Al Qaeda May Be Plotting Holiday Attacks (CBS exclusive)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/10/terror/main2170878.shtml

Al Qaeda May Be Plotting Holiday Attacks
Exclusive: Holiday Travel Season Violence In Europe Would Target Trains, Planes, Al Qaeda Suspects Say

(CBS) This story was written for CBSNews.com by Pakistan-based journalist Farhan Bokhari and CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar.
Intelligence agencies have been warned that al Qaeda may be planning to attack air and rail travel in Europe in actions that may occur during the busy holiday travel season, CBS News has learned exclusively for a report to air on tonight's CBS Evening News.

In separate interviews with Arab and other intelligence sources, CBS News has been told that the warnings come from interrogations of al Qaeda suspects who recently left Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"One suspect said plans for repeating the Heathrow attempt (a reference to the failed 'liquid bomb' plot interrupted in August) were all prepared. It is now a matter of taking action," said one Arab official who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media. "Al Qaeda's strategy appears to be raising the pressure in Europe."

In a move that has been puzzling intelligence agencies, al Qaeda has been withdrawing well-trained Arab fighters from the mountains and battlefields of Afghanistan.


FULL story at link.

[pissedoffprogressive]

1. OMG now the terrorists are going to try to take Christmas

and we just got it back from the Repuks. Fucking propaganda

[Tight_rope]

14. LMBAO...oh no...not Christmas! Oh well we still have Fritzmas to look forward to!

[niallmac]

2. How does security information become a CBS exclusive?

Is anyone in charge here?

[Igel]

7. "Leak".

The kind of thing that gave the NYT and WaPo exclusives for other security-related things. So many leaks.

My guess is the leak came on the Pakistani side, possibly with some dork in a Western agency confirming that they heard the same rumors. That's enough confirmation most people need these days, two people's saying they heard the same unsubstantiated rumor apparently now constitutes substantiation.

[Ignacio Upton]

3. I'm surprised we didn't hear about this before Election Day

n/t.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

4. So am I to assume that these were confessions that were obtained

at Gitmo and so therefore we can't do without Gitmo because us and our allies (Britain) need it so much?

[kestrel91316]

5. Oh for pete's sake, Karl, GET OVER IT. We are so over being scared.

[AIJ Alom]

6. Yup. According to Democratic Party-Terrorist Plans for the war on

Christmas is on. Beware of the arab looking men that wish you happy holidays, especially at 7-11 type establishments.

[stillcool]

17. don't forget the taxi-drivers.... n/t

[flordehinojos]

8. courtesy of Bob Gates and the Bush Scumbag Family.

Payback to the country for kicking junior in the butt.

[zreosumgame]

9. but I thought torture solved that problem?

[judaspriestess]

10. CBS news exclusive??

this is just an attempt to get ol' katies ratings up.

on edit: I thought the militants were leaving Afghanistan because the rumor persist of bin laden's death and al qaeda being in disarray, which explains the movement

[Judi Lynn]

11. We'd better try to ammend the Constitution so we can re-elect Bush, then!

Only someone like _Bush can save us. We need him now, and we'll need him in 2009! We'll need him until the MEpublicans can find a suitable replacement, then we'll need HIM, too.

[bemildred]

12. No doubt. Better stay home and avoid shopping. nt

[MindMatter]

13. Can't they at least wait until Dems are sworn in?

But seriously folks, there will be more terrorist attacks; some small, some grand. It is important for the Dems to push this administration to do much more than it has been doing to protect us.

But it is also important to disarm Rove on this issue. When the next attack comes, you know the slime machine will say, "There weren't any attacks on America after we were able to purge all the baggage that Clinton left us. And now, no sooner to the Democrats get in that the terrorists attack us all over again. Terrorists were afraid of Bush. They aren't afraid of a country run by Democrats."

The Democrats need to push Bush every day for the rest of his term. Make this the most miserable 800 days of that man's life. Every day, question whether this Administration is doing enough on the borders. Question if this administration is doing enough at the airports. Question if it is doing enough on intelligence. Question if it has done enough to streamline communications at the FBI. Question everything. Get the public trained to ask Bush that same question. Over and over again.

That way, when the day does come - and it will -- Bush (or any other Republican demagogues still around) will be so busy accounting for himself that he won't be able to pin that shit on the Democrats.

[williesgirl]

15. Not to worry, the repukes are still in power before Xmas! Move along now.

Feels good to finally get to say that in a funny way instead of what we're used to! recommended

[Sperk]

16. declare marshall law? no swearing in of new congress?

n/t

[buddysmellgood]

18. When we successfully disrupt an attack, do we announce we know what

they are thinking throught the press? I don't think so. I'm calling bullshit.

[Bushies gotta go]

19. Rove's new "strategy"

Gee, all of a sudden today, terror makes its way back to the headlines... Brits announced they were investigating many terror plots involving over 1600 people... and now this...

Can't you just hear loser Rove sitting in the Oval office... "okay, okay, we go back to terror. Lots of terror. We've really not used it much lately"

I loved Mahers opening... "the Dems haven't done anything in 3 days!"

[Zorra]

20. Rumor has it that they're gonna hit Santa's workshop. n/t