U.S. Extends Alert Over German al Qaeda Threat

U.S. officials extended a travel alert in Germany and urged Americans to remain wary after terrorist organization al Qaeda posted messages in recent months threatening attacks in the country.

The alert issued Thursday will remain in effect until February 10. It replaces one issued in September that expired Wednesday, a news statement said.

It urged Americans in Germany to keep up with news reports and to consider the security procedures in place when they visit hotels, restaurants, and other entertainment and recreation venues.

“Over the past few months, al Qaeda has released videos threatening to conduct terrorist attacks against German interests,” the statement said. “While these threats initially mentioned the German federal elections in September, al Qaeda continues to threaten Germany.”

Germany is investigating all threats, the U.S. State Department said.

via U.S. alert over German al Qaeda threat – CNN.com.

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Mass Transit Warning To Be On Alert For Terrorism

Several news agencies are reporting there’s a reminder today from federal officials that rail and transit systems can be vulnerable to terrorist attacks. A reminder is being sent out to law enforcement around the country. The FBI and the Homeland Security Department warn that improvised explosive devices are the most common method used in attacks on transit systems and authorities need to be vigilant in watching for suspicious items and/or activity.

Officials are recommending that transit system security officials conduct random sweeps at terminals and stations, and that police make random patrols and board some trains and buses.

Officials have said privately that the investigators who searched some New York City apartments earlier this month were worried about the possible use of backpack bombs on New York City mass transit trains.

Source
From Around The Country

Philadelphia – Philadelphia police said they have already been operating on an elevated security level before this weekend, supporting Septa and Amtrak on random sweeps. And for passengers we spoke to they say these days you can’t depend on anything to be completely safe.

“I was surprised there were so many Amtrak police officers here this afternoon. I thought something was going on here,” said Leslie Thompson.

But Thompson suspects they’re trying to make themselves visible after federal authorities say two men could have been plotting to attack the mass transit system somewhere in the U.S. Other passengers noticed.

Source

San Francisco- Bay Area mass transit operators tightening security following a nationwide terror alert. Bay Area operators are heeding the call to conduct random patrols and board some trains and buses to look for anything unusual. BART says it already does this. The agency will not announce any details about exactly how it will adhere to the warning.

“Many of the things that they are suggested are already taking place, many of them are behind the scenes,” BART spokesperson Jim Allison said. “The one exception to that is bag checks, and unless the alert level would be raised to a red level, then we would consider bag checks.”

Golden Gate Transit says it is also following recommendations to tighten security.

Read More – See Video

What To Do If You Spot Suspicious Activity

If you see suspicious behavior, do not confront the individuals involved.

Take note of the details:

S – Size (Jot down the number of people, gender, ages, and physical descriptions)

A – Activity (Describe exactly what they are doing)

L - Location (Provide exact location)

U – Uniform (Describe what they are wearing, including shoes)

T – Time (Provide date, time, and duration of activity)

E – Equipment (Describe vehicle, make, color etc., license plate, camera, guns, etc)

Suspicious activity is often recalled after an event. We must train ourselves to be on the lookout for things that are out of the ordinary and arouse suspicions.

Read More

Warning: Terror Group Planning Attacks On Israelis In India

Israel’s Counter Terrorism Bureau issued a severe travel warning on Thursday over fears that terrorist groups may try to attack Israelis across India. The warning comes just as the Chabad houses across India plan numerous events for the celebration of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year. Last year, a large scale terror attack in Mumbai targeted a Chabad house, among other targets.

According to the Counter Terrorist Bureau, the same organization that orchestrated last year’s Mumbai attacks was planning to carry out several attacks across India, including areas frequented by Western and particularly Israeli tourists.

The travel warning is based on a concrete and very serious threat to Israelis. The Counter Terrorism Bureau has recommended to Israelis currently in India to avoid crowded areas, especially tourist areas, which have no apparent armed security.

In addition, due to reports of potential terror attacks across the entire country, Israeli travelers are advised to take precautions and remain alert.

Source

al Qaeda-Taliban Combo Has Chemical Weapon Formula

The al-Qaida-Taliban combo plans to use parts of the Middle East as launch pads for attacks against the west. Not only so, the groups

have also developed some expertise in making bio-chemical weapons, NWFP police chief Malik Navid told a Pakistan National Assembly’s standing committee.

Navid warned that the Pakistan government needed to urgently focus on containing militancy as it spread from its bases. “Taliban’s philosophy is to create pockets everywhere,” he said, adding that jihadi groups were moving through southern Punjab and eventually aimed to reach the financial hub of Karachi.

The frank assessment of the police official serves to confirm concerns about whether Pakistan and its military complex in particular was prepared to clearly acknowledge the threat posed by jihadists given the army and ISI see Taliban as allies in ensuring a “friendly” dispensation in Afghanistan while also feeding the jihad in Jammu and Kashmir. The army’s sporadic efforts to roll back jihadis lacked conviction and have predictably shown poor results.

