Terrorism here in the US

[American Patriot]

Got more information. one more piece.

Apparently they are "beefing up" security at nuke plants around the country to prevent infiltration...

Due to the guy above.

I hit it pretty good this morning.

[vector7]

EXCLUSIVE: New Pakistani Taliban Operative Feared Inside U.S. After Times Square Failure

By Mike Levine & Jennifer Griffin
Published October 14, 2010
| FoxNews.com

Senior U.S. officials are concerned over recent intelligence indicating that the Pakistani Taliban, which orchestrated the failed Times Square bombing, may have successfully placed another operative inside the United States to launch a second attack, sources tell Fox News.

Authorities, however, know very little about the potential operative or any possible plot.

"[We] don't know who it is and don't know where it is," one source said. "We know the guy's here, but don't know anything about him."

Based on the intelligence, authorities believe the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, would have directed the individual to attempt another Times Square-style operation, but not necessarily in New York City.

A senior intelligence official said the threat stream's lack of specificity makes it nearly impossible for the counterterrorism community to defend against such an attack. Any possible threat, however, does not seem to be imminent, with a senior counterterrorism official saying he was "unaware" of any "imminent threats" against the U.S. homeland.
Nevertheless, the Pakistani Taliban has been looking to make up for its previous failure. Authorities believe the subject of the latest intelligence would use "a similar mechanism" and the "same modus operandi" employed by 31-year-old Faisal Shahzad in May, mostly "because it's easily accessible here," as one source put it.

In the months leading up to his attack, Shahzad purchased fertilizer, propane gas, fireworks and other components from stores in Connecticut and Pennsylvania. But the bomb he ultimately built and packed inside a sport utility vehicle did not detonate properly.

If someone successfully set off such a bomb, the effects would be "devastating," according to federal prosecutors. In June, FBI agents built and tested a device identical to Shahzad's, except this time they made sure the bomb actually detonated.

"Had the bombing played out as Shahzad had so carefully planned, the lives of numerous residents and visitors of the city would have been lost and countless others would have been forever traumatized," federal prosecutors said in court documents filed in the Shahzad case two weeks ago. "This is to say nothing of the significant economic and emotional impact a successful attack would have had on the entire nation."
Authorities are describing the latest threat as "credible but not specific," and they are "very nervous," according to the sources. It's unclear exactly when or how the intelligence was obtained, but one source said it was "corroborated" by authorities. Others were unable to say the intelligence had been corroborated.

"In many cases, intelligence we get ends up washing out," said the senior counterterrorism official, who would not specifically discuss or even confirm the latest intelligence.

It's also unclear when or how the operative would have entered the United States, but the recent intelligence says he would have been sent from Pakistan's tribal areas, where only months earlier associates of the Pakistani Taliban trained Shahzad to build and detonate bombs, according to the senior intelligence official.

After living in the United States for a decade and becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen, Shahzad left for Pakistan in late 2009. He spent five months there before returning to Connecticut to prepare his attack.

As for the subject of the latest intelligence, he could be anywhere in the United States, and officials are not convinced he would necessarily target New York City.

"It's not surprising this day and age that an individual is residing in or traveled to the United States in hopes of pulling off some sort of attack," the senior counterterrorism official, speaking generally, said. "We are 'Target Number One' for terrorists, and it requires a constant vigilance."

In particular, federal officials have become increasingly concerned about U.S. citizens who, like Shahzad, "choose to serve as an operative for a foreign terrorist organization," as federal prosecutors put it.

In court documents filed in the Shahzad case, prosecutors said that "under the cover of their U.S. citizenship" such individuals can "travel freely around the world" and "can remain in the United States undetected."

In a video released by the Pakistani Taliban two months after the failed Times Square attack, Shahzad said it is "not difficult at all to wage an attack on the West, and specifically in the U.S."

"Get up and learn from me and make an effort," he said in the video, recorded eight months before its release. "Nothing is impossible if you just keep in mind that Allah is with you."

