10/29/04

*Contingency Plans for Election Day
Threat of Terrorism to Disrupt Elections Considered "Likely"
27 October 04: Federal authorities have strong and very viable "contingency
plans" in place to keep the electoral process running next Tuesday in the
event of foreign or domestic terror attacks against voting locations across
the United States. Alternate polling locations have been selected in advance
and are ready to be set-up in a number of high-traffic locations throughout
the United States. Contingency plans also involve previously-scripted public
service announcements in the event of a disruption and are divided by
location, with the most heavily populated locations on the east coast given
the highest priority. The Northeast Intelligence Network learned of the
joint FBI/DHS program earlier this week when investigating concerns over the
possible disruption of the voting process by either foreign or domestic
terrorists. The program involves other federal agencies as well, although
the plans are largely secret, according to a federal source speaking on the
condition of anonymity. "The FBI field offices know, those in key homeland
defense positions know, but otherwise the plans are being kept
confidential," confided the source. As well they should. The US has these
contingency plans in place not only by exercising an abundance of caution,
but because of recent heightened intercepts of foreign communications
involving possible terrorist attacks. "There is nothing they (the
terrorists) would like better than to have a successful assault on our
democratic process. The demonstrated that in Madrid, and they also studied
the effects of the 2000 presidential election 'crisis." Asking what type of
attack or attacks were considered likely, the source responded that
"anything that would cause widespread panic, fear, disruption of the voting
process, including the selective use of chemical or other weapons of mass
disruption." He added that any successful terrorist attacks "that would
cause widespread disruption, show America's weaknesses and be exploited by
the media would be a 'win' in their minds." Certain members of the US House
and Senate have been fully appraised of the plan. by Douglas J. Hagmann
mailto:director@homelandsecurityus.com (Dean)

*The "ABC Tape"
75 minutes of ambiguous threats by someone who represents himself as an
America member of aQ. Adam Pearlman the terrorist?? No, Adam Pearlman the
mouth. Yes, the tape has been confirmed to come from a known associate of
aQ. No, the threats aren't confirmed. Not a bad reaction for a $2 tape and
1,5 hours worth of time though, eh? That's the art of terrorism. Don't have
to do anything!

*Re last Bulletin: Brit writer suggests assassination of President Bush
"What is the name and address of this a--hole? I hope the Secret Service is
aware of it so they can arrest his foolish a--." Mike (We'll send it to you.
editor)

*OBL
Indians Put Security Forces on Red Alert After Ben Laden Sighting in
Pakistan
> the South Asia Tribune: NEW DELHI, October 25: Fugitive Al Qaeda leader
Osama bin Laden has been spotted in the Tibet-Laddakh region, close to the
North-Eastern tip of Pakistan, bordering India and China, Indian and US
officials believe. A high-ranking official of the US Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) flew from Islamabad on Sunday to meet top Indian
officials here in Delhi after reports of Bin Laden's presence in the region.

*Arafat Reportedly Critically Ill
CNN is reporting that Yassir Arafat is critically ill, but still refuses to
be hospitalized in Ramallah. Awww! I don't even trust him to croak. .....of
yeah ...... "France will be always on the side of the Palestinian Authority
leader Yasser Arafat, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier declared
Thursday. "France, as I told you (Arafat) in Ramallah on June 30, will be
always on your side to back your effort in favor of a just and negotiated
peace," Barnier said. "It is with concern and sympathy that I keep informed
of the development of your health," said Barnier. "I wish to express my most
sincere wishes for your recovery, hoping that you can return rapidly to your
place to lead the Palestinian Authority," he said. According to one of
Arafat's doctors, the 75-year-old Palestinian leader is suffering from a
potentially fatal blood disorder which will require more tests to determine
the cause outside the West Bank, where he has been kept under virtual house
arrest for the last three years. French presidency announced on Thursday
evening the (terrorist) leader's imminent move to Paris for treatment at the
request of Palestinian Authority. He was expected to arrive in Paris on
Friday.

