School Bus Terrorism Threat
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Would you recognize a new face sitting in the drivers seat of your child’s school bus?
Do you give any thought to the person who picks up your child and transports them to school and back home each day?
If not, you might want to start.
School Bus Terrorism - A Practical Analysis
Chris Dorn has a complete analysis of the threat.
In this paper I will discuss one specific aspect of terrorism: attacks including school buses as targets or weapons. I will assume a basic knowledge of terrorism and terrorist groups. Thus I will not discuss in detail the motivations or specific tactical movements of terrorists. I will be dealing in strategies and methods that apply to anti-terrorism in a particular area.
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School Bus Thefts Concern Houston Authorities
17 school buses have turned up missing over the past several months in Houston. Glenn Beck is talking about it and others should be.
Houston Police Department’s Criminal Intelligence Division, the FBI and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office are all concerned about a large number of school buses that have been stolen in the Houston area over the last several months.
An 11 News investigation uncovered that 17 large, yellow school buses were stolen recently from various charter schools, business schools and private bus companies. Not one has disappeared from HISD.
Most, if not all, were taken from locations on Houston’s north side. One off west Tidwell, another from the Lopez bus company off Melrose and Berry Street.
Timothy Williams is the superintendent at the High School for Business.
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March 2007 - FBI: Extremists sign up to drive school buses
Earlier this year the FBI warned that members of extremist groups were signing up to become school bus drivers
Members of extremist groups have signed up as school bus drivers in the United States, counterterror officials said Friday, in a cautionary bulletin to police. An FBI spokesman said “parents and children have nothing to fear.”
Asked about the alert notice, the FBI’s Rich Kolko said “there are no threats, no plots and no history leading us to believe there is any reason for concern,” although law enforcement agencies around the country were asked to watch out for kids’ safety.
The bulletin, parts of which were read to The Associated Press, did not say how often foreign extremists have sought to acquire licenses to drive school buses, or where. It was sent Friday as part of what officials said was a routine FBI and Homeland Security Department advisory to local law enforcement.
It noted “recent suspicious activity” by foreigners who either drive school buses or are licensed to drive them, according to a counterterror official who read parts of the document to The Associated Press.
Foreigners under recent investigation include “some with ties to extremist groups” who have been able to “purchase buses and acquire licenses,” the bulletin says.
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May 2006 - School bus ride takes 2 to jail
Do you remember these two? There’s a good change that you’ve never even heard of them
Two Saudi Arabian men climbed aboard a school bus Friday morning bound for Wharton High and landed in jail.
Although the case caught the attention of state and federal authorities, officials suspect it might have been a case of cultural confusion.
When Mana Saleh Almanajam, 23, and Shaker Mohnsen Alsidran, 20, caught the yellow bus at 7 a.m. at Fletcher Avenue and 42nd Street, students alerted their substitute bus driver.
Driver Roberta McCray radioed the school district. By the time the bus arrived at campus at 7:30 a.m., a sheriff’s deputy was on scene to charge the two with trespassing.
Though their actions only resulted in misdemeanor charges, Almanajam and Alsidran were quickly under the microscope of the FBI, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Regional Domestic Security Task Force, the Sheriff’s Homeland Security Division, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Sheriff’s spokesman J.D. Callaway described the two as cagey and evasive as they answered questions. They said they were from Morocco, Callaway said, and then Saudi Arabia. The men told authorities they said they were from Morocco because they worried Americans fear Saudi Arabian men.
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School Bus Drivers Allowed To Work 90 Days Without Completed Background Check
And finally… How comfortable are you with handing your child over to a complete stranger each day…One that may not have completed a background check?
Summer vacation is over, and thousands of kids are packing their bookbags and getting back on school buses this week. And now State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is looking to make their ride as safe as possible.
DiNapoli is calling for faster criminal background checks of all school bus drivers in New York.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is calling for faster criminal background checks of school bus drivers.
Under the DMV’s current bus driver licensing program, new bus drivers can drive kids for up to 90 days while their backgrounds checks are taking place.
I’ve posted on most of these incidents. I’m very concerned about this as is Laura Mansfield, who has posted quite a bit. What a feather in the jihadists cap to capture and hold or harm our children on American soil.
wow
Without even considering the threat of a potential terrorist driving our children’s school buses, even local citizens should not be permitted to be licensed to drive a bus, or enroll in a class for training/licensing, without first being approved through a background check. They say that we Americans are our own worst enemy because so many of us fail to think globally in regards to our personal and national safety. When are we going to wake up and realize that our country built on the values of God, family, and service to others, is teetoring on self destruction by the lopsided lackadaisical approach so many take to the real threats we are now faced in the here and now. Are we all so spoiled with all of our little and big toys, fashionable wardrobes, and big homes and pocketbooks that we cannot see what path of destruction we are destined for if we don’t start taking an active role in our community, our state, and our country? How many politicians are preaching for the end of the Iraq war because it is the popular thing to do and not the wise avenue to staying on top of terrorist threats to peace and safety? Wake up America! We need political leaders who have the wisdom and background required to face the challenges of the most important job in the world.