Still, senior U.S. officials said recently that even failed attacks like the Times Square plot can ultimately be successful in some ways.

"These smaller attacks -- even if unsuccessful -- may still generate significant publicity and therefore might have both a psychological and an economic impact," FBI Director Mueller said last week during an intelligence-reform conference organized by the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington.

Two weeks earlier, the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Michael Leiter, told a Senate hearing that "additional attempts by Al Qaeda affiliates ... to attack the U.S., particularly attempts in the homeland, could attract the attention of even more Western recruits, thereby increasing those groups' threat to the homeland." And despite some setbacks for the Pakistani Taliban, he said, the group has "time and time again proven its resilience and remains a very capable and determined enemy."

The recent intelligence regarding the Pakistani Taliban has no connection to the U.S. State Department's recent alert urging Americans to use caution when traveling to Europe. U.S. officials have emphasized that the intelligence leading to the travel alert did not indicate a direct threat to the U.S. homeland, but they have been careful not to rule out other threats or to address other threat information.

In fact, the senior intelligence official said there are five major threat streams -- three aimed at Europe and two aimed at the United States -- that U.S. authorities are following right now.

Asked about "the current threat environment here in the United States" during a press conference in Washington last week, Attorney General Eric Holder insisted the "threat screening that precipitated the [travel] alert is all directed at Europe."

"That does not mean, however, that we're letting our guard down with regard to the United States," he added. "We have certainly seen over the past year attempts by Al Qaeda or its affiliates to attack the United States. We saw that in Detroit [with the failed Christmas Day bombing]. We saw that in Times Square. And so we are mindful of the fact that the threat to our homeland is a continuing one."

In September, the State Department designated the Pakistani Taliban a foreign terrorist organization, saying the group "draws ideological guidance" from Al Qaeda and is "attempting to extend their bloody reach into the American homeland." Their primary goals are to topple the Pakistani government, force Pakistani troops out of areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and to establish Islamic law in the region, according to U.S. officials.

In recent years, the Pakistani Taliban has carried out several attacks against U.S. interests overseas, including a deadly attack on a CIA base in Afghanistan, but the Times Square attempt was the group's first attack outside South Asia.

Last week, after pleading guilty to 10 terrorism-related counts, Shahzad was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the attempted bombing.

An FBI spokesman said he could not offer any information for this article, and spokesmen for the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice declined to comment.

[American Patriot]

So... they are extremely concerned about this thing above.

Fox has exclusive stuff on it.

There are - from what I can gather from both my sources and open source news, three intelligence streams. Europe and US are two of them that are strongly being looked at. Obviously specific intelligence that is classified can't be commented on.

above:

In fact, the senior intelligence official said there are five major threat streams -- three aimed at Europe and two aimed at the United States -- that U.S. authorities are following right now.

There are some very specific things in Europe and US that are being considered above other things.

If anyone is in a downtown area of any city in the US - keep your eyes open for unusual things! That's the best I can tell you right now.

[vector7]

BAGHDAD, Dec. 15, 2010
Iraq: Al Qaeda Planning Holiday Attacks in West

Iraqi Authorities Say Two Captured Insurgents Admit to Planned Suicide Attacks in U.S., Europe during Christmas Season

(AP) Iraqi authorities have obtained confessions from captured insurgents who claim al Qaeda is planning suicide attacks in the United States and Europe during the Christmas season, two senior officials said Wednesday.

Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani told The Associated Press that the botched bombing in central Stockholm last weekend was among the alleged plots the insurgents revealed. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, in a telephone interview from New York, called the claims "a critical threat."

Both al-Bolani and Zebari said Iraq has informed Interpol of the alleged plots, and alerted authorities in the U.S. and European countries of the possible danger. Neither official specified which country or countries in Europe are alleged targets.

There was no way to verify the insurgents' claims. But Western counterterrorism officials generally are on high alert during the holiday season, especially since last year's failed attack by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called underwear bomber, who tried to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day.

