You Mean Listening In On Our Enemies Actually Works?

So Al-Qaeda was planning on blowing up the Holland Tunnel in New York City in an attempt to flood that area of the city, specifically the Financial District.

The FBI has uncovered what officials consider a serious plot by jihadists to bomb the Holland Tunnel in hopes of causing a torrent of water to deluge lower Manhattan, the Daily News has learned.

The terrorists sought to drown the Financial District as New Orleans was by Hurricane Katrina, sources said. They also wanted to attack subways and other tunnels. 

While it seems most experts believe it couldn't be done (kind of like bringing the World Trade Center towers huh?) there is one interesting aspect to this case:

Counterterrorism officials are alarmed by the "lone wolf" terror plot because they allegedly got a pledge of financial and tactical support from Jordanian associates of top terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi before he was killed in Iraq, a counterterrorism source told The News.

It's not clear, however, if any cash or assistance was delivered.

The New York Times and Chuck Schumer were quick to dismiss the whole thing, shocker:

A plot by a "terrorist network" to attack the transportation system in the New York and New Jersey area was disrupted in its planning stages, federal officials said today.

But no credible evidence was found linking Al Qaeda to the plot, which led to the arrest of a suspect by Lebanese authorities, according to a statement issued jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security.

[…]Mr. King and Mr. Schumer each said that the plot had been caught in its early stages. Mr. King said that he had been informed of the investigation by the F.B.I. and the New York City Police Department nine months ago.

In a televised interview on CNN, Mr. Schumer said the plot had not gotten beyond the talking stage.

"There's no evidence that anything was ever done, no purchase of explosives or even the sending of money," he said.

Of course it's in their best interest to make this plot look foolish and going nowhere since they are the ones who may have caused irreparable damage to our counter intelligence work.  How could this be so you ask?  I mean they did catch this plot early didn't they?  According to CNN the plot goes back a year, before the leaking of our national secrets by the New York Times:

A former high-ranking FBI official, D'Amuro said an FBI-Lebanese investigation "that goes back over a year" first revealed the plan. He said the investigation led to the suspect, and authorities have identified "six or seven others" — all overseas. He said the plot was in the planning phase, and no "devices had been in place."

Sources identified the man held in Beirut as Amir Andalousi.

But Achraf Rifi, general director of Lebanon's internal security forces, said that name is a pseudonym and his real one is Assam Hamoud.

Rifi said the man was arrested more than a month ago in his Beirut apartment in an operation conducted in coordination with the FBI. The suspect is a professor of computer studies at a private university in Lebanon, and was born in 1975, according to Rifi.

AJStrata ties the pieces together:

Most disturbing is this terrorist action here in the US has all the characteristics of having been stopped using the very same programs the NY Times has crippled in its mindless attacks on the Bush administration. Monitoring communications includes monitoring the overseas access to internet chat rooms. One can see the now exposed monitoring of the terrorists' finances and NSA monitoring of overseas terrorists in the information being provided – meaning they may have had to act now because the terrorists were adjusting their tactics:

Counterterrorism officials are alarmed by the "lone wolf" terror plot because they allegedly got a pledge of financial and tactical support from Jordanian associates of top terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi before he was killed in Iraq, a counterterrorism source told The News.

Emphasis mine. The tactical support is going to come through communications. The plot could have easily been initially detected when this "lone wolf" made contact with the Jordanian terrorists who could have been under NSA surveillance. Since the FBI is involved, the next logical sequence of events would be the NSA providing the lead to the FBI who then took it to the FISA court to make the person the target of surveillance here in the US once they decided it was a serious enough of a threat. It seems clear the authorities had to move before they wanted to for some reason or another

So instead of getting the whole crew who were planning this operation we get one Al-Qaeda agent.  It's rare that any law enforcement agency moves in to get just one guy, take it from a cop.  You listen and watch until you identify every player.  You track who is financing them, you follow them to every country and every contact, and then you move in a take them all down in one fell swoop.

But instead we got one agent.  

No one can tell me this is not a result of the leaking of our national security secrets.

But the funniest, and most ironic quote of the day comes from Chuck Schumer:

Mr. Schumer said the arrest in Lebanon was the result of intercepted Internet conversations. "They were caught by people talking" he said. "In this case, intelligence did its job."

Oh really?  Is that how you catch people nowadays?  You listen in on them? 

How freakin ironic. 

UPDATE

Briefing being held at the moment.  They just confirmed that the plotter was Al-Qaeda and swore allegience to Osama Bin Laden.  They have also confirmed it was not the Holland Tunnel but the Path tunnels.  Additionally it appears they have identified 8 different players.

UPDATE II

The Assitant FBI Director just stated that the leaking of this investigation has caused problems with the investigation itself. 

UPDATE III

Three suspects are in custody at this point.  5 remain outstanding. 

UPDATE IV

Some of the suspects have only been partially identified according to the Assistant FBI Director.  Thanks Grey Lady! 

