Report: N.Y. Men Under Heavy Surveillance in Terror Probe
September 30, 2009 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
Additional associates of alleged terror suspect Najiabullah Zazi are under heavy surveillance, according to law enforcement officials in a Fox news report. Authorities have said three unnamed people traveled from New York City to suburban Denver over the summer and used stolen credit cards to help Zazi buy products containing hydrogen peroxide and acetone, common ingredients for homemade bombs. The three returned to New York at some point but haven’t been accounted for publicly, nor have the “others” who court papers say joined Zazi on a trip to Pakistan last year.
Investigators are said to still be looking for additional accomplices and expect to make more arrests according to one official who declined to discuss details as to when that might happen or how many additional suspects may be involved.
Officials add that the men under surveillance are no longer considered a threat because the plot was thoroughly disrupted. The report states that both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation continues.
NY Alleged Terror Suspect Zazi Indicted For Conspiring To Detonate WMD
September 24, 2009 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
How serious is the New York Terror threat the FBI is investigating? Consider This: CBS 2 is reporting, Najibullah Zazi, the Denver man believed to be the central figure in a terror plot against the New York City transit system, has officially been indicted on charges of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against persons or property in the United States.
In addition, WCBS reports the FBI is expanding its investigation into the alleged terror plot and nearly every one of the FBI’s 57 field offices in the country and several overseas are now in on the case, working along with local police.
Very serious.
The Denver Post provides a detailed summary of the indictment and the evidence that led to it.
In the Denver Post report, (citing the detention order) it states Najibullah Zazi plotted for over a year to detonate homemade hydrogen peroxide bombs in the United States, had recently bought bomb-making supplies from beauty supply stores and was looking for “urgent” help in the past two weeks to make explosives.
[...]
In July and August, Zazi bought unusually large amounts of hydrogen peroxide and acetone products from beauty supply stores in the Denver metropolitan area, the document says. He searched the Internet for home improvement stores in Queens before driving a rental car for a two-day trip to the city, the document says.
[...]
The document says that on Sept. 6 and 7, Zazi tried to communicate with another individual “seeking to correct mixtures of ingredients to make explosives.” “Each communication,” the papers say, was “more urgent than the last.” On those days, Zazi rented a suite at a hotel in his hometown of Aurora, Colo., authorities charge. The room had a kitchen, and subsequent FBI testing for explosives and residue in the suite found the presence of residue in the vent above the stove.
New York Terror Case Official Replaced
September 24, 2009 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
In a post yesterday, we cited Gerald Posner’s article at The Daily Beast. In the article Posner said behind the scenes in the ongoing New York terror investigation, agents were furious at two detectives of the New York Police Department intelligence unit, whose actions, according to a source familiar with the case, scuttled the long-running probe and forced a raid earlier than planned.
Today, in the NY Times we learn that a senior official in the case has been transferred to another assignment.
The New York Police Department has removed a senior official from one of its two sometimes competing antiterrorism units, after it played a role in disrupting a sensitive federal terrorism investigation, current and former police officials said on Wednesday. He was replaced by a top official from the other unit.
The department has acknowledged no missteps in the effort by Intelligence Division detectives to seek assistance from the imam, a disclosure that contributed to a significant disruption in the investigation.
But the transfer of the Counterterrorism Bureau official to the Intelligence Division, which has sometimes clashed with its local and federal partners, suggests that senior police officials are seeking to improve relations between the units. He is widely respected and has overseen a large contingent of detectives assigned to work with the F.B.I. on the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
via Read Article.
Did Botched Terrorism Probe Lead To Early Arrests
Gerald Posner’s (The Daily Beast) investigative report focuses on the culmination of the year long terror probe and says FBI agents are fuming at New York Police Department detectives for inadvertently causing them to miss an opportunity to take down even more members of the alleged terror cell.