Al-Bolani said several insurgents claimed to be part of a cell that took its orders directly from al Qaeda's central leadership. He said at least one of the captured suspects was a foreign fighter from Tunisia.

The confessions were the result of recent operations by Iraqi security forces that have netted at least 73 suspected operatives in the last two weeks, al-Bolani said.

Links between al Qaeda's central leadership, which is believed to be hiding in Pakistan, and the terror organization's front group in Iraq are tenuous as the local branch in recent years has been run by local insurgents.

But al-Bolani said the claims; if true; show al Qaeda remains a presence in Iraq.

"Several members of this terrorist group have direct links with the central leaders of the al Qaeda organization," al-Bolani said. "Those captured represent the main structure of the al Qaeda organization in Iraq."

Zebari, who is in New York for a meeting of the U.S. Security Council, said he informed "the countries concerned." He mentioned the U.S, but would not specify which countries in Europe.

Al-Bolani said the suspects claimed that last Saturday's suicide bombing in Stockholm - carried out by an Iraqi-born Swede on Saturday - was among the plots. He said the suspects made the claim after the bombing happened.

[vector7]

Holiday Terror Warning Cites Car Bombs and Small Arms Attack

Authorities Worry About Christmas Attack For 'Psychological Impact'

By RICHARD ESPOSITO

Dec. 17, 2010 —

Federal law enforcement terror bulletins have become as much a part of the holiday season in the past decade as egg nog and department store Santas.

But this year, which ends amid a heightened concern over terror, is a little different. A Department of Homeland Security bulletin sent to law enforcement nationwide Thursday says that federal authorities worry terrorists will try to rattle Americans by attacking during the holidays, and lists concerns including car bombs, trucks ramming crowds and a Mumbai-style small arms attack.

"We are concerned these terrorists may seek to exploit the likely significant psychological impact of an attack targeting mass gatherings in large metropolitan areas during the 2010 holiday season, which has symbolic importance to many in the United States," The "Security Awareness for the Holiday Season" bulletin states.

The bulletin cites no specific threats for Christmas and New Year's, but makes clear that this year's enhanced concern is based on a persistent, evolving threat. The past 12 months brought multiple attempted attacks on U.S. targets, including the attempted Christmas Day underwear bombing of Northwest 253, Faisal Shahzad's failed Times Square car bomb, the "printer bomb" cargo plane plot and a number of alleged would-be bombers caught in stings in Oregon and elsewhere.


"During the last year," said the bulletin, "al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have attempted to carry out attacks in the United States, thereby raising their international profile. We cannot discount the possibility that other al-Qa'ida-linked groups, such as al-Qa'ida in Iraq, al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb, Lashkar-e Tayyiba, or al-Shabaab, will attempt to target the Homeland during the holiday season."

The document suggests that terrorists may consider public gatherings like "sporting events, parades, religious and cultural activities" to be attractive targets. "Attacks against these targets could maximize the psychological impact on the American public given the symbolic importance of the holiday season to many in the United States," says the bulletin. "Attacks against air cargo during this busy season are also a concern."

Holidays Are 'Appealing Targets of Opportunity For Terrorist Attacks'

"While terrorists will strike when and where they can, holiday periods do pose a particular window of vulnerability and are appealing targets of opportunity for terrorist attacks," said Frank Cilluffo, director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University.

"This is underscored in the recent failed attempts in Oregon and Sweden and [accused underwear bomber] Abdulmutallab's attempt last Christmas."

The most recent attempt came in Sweden on Saturday, where a terrorist who was apparently planning a large attack in central Stockholm blew up a suicide belt, killing himself and wounding two bystanders, after one of the explosive devices he had prepared detonated prematurely in his car, setting the car on fire.

Don Borelli, former assistant special agent charge in of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York, said that despite the absence of a specific threat, this year stands out.

"There are a couple of key concerns here that make it a little more unusual than the norm including the printer bomb plot," said Borelli.

The DHS memo cites a range of possible attack options by terrorists.

