'Plot to blow up planes' foiled

[A_Wanderer]

A combination of luck and persistence seems to have helped us dodge more than a few bullets, Bojinka just goes to show that this war has been going on well before the public took notice.

 

[ntalwar]

Skepticism is understandable, even for real threats, when we hear about prior deceptions and false "crying wolf"
by government officials. Examples include last week's 9/11 panel concluding that the Pentagon lied to it, Iraq WMD claims, the false facts surrounding the Brazilian shot on the London subway, the false British ricin ring, plastic sheeting and duct tape, etc.

 

[the rockin edge]

Your skepticism is very good and I hope that it is completely unwarranted, but keep asking the questions. The time when we don't hear these opinions expressed is the time that they may actually be true.

very good point, even though i don't think this was a hoax..

 

[BVS]

You can do very little damage to a lot of people with a low velocity pistol or a taser, so grabbing a marshalls weapon does not seem to be a threat. Having Air Marshalls has been an effective detterent for El Al, and they profile so non-Jews are medium risk and Muslims are high risk for security. Religious profiling strikes me as legitimate.

You've got to be kidding.

9/11 was implemented with box cutters!

Shooting out a window alone would be a threat.

 

[Numb1075]

some further information on just how long this investigation was going on and some of the methods used to foil the plot.......The Patriot Act seems like a real good idea now.

Since before last Christmas, it is now learned, MI5 and New Scotland Yard and several other agencies have been working closely together, monitoring Internet sites frequented by known bad actors, identifying everyone who visited those sites, whittling that list down to a specific set of suspicious characters, then tapping phone calls and e-mails and analyzing the back-and-forth message traffic - finally even fitting out the suspects' automobiles and motorbikes with satellite tracking devices, the better to follow them everywhere they went, day in, day out.

In short, great police work, exactly the sort of eavesdropping and data-mining techniques that here in the U.S. get so loudly fussed at by those misguided souls who railed against telephone data-mining by the National Security Agency, and against warrantless eavesdropping on suspicious international calls, and against letting a judge issue a warrant so the law could listen in on any phone that a suspected terrorist chose to use.

Had MI5 not monitored Web traffic and tapped 70 cell phones, quite likely the terror bunch would have smuggled explosives aboard airplanes and blasted several thousand innocents to oblivion. The Brits smartly did just what they had to do. American law enforcement must have all the same weapons. It is well to remember that, in this war, the terrorists need to succeed only once, while we must succeed every time. We cannot afford to lose even one battle.

 

[BVS]

So basically you're saying we should wire tap all bad actors?


Do you have a link?

 

[Numb1075]

So basically you're saying we should wire tap all bad actors?


Do you have a link?

JUST POSTING SOME INFORMATION !

<----- doing best Napolian Dynomite voice: GOSH !

See, I can't come into FYI because those that disagree w/ my posts, twist everything around.

All I'm saying is that the methods used to track these guys down worked and save a few lives. No, not everyone should be wire tapped. But if that's what you'd like to believe I'm saying than so be it.

Here is the link:

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/442587p-372563c.html

 

[BVS]

See, I can't come into FYI because those that disagree w/ my posts, twist everything around.

Wow, your perception of humor isn't very strong.

Do you honestly think I was being serious?

And it's FYM

 

[Numb1075]

yes, I thought you were serious.

tough to interpret text as opposed to hearing someone.

 

[BVS]

Here is the link:

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/442587p-372563c.html

Interesting, but it's really just an editorial, it will be interesting to see how much of this comes out in other media outlets.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I think FYI would be a better name for it

 

[BVS]

yes, I thought you were serious.

Well we would have to start out wire tapping 75% of L.A.

 

[Numb1075]

yes, it is an editorial but my assumption is that this write has some proof. i don't think he/she would fabricate an entire article.

NY Daily News is a big paper.

 

[BVS]

I think FYI would be a better name for it

Flaunt Your Ignorance

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I just thought of more words for FYI but I can't say it

Actually they mentioned that info Numb in one show I was watching last night, I believe it was MSNBC-so my guess would be it might be accurate as to how they caught them. They didn't mention the cars and motorbikes, but they did mention the computer activity.

 

[Irvine511]

All I'm saying is that the methods used to track these guys down worked and save a few lives. No, not everyone should be wire tapped. But if that's what you'd like to believe I'm saying than so be it.
[/url]

the government can wiretap anyone they want.

they just need a warrant.

that was the issue.

 

[Numb1075]

Irvine - correct.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

According to the London Daily Mail

Terrorists were planning to unleash a series of deadly mid-air explosions on flights between London and America on August 16, it has been revealed today.

Members of the terror group, who were arrested in a series of raids by anti-terror police yesterday, were due to mount a dry run today to check if they could smuggle components for liquid explosives through Britain's airports.

United Airline tickets dated next Wednesday were found by police at the home of one of the raided addresses.