UPDATE V

The Counterterrorism Blog has some excellent analysis:

“Amir Andalousi” appears to be a jihadi nom de guerre for a resident of Spain, likely named after the Andalusian Caliphate–a frequent point of reference for jihadis from that country as post-3/11 investigations have demonstrated. The New York Daily News also notes that U.S. officials have linked the plot to al-Zarqawi’s network, which is known to have a foothold in that country evidenced by recent arrests of al-Zarqawi-linked jihadis and my conversations with European officials. The sum of this information suggests that, if the plot is credible, given “Andalousli’s” apparent Spanish link, look for the investigation to span the Mediterranean and possibly involve individuals affiliated (even tangentially) with the Sunni Asbat al-Ansar network in Lebanon. Asbat al-Ansar has sent multiple fighters to Iraq and has thus forged some natural links with al-Zarqawi’s networks. Social networks linked by common worldviews and shared experiences–especially combat–make some form of cooperation or affiliation a natural in this case.

Second, this is the first known instance of an al-Zarqawi-linked plot to target the continental U.S. (CONUS), if preliminary information is credible.

UPDATE VI

Hot Air has the video for the press briefing

UPDATE VII

The Hammoud family has released some pictures of the mastermind in this plot, Assem Hammoud:

Apparently he was told to live it up by Al-Qaeda:

Hammoud, who claimed to be 31 and a resident of Beirut, said he had been ordered to live a life of fun and indulgence in Lebanon to hide his Islamic militancy, an official statement from the Lebanese government said, adding that he was instructed not to show any religious tendencies.

The press is also printing a bit about the leaking of this investigation:

In opening the press conference, Mershon blasted the leaking of the ongoing investigation, and the publishing of a report on Friday by the New York Daily News. Officials later downplayed the Daily News report.

FBI and New York City officials would not go into details of the plot, but did confirm that the PATH system was the likely target, not the Holland Tunnel, as the Daily News reported.

“We have had a number of threats over the months and years, frankly, that would target all of the conveyances across the river,” Mershon added.

The person who leaked the investigation is “clearly someone who doesn’t understand the fragility of international relations,” Mershon said.

“The release makes the investigation more difficult for us; it has greatly complicated what otherwise would be a very smooth relationship, a very smooth partnership, with a number of overseas allied agencies,” Mershon added.

Republican Congressman Peter King of New York, chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, added, “It would have been better if this had not been disclosed.”

“For most of the year, we have been focusing on a group of Al Qaeda followers who have targeted the Hudson River tubes,” Mershon told reporters.

The plot was intended to bring explosives into New York City’s transit tunnels, possibly flooding the Wall Street Financial District, according to officials, who downplayed the danger, saying the Financial District is well above sea level.

The leaking will never stop until the left gets it’s wish. Either another attack on our soil, to bring down the evil American empire, or to bring down Bush. These leakers care little if we are successful in preventing an attack.

UPDATE VIII 07/07/06 1913hrs PST

Brian Ross is reporting the plot involved up to 20 people blowing up a commuter train under the tunnel:

Federal law enforcement officials tell ABC News a plot designed to use 15 to 20 suicide bombers on one commuter train as close to Sept. 11 as possible was well underway.

The specific target was the PATH commuter trains that run in a tunnel under the Hudson River into New York City.

“This is a plot that would have involved martyrdom, explosives and certain of the tubes that connect New Jersey with lower Manhattan,” said Mark Mershon, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI New York Field Office. “We’re not discussing the modality behind, beyond that.”

But law enforcement officials say the plotters had already accessed detailed blueprints and drawings of the PATH tunnels, available on the internet.

And like the London bombers, the plan was to load backpacks with explosives.

All 15 to 20 bombers were to board one car and detonate when the train was under the river, according to officials.

“There’s no question that they are vulnerable. With the right amount of explosives, the tunnel could be compromised,” said Gerry Hauer, former Director of New York City’s Office of Emergency Management and now an ABC News consultant.

So out of 15-20 involved, we have 3 in custody and another 5 are identified…sort of.

Because someone inside our government leaked this investigation the rest may very well disappear until the next time, or attack.

Just sad.

So instead of getting the whole crew who were planning this operation we get one Al-Qaeda agent. It’s rare that any law enforcement agency moves in to get just one guy, take it from a cop. You listen and watch until you identify every player. You track who is financing them, you follow them to every country and every contact, and then you move in a take them all down in one fell swoop.

But instead we got one agent.

UPDATE IX 07/07/06 1935hrs PST

The Counterterrorism Blog has translated today’s communique from the general-directorate of Lebanon Internal Security Forces:

After information as a result of constant surveillance of suspected internet websites, observation took place of chat rooms and e-mails on extremist Islamist websites used to recruit terrorists around the world. The result of their analysis showed that they were connected with the planning of the execution of a big terrorist act targeting the tunnels in New York under the Hudson River. As a result of rapid technical pursuit of what is called the Internet Protocol, used by hundreds of persons, and in cooperation and coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and based upon an indication from relevant judicial authorities, the Information Division of the Internal Security Forces identified the wanted person, A.H., a Lebanese nicknamed Amir Andalousi, who was living a life of pleasure, far from suspicions. His arrest took place on April 27, 2006.