"Based on our review of historical Homeland and overseas terrorist plots, we assess that terrorists plotting an attack within the United States could use IEDs placed and abandoned at predetermined locations or carried or worn by suicide operatives, remotely detonated multiple IEDs that are timed for sequential explosions, or VBIEDs [car bombs].Terrorists could also use tactics featuring small arms to conduct an attack, possibly in combination with IEDs."

CLICK HERE to follow the ABC News Investigative Team's coverage on Twitter.

New York City police conducted a drill to prepare for a Mumbai-style small arms attack earlier this year.

'Terrorist Use of Vehicle Ramming Tactics'

Worries about vehicle-borne threats were brought up in three earlier DHS briefing memos sent to law enforcement that are circulating with the holidays approaching. The bulletins warn of possible attacks from tractor trailers and buses, the use of vehicles to breach security perimeters, and "Terrorist Use of Vehicle Ramming Tactics."

"The ramming warning likely comes from an online Al Qaeda magazine, which advocated attaching blades to a pickup and driving into a crowd in Washington, D.C.," said Borelli, now a senior v.p. of the Soufan Group, a security consulting firm. The tactic was recommended in a summer issue of Inspire, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's webzine.

The most recent bulletin to mention vehicle ramming, a "Roll Call Release" dated this Monday, says the tactic "offers terrorists with limited access to explosives or weapons an opportunity to conduct a Homeland attack with minimal prior training or experience."

An earlier Roll Call Release dated June 10 and now recirculated, states, "Terrorists could use large commercial motor vehicles ... such as trucks or buses loaded with explosives or toxic industrial chemicals as weapons to attack public gatherings; secure or sensitive sites such as airports, power facilities, critical bridges and tunnels, or fuel depots. A terrorist also could use a CMV as a battering weapon."

And a third release also dated June 10 states, "Analysis of attacks by violent extremist groups overseas reveals that attackers seek ways to circumvent or overcome fencing, access road barriers, and similar perimeter security measures to gain access to their primary target. Law enforcement and security personnel should be aware that individuals seeking to conduct an attack in the United States may attempt unorthodox or unexpected measures, such as using improvised ramps, to bypass obstacles."

Combined, the circulars demonstrate the level of concern about what top officials have already acknowledged is a significant uptick in the terrorists' operational tempo.

Said Cilluffo, "The jihadi threat we face today has metastasized and comes in various shapes, sizes, flavors and forms, ranging from Al Qaeda senior leadership to its affiliates in [Pakistan's] Tribal Areas and Waziristan, Yemen , Somalia, the Maghreb and increasingly the Caucasus, to homegrown jihadists. "

CLICK HERE to follow the ABC News Investigative Team and Brian Ross on Facebook and join in on the discussion.

The DHS holiday bulletin also reminds readers, however, that "the timing of a terrorist attack depends more on terrorists' readiness to execute" it than on the calendar.

[American Patriot]

That can't possibly happen HERE....

[vector7]

That's right,



Cause big Sis is working overtime keeping Americans safe...

[American Patriot]

damn....

LOL

[vector7]

FBI, Homeland Security issue holiday threat notice to law enforcement

By Carol Cratty and Pam Benson, CNN
December 17, 2010 -- Updated 0041 GMT (0841 HKT)


The advisory includes suggested tactics for countering attacks by terrorists who might have bombs or small arms.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Officials say the advisories are "standard practice"
• There is no specific and credible information about any planned attacks, officials say
• Notice to law enforcement is a reminder to be vigilant

Washington (CNN) -- U.S. officials say they have no specific and credible information about planned terror attacks on the United States, but they have issued an intelligence bulletin to state and local law enforcement warning terrorists could target large crowds at holiday gatherings.

The Department of Homeland Security and FBI issued an intelligence bulletin Wednesday to encourage law enforcement agencies to be watchful.

