Al Qaeda Cell on Way to U.S.

[jdobbin]

ABC News was reporting tonight.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/0...eda-cell-i.html

Senior U.S. intelligence officials tell ABC News new intelligence suggests a small al Qaeda cell is on its way to the United States, or may already be here.

The White House has convened an urgent multi-agency meeting for Thursday afternoon to deal with the new threat.

I wonder where they think this cell is coming from.

[Bonam]

I'm sure there are already hundreds or perhaps thousands of al-Qaeda and other terrorist cells in the US and most other countries. Seriously, it's not hard to recruit a few people over the internet, and some of them may be willing to do a few things.

[sharkman]

Recruit someone sure, but what kind of people do you get by simply advertising over the net? Didn't they just arrest some schmuck in the States who was communicating his dumb ass plans over the net? Not so smart.

[marcinmoka]

Imitators are the biggest threat.

Just as urban centers have seen the violence of wanna-be street gangs who claim to be "affiliates" of well known and established gangs, we should cast an eye towards those young, frustrated and disturbingly malleable souls showing too endearing a sympathy (homegrown or otherwise) to their subversive idols.

Just as with the gangs. Have the kids from Jane and Finch ever met an L.A blood or 18th St....don't hold your breath. Are they so deadly and deranged that they are willing to let this rebellious fantasy take them to the grave?

Without a doubt.

[scribblet]

They are using the net more and more to recruit and plan; I don't doubt that there are allready cells here waiting to operate.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...0501138_pf.html

Terrorists Turn to the Web as Base of Operations

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/4683403.stm

The internet has been key in pulling together the shattered remains of the organisation that operated before the invasion of Afghanistan, according to the general running the Iraq war, Lt Gen John Abizaid.

[Topaz]

My question is, since Bush and other within the CIA, FBI, knew that 9/11 could or was about to happen, how are they going to stop THIS time from happening????? Its been said that 9/11 was an inside job, how do we know that if it happens its because someone inside wants it to happen?? Then they can say, "See I told you so"!! I think if it did happen its because the terrorist are already within the country and so everyone should be more on guard, but who really knows ?

[ScottSA]

My question is, since Bush and other within the CIA, FBI, knew that 9/11 could or was about to happen, how are they going to stop THIS time from happening????? Its been said that 9/11 was an inside job, how do we know that if it happens its because someone inside wants it to happen?? Then they can say, "See I told you so"!! I think if it did happen its because the terrorist are already within the country and so everyone should be more on guard, but who really knows ?

It's the Black Hand I tell you!

[Keepitsimple]

My question is, since Bush and other within the CIA, FBI, knew that 9/11 could or was about to happen, how are they going to stop THIS time from happening????? Its been said that 9/11 was an inside job, how do we know that if it happens its because someone inside wants it to happen?? Then they can say, "See I told you so"!! I think if it did happen its because the terrorist are already within the country and so everyone should be more on guard, but who really knows ?

Topaz....your humorous paranoia is always worth a chuckle!

[noahbody]

My question is, since Bush and other within the CIA, FBI, knew that 9/11 could or was about to happen, how are they going to stop THIS time from happening????? Its been said that 9/11 was an inside job, how do we know that if it happens its because someone inside wants it to happen?? Then they can say, "See I told you so"!! I think if it did happen its because the terrorist are already within the country and so everyone should be more on guard, but who really knows ?

1,000 aliens are going to give Topaz an anal probe tonight.

It's been said, therefore it must be true. Enjoy!

[GostHacked]

No worries Topaz, ignore the haters. What you say is entirely plausible, and very likely probable. Since it is known that Osama Bin Laden himself had dealings with the United States in the way his Muhajedeen got support from the US in terms of weapons and intelligence to fight off the Soviets (k up to speed now??), what makes it sooooo outrageous that the same Blowback could come to the United States again?