*...speaking of France....
"France Minister Seeks Funding for Mosques. First Spain, and now France.
> AP, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist: France's finance
minister, a presidential hopeful, says mosques need state funding and it's
time for a century-old law banning financing for religious groups to..."
Full article: <http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/003684.php>

*Afghanistan
Afghanistan marked the first anniversary of the "demobilization,
decommissioning, and reintegration" program there on Oct. 24, command
spokesman Army Maj. Scott Nelson said in a press conference today. In the
past 12 months, the Afghanistan New Beginnings Program has helped to disarm
more than 21,550 former militia members, Nelson said. Through the program,
more than 16,500 weapons have been collected and more than 19,800
individuals have received assistance to "re-enter Afghan society and return
to a peaceful way of life," he said. Also, he said, DDR has assisted in the
"heavy weapons cantonment process." To date, more than 2,900 -- almost 70
percent -- of all known working or repairable heavy weapons in Afghanistan
are now secure in cantonment sites throughout the country. He noted the
capital of Kabul is 100 percent heavy-weapons free.

*Iraq
One more time: Oct. 27, 04: "The chances that enemy forces moved 377 tons of
heavy ordnance out of the Al Qaqaa arms facility after U.S. forces arrived
in the area are nearly impossible", said Army Col. David Perkins, who
commanded the American troops who took the area during major combat
operations in Iraq in 2003. Perkins commanded 2nd Brigade of the 3rd
Infantry Division. A unit under his command, the 3rd Battalion, 15th
Infantry, entered the depot on April 3, 2003, and defeated the enemy forces
there in a two-day battle. The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency had
tagged the explosives at the site and departed before hostilities started.
On May 27, 2003, experts with the 75th Exploitation Task Force confirmed the
IAEA-sealed explosives were missing. Perkins, now assigned to the Joint
Staff, said it is "highly improbable" that the enemy was able to take the
explosives out any time after U.S. forces arrived in the area. It would
require "that the enemy sneaks a convoy of 10-ton trucks in and loads them
up in the dark of night and infiltrates them in your convoy and moves out,"
he said. "That's kind of a stretch too far." When his battalion arrived at
Al Qaqaa April 3, it engaged several hundred enemy soldiers and the
paramilitary Fedayeen Saddam in the area. The unit killed or captured all
who were there, with the battle lasting through April 5. "This site was
open," Perkins said. "(Enemy) forces were moving in and out. We didn't know
what was there."......... The depot is located at the intersection of two
major roads. Both are major convoy routes for American supplies going into
Iraq, and they were jammed with U.S. vehicles at all times. There is no
evidence, Pentagon officials said, that there was any large-scale movement
of explosives - or anything else for that matter - from the facility.
American Forces Press Service ....or..... "The New York Times reported
Monday the explosives had gone missing from al Qaqaa after U.S. forces
seized Baghdad on April 9, 2003. In a letter earlier this month, Iraq's
Ministry of Science and Technology claimed the explosives disappeared
because of "the theft and looting of the governmental installations due to
lack of security." Now which one makes sense?

> Bill Gertz, Washington Times: "Russian special forces troops moved many
of Saddam Hussein's weapons and related goods out of Iraq and into Syria in
the weeks before the March 2003 U.S. military operation, The Washington
Times has learned. John A. Shaw, the deputy undersecretary of defense for
international technology security, said in an interview that he believes the
Russian troops, working with Iraqi intelligence, "almost certainly" removed
the high-explosive material that went missing from the Al-Qaqaa facility,
south of Baghdad."The Russians brought in, just before the war got started,
a whole series of military units," Mr. Shaw said. "Their main job was to
shred all evidence of any of the contractual arrangements they had with the
Iraqis. The others were transportation units."

