Probe or dry run on DCA-MCO flight?

9/11 Security Update

Pilot Memo Warns of Terrorist Dry Run on #DC to Orlando Flight http://t.co/RHkvRk4ybD via @WLTX HT @jihadwatchRS Read the memo!

— novastan (@novastan) October 10, 2013

From 30 years to life

Our favorite splindly terrorist wannabe and 1999 ISA valedictorian Ahmad Omar Abu Ali was re-sentenced today. He will now carry a life sentence, not the original thirty years.


The usual suspects (L to R): 9/11 Mosque iman Shaker Elsayed, lawyer Ashraf Nubani, and Abu Ali's dad, after the re-sentencing. The three men have been previously covered by Northern Virginiastan.

Abu Ali remained defiant:

"I would like to remind you that you too will appear before the divine tribunal with me and everyone else," he said in a brief statement to U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee. "That day there will be no lawyers ... If you are comfortable with that, you can decree what you will."

To which I say:

Spindly terrorist wannabe to get new sentencing hearing

For the past few years, Always on Watch and I have been covering the story of Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, valedictorian of his class at the Islamic Saudi Academy, who was convicted of his role in a plot to assassinate the President. His conviction was upheld; moreover, his case has been sent to lower court, because the 30-year sentence was too lenient.

As I noted, Abu Ali would be a still robust man in early 50s, if he were to serve the entire 30-year sentence. Let's hope he's put away for life. At the same time, the prison system has to give up this nonsense of supplying prayer rugs, Qu'rans, etc. to convicted Islamic terrorists and allowing them to wear prayer caps and grow Islamic beards to enable practice of their religion.

How Secure Are We?

From this article in the July 13, 2007 edition of the Washington Post, emphases mine:

Bomb Squads Are Left Lacking
Multiple Attacks Would Reveal Equipment Gaps

Many local bomb squads in the Washington area are under-equipped to respond to the kind of simultaneous attacks being attempted by terrorists around the world, most recently in London, officials say.

None of the eight local and state bomb squads in the region is top-rated under the classification of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the local officials. The region has asked the Department of Homeland Security for $8 million to bring them to the highest level.

Some officials said the lack of top-level status isn't critical. In an emergency, local squads would get help from explosives experts from the area's military bases or federal agencies including the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police, they said.

But some first responders worry that federal agencies might be tied up with their own responsibilities during a crisis or could face such complications as gridlocked traffic, particularly if there is an attack in the suburbs.

"We don't want to create a false sense of security for residents," said Keith Brower, head of the bomb-squad committee of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. "The bomb squads don't have what they need to handle multiple events or provide the top-line services we need in this day and age."

[...]

Mike Heimbach, who heads the counterterrorism division at the FBI's Washington field office, said he is "pretty comfortable" that the region could handle such simultaneous attacks because of the cooperation between federal, state and local agencies. But, he said, the local bomb squads believe they need better tools because the area is such a likely target.

"Let's face it: The nation's capital being high on al-Qaeda's radar, we should have the best of the best," he said.

The $8 million request to upgrade the bomb squads is part of the D.C. area's yearly application for a major Homeland Security anti-terrorism grant. The region has asked for a total of $140 million.

According to one official briefed on the process, Homeland Security is expected to announce this month that the region will get about $56 million. It's not clear how much would go to the bomb squads.

The upgrade "is extremely important. That's underscored by the recent events in the United Kingdom," said Robert P. Crouch, the top Virginia homeland security official, who manages the national capital area grant along with his Maryland and D.C. counterparts.

The foiled U.K. plot involved two cars in London rigged with propane canisters and nails, plus a subsequent attack on an airport terminal in Glasgow, Scotland.

[...]

Just last year, two U.S. citizens were charged in Atlanta with plotting attacks against targets including a fuel storage depot off Interstate 95 in Northern Virginia....

Read the entire article.

Low-Tech Terrorism

Citing the low-level methods and apparent bumbling of the Fort Dix Six, the media have disparaged last week's arrest of the aspiring terrorists in New Jersey.

To all those who might think that low-tech terrorist attacks cannot be of significance, I offer the following editorial, which appeared two days before the story broke.

Complete article, as it appeared in the May 6, 2007 edition of the Washington Post, emphases mine:

The Rise of Low-Tech Terrorism
The movies were an affront to God, encouraging vice and Western-style decadence. So in August 1978, four Shiite revolutionaries locked the doors of the Cinema Rex in the Iranian city of Abadan and set the theater on fire. The firefighters were late, and nearby hydrants did not work. The victims' shrieks could be heard while firefighters and police stood outside, watching helplessly. At least 377 people -- perhaps many more -- were burned alive.