[ScottSA]

No worries Topaz, ignore the haters. What you say is entirely plausible, and very likely probable. Since it is known that Osama Bin Laden himself had dealings with the United States in the way his Muhajedeen got support from the US in terms of weapons and intelligence to fight off the Soviets (k up to speed now??), what makes it sooooo outrageous that the same Blowback could come to the United States again?

Hmmmm, I wonder if the Muhajedeen in the northern alliance are aware that there are the lackeys of bin Laden?

[betsy]

I strongly suspect that radicals and what you call "sleepers" - although not necessarily al qaeda - had been dispatched to other countries decades ago...especially countries with strong US presence.

During my university days, to this day I am convinced that I had been in the presence of such a group without realizing it at the time.

I worked part-time at the US military base during those days (which became full-time after I graduated).

My bestfriend had new neighbors renting an apartment. A couple of Iranians who enrolled in our university.

Now I would understand why there were a handful of Americans taking courses in that university since it's just a 5 minutes drive to the military base...but what's a couple of Iranians doing in a provincial university?

Manila had a lot of popular universities!

Anyway, they started asking me "why do you want to work for those Americans?" And they'd try to explain and debate with me about it!! It's like I was talking to two walking propogandas with these two.

I was naive at the time - ignorant about politics!

To make a long story short, one incident stuck in my head. These two hosted a party...their guests consisting of women only! I guess they wanted to get "lucky."

But anyway, another Iranian came to the party. He looked quite older - I"d say in his mid-forties. The three of them were in the kitchen. I went to the kitchen to ask for something, and I came upon them in the middle of a very serious argument or intense conversation, in their own language. The older guy was the one who was talking. He abruptly stopped when he saw me and moved away.

I did not encourage the friendship - why should I? Who wants to be berated for working with the Americans everytime we get together? Besides, I confided to another friend - an American - about the things these two Iranians were telling me, and that they were trying to convince me to stop working for the Americans, my friend adviced me to stay away for they sound like "trouble."

But that scene in the kitchen stuck in my memory, I don't know why. Maybe because of the intensity in their expressions which was out of the ordinary.

Years later, thinking about it....I am convinced those two were not really students. They may have been enrolled as students, but they were there for other reasons.

This problem we're having with radicals all over the world is not a coincident. It is well-planned.

Edited July 14, 2007 by betsy

[Drea]

You are SO LUCKY to have gotten away!

Why they were muslims! My god! How terrible for you.

Perhaps the older man was berating the young ones for hanging out with white women?

Of course NOT! They were plannning to bomb something.

Get a grip on your tinfoil hat. Frig.

[jefferiah]

You are SO LUCKY to have gotten away!

Why they were muslims! My god! How terrible for you.

Perhaps the older man was berating the young ones for hanging out with white women?

Of course NOT! They were plannning to bomb something.

Get a grip on your tinfoil hat. Frig.

Hmm it doesnt sound to me as if she was simply judging them because they were Muslims, but because they were making her uncomfortable berating her about working for Americans and such. She never said something was definitely up, she said she had a strong feeling about it. Sometimes when you get a bad feeling about things, you stay away. Whats wrong with that?

[Drea]

She has no clue what they were saying, she admitted that they were speaking in their own language (gasp!).

How does she know they were "planning" something. Like I said, the older fellow could have been angry at the boys for pucking white girls... 'cause we all know white girls puck.

[jefferiah]

You are SO LUCKY to have gotten away!

Why they were muslims! My god! How terrible for you.

Perhaps the older man was berating the young ones for hanging out with white women?

Of course NOT! They were plannning to bomb something.

Get a grip on your tinfoil hat. Frig.

Hmm it doesnt sound to me as if she was simply judging them because they were Muslims, but because they were making her uncomfortable berating her about working for Americans and such. She never said something was definitely up, she said she had a strong feeling about it. Sometimes when you get a bad feeling about things, you stay away. Whats wrong with that?