Oct. 27, 04: Iraqi soldiers and police, and U.S. soldiers have completed
their project with local leaders to facilitate a weapons buyback program to
make life safer for the residents of Baghdad's Sadr City section. Beginning
Oct. 13, the Iraqi government designated three locations in eastern Baghdad
as collection points. Thousands of AK-47 assault rifles, anti-tank mines,
rocket-propelled-grenade launchers and other arms were collected through
Oct. 22. Anti-aircraft weapons and explosives commonly used in improvised
explosive devices were also collected. In return, those who turned weapons
in were issued vouchers for cash payment of an amount based on the type of
weapon that they turned in. The program was run completely by Iraqi security
forces and the Iraqi government, including the 306th Iraqi National Guard
Battalion and local Iraqi police. Soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st
Brigade Combat Team were positioned several hundred meters away from the
turn-in sites to provide added security. "Any weapons we can get off the
street is great," said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Lael Eason, a liaison officer with
the Iraqi Guard battalion. "We haven't received [an incoming] mortar here in
... two weeks. I'm not sure why that is, if it's the weapon buyback program
or ... the political things that are going on." Eason noted there had been a
large quantity of mortars turned in during the buyback program. "What we've
seen are a lot of 60 mm mortars with the base plate and also [122 mm
mortars]," he said. Regardless of the reason, soldiers at Camp Hope here
have experienced a period of relative calm since the program started.
American Forces Press Service

*Cameras to Keep Watch in Hollywood
Thu Oct 28, 04: In a new step for crime fighting in Los Angeles, the Police
Department plans to start installing surveillance cameras on city streets,
beginning with Hollywood Boulevard. Five video cameras will train their
electronic eyes on one of the world's most famous Ð and infamous Ð streets
as early as January. And if all goes according to plan, there eventually
will be 64 cameras on Hollywood, Santa Monica and Sunset boulevards and
Western Avenue. The Hollywood-area cameras are the beginning what some city
officials hope will be a wave of virtual law enforcement that will help the
understaffed LAPD (news - web sites) investigate and deter crime from the
San Fernando Valley to South Los Angeles. Although the City Council and the
Police Department have not yet devised a comprehensive approach, at least
two council members have found money to begin installing cameras in their
districts. Mayer

*Algeria 'terror leader' arrested
Algeria has taken custody of one of its most wanted terror suspects, handed
over by Libya, the government says. Amar Saifi, known as 'Abderrezak El
Para' is accused of being behind last year's kidnapping of 32 tourists from
Germany and elsewhere in Europe. The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat
(GSPC) he leads is allegedly linked to al-Qaeda. He was reportedly arrested
in March by rebels in Chad. It is not clear how he fell into Libyan hands.
In July, the rebel Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (MDJC) said
that Libya had threatened to bomb their positions unless he was handed over.

*Police say gangs have put officers on hit lists
Gangs have declared war on San Bernardino and Colton police officers and put
them on hit lists in retaliation for the recent shooting deaths of two men
by officers, police said. Law enforcement agencies are taking the threats
seriously, officers told The Sun newspaper. The Inland Empire Projects, a
Crips gang that claims territory in western San Bernardino, declared war on
San Bernardino officers after the Oct. 1 shooting of Frank Ingram, 28, law
enforcement officers told the paper. Additionally, the Eastside Colton gang
in north Colton recently declared a "hit" on police there because officers
shot and killed Freddy Joe Enriquez, 24, on Aug. 29. Gang officers believe
the Colton gang is following the lead of the Inland Empire Projects, Colton
police Lt. Mark Owens said, adding, "the officers believe it to be
credible." Mayer

*Radio Communications
Raytheon's JPS division has produced a 41-page, non-technical explanation of
"interoperability," including a discrete mention of their products. Download
(pdf) the document at:
http://dispatchmonthly.c.topica.com/maacN0MabbeYIbonVibb/

*China plans for loo directory hotline
October 27 04: A multilingual hotline to tell visitors the way to the
nearest public toilet is being set up in Shanghai to save guests from being
caught short, a news report said on Wednesday. The hotline will be the first
of its kind in China and will offer directions to the nearest toilet in
several foreign languages, according to the Hong Kong edition of the China
Daily. A city official was quoted as saying: "Shanghai is attracting more
and more tourists from other provinces and from abroad and traditional sign
plates are not enough." Anyone planning a trip to Shanghai in the coming
months though should plan their toilet breaks in advance, since the hotline
will not be in service until next year.

*TODAYS SURVIVAL TIP
Next time you are too drunk to drive.......Walk to the nearest pizza shop,
Place an order, And when they go to deliver it, Catch a ride home with them!
TJ