Upon an investigation of him, he confessed that he belonged to an extremist organization and was currently preparing to execute a big terrorist act in the United States. For this purpose, he undertook to send detailed maps about the place and manner of executing this operation to his partners, through the internet. He was intending to travel to Pakistan in the near future to undertake a training course to last for four months, provided that the time of the operation was to be at the end of 2006. It was requested from him not to show any religious tendencies during his stay in Lebanon and to give the picture of a frivolous and uncommitted youth. He implemented this expertly. During 2003, he met a Syrian in Lebanon, who gave him many weapons courses. He headed in the Syrian’s company to Ain El-Helweh camp and undertook a training session of light weapons during the tenth month of 2005. He met a foreigner, who asked him to guarantee apartments to host jihadists, recruit persons, and collect money and weapons for the organization. He was in communication with in many persons in foreign countries.

Coordination with security apparati occurred so that they were able to arrest most of the members of this group. (End of the communique)

And some excellent analysis of the communique:

Assem Hammoud’s war name “Amir Andalousi” evidently indicates his personal ideological interest or connection to Spain, or al Andalous, for Andalusia. The last name is not the only reference in Jihadi linguistics, but also his first nom de guerre: Amir. From Arabic, it is also transcribed as Emir. In Jihadi hierarchy “Emirs” are commanders, high or lower levels. This could be a rank or an appointment. Hence, for our fertile imagination, his Jihadi personality is an “Andalou Emir.” But from here on, two tracks are possible. One is that he has the link to Spain, a past one. But the second track is that he has chosen this nickname as just that: a code name among Jihadists, to be used in chat rooms and within correspondence. Keep in mind that the Andalousian fantasy is alive in the minds of the Salafi Jihadists. As a young student in Lebanon, I do remember vividly how intense where the fundamentalists about al Andalous. It could also be both: that he chose that name for Jihadi fervor, but that he also has a link.

[…]The “extremist organization” he belonged to, in Lebanese legal and Governmental language is found in the Salafist pool: It ranges from al Qaida-branch to Asbat al Ansar to Abu Muhjen’s direct unit; but it could be another off shoot as well. Most likely, he is linked to the al shabaka al jihadiya, which within Lebanon’s inner Jihadi world, is a web of cells and individuals who have aggregated together to support the worldwide Jihad since Afghanistan’s Soviet war, and have grown in numbers through the Iraq war. The shabaka is found in all visible groups, including the asba and the former Harakat al Tawheed, including the Hizb al Tahrir. To describe it dramatically as Lebanese analysts have put it: No one knows where exactly it starts but we know where it ends: al Qaida.

[…]If you read this sentence from the Lebanese security report well you’d draw very important conclusions: “It was requested from him not to show any religious tendencies during his stay in Lebanon and to give the picture of a frivolous and uncommitted youth.” First start with the “it”: Who requested this guideline from him? Obviously a higher level of command, and a sophisticated one. In Jihadi tactics, Taqiya is just about that: You have the right to play another personality until you perform your mission. Unfortunately many among us are still unaware of it. Often media reactions to arrests start with “well, he didn’t look like he was a fundamentalist.” Well, now you have your answer. The misinformation is not restrained to the public, but is also present in the judicial world facing off with Terrorism. At the Detroit Terror case where I testified as an expert in 2003, I wasn’t even able to give a real example of Taqiya from an article published in a national daily.

[…]The report goes on to state: “He met a foreigner, who asked him to guarantee apartments to host jihadists, recruit persons, and collect money and weapons for the organization. He was in communication with in many persons in foreign countries.” A foreigner means a non-Lebanese. The information signals that a plan is designed to establish a vast network of Terrorism in Lebanon and in foreign countries. From a background expertise on Syrian, Hizbollah and Salafist operations out of Lebanon, one would project that the “network” Assem Hammoud has Jihadi business with has cells in various countries, with the very legitimate assumption that the US isn’t obviously one of them.

[…]Internet use: over the past few years, many among us, including myself have insisted that internet and the chat rooms have become “the” new habitat of al Qaida and other related groups. Evidently this case, especially when clarified and confirmed, will show that cyber war with Terror is serious and is shifting the battleground significantly. It is also opening our mind inquiry about the whole issue of traditional monitoring of the Terrorists with all strategic implications on the so-called NSC domestic surveillance issue. It just shows us that the Jihadists are way ahead of us, our legal system and our national consensus.

I often visit Internet Haganah so I am not that surprised at the level of communication going on between these terrorist groups using the web. Internet Haganah has studied and blogged about the different chatrooms, servers, websites and so forth that these people are using for quite some time…it will open your eyes.

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