From The Article at The Daily Beast
Following a year-long probe, federal agents on Saturday arrested 24-year-old Najibullah Zazi, in Aurora, Colorado, along with his father, Mohammed Wali Zazi, and 37-year-old Ahmad Wais Afzali, in Flushing, N.Y. But behind the scenes, the agents were furious at two detectives of the New York Police Department intelligence unit, whose actions, according to a source familiar with the case, scuttled the long-running probe and forced a raid earlier than planned, killing off any potentially bigger payoff had surveillance run longer.
The feds weren’t the only ones left steaming, says this source; also upset at the two NYPD detectives were their colleagues in the counterterrorism division, composed of more than 100 detectives who frequently work with the FBI on a Joint Terrorism Task Force. Federal investigators say any possibility of discovering whether the main suspect they were monitoring might have led to a larger sleeper cell inside the U.S. is lost. Also gone, say investigators, is the chance to see how al Qaeda planned its first post-9/11 U.S. attack, from support personnel to financing.
While over at Time – NYPD Denies It Botched the Zazi Terrorism Probe
The New York Police Department has denied suggestions that it mishandled the investigation of the Zazi terrorism plot, forcing the FBI to make arrests before fully developing the case – and potentially squandering an opportunity to nab many more conspirators.
“It’s inevitable some people who are unhappy with the outcome will look to criticize,” Deputy NYPD Commissioner Paul Browne told TIME. “But there’s been good outcomes here. There’s been excellent work by the NYPD and the FBI.”
Media reports quoting anonymous FBI officials have suggested the NYPD botched the case when it showed a picture of Najibullah Zazi, the Denver shuttle-bus driver at the heart of the investigation, to Ahmed Afzali, a Queens Imam and sometime police informant. Afzali, the reports say, first called Zazi’s father Mohammed, then Najibullah himself, alerting them to the probe. The FBI, which had been monitoring the calls, was then forced to move immediately to arrest the Zazis – much sooner than it had planned.
The FBI did not respond to TIME’s requests for comment on the Zazi case.
The New York Times Also reports on this aspect of the case .
How Using Imam in Terror Inquiry Backfired on Police
A decision to enlist a Queens imam in an effort to develop information about the man at the center of a long-running cross-country terrorism investigation backfired earlier this month.
In fact, federal prosecutors have now charged the imam, a onetime source of information for the New York Police Department, contending that he betrayed the police by warning the suspect and then lied about it, and maybe even coached him on what to say if he was questioned.
[...]
Current and former police and federal officials said the approach to the imam, and the resulting disruption, added to a long history of tensions and rivalry between the New York New YorkPolice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which in recent years have developed a new dimension: a clash of sorts within the Police Department, between its two primary antiterrorism units.
Read Full ArticleOn a side note, for those of you who missed Posner’s recent investigative report on Adnan Shukrijumah, one of the world’s most wanted terrorists, you can read it here. Shukrijumah, also known as “Jaffar The Pilot”, has avoided the spotlight of the media and Posner exposes the danger he presents if not apprehended.
Joint Terrorism Task Force Raids Homes In New York Terror Probe
September 14, 2009 by Homeland Security NTARC News
Filed under Incident Reports
UPDATE 2:18pm PST: Al Qaeda Suspect Tracked to New York Over the Weekend, Met with Possible Followers
Authorities raided properties in New York City today in an effort that was intended to disrupt the plans of a terror suspect whose travels had been tracked by the FBI, according to an official briefed on the raids.
“He was being watched and concern grew as he met with a group of individuals in Queens over the weekend,” said Congressman Pete King (R-NY). “The FBI went to court late last night for an emergency warrant to conduct the raids this morning.” A resident in the neighborhood said there was police activity around 2 a.m. Monday.
UPDATE 1:48pm PST: – Two U.S. intelligence officials, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly, said the target of any purported attack, or who would carry it out, remained unclear. Authorities have not found any weapons ready for use, such as a bomb, that would indicate an attack was imminent, they said. Nevertheless, one of the officials called the threat very real and emphasized the urgency of the threat. Source – WCBS Radio
UPDATE 1:40pm PST: NYPD and FBI, citing ‘activity’ Sunday night, raided the residences in Queens as part of joint anti-terror probe.
