sites involved in the al Qaeda attacks a decade ago this Sunday that killed nearly 3,000 people.

A law enforcement source said a manhunt was underway for two or three suspects.

But the officials used strong caveats when discussing the threat information privately, with a national security official cautioning that experts thought the threat would ultimately not check out.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg also stressed that the threat had not been corroborated, even as he announced heightened security measures "some of which you may notice, some of which you may not notice."

"There is no reason for any of the rest of us to change anything in our daily routines," he told a news conference.

Still, Bloomberg asked citizens to report suspicious or dangerous activity, adding: "Over the next three days we should all keep our eyes wide open."

The White House said Obama was briefed on specific threat information on Thursday morning, and noted that the government had already "enhanced its security posture" ahead of the anniversary.

"Nevertheless, the President directed the counterterrorism community to redouble its efforts in response to this credible but unconfirmed information," a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"HYPER-VIGILANT"

White House spokesman Jay Carney said "we're hyper-vigilant to this specific report that's just coming in." He told MSNBC television that the government was taking all necessary precautions, without offering details.

Documents discovered in Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, after he was killed in a raid in May by Navy SEALs highlighted his persistent interest in attacking the United States around the anniversary of the 2001 attacks. But it is unclear if those plans ever evolved beyond aspiration.

"As we know from the intelligence gathered following the Osama bin Laden raid, al Qaeda has showed an interest in important dates and anniversaries, such as 9/11," said Jan Fedarcyk with the FBI's New York field office.

The Department of Homeland Security, which said only last week that there was no credible information that al Qaeda was plotting an attack around the September 11 anniversary, declined to offer details on the threat.

It cautioned that there were always threat reports before important dates like the anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

"Sometimes this reporting is credible and warrants intense focus, other times it lacks credibility and is highly unlikely to be reflective of real plots under way," spokesman Matt Chandler said.

"Regardless, we take all threat reporting seriously, and we have taken, and will continue to take all steps necessary to mitigate any threats that arise."

A second law-enforcement source played down an ABC News report about missing rental trucks -- saying the vehicles had been recovered and there was no connection to terrorism.

SOURCE:YahooNews/Reuters

If these animals attack us again, I want them exterminated, along with their families!
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StrmySummer
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i would definitely see almost any threat now taken seriously especially with the 10 yr anniversary of 9/11 coming
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Max
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New York police will mount a major counterterrorism operation during Friday's evening rush hour as U.S. officials rush to check credible, but unconfirmed intelligence about a 9/11 anniversary plot, a senior law enforcement official told Reuters.

The operation will involve a "big show of force" which will include officers armed with heavy weapons patrolling subways and stepped up security and bag checks at major subway and commuter train stations, including Grand Central and Pennsylvania station terminals, the official said. Law enforcement agencies in neighboring states were also involved.

While the operation had been planned some time ago, the forces and tactics deployed will be stepped up after local and federal authorities received what they described as "specific and credible" but unconfirmed intelligence about a possible threat to attack the United States by Islamic militants timed to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington.

Intelligence about the anniversary threat only surfaced during the course of this week and included possible threats of attacks targeting subways or commuter trains or possible car bomb attacks in New York or Washington, U.S. officials said.

Vice President Joseph Biden said on ABC's "Good Morning America" program on Friday morning: "We don't have the smoking gun but we do have talk about using a car bomb."

One of the officials said the threat is believed to come from militants following an al Qaeda ideology. But it is not certain whether there is a direct connection to what remains of al Qaeda's battered core leadership.

Officials have said that U.S. law enforcement agencies are on the lookout for three possible suspects, though it is unclear how much, if any, precise information regarding the suspects' identities is available to U.S. authorities.

SOURCE:YahooNews/Reuters

Sounds like a serious threat. I hope that stop the attack, if there is one.
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Max
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WASHINGTON (AP) - Al-Qaida may have sent American terrorists or men carrying U.S. travel documents to launch an attack on Washington or New York to coincide with memorials marking the 10th anniversary of 9/11, government officials say.

One U.S. official says al-Qaida dispatched three men, at least two of whom could be U.S. citizens, to detonate a car bomb in one of the cities. Should that mission prove impossible, the attackers have been told to simply cause as much destruction as they can. But U.S. intelligence officials say they have no evidence there is anyone inside the United States tied to the plot.

Although the initial tip suggested terrorists, including U.S. citizens, may be traveling to the country, that remains unconfirmed.

Word that al-Qaida had ordered the mission reached U.S. officials midweek. A CIA informant who has proved reliable in the past approached intelligence officials overseas to say that the men had been ordered by newly minted al-Qaida leader Ayman al Zawahri to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Sunday by doing harm on U.S. soil.