Navid’s testimony also points to the virtual merger of al-Qaida with Taliban, with the latter being both part of the core and the major striking arm. Indian intelligence assessments see anti-India groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba being very much a part of this conglomerate.

via ‘Qaida-Taliban combo has chemical weapon formula’ – South Asia – World – The Times of India.

Al Qaeda Planning Attacks On US From Pakistan – Obama

United States President Barack Obama on Wednesday said Al Qaeda was planning attacks on the US from its hideouts in Pakistan, a private TV channel reported.

Obama said the US would “chase and defeat the terrorist organisation wherever it is present in the world”, the channel said. Addressing a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London, Obama said US policy was clear for both Pakistan and Afghanistan and Kabul would not be allowed to become a safe haven for Al Qaeda. Read more

Thousands Receive Terror Training In UK

Thousands of UK workers are being trained to help respond to a future terror attack as part of an updated counter-terror strategy, ministers say.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said shop and hotel workers would be among 60,000 people able to deal with an incident.

The updated approach, aimed at tackling immediate terrorist threats and the causes of extremism, would be the most comprehensive in the world, she added.

But the Tories said not enough action was being taken against extremists.

The Home Office’s new counter-terrorism document – to be published on Tuesday – will go into more detail than ever before in the interests of public accountability.

It will reflect intelligence opinion that the biggest threat to the UK comes from al-Qaeda-linked groups and will also take into account recent attacks on hotels in the Indian city of Mumbai.

Ms Smith told BBC One’s Politics Show: “What we’re completely clear about is that if we’re going to address the threat from terrorism, we need to do that alongside the 60,000 people that we’re now training up to respond to a terrorist threat, in everywhere from our shopping centres to our hotels.

“We need to do it alongside the 3,000 police officers now working on counter-terror and we need to do it with international partners.

“This is no longer something you can do behind closed doors and in secret.”

The paper – called Contest Two – will update the Contest strategy developed by the Home Office in 2003, which was later detailed in the Countering International Terrorism document released in 2006.

Over the last six years the strategy has concentrated on preventing radicalisation of potential terror recruits to disrupting terrorist operations, reducing the UK’s vulnerability and ensuring Britain is ready for the consequences of any terror attack.

The updated strategy will increase the focus on challenging individuals and groups who undermine the UK’s “shared values” – even if they are not breaking the law.

Source

Sri Lankan Cricketers: Pakistan Ignored Terror Warning

Eight Pakistanis, mostly policemen, were killed when commando-style gunmen attacked the convoy with rocket-propelled grenades and AK47 machine guns.

The poor security for the visitors and the ease with which the terrorists were able to target the team, has further isolated both Pakistan as a global hub of terrorism and a venue for international cricket.

President Asif Zardari was forced to apologise to his Sri Lankan counterpart yesterday for the lack of protection, while the International Cricket Council officials said it was unlikely that international cricket matches could be played in Pakistan again until the security situation has dramatically improved.

The revelation that security warnings for such a sensitive match will fuel further criticism. Sri Lanka had stepped in to play Pakistan after India withdraw following last november’s attack on Mumbai by Pakistani terrorists. The Sri Lankans came under intense pressure to pull out from India amid concerns about the country’s poor security situation.

A leaked report from Punjab’s Crime Investigation Department CID, passed to Pakistani papers reveals that authorities were warned almost six weeks ago, of a plot and urged the all security agencies in the state and federal governments to take special precautions to protect the visitors.

The report identifies the Indian intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing RAW, as the force behind the plot – an accusation regularly traded between India and Pakistan – but specifically identified the drive between their hotel and the stadium as the scene of the attack.

Pakistani newspapers quoted the report, dated January 22nd 2009, warning:”It has reliably been learnt that RAW Indian intelligence agency has assigned its agents the task to target Sri Lankan cricket team during its current visit to Lahore, especially while travelling between the hotel and stadium or at hotel during their stay.

via Sri Lankan cricketers: Pakistan ‘ignored’ warnings about attack on team bus – Telegraph.

Washington D.C. Suburbs Fertile Ground For International Terrorist Financing

Dr. Nagaratnam Ranjithan has spent decades building a thriving medical practice in Maryland as a kidney specialist.

Federal authorities say he has also helped finance Asian death squads.

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Treasury Department froze the assets of Ranjithan’s Tamil Foundation, alleging that the money he has raised for Sri Lanka has actually gone to help the Tamil Tigers, a group that the State Department says is a terrorist organization. The Tigers have been blamed for thousands of civilian deaths.

Ranjithan says his group is suffering from guilt by association.

“Even the federal government hasn’t accused me of directly supporting the Tigers,” Ranjithan said in an interview with The Examiner. “They say that because I work in the Tiger area, I support the Tigers.”

Case not isolated

Ranjithan’s case isn’t an isolated one in the Washington suburbs. D.C. officials are working hard to crack down on what they dub international terrorist financing.

They don’t have to look far, experts say. “It’s a very fertile ground for investigation,” said Joseph DiGenova, former U.S. attorney for the District. “There are plenty of opportunities.”

With its large diplomatic community, multinational character, vast network of nongovernmental and charitable groups and employees, and big-hearted, big-walleted residents, the D.C. area gives excellent cover, resources and opportunities for international terrorist fronts, some experts say.