Original Post
Law enforcement agents have raided several homes in New York City as part of a terrorism probe, and are preparing to brief Congress about the investigation later today. A NYPD spokesman confirms that searches were conducted in the borough of Queens on Monday by agents of a joint terrorism task force.
Additional Reports
From Reuters
New York City police are conducting an investigation into suspected terrorism in the borough of Queens, a spokesman said on Monday. “There was activity in Queens last night by the NYPD and the FBI that was part of an ongoing joint terrorism taskforce investigation,” Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said.
Terror Drill In New York Tests Against Seaborne Attack
August 4, 2009 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
Federal, state and municipal agencies staged an elaborate drill in the waters off New York City on Tuesday to prepare for the possibility of a nuclear or dirty-bomb attack from the water.
Agencies involved in Tuesday’s test emphasized they did not undertake it because of a specific threat against the city. However, Kelly said the city was taking no chances after a proclamation years ago by Osama bin Laden. “We do know that Osama bin Laden several years ago obtained a fatwah to use nuclear weapons, and our goal is to make certain that that fatwah does not come to fruition,” he said.
In addition to increasing various agencies’ preparedness for a seaborne radiological attack, Kelly said Tuesday’s well-publicized drill was meant to deter those who would perpetrate such an attack.
“It pays to advertise to a certain extent. We want anyone who would do us harm to know that we’re out there, that we have the capability to detect,” Kelly said.
Eight government agencies participated in the drill, ranging from the NYPD to the U.S. Coast Guard. The exercise took place at the entrance of New York Harbor, just south of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge linking Staten Island to Brooklyn.
via Terror drill off New York tests agencies against seaborne attack – CNN.com.
NYPD, FBI Complete Queens Terror Drill Exercise
August 4, 2009 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
The multi-agency—including the NYPD and FBI—terror drill that was conducted in Queens over the past few nights was deemed a success by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. He told the AP, “We plan for the worst with the best exercises possible. This one was realistic — at night, in the rain, with traffic. We put our personnel to the test and they performed well.” The exercise involved hundreds of police officers and federal agents, who were on the hunt for a radiological device.
As part of the drill, the NYPD set up a “radiological dragnet,” using various radiation detectors to find the materials before the device was to be detonated. The device was traveling in Queens, which meant the NYPD had to close lanes and inspect cars, ultimately finding a red SUV that had a mock device designed by the Department of Energy to emit safe levels of neutrons (there were technicians protecting it in the SUV, too).
NYPD Increase Security at NYC Hotels After Jakarta Bombings
July 18, 2009 by national
Filed under Incident Reports
Following fatal explosions at Western targets in Jakarta, Indonesia last night, NYPD officers have been deployed to major New York City hotels to provide increased security in the aftermath of the bombings.
The NYPD said today that immediately after the explosions, marked NYPD “critical response vehicles” arrived at dozens of New York hotels, including the Marriott and Ritz Carlton the targets in Jakarta.
Police Commission Raymond W. Kelly said that while New York has not received a similar threat, standard practice requires “such precautions and to brief security directors in New York of what we learn.”
Homeland Security Gives NYPD Radiation Detectors
July 6, 2009 by national
Filed under Homeland Security NewsNYPD Radiation Monitor
The US Department of Homeland Security has given three state-of-the-art radiation detectors to the New York Police Department to patrol city streets in search of dirty bombs and other nuclear threats.
The 450,000-dollar worth Advanced Spectroscopic Portal Monitors will be placed in three SUVs on Wednesday at entrances to tunnels, bridges and tollbooths, the Daily News reports.
The detectors had been purchased by DHS’ National Nuclear Detection Office for use at the nation’s ports, but officials concluded they weren’t strong enough to penetrate ship containers, police sources said.
Officials believe they will be able to detect radioactive isotopes emanating from a dirty bomb in the back of a car.
“We think they’ll be useful getting hits on vehicles on the road,” a NYPD official said.
Recently, the department had also purchased 8,000 Dosimeters, pager-sized detectors to be given to police if there is a nuclear attack.