A few years ago Drea I was living in a small city where there seemed to be a spree of Tim Hortons' being robbed. I would take the bus to work, and there was a bus stop right across the street from where I worked so I had never had to ring the bell. The bus stop was one of those enclosed benches and it was right at the end of a Tim Horton's parking lot. So if you can picture it in your head, there was a Tim Hortons across the street from where I worked. And on the same side of the street as my place of employment, and right beside my place of employment, there was a little shopping mall with a Tim Hortons in the food court.

On breaks we had a choice between two Timmies we could walk to within a minute. The stores in the mall would close early but the food court would remain open at nights because they got business from the workers on breaks from nearby buildings. One night we were having break at the Tim Hortons in the empty mall, and shortly after we left it was robbed at gun point. The security guards may have been in another section of the mall at the time. I dont know what happened exactly. This story is sort of a side-line to my main one, but anyways there were alot of Tim Hortons thing going on at the time.

About this time, one day as I got off the bus at the other Tim Hortons establishement, the one across the street from my work, a young fellow....well probably my age....called out to me from the little bus stop bench. It was 4 pm in the afternoon, and he said "Hey Buddy, psst come here for a second."

I went over and he started asking me questions about the Tim Horton's whose parking lot he was sitting in. "What time do they close?"

"11 P.M.," I answered.

Then he began to ask a few more questions about and I began to get a strange feeling about it. So I said "Sorry I have to go. Time for work."

There was no real evidence of anything, but I always kind of wondered about it. Was this guy planning to rob the Tim's? I dont think it was robbed any time thereabouts to my knowledge, but nonetheless, why would this fellow care about what time they closed and other things, when it is 4 pm. If he wants a coffee he can go get one now.

Anyhow, is my "I wonder" deserving of a tin foil hat? Is it so unforgiveble? The person was caucasian, but suppose he had been black....would that make my suspicions a case of racial paranoia?

[Drea]

We can suspect everyone of anything. Or we can give them the benefit of the doubt.

Perhaps that older Iranian man was berating those boys for drinking and partying (a no no for muslims). Who knows. The point is that Besty automatically assumed they were planning a bombing simply because they come from Iran. They were not asking her direct questions like the man in your story. She made an assumption based on their country of origin, their skin colour and their religion without having any clue as to what they were discussing.

Edited July 15, 2007 by Drea

[jefferiah]

We can suspect everyone of anything. Or we can give them the benefit of the doubt.

Perhaps that older Iranian man was berating those boys for drinking and partying (a no no for muslims). Who knows. The point is that Besty automatically assumed they were planning a bombing simply because they come from Iran. They were not asking her direct questions like the man in your story. She made an assumption based on their country of origin, their skin colour and their religion.

She never automatically assumed anything, but she said she always wondered about it. If she had assumed it to the paranoid degree you are accusing her of, I am sure she would have filed a report.

[jefferiah]

We can suspect everyone of anything. Or we can give them the benefit of the doubt.

Perhaps that older Iranian man was berating those boys for drinking and partying (a no no for muslims). Who knows. The point is that Besty automatically assumed they were planning a bombing simply because they come from Iran. They were not asking her direct questions like the man in your story. She made an assumption based on their country of origin, their skin colour and their religion.

She never automatically assumed anything, but she said she always wondered about it. If she had assumed it to the paranoid degree you are accusing her of, I am sure she would have filed a report.

The fact that she never filed a report or anything like that suggests to me that despite the fact that she may have had suspicions (which I am sure you have as well, and everyone else for that matter---how we deal with them is what matters) she did give them the benefit of the doubt.

[Drea]

Twas a while back Betsy said -- when she was in school. So back then no she would not have "reported" anything. If it were to happen today you darn right she would be reporting it quick as a wink. I can imagine those Iranian men trying to explain what their heated argument was about to CSIS.