"Terrorists may seek to exploit the likely significant psychological impact of an attack targeting mass gatherings in large metropolitan areas during the 2010 holiday season which has symbolic importance to many in the United States," the bulletin says, a copy of which was obtained by CNN. "We continue to assess, however, the timing of a terrorist attack depends more on terrorists' readiness to execute an attack rather than a desire to attack on a specific date."

The law enforcement notice was intended to reach only state and local law enforcement groups. It suggests various tactics to counter any possible attack by terrorists who might have improvised explosive devices or small arms. Those suggestions include installing barriers to separate vehicles from crowds and posting added security people in areas where large numbers of people gather.

U.S. officials say issuing these advisories before holidays has become "standard practice" in recent years. The intelligence warning lists the types of gatherings and locations which could be attractive to terrorists including parades, religious and cultural activities, shopping malls, airports and public transportation systems, and sporting events.

Another feature of the advisories is to list recent events which law enforcement should keep in mind as they assess the intention of terrorists to attempt new attacks. This year's advisory notes the recent attempt by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to hide bombs in copiers and ship them to the United States as air cargo: the recent arrest of a naturalized American citizen who allegedly wanted to set off a vehicle bomb during a Christmas tree lighting in Portland, Oregon; two recent explosions set off in crowded shopping areas in Stockholm, Sweden; and the failed attempt of a naturalized U.S. citizen to set off a vehicle bomb in Times Square last May.

The bulletin only briefly mentions a holiday time terror attack which remains front and center in the minds of law enforcement and counterterrorism officials. Last Christmas a young Nigerian man named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab allegedly tried to detonate an explosive device sewn into his underwear as his flight headed toward Detroit.

Abdulmutallab pleaded not guilty earlier Thursday to new charges brought against him.

It does not mention information shared by Iraq it said came from captured insurgents who said al Qaeda in Iraq was planning suicide attacks in the United States and Europe over the holidays. A U.S. official said the report was being taken seriously, although there is no intelligence backing up the claims.

A U.S. counterterrorism official added there is no "new, specific credible threat to Europe." According to this official, a terror threat to Europe which came to light a few months ago has been disrupted but is not over.

[Phil Fiord]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/attor...kw=&tqshow=GMA

Holder warns of homegrown attacks.

[American Patriot]

Two mailbombs have exploded in two separate mail facilities in Maryland in the last hour.

Hazmat teams on scene.

Gov. of MD says no injuries.

Other sources are stating as many as 6 in one incident

Both buildings are Maryland state buildings.

[American Patriot]

WTOP radio is reporting NO INJURIES REPORTED>

[American Patriot]

the term Explosion might be "too strong" a word... someone (FBI?) saying "flare up"

Jeffery Building is one location.

[American Patriot]

State Police is clarifying injuries. "NO SERIOUS INJURIES".

Therefore. Injuries.

[American Patriot]

HANOVER, Maryland -- Investigators and emergency responders are on the scene of two seperate explosions at government buildings in Maryland.



Reports say the explosions involved suspicious packages, one that apparently detonated in a building that houses the Maryland Department of Transportation headquarters in Hanover, the other that exploded in a state office building in Annapolis. The Jeffreys building is reported to house both the Secretary of State's office and the Office of Homeland Security.



CNN reports that a mail room employee may have been injured in one of the blasts. The network also says that bomb squad personel were on scene, and the FBI was responding when the packages detonated.
We will have more on this situation as it becomes available.

[American Patriot]

Report: Package Bombs Explode at 2 Government Buildings

Officials are investigating explosions at the Maryland Department of Transportation's headquarters and a state government building in Annapolis.






KTLA News 11:27 a.m. PST, January 6, 2011




ktla-package-bombs-explode


HANOVER, Md. -- Officials are investigating possible explosions at the Maryland Department of Transportation's headquarters in Hanover and a state government building in Annapolis.

\Firefighters and hazmat crews were sent to the MDOT building in the 7200 block of Corporate Center in Hanover shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday.

A source has told 11 News that two packages exploded, one at the MDOT building and another at the Jeffrey Building on Francis Street in Annapolis.