Outfitted in protective gear, officers would use the Dosimeters to find “hot spots” of radiation.
Additionally, sources said the NYPD will station a sophisticated radiation-detecting device at this weekend’s July 4 celebration at the retired battleship Intrepid.
The Thermo is used up to a dozen times a year and is stationed at the main entrance to a sensitive target.
Terror Drill Planned For New York Harbor
New York City police (NYPD) and the U.S. Coast Guard plan a terrorism drill near Ellis and Liberty Islands in New York Harbor next week.
The NYPD Special Operations Division has scheduled the terror drill between noon and 1 p.m. on Thursday.
The terrorism exercise will simulate a report of shots fired on a New York Waterways vessel, followed by lost contact with the crew. Plans also call for the use of a NYPD helicopter.
NYPD: High-profile Buildings Need Tighter Security
Managers and developers of high-profile skyscrapers and other buildings in the city need to take more steps to guard against terrorist attacks, according to a new report by the New York Police Department.
“The same qualities that make the city’s buildings recognized icons of design, culture and commerce also make them continuous targets of terrorism,” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said in a foreword for the report.
The report is available in pdf format here.
The report — which was to be distributed Wednesday at a meeting with private security officials — doesn’t name the buildings the NYPD believes are at highest risk for bombings or other types of attacks. But the Empire State Building, New York Stock Exchange and Freedom Tower planned for ground zero have been cited in the past as potential targets.
The report offers a formula for measuring the vulnerability of buildings to attacks based on design, prominence and proximity to landmarks and other more likely targets. As an example, it cites the destruction of a smaller World Trade Center building caused by the collapse of one of the twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001.
High-risk buildings should use securely fixed “anti-ram” columns to harden their perimeters, the report says. Large explosions, it says, cause ordinary concrete barriers or planters to shatter and create a shrapnel-like hazard. It also says builders should reduce the risk of broken glass by positioning glass facades away from nearby landmarks.
NYPD Secures Synagogues Against Retaliation
April 5, 2009 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
The New York Police Department has put together a response plan that includes deploying extra officers, including heavily armed Hercules Teams, at synagogues, Jewish community centers and Israel diplomatic offices, out of concern that Muslim extremists might retaliate if Israel should attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.Similar precautions were taken last year after Hizballah commander Imad Mughniyeh was killed in a car bombing in Damascus, for which the Lebanese terrorists blamed Israel. Read more
NY Police Eye Disrupting Cell Phones in Terrorist Threat
January 10, 2009 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
The New York Police Department is looking for new methods to disrupt cell phone calls and other forms of electronic communication among potential terrorists — part of what the NYPD and other law enforcement agencies say are the “lessons learned” after the deadly November terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India.
NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly told federal anti-terror officials that the NYPD must have the ability to disrupt cell phone calls in the event of another planned attack on New York City.
Fox News reports that a draft copy of Kelly’s statement to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security says the NYPD believes the Mumbai attacks could be a model for other low-tech attacks. It was not clear whether the NYPD has the means to disrupt electronic communications for a small group of terrorists without shutting down cell phone service to a large part of New York City.
Kelly said that in the India attacks, the terrorists had handlers who used cell phones and other portable communication devices to order the killing of hostages and adjust tactics during the siege of Mumbai.
The 10 attackers, who Indian authorities say came from Pakistan, fanned out to locations such as hotels and buildings, taking and executing hostages and holding off Indian security forces for several days. The attacks left more than 170 people dead and some 300 wounded.
via Source – msnbc.com.
Terror Drill Finds Culprit With Dirty Bomb
August 16, 2008 by national
Filed under Homeland Security News
It was only a drill, but the scenario was still terrifying. A boat loaded with radioactive materials sailed through New York Harbor Friday. A multiagency task force led by state-of-the-art NYPD boats was assigned to stop the interloper.
“We’re trying to further…protect the waterways and ports of New York City from any acts of terrorism or any incidents that may occur,” said Deputy Chief Joseph McKeever of the NYPD counterterrorism division. Read more
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