“Washington fits the bill as a place where all kinds of information is exchanging hands. You have all sorts of nongovernmental organizations headquartered here … and all sorts of international groups are chartered here,” said Gary LaFree, director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism at the University of Maryland.

Philanthropist imprisoned

The government’s crackdown on terror financing has shown Washingtonians a new side of their neighbors.

via www.dcexaminer.com >> Local News.

Israel Issues Terror Warning

Israel’s counter-terrorism bureau warned Sunday night of a “concrete, high-level threat” that the Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla group planned an attack against Israelis to avenge the February 2008 assassination of Imad Mughniyah, its deputy leader. “The Hezbollah organization is apparently prepared to carry out a serious attack (assassination, kidnapping) against an Israeli target, including abroad. This attack threatens every Israeli, especially those holding senior position,” a statement from the counter-terrorism bureau said.

The statement warned Israelis travelling overseas to take precautions, and to avoid visiting countries the bureau has warned against.

Israelis abroad should be on the alert and avoid, for example, tempting offers, whether for business or pleasure, from suspicious or unfamiliar persons, and should refrain from unscheduled meetings in remote areas after dark.

Israelis staying abroad for long periods of time should also vary their routine, for example by changing hotels or switching between restaurants and other venues visited frequently.

Al-Qaeda YouTube Warning To Britain

AL-Qaeda last night issued a chilling video threat to Britain — on YouTube.

Rants by key henchmen of Osama bin Laden are accompanied by footage of a black-clad gunman riddling the Union Flag with bullets.

The Stars and Stripes is also peppered — along with Israel’s flag.

Fanatic Abu Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi — a former Guantanamo Bay inmate — vents his fury at the West while fondling an automatic rifle and brandishing a grenade. Read more

Jewish Organizations and Businesses On Heightened Alert

Several sources are reporting a heightened risk of terror attacks on Jewish organizations, Jewish houses of worship, and Jewish businesses worldwide.

From The Institute of Terrorism Research and Response

To re-affirm the continuing threat to Jewish organizations, Jewish houses of worship, and Jewish businesses. Threat was confirmed by an attack in France 6January2009.

Threat Classification: Read more

Heightened Awareness Recommended For Railways Operating Along The US-Mexico Borde

GlobalIncidentMap.com Recommends Heightened Awareness For Railways Operating Along The US-Mexico Border

“Based on information from trusted Law Enforcement sources, we are recommending a heightened state of awareness for all railway operations along the USA-Mexico border, based on recent threats and observed activity”

No news links or additional information is available at this time.

via Global Incident Map.

Low-Tech Terror Attack in Mumbai Could Spur Copycats in the West

The Mumbai attacks have prompted some Western officials to step up vigilance against the type of low-tech assault the 10 gunmen mounted last month.

Since the attacks in Mumbai, al Qaeda Web sites and chatrooms have lit up with aspiring militants urging more such attacks, according to the Washington-based SITE Intelligence Group. One message cheered “the heroes” of the attack for making “the enemies suffer,” including the U.S., the U.K. and Israel.

Historically, the group accused in the attack, Lashkar-e-Taiba, has focused on furthering Pakistan’s claims to the Kashmir region, disputed with India. Although its messages have a strong anti-American component, U.S. officials have seen the group as a lesser counterterrorism priority.

But current and former intelligence officials say they are worried the Mumbai attacks may reflect a broadening of Lashkar’s interests, and that would-be jihadis may copy the approach of the Mumbai attackers, who carried out their assault on foot using little more than machine guns, explosives and cellphones. Al Qaeda’s resurgent base in Pakistan also provides opportunities for collaboration with groups such as Lashkar, officials said.

David Cohen, the head of intelligence for the New York Police Department and a former senior Central Intelligence Agency official, said what used to be merely propaganda against the U.S. and Israel has now been “operationalized” by the Mumbai attacks. “It puts us on notice in a much more clear and direct way,” he added.

The NYPD has dispatched three officers to Mumbai to better understand the attacks because of concerns about copycats.

“It’s a very clear indication that we have the potential to be victimized by a group motivated by religious ideology that doesn’t use something sophisticated,” said John Cohen, a senior official in the Bush administration’s office for sharing information among intelligence agencies.

Source – Read Full Article

U.S. Warned India of Potential Terror Attack – U.S. Connection Being Investigated

NSA Now Tracking Captured Phones, U.S. Connections.

Brian Ross and ABC News report U.S. intelligence agencies warned their Indian counterparts in mid-October of a potential attack “from the sea against hotels and business centers in Mumbai.

In addition,  U.S. intelligence agencies have been tracking the phones and SIM cards recovered by Indian authorities from the Mumbai terrorists leading to a “treasure trove” of leads in Pakistan and several possible connections to the United States, officials say.

Officials say one of the cell phone SIM cards may have been purchased in the United States but would not provide any more details because of the ongoing nature of the investigation.

The phones also include the same Thuraya satellite phone intercepted in November by the Indian spy agency RAW, the Research and Analysis Wing, which runs an extensive electronic intercept operation.
Source

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