The youngest of the terror suspects arrested in the raids was a heavily pregnant woman from Hackney, London.

The Asian woman was taken by police handcuffed and still wearing pyjamas from a top floor flat in Denver Road.

It has been reported today that the woman, who has not yet been named, is the wife of Muslim convert Oliver Savant. Eye witnesses described her as five foot tall with braided hair.

One witness said: "I heard a man shout and then the door was knocked through. I looked out of the window and saw a team of armed officers - wearing helmets and goggles - pour out of a black unmarked Mercedes people carrier.

"There were another two vans full of police wearing bullet-proof vests. And there were two guys who looked like intelligence agents who were controlling things."

In another raid, a young woman and her six month-old baby was taken into custody.

 

[Numb1075]

pregnant woman?

This makes me very sad

 

[INDY500]

If the attacks had taken place, you'd have blamed Bush for being incompetent.

If the attacks are prevented, it's political posturing by Bush

It's a Catch 22 with people like you.

Here, here. But's it's worse than that. Some people actually see Bush as THE threat to our our civil liberties.

--Patriot Act. BAD. "dismantling of the Bill of Rights."
--NSA surveillance. BAD. "invades our privacy", "impeachable offense."
--Detaining suspected terrorists. BAD "they should be given all rights under our legal system."
--Interrogation of detainees. BAD. "it's torture."
--Common sense screening of passengers. BAD. "it's profiling."
--Following the money trail of terrorists. BAD. Must be exposed by the NY Times.
--GWB. BAD. "liar", "war criminal", "world's biggest terrorist."

Maybe Thursday's near miss will wake some people up.

 

[anitram]

--Detaining suspected terrorists. BAD "they should be given all rights under our legal system."

And just what did your conservative controlled Supreme Court rule on the matter?

Go on, illuminate us.

 

[silja]

pregnant woman?

This makes me very sad

Heavily pregnant women aren't allowed to fly so she couldn't have been a potential suicide bomber. It seems that she was arrested because she is the wife of one of the conspirators. As such, I don't particularly care if she's pregnant or not.

 

[Irvine511]

Here, here. But's it's worse than that. Some people actually see Bush as THE threat to our our civil liberties.

--Patriot Act. BAD. "dismantling of the Bill of Rights."
--NSA surveillance. BAD. "invades our privacy", "impeachable offense."
--Detaining suspected terrorists. BAD "they should be given all rights under our legal system."
--Interrogation of detainees. BAD. "it's torture."
--Common sense screening of passengers. BAD. "it's profiling."
--Following the money trail of terrorists. BAD. Must be exposed by the NY Times.
--GWB. BAD. "liar", "war criminal", "world's biggest terrorist."

Maybe Thursday's near miss will wake some people up.

um, no, my opinions haven't changed.

tell me, did the investigation use evidence gained from Gitmo detainees or from "coercive interrogation techniques" such as waterboarding?

Bush is bad. he is a liar. he is a war criminal. he has presided over the biggest military fiasco since Vietnam that has made us less safe.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

Maybe Thursday's near miss will wake some people up.

To the fact that the diversion of resources in Afganistan to a senseless war in Iraq in which we have murdered thousands of innocent Arab civilians and helped spark a civil war has done nothing but create more anti-American sentiment and fosters even more terrorism? One can only hope.

 

[AcrobatMan]

Wish people could think logically !! ( even think !!)

The most fatal terrorist act ever was commited when America was not in Afghanistan or Iraq !!

 

[nbcrusader]

We'll get to your statement when we finish blaming the US first.

 

[INDY500]

And just what did your conservative controlled Supreme Court rule on the matter?

Go on, illuminate us.

Obviously I disagree with much of their ruling. If Bush overstepped his presidential war powers pertaining to the issue of military tribunals than I hope he seeks full congressional approval. As far as violating the Geneva conventions, I think that's a gross misreading and I hope it can be revisited.

 

[AcrobatMan]

here's how to stop terrorists from blowing up and hijacking planes:

1.) you arent allowed to carry ANYTHING on the plane

2.) all luggage is checked

3.) when you get on and after they close the door, but before the plane takes off, they pump the gas that puts you to sleep like when you go into surgery. So everyone except the pilots sleep through the whole fight. Then when the plane is ready to land, the gas flow stops and people wake up on the ground.

i guess it would also help people that are afraid to fly.

Kinda crazy, but i think it'd work.

Every one to be be naked or in white transparent plastic dress

 

[AcrobatMan]

We'll get to your statement when we finish blaming the US first.

NBC you make a lot of sense these days

 

[the rockin edge]

maybe i'm missing something here, but wasn't this intelligence work done in the UK & Pakistan, by MI5, Scotland Yard & Pakistan intelligence? and weren't the arrests in the UK and Pakistan?

Where does the United States intelligence and/or Bush admin enter this? either for credit or blame?


like i said, maybe i missed something, but...