Never heard of the Cinema Rex fire? You're not alone. But the tragedy is more than an obscure, grisly memory from the run-up to the 1979 Iranian Revolution. It's also the second-deadliest terrorist attack in modern history -- deadlier even than airline bombings such as Pan Am Flight 103 -- and one that offers many lessons about the changing threat of terrorism today.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, most Americans have worried about what terrorism experts call "spectaculars": massive, ingenious and above all theatrical extravaganzas such as al-Qaeda's attack on the twin towers, its simultaneous 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and its brazen 2000 suicide-boat assault on the USS Cole in Yemen. But perhaps we should be more worried about the Cinema Rex attack.

Although Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants still dream of spectaculars, a quick glance at the terrorist acts committed since 9/11 suggests that perpetrators are going low-tech, too. As the survivors of attacks in London, Madrid and the Russian town of Beslan will confirm, such tried-and-true terrorism methods as low-tech bombs, hostage-taking and arson have tremendous appeal to jihadists. Indeed, the State Department's annual survey on terrorism, released last week, notes that "in 2006 most attacks were perpetrated by terrorists applying conventional fighting methods that included using bombs and weapons, such as small arms."

While the United States and other countries have devoted lots of attention to bracing themselves for the big one, we've spent far too little time considering what we can learn from more mundane -- and more repeatable -- terrorist attacks that can inflict mass casualties.

A look at the various suspects arrested in recent years for crimes linked to radical Islamic terrorism in the United States suggests that the immediate threat we face is angry amateurs, not poised, professional killers such as Mohamed Atta, the leader of al-Qaeda's 9/11 team. Most of those arrested do appear to have meant Americans harm, whether by conducting attacks on their own or by raising money for other would-be killers. But these plots were rarely well-developed, and the operators were at best enthusiastic novices.

Consider the case of one of the few Americans actually convicted of terrorism since 9/11: Iyman Faris, an Ohio truck driver and naturalized U.S. citizen born in Kashmir who pleaded guilty in 2003, plotted to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge by severing its cables with blowtorches. Scary, sure -- but a completely absurd way to destroy the bridge, whose many cables are more than a foot in diameter.

These homegrown terrorists don't necessarily share the zeal and anonymity of a seasoned professional such as Atta. Many of those arrested on terrorism charges have a prison record and thus are known to law enforcement officials.

One of the most advanced post-9/11 plots, against the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles and U.S. military facilities in the area, involved four former inmates who began their plotting while behind bars. Former prisoners rarely make ideal comrades; many would sell their own mother for a small reward.

But it's a mistake to write off the angry amateurs. They're not terribly skilled, but it doesn't take that much skill to kill dozens of people -- as the shootings at Virginia Tech so tragically demonstrate. Attacks such as the Cinema Rex fire are easily repeated, and they don't take the years of onerous training and planning that spectaculars demand.

So how can we stop low-tech terrorism? Unfortunately, better defenses can solve only part of the problem. We should defend the White House, nuclear plants and other high-profile targets that would tempt terrorists to stage a spectacular. But we can't defend every movie theater, synagogue, local government building or shopping mall without spending hundreds of billions of dollars and turning the United States into an armed camp.

That leaves offense -- at home as well as abroad. The FBI has tried to penetrate cells of would-be terrorists, often opening itself to criticism for spending enormous resources on disrupting what seems to be a bunch of bungling blowhards. The bureau should keep at it. Of course, sometimes a ballyhooed terrorism arrest will look foolish when the media reveal the plotters' amateurish plans and backgrounds. But aggressive law enforcement can help prevent these amateurs from becoming something more deadly.

Perhaps the best way to fight low-tech terrorists is through community support. For instance, the FBI began to focus on the "Lackawanna Six," who pleaded guilty in 2003 to providing material support to al-Qaeda, after receiving an anonymous letter from a member of the Yemeni community in Lackawanna, N.Y., near Buffalo. But to get these sorts of tips, Arab Americans and Muslim Americans need to see the police as protectors, not persecutors.

In this respect, Europe provides a cautionary tale. Governments there, particularly France's, have spent more time trying to shake down their Muslim communities for intelligence than they've spent reassuring and integrating them. The result? An angry, unassimilated Muslim minority whose fringes produce terrorists while its mainstream often resists police efforts to find them. The U.S. government has a fine line to walk here, too. But when in doubt, we should jettison intrusive measures in favor of those likely to win sustained support from Muslim Americans.

Finally, the government needs to talk coolly and calmly to the American people. Complete protection against arson, shootings and low-level bombings is impossible. Americans will have to accept a certain amount of risk in their daily lives, recognizing that effective government policies can reduce the threat but not eliminate it. Public opinion is the fulcrum of counterterrorism. Terrorists -- high-tech and low-tech alike -- rely on overreaction from a rattled public and government to do their dirty work. We shouldn't indulge them.