Even my friends back in NYC are scared for us in the DFW area-they want to know what is being done and how this happened in the 1st place. I had a very sick feeling droppin our son off at his High School this morning-God help us all-may all our children be safe and under HIs protection on this day..
Indeed. Here in Washington state the FBI is currently searching for a pair of Arab men who’ve been “acting strange” (Political correct b.s. term for “Active reconoiter of targets) on the State ferry system and the PacNorthWest has also seen a rash of school bus thefts in the past year.
It wouldn’t shock me that these ferry reconoiters could be a faint to draw officials to look at the left flank while the terrorist strike the right flank.
My advice to parents would be to embrace a little paranoia for once and get back to being involved in their children’s school system, harping teachers, badgering supervisors, showing up un-announced to walk the grounds or watch who’s driving the buses or standing around the streets.
To simply blow this off, especially in light of the magnificent work Mister Glenn Beck has been doing over the past month is to invite potential disaster.
I can’t believe this is a possibility, This are our children. We must get involved and we must ask questions. That is our job as parents.
This is an unimaginably horrific threat on our nation.
Why not engage volunteer armed marshalls to watch & protect schools and buses? Why don’t we become pro-active here? Why have our schools not communicated with parents on this? Why has the media and federal government been silent?
Just as volunteers formed to observe the border, we need to quickly form a Parents/Citizens School Watch Group!!!! Let’s keep terrorists and other thugs away from our most precious gift — our children.
I don’t agree the plan is to pick kids up at school - too problematic., too unwieldy.
The plan more likely is to fill the 27 schoolbuses with explosives, drive them into 27 different school yards filled with kids boarding buses to go home, and detonate the explosives at approximately the same time. There is also the possibility they will add some radioactive material to the explosives to cause survivors and rescue workers exposure resulting in radiation burns.
Orrrrrrrrrrr, the school buses are being stolen to sell in Mexico, and are currently being used in Mexico….. which is a scenario I much prefer and one I believe is more plausible. Obviously the buses are being stolen inj North Houston, taken to and prepared in South Houston for their trip to wherever.
Hate to write twice, but the terrosist thing just doesn’t add up. Where would a terrorist group store 20 school buses without being noticed given all attendant publicity?
Nowhere.
Why are buses only being stolen in North Houston?
Because the ring that is selling them in Mexico has a bus thief living in Houston.
I love Glenn Beck, agree with him most of the time.
On this issue however, we part company. These buses are being stolen for profit not terrorism.
This school bus thing is on it’s way to becoming another urban legend and slice of Americana Paranoia.
First of all the government, schools, and media are staying silent for one or two reasons: 1. They don’t want to start a panic, 2. They are keeping quiet because they are working on leads through the Intelligence Arena (NSA, CIA, DIA, FBI, ATF, etc) to nail these people and by broadcasting it through the media about the leads will cause the terrorists to alter plans so the feds can’t stop it in time. I listen to Glenn Beck every day. He seems well informed about the possible scenario through his own contacts. Now, nothing against Glenn Beck because I do like the guy, but it seems to me that a radio talk show host who knows about this scenario including the missing school buses and everything else says something about leaks in our Intelligence Community. How is he getting his information and telling it to the public. I understand the peoples’ right to know and respect it but if a radio talk show host can get this info from contacts in the Intelligence arena then who’s to say who else has this information. And more food for thought : how does Chertoff or Bush or any other fed authority present this information to the public and in what manner so as to not create a panic - a very good trick in itself. People’s right to know -vs- Security!!!
My partial solution to the problem is don’t hire any middle eastern people to drive school buses. If they cry discrimination show them the door back to their country. WE HAVE OUR KIDS TO WORRY ABOUT, THEY MEAN EVERYTHING TO US AND NO WHERE IN THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION DOES IT SAY THAT WE MUST PUT OUR CHILDREN IN HARMS’ WAY AND MUST SURRENDER OUR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS TO THE GOVERNMENT IN ORDER TO PROTECT POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.
I suggest that everyone watch Glenn Becks special, “the perfect Day” then good key words like Iran, Nuclear attack on the US, the stolen school busses in Houston and recent Osoma Bin Laudin tapes. Connect the dots then put everything together then get informed
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE OUR BUS DRIVERS BACKGROUND CHECKS DONE EVERY 2 MONTHS OR SOMETHING . KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THEM AND THEIR BUSES AND WHO TAKES CARE OF THEM, AS WELL AS WHO REPAIRS THEM. I FEEL THAT ALL TEACHERS SHOULD HAVE BACK GROUND CHECKS PERIODICALLY. I FEEL AS WELL ,THAT EVERY SCHOOL,REGUARDLESS OF SIZE SHOULD HAVE INHOUSE SECURITY. PARENTS SHOULD BE AWARE OF EVERYTHING PERTAINING TO THEIR CHILDREN,THEY NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING,PERSON,EVENT,ETC.WE AS PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR CHILDRENS SAFETY. AND EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY. OUR CHILDREN ARE THE INOCENT,SWEET ,AN CAN NOT BE REPLACED. LET’S KEEP OUR KIDS SAFE,AS BEST AS WE CAN. I’M SCARED TO THINK THAT THE BUS ARE BEING STOLEN AND WE DON’T KNOW WHO IS DOING IT OR WHAT THEY ARE DOING OR WHAT THEY PLAN ON DOING WITH THEM.
