Osama Bin Laden Evidence: Al Qaeda Considered 9/11 Anniversary Attack

Spencer Collins · #1 (**permalink**) 05-05-2011, 06:03 PM

Quote:

An early read of the materials seized from Osama bin Laden's compound has not yet produced evidence of a specific, imminent terror plot against the U.S., but does show the group continues to have murderous aspirations, according to U.S. officials and to documents obtained by ABC News.

The trove of evidence U.S. Navy SEALs recovered during their raid of Bin Laden's compound, which cost the al Qaeda leader his life, shows that al Qaeda remained fixated on so-called soft targets like transportation.

A new bulletin issued tonight by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security and obtained by ABC News describes the terror organization's chilling desire to derail a train.

"As of February 2010, al-Qa'ida was allegedly contemplating conducting an operation against trains at an unspecified location in the United States on the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001," the document reads, using an alternate spelling for bin Laden's terror group. "As one option, al-Qa'ida was looking into trying to tip a train by tampering with the rails so that the train would fall off the track at either a valley or a bridge."

In a statement, DHS press secretary Matt Chandler stressed that the message it sent out to its rail partners about a potential al Qaeda plot was "based on initial reporting, which is often misleading and inaccurate and subject to change. We remain at a heightened state of vigilance, but do not intend to issue [a National Terrorism Advisory System] alert at this time." Chandler said the Transportation Security Administration would also send a bulletin to its rail sector stakeholders.

"We have no information of any imminent terrorist threat to the U.S. rail sector, but wanted to make our partners aware of the alleged plotting," said Chandler.

Chandler said that since Sunday, DHS had taken "a number of actions," including adding additional officers at airports and reviewing protective measures for potential terror targets.

The information on a potential rail attack was among a variety of conerns being shared with Homeland Security and regional authorities, and it was not yet known what other soft targets might have considered.

According to former White House counterterrorism advisor and ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, the fact that such proposals were discovered in bin Laden's possession shows how integral he still appeared to be to terror plots.

The evidence appears to confirm that Bin Laden still had a role in approving al Qaeda plots, just he did for the 9/11 terror attack.

Osama Bin Laden Evidence: Al Qaeda Considered 9/11 Anniversary Attack - ABC News

I think Ill skip the last train to the coast..

Coyote · #2 (**permalink**) 05-05-2011, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spencer Collins

Osama Bin Laden Evidence: Al Qaeda Considered 9/11 Anniversary Attack

I think Ill skip the last train to the coast..

Just drive your Chevy to the levie instead

AK Gandy · #3 (**permalink**) 05-05-2011, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spencer Collins

Osama Bin Laden Evidence: Al Qaeda Considered 9/11 Anniversary Attack

I think Ill skip the last train to the coast..

I won't discuss specifics on a public site, but there is a very simple and low cost way to bring rail transportation in the US to an absolute crawl.

It's not so much in creating a lot of damage or lives lost, but it adversely affects train speeds......... because of the procedures required to ensure it wouldn't happen again.

Just imagine if every freight train (forget the passenger trains) were to suddenly have to operate at what we call "restricted speed" ("...movement must be made at a speed that allows stopping within half the range of vision short of: train engine, railroad car, men or equipment fouling the track, stop signal, or derail or switch not properly lined. The crew must keep a lookout for broken rail and not exceed 20 MPH.”).

It's something I thought about years ago...and I have yet to see a good way to stop it, should certain other actions be taken by terrorists.

.

saltwn · #4 (**permalink**) 05-05-2011, 10:45 PM

US Intelligence: Al-Qaida Considered 9-11 Anniversary Attack | USA | English

Quote:

U.S. officials say an initial review of documents seized from Osama bin Laden's compound shows al-Qaida considered carrying out a terrorist plot against the United States on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

A Homeland Security Department document obtained Thursday by U.S. news organizations says al-Qaida considered an operation against trains at an unspecified location in the United States.

The document says al-Qaida thought about tampering with rail tracks so a train would fall off the tracks in a valley or over bridge.

U.S. officials say they have no evidence the plot was active.