[jefferiah]

Twas a while back Betsy said -- when she was in school. So back then no she would not have "reported" anything. If it were to happen today you darn right she would be reporting it quick as a wink. I can imagine those Iranian men trying to explain what their heated argument was about to CSIS.

hmmm well the degree of suspicion which is warranted is dictated by the times you live in. for instance i live in a lobster fishing village. a few years ago there were a lot of disputes between individual fishermen in the community i live in, and fishermen of the neighbouring community. not all fishermen from either community were involved. but the DFO rounded up the innocent with the good for questioning when there began to be instances of "fishing warfare".....traplines being cut...etc.

now drea i find your comment very interesting because unlike betsy who always wondered about that incident, you just claimed that a suspicion of yours is irrefutable truth-----that Betsy would go to CSIS. Where is the benefit of the doubt?

[betsy]

You are SO LUCKY to have gotten away!

Why they were muslims! My god! How terrible for you.

Perhaps the older man was berating the young ones for hanging out with white women?

Of course NOT! They were plannning to bomb something.

Get a grip on your tinfoil hat. Frig.

Maybe lucky that they know I don't understand their language?

Edited July 15, 2007 by betsy

[betsy]

We can suspect everyone of anything. Or we can give them the benefit of the doubt.

Perhaps that older Iranian man was berating those boys for drinking and partying (a no no for muslims). Who knows. The point is that Besty automatically assumed they were planning a bombing simply because they come from Iran. They were not asking her direct questions like the man in your story. She made an assumption based on their country of origin, their skin colour and their religion without having any clue as to what they were discussing.

Now, where did I say that I suspected they were planning a bombing?

I did not make any assumption based on their country of origin alone, or the color of their skin!

I made the assumption because of their unusual vehemence against the Americans, and why it would be any of their business if I worked for Americans! The nerve!

And I specifically said why I did not encourage the friendship! I didn't want to be subjected to forced indoctrination - for that's what it felt like - everytime they saw me, they kept hammering why I keep on working for Americans!

Tin foil hat my foot! Well, get that dunce cap off your head! THINK, GIRL!

In your haste to automatically defend them, you yourself jumped to conclusions without fully understanding my story!

Edited July 16, 2007 by betsy

[betsy]

We can suspect everyone of anything. Or we can give them the benefit of the doubt.

Perhaps that older Iranian man was berating those boys for drinking and partying (a no no for muslims). Who knows. The point is that Besty automatically assumed they were planning a bombing simply because they come from Iran. They were not asking her direct questions like the man in your story. She made an assumption based on their country of origin, their skin colour and their religion without having any clue as to what they were discussing.

Here is my statement, Drea:

I strongly suspect that radicals and what you call "sleepers" - although not necessarily al qaeda - had been dispatched to other countries decades ago...especially countries with strong US presence.

During my university days, to this day I am convinced that I had been in the presence of such a group without realizing it at the time.

I would say that judging by their attitudes towards the Americans ....to the point of interfering as to whom I should work for or not, which was totally none of their business (which was practically constant that's why I didn't encourage the friendship), I can safely assume that they fall under the category of "radicals!"

Talk about benefit of the doubt! Your sense of judgement is odd. And you must be sitting on your common sense, that's why it's nowhere in sight!

At least I could say I was there...it happened to me....their reaction was shown to me...they tried to dictate to me or brainwash me...at least, give me the benefit of the doubt!

You were not there at all, and yet you come flying to their rescue.

Well we know why, eh Drea?

How does she know they were "planning" something. Like I said, the older fellow could have been angry at the boys for pucking white girls... 'cause we all know white girls puck.

I overlooked this post....and to tell you the truth, your offensive reaction is quite baffling, not to mention in poor taste.

Why would you say that of white women?

Edited July 16, 2007 by betsy

[betsy]

You are SO LUCKY to have gotten away!

Why they were muslims! My god! How terrible for you.

Perhaps the older man was berating the young ones for hanging out with white women?

Of course NOT! They were plannning to bomb something.

Get a grip on your tinfoil hat. Frig.

Now, how on earth did you come up with that stupid idea that these two very anti-American Iranians would host a party and invite white women?

See what happens when you don't think, girl?

Edited July 15, 2007 by betsy