The source said when the packages were opened in the mail rooms of the buildings, a small explosion happened.

State agencies have been advised to not deliver or open any mail.

There are no confirmed reports of injuries.

[American Patriot]

Jan. 6, 2011 Packages Explode in Two Md. State Buildings

Authorities Looking Into Package Explosions at Md. Dept. of Transportation and Other State Building; 3 Reported Injured

• Authorities respond to a mail bomb explosion in Maryland. (CBS)

(CBS) ANNAPOLIS - Mail packages have exploded at two state office buildings in Maryland.

CBS News confirms that a mailroom employee was injured at the Maryland Department of General Services' Jeffery Building in Annapolis after the package he was handling exploded. The building is near the state capitol.

One explosion occurred at around 1 p.m. in the mail room of the Maryland Department of Transportation headquarters in Hanover, Md., reports WBAL radio in Baltimore.

The Jeffrey Building explosion happened around 1:30 p.m., WBAL reports.

Three injuries have been confirmed by CBS News thus far, although the location of where the injuries occurred is unclear.

Rick Abbruzzese, spokesman for Governor Martin O'Malley, told The (Annapolis) Capital that no one was injured.

[American Patriot]

2 packages explode at Md. government buildings

Conflicting reports on whether any injuries occurred

1. Below:
   
2. 
   
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NBC News Emergency personnel gather outside a Md. government building where an explosion was reported.

NBC News NBC News
updated 1 hour 13 minutes ago 2011-01-06T19:24:02
Breaking News


A federal official says two packages exploded Thursday at state government buildings in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, according to NBC News.
Both were apparently sent through the mail, an official says. In both cases, the packages emitted a small bang or flame. The official says so far it appears no one was hurt in either incident. But ABC2News.com reported that several people had been injured.

One package was sent to the Jeffrey Building in downtown Annapolis. The other was sent to the Maryland Department of Transportation in Hanover.


Emergency officials also could be seen at the Harry Hughes Department of Transportation Building in Hanover.


A spokesman for Gov. Martin O'Malley told HometownAnnapolis.com that cabinet secretaries have been instructed to shut down mail rooms and not deliver mail.

[American Patriot]

Two explosive devices at state buildings; all mailrooms locked down

State, FBI officials called to scene; explosion reported at Hanover office

• 
  
  
  • X
    Injuries and Wounds
    
    Transportation
    
    Hanover (Anne Arundel, Maryland)
    
    Thomas V. Mike Miller
    
    FBI
    

By Nicole Fuller, The Baltimore Sun 1:31 p.m. CST, January 6, 2011




bs-md-ar-mailroom-bomb-squad-20110106


Explosive devices have been reported at two state buildings — one near the State House in Annapolis and another in Hanover — and have injured at least one person, officials said.


The state government has locked down all of its mailrooms, according to a bulletin from the Maryland Department of Transportation.


A State House mailroom employee was hurt Thursday afternoon while handling a package, and the incident was being investigated by bomb squad officials, according to Annapolis city officials.


Another explosive device is at the Department of Transportation headquarters, at 7201 Corporate Center Drive in Hanover, according to the agency.



There were media reports that six people were injured. According to the website eyeonannapolis.net, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department responded to a possible chemical explosion on the fourth floor of the facility.

The Annapolis Fire Department's bomb squad was investigating the State House incident and the state's bomb squad and FBI officials were on their way to the Jeffrey Building on Francis Street, where the incident took place, as of 12:51 p.m., according to Phillip McGowan, a spokesman for Annapolis Mayor Joshua J. Cohen.


The Jeffrey Building in Annapolis includes a number of gubernatorial staff offices, including the Office of Homeland Security, the appointments office, the secretary of state and StateStat.


"We shut down mail service in the legislative complex, and we notified our members about the situation," said Patrick H. Murray, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller's deputy chief of staff.
nicole.fuller@baltsun.com

[American Patriot]

Gov. shutting down state mailrooms.....