Here is something to think about? The Tacoma Washington School Board just authorized the purchase of cameras for all buses–not unusual, right?
Well, they also authorized GPS tracking devices for the 165 school buses in the district. Used the excuse if they could save one mile a day on each bus, they would save a bundle on fuel. The other reason was we have curb to curb tracking of our kids. How many kids do not make it home off the bus? The problem usually is that a very young student falls asleep on the bus and it is parked in the bus yard and they know where it is. Hence, what good would the GPS do when you know where the bus is. They must think the bus drivers are out for leisurely drives before or after their routes–or they have been told something that we the parents have not been told. Another intersting thing that happened here in Washington State, the week before school started, the Washington State Patrol boarded all the school buses, to check to make sure they were in working order. (light , blinker etc.) Isn’t that what the maintenance department is hired and required to do and get paid for it. It is something to think about and wonder what info they have that they are not disclosing to the public.
In all honesty, you can hide elephants wherever you want. Often times, they are hidden in the open. School buses are really no different. Any auto body shop, riverfront warehouse, abandoned garages, etc… are perfect hiding places. However, rural areas, large cities, all have their places for this type of crime of terrorism. How more perfect to strike at the core of America than to do something to a school bus of children? The devastation, grief and anger would be tremendous but some people are paralyzed by it mentally. As I leave my house in the mornings it is RARE to see a parent standing at the bus stop with their little children - even the youngest. Most parents have NEVER laid eyes on the person that drives that school bus, they only know that person by Miss SOandSO or Mr Whoever. They don’t know the face, the background and don’t consider it until something goes wrong or perceived wrong. Rarely does the school mediate with parent and bus driver in the same room. Bus drivers should as one person mentioned be checked on a regular basis. Although not perfect, is certainly a better deterent. This area has had in the past year more than 25 wrecks caused by bus drivers and three child molesters driving buses. Another one was shot to death by a student. We’ve had a bus driver that told a child he was going to hell because he was reading Harry Potter and a multitude of others that are so loving and caring for the students they drive. Be involved in the system, require your schools to have the bus drivers meet the parents on Parent Teacher night. It is not just Parents and Teachers that need to meet it is the entire school faculty from Teachers to staff/maintenance/bus drivers and crossing guards. Know their faces. Some of them are parents and grandparents too that would love to see the parent of the children they drive care.
School bus terrorism and school terrorism would be much less likely to occur if drivers, teachers, and administrators with concealed weapon permits were armed and well trained in the use of arms, and willing to use them to protect the children. The idea of “gun free” zones is an invitation to terrorists and other criminals of every sort as it advertises that this is an unprotected place and is safe to attack.
Also, concerned parents should ride the buses and patrol the schools. Ideally these folks should also have concealed weapon permits and be armed and well trained as above.
When my children were in grade school a number of years ago there was a sex predator scare. It took us only one day to have a full roster of volunteer parents to register every person who came into the building and send them directly to the office to be identified before they could visit their child in the classroom. Only the front door was unlocked. All others were locked so that no one could enter from the outside. Our parent patrol lasted until the end of the school year with no objections from anyone–only gratitude that we were there.
People must be pro-active in protecting those most precious to them. Police do the best they can but cannot be everywhere in time to prevent every crime from happening.
We must all stop being cowards and live up to our responsibilities as parents and members of the community.
in victoria we reported several schoolbusses stopped on biz 59 south to 911 on suspicion. Their markings were painted over and when approached the drivers blocked the plates. 911 refused to respond since we withheld our i.d. They said they never heard of busses missing in Houston.
the incident was probably just vehicles going to mex as used, but who knows now?
Local law enforcement is just is not informed about national concerns. I guess if terrorists have any smarts at all, they will be able to do as they please.
I agree with Jedi. Local law enforcement is not informed, usually, about anything by the FBI.
According to the FBI, there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about. About anything. Any person without the training the FBI receives can use common sense and tell if a threat is credible. When you have seventeen buses missing from one city, known members of known extremists groups signing on as bus drivers, and several reports of men of middle-eastern descent getting on school buses, I would say we have plenty to worry about. I sure am glad we ‘t fight WWII this way.
The FBI’s problem is they’re afraid of offending they very ones who want to kill us.
“Move on, nothing to see here…”
BTW, my jurisdiction fits the profile of the school takeover scenario, and although I’ve done my homework, most officers around heard it on Glenn Beck for the first time. So much for improved information sharing from the feds.
3 SUDENTS SHOT IN CLEVLAND HIGHSCHOOL BREAKING NEWS
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