About the author of the above:

Daniel L. Byman is director of Georgetown University's Center for Peace and Security Studies and a senior fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.

Additional information from Google Search about the author of the above.

Information about Brookings Institution.

I'm not sure that Mr. Byman's conclusions as to how to prevent such attacks are correct. But I know that part of the statement from CAIR certainly is inaccurate and promotes dhimmitude. From American Crusader:

CAIR's statement: “Based on the information gathered in this case, it seems clear that a potentially deadly attack has been averted. We applaud the FBI for its efforts and repeat the American Muslim community’s condemnation and repudiation of all those who would plan or carry out acts of terror while falsely claiming their actions have religious justification.”

If they had stopped there, it would have been almost un-CAIR-like, but of course they had to add a little caveat.

CAIR went on to say “refrain from linking this case to the faith of Islam.”

Be sure to read American Crusader's entire posting.

We in the West can soothe ourselves by pointing out that moronic terrorists got nabbed last week in New Jersey. But we're creating a false sense of security if we don't address the ideology behind Islamic terrorism. After all, the Fort Dix Six had a common bond. They didn't just "go postal," nor did they suffer from sudden jihad syndrome. And there are bound to be many more like them.

Even the WaPo Decries Pelosi!

Due to personal circumstances, I've barely been able to read the newspaper for the past two weeks. Shameful, I know. But real life comes first.

Today, now that I'm once again able to make blog rounds, I spotted this commentary about a recent editorial in the Washington Post. Excerpt from "The Erosion of Our Constitution":

Once in a while, the Washington Post doesn't align with the Democratic Party, as shown by the lead editorial in the April 27, 2007 edition. The subtitle of the editorial, a commentary on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's recent trip to Syria, sets the tone:

Having finished hosting U.S. politicians, Syria's dictator has returned to jailing dissidents and sponsoring terrorism.

Ostensibly, Ms. Pelosi visited Syria to stop the flow of terrorists from Syria into Iraq, to promote the release of political hostages, and to further the idea that the road to peace is through Damascus. A Pollyanna fantasy if there ever was one!

Read the rest at Praesidium Respublicae (Latin for "Guardians of the Republic").

Two Emails

Both LionHeart and I received the following emails, quoted word-for-word, from ultimateorganization@hotmail.co.uk:

1.

You need to listen to this very carefully! In order to stay in this
violent, wicked, devilish, country like this you need to remove this blog,
remove the information you put on.

You are embarrassing you self and the public of my and your Country.
Statements like these will cause hatred and the hatred that we really don't
want anywhere in this world. Mine and your job is to create unity in this
world not to make it more violent.

Stop your foolishness and live like a human rather than an animal. I, my
self studied Islam is a peaceful religion, it shows you to go on the right
path. Investigate it and (if God Willing) it will head you on the right way,
now I値l state here a link ( ) where you can investigate and learn more
about Islam and Christianity, this link will take you to the website where
you can watch videos of the Christians converts that explains everything you
need to understand.
Unlock your ignorance of this beautiful faith, end-of-day it is your
decision but we are all human beings and you should not make a statements
like this again in the future it is not right to discriminate anyone no one
is perfect. Live your life in peace people who are creating conflicts will
never succeed and God will curse them you must know that.

Thank You for your attention.

2.

promise me not to encourage such an idea, think about your own family.

http://www.islaminireland.com/multimedia/video.html
please download the three last videos i.e

Purpose of life part 1 - khalid yaasin here....

Purpose of life part 2 - khalid yaasin here....

Purpose of life part 3 - khalid yaasin here....


http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/

At WC's suggestion, I invited "ultimate orgnization" to call into The Gathering Storm Radio Show. No such call arrived.

I'm not sure, but I suspect my comment to this article by LionHeart is what prompted "ultimate organization" to send me the above emails. Those interested might want to take a look at that lengthy essay by LionHeart UK.

The DC Connection: Jose Padilla recruited for al Qaeda jihad

From Jihad Watch: Padilla recruited for al Qaeda jihad, one of Jose Padilla's co-defendants is Kifah Wael Jayyousi, who was formerly chief facilities officer for DC public schools. See our other posts on Jayyousi.

The Federal government is really bungling these terrorism cases, aren't they? The videotape of Pentagon officials' final interrogation of Padilla has gone missing. In the case of Abdulhalim Ashqar, the government failed to convict Ashqar on the more serious charges of a racketeering conspiracy involving laundering and delivering money to Hamas.

PS Did anyone read about Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC) expressing concern that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed alleged torture by his captors? Someone please tell the senators that making allegations of torture comes straight out of the Al-Qaeda playbook. Remember spindly terrorist wannabe Ahmed Abu Ali? He also claimed torture.