This information appears to be the first widely circulated intelligence stemming from the raid Sunday by an elite U.S. Navy SEAL team on bin Laden's compound in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad. In the raid, the Navy SEALs killed bin Laden and took documents and other valuable intelligence information.

On Friday, Mr. Obama will meet with members of the Navy SEAL team that carried out the attack. The president will travel to Fort Campbell in Kentucky to personally thank the SEALs and other members of the U.S. military for their service.

Quote:

The department and other U.S. agencies have been reviewing the treasure trove of information from bin Laden's compound in Pakistan seized by the United States during the raid this week that killed the al Qaeda leader.

An initial review of the information by U.S. intelligence analysts indicates that bin Laden, while in Abbottabad, played a direct role for years in plotting terror attacks, and was not just an inspirational figure to al Qaeda, The New York Times reported on Thursday.
Al Qaeda plotted 9/11 anniversary rail attack: U.S. | Reuters
"He wasn't just a figurehead," the Times quoted a U.S. official as saying. "He continued to plot and plan, to come up with ideas about targets, and to communicate those ideas to other senior Qaeda leaders."

The guy was like a mafia king just sittin around and giving orders till...sorry I gotta say it...till our own hero George stepped in and enabled those young Harry Baileys to save the day.

You're by god right I'm proud.

sunwestdog · #5 (**permalink**) 05-05-2011, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spencer Collins

Osama Bin Laden Evidence: Al Qaeda Considered 9/11 Anniversary Attack

I think Ill skip the last train to the coast..

Or to Clarksville.

sunwestdog · #6 (**permalink**) 05-05-2011, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coyote

Just drive your Chevy to the levie instead

But if the levee is dry...does it remain a levee? Kinda makes ya think.

saltwn · #7 (**permalink**) 05-05-2011, 11:09 PM

Moderator mode] threads merged [/moderator]

saltwn · #8 (**permalink**) 05-05-2011, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AK Gandy

I won't discuss specifics on a public site, but there is a very simple and low cost way to bring rail transportation in the US to an absolute crawl.

It's not so much in creating a lot of damage or lives lost, but it adversely affects train speeds......... because of the procedures required to ensure it wouldn't happen again.

Just imagine if every freight train (forget the passenger trains) were to suddenly have to operate at what we call "restricted speed" ("...movement must be made at a speed that allows stopping within half the range of vision short of: train engine, railroad car, men or equipment fouling the track, stop signal, or derail or switch not properly lined. The crew must keep a lookout for broken rail and not exceed 20 MPH.”).

It's something I thought about years ago...and I have yet to see a good way to stop it, should certain other actions be taken by terrorists.

.

Nah they'd just bring back the rail car or what ya ma call it. They had guys ride that thing that they have to pump the handle and check for bombs and broken places ahead of regular runs. High pay high risk.

AK Gandy · #9 (**permalink**) 05-06-2011, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

Nah they'd just bring back the rail car or what ya ma call it. They had guys ride that thing that they have to pump the handle and check for bombs and broken places ahead of regular runs. High pay high risk.

You are very close to what I'm talking about.

If a certain action was taken to derail a train (that's the part I'm keeping quiet on), that cannot be detected without a track inspection ahead of each train or the train running at "restricted speed" .......every single train running on the approximately 200,000 miles of track would slow to a crawl.

Just think of the huge blow to commerce.

Everything from grain to coal.......... would be in short supply.

Over-the-road-trucks could only pick up a small fraction of the slack.

It would be utter chaos.

.

Khandahar · #10 (**permalink**) 05-06-2011, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwn

US Intelligence: Al-Qaida Considered 9-11 Anniversary Attack | USA | English

The guy was like a mafia king just sittin around and giving orders till...sorry I gotta say it...till our own hero George stepped in and enabled those young Harry Baileys to save the day.

You're by god right I'm proud.

what did George do? Ignore the memo about Usama and hijacking planes

allow the greatest attack on American soil to occur?

Let the relatives of said terrorist escape the country?

Let the terrorist himself escape at Tora Bora?

Close down the unit charged with finding him?

Say publicly Usama wasn't a "high priority"?

Take his eye off the ball by invading an innocent country for profit?

You're right George did a lot.

Obama did something too.

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