As government agencies continue to warn of possible terror attacks over the next several weeks, there has been a flood of information on possible threats and recent developments in the war on Terrorism. The current Homeland Security Threat Level continues to be at “Orange” or “High”. We remind officers to stay aware and investigate or report as appropriate anything out of the ordinary that raises suspicion.
FBI Bio-Attack Warning:
The FBI is warning law enforcement to be alert for signs of a biological or chemical by al-Qaeda terrorists over the next few weeks. Unexplained or unusual odors, such as the smell of “bitter almonds,” are among “potential indicators of threats involving” weapons of mass destruction, according to the advisory issued by the FBI counterterrorism division.
Police1 also notes that Chemical facilities may be attractive targets for terrorists, where people in the surrounding area could be at risk of exposure to a cloud of toxic gas if an intentional or unintentional release were to occur.
Possible Threat Indicator from al-Qaeda:
A Saudi weekly newspaper, ‘Al-Majallah’ quotes an al-Qaeda official saying that Osama bin Laden will issue the next of his video messages after a massive attack on U.S. territory. Quoting an e-mail received from a man who goes by the name of Abu Mohammed al Ablaj (a.k.a. Abu Bakr), the weekly reports that “an emissary of bin Laden has informed me that the al-Qaeda chief’s (next) appearance (on video cassette) will come after a deadly, far-reaching operation on American territory”. Al-Ablaj previously warned that the al-Qaeda network was about to carry out major attacks in Saudi Arabia in a May 11 e-mail, sent just one day before a deadly assault in the Saudi capital, which occurred on May 12.
Follow Up on Grounded Air France Christmas Eve Flights:
The French government on Wednesday canceled six Air France flights between Paris and Los Angeles after U.S. intelligence warned that as many as half a dozen passengers on one flight might be Al Qaeda or Taliban terrorists. Top U.S. security officials said the cancellations may have foiled a Christmas Eve attack on an unspecified target in LA. Details remained cloudy, but U.S. counterterrorism officials said their investigation was focusing on the “informed belief” that about six men on Air France Flight 68, from Paris to LA, may have been planning to hijack the plane and crash it near LA, or along the way.
That belief, according to senior U.S. counterterrorism officials, was based on reliable and corroborated information from several sources. Some of the men had the same names as suspected members of Al Qaeda and the Taliban. One of the men is believed to be a trained pilot with a commercial license, a senior U.S. security official said. Law enforcement officials in the U.S. said the information of a pending attack on LA prompted the DHS last week to ratchet up the nation’s terror alert level to orange.
Additional Aviation-Related Threats:
U.S. government officials continue to be concerned about attacks using small planes or airlines. They announced Monday they are requiring armed, trained air marshals on some international flights that land in, depart from or fly over the US. In addition, Nevada is taking the additional step of closing airspace over Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve.
Internationally, Saudi authorities have arrested two Islamic suicide pilots. The pilots were preparing to crash two light aircraft into a packed British Airways passenger jet while it was still on the tarmac at the airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Both light planes had been crammed with explosives. Also, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he had received reliable intelligence of a Christmas Day plan to assassinate the Pope and destroy the Vatican by flying a hijacked plane into it.
Source: PoliceOne; Informed Source; CNN; FoxNews; Emergency.com; Dept. of Homeland Security