The tipster says the would-be attackers are of Arab descent and may speak Arabic as well as English. Counterterrorism officials were looking for certain names associated with the threat, but it was unclear whether the names were real or fake.

Intelligence analysts have looked at travel patterns and behaviors of people entering the country recently. And while they have singled out a few people for additional scrutiny, none has shown any involvement in a plot.

Counterterrorism officials have been working around the clock to determine whether the threat is accurate, but so far, have been unable to corroborate it, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation.

In the meantime, extra security was put in place to protect the people in the two cities that took the brunt of the jetliner attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon a decade ago. It was the worst terror assault in the nation's history, and al-Qaida has long dreamed of striking again to mark the anniversary. But it could be weeks before the intelligence community can say whether this particular threat is real.

Undaunted by talk of a new terror threat, New Yorkers and Washingtonians wove among police armed with assault rifles and waited with varying degrees of patience at security checkpoints.

"We're watching," James McJunkin, FBI assistant director in charge of the Washington field office, said Saturday. "We expect we're going to get an increase in threats and investigative activity around high-profile dates and events. He added: "This is a routine response for us. It's routine because it's muscle memory."

For months, the FBI had planned to increase staffing around the anniversary and police knew they were going to be out in force in Washington, he said.

In New York on Friday, security worker Eric Martinez wore a pin depicting the twin towers on his lapel as he headed to work in lower Manhattan where he also worked 10 years ago when the towers came down. "If you're going to be afraid, you're just going to stay home," he said.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, too, made a point of taking the subway to City Hall.

Briefed on the threat Friday morning, President Barack Obama instructed his security team to take "all necessary precautions," the White House said. Obama still planned to travel to New York on Sunday to mark the 10th anniversary with stops that day at the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa.

Washington commuters were well aware of the terror talk.

Cheryl Francis, of Chantilly, Va., said she travels over the Roosevelt bridge into Washington every day and doesn't plan to change her habits. Francis, who was in Washington on Sept. 11, 2001, said a decade later the country is more aware and alert.

"It's almost like sleeping with one eye open," she said, but she added that people need to continue living their lives.

The intelligence community regularly receives tips and information of this nature. But the timing of this particular threat had officials especially concerned, because it was the first "active plot" that came to light as the country marked the significant anniversary, a moment that was also significant to al-Qaida, according to information gleaned in May from Osama bin Laden's compound.

The U.S. government has long known that terrorists see the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and other uniquely American dates as opportunities to strike. Officials have also been concerned that some may see this anniversary as an opportunity to avenge bin Laden's death.

Britain, meanwhile, warned its citizens who are traveling to the U.S. that there was a potential for new terror attacks that could include "places frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers."

Acutely aware of these factors, law enforcement around the country had already increased security measures at airports, nuclear plants, train stations and more in the weeks leading up to Sept. 11. The latest threat, potentially targeting New York or Washington, prompted an even greater security surge in those cities. U.S. embassies and consulates abroad had also boosted their vigilance in preparation for the anniversary.

At Penn Station in New York, transit authority police carried assault rifles and wore helmets and bullet proof vests as they watched crowds of commuters. Police searched passengers' bags as they entered the subway, and National Guard troops in camouflage fatigues moved among riders, eyeing packages.

In Washington, Police Chief Cathy Lanier warned that unattended cars parked in suspicious locations or near critical buildings and structures would be towed.

Speaking in New York, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said there was "a specific, credible but unconfirmed report that al-Qaida, again, is seeking to harm Americans and in particular, to target New York and Washington."

SOURCE:YahooNews/AP
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LarryOldtimer
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Unfortunately, the CIA and FBI gave up spying using HUMINT, human intelligence (spies on the ground), and all we have now is what can be seen from satellites or by telephone taps , the latter being very difficult to obtain legally, and intercepted internet transmissions. Without active spying as we once used to do, with penetration of terrorist groups, I am afraid that we won't know until after the explosions.
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Max
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Yeah, I'm a big believer in HUMINT as well. Satellites are good for counting tanks, jets, and ships, but not so good for determining terrorist intentions.
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LarryOldtimer
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If I were doing the planning for the terrorists, I would wait until after security forces relaxed after the aniversery of 9/11. After a period of time, then would I strike in force.
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StrmySummer
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i hope and pray they aren't that smart Larry, but we shall see
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Max
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Maybe Al-Quida is too disrupted after the death of Bin Laden and there won't be any attacks.

What do y'all think?
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