whether you agree or not with the article itself, you must agree that the pattern (mid way through the article) is disturbing....
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Terror - Islam
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor
According to an ABC News report, federal agents are investigating a sudden spike in the sale of unregistered disposable cell phones. In Midland, an alert Wal-Mart employee contacted federal agents after six individuals of apparent Middle East origin tried to purchase sixty cell phones in one transaction. At least one of the suspects was identified as being from Iraq and another from Pakistan, officials said.
On New Year's Eve, a customer of evident Middle East origin bought 150 disposable 'trac-phones' from a Target Store. Trac-phones are disposable telephones with prepaid minutes already attached.
Other reports have come in from other cities, including Dallas, and from authorities in other states. Authorities in Pennsylvania, New York and other parts of Texas confirmed that they were alerted to the cases, and sources say other jurisdictions were also notified.
The Midland, Texas, arrest report police also identified the individuals as linked to a terror cell:
"Evasive responses provided by the subjects, coupled with actions observed by officers at the onset of the contact prompted the notification of local FBI officials to assist in the investigation," the report said.
"Upon the arrival of special agents, and as a result of subsequent interviews, it was discovered that members of the group were linked to suspected terrorist cells stationed within the Metroplex.
"In addition," says ABC, "special agents reported that similar incidents centering on the large-scale purchases of trac phones had been reported throughout the nation — identifying individuals of Middle-Eastern descent as the purchasers."
This comes on the heels of the most recent release of an al-Qaeda video starring Ayman al Zawahiri, Osama's number two man. (Or possibly, the number one man, if rumors of Osama's death are accurate)
Released last week, the latest video is the one in which Zawahiri thanks the Left for all their help, saying the partisan fight over troop withdrawal from Iraq handed a victory to Islam.
"If your forces with all its aircraft, missiles, tanks and fleets are moaning, bleeding and looking for an escape from Iraq, then will the hypocrites, conspirators, infidels (the Iraqi government) resist what the 'greatest power in the world' has failed to resist?" al-Zawahiri asked in the video.
According to terrorism experts, the most recent video is part of a pattern, according to Cybercast News Service.
Christopher Brown, who in the past has briefed Department of Defense, State Department, CIA, National Security Council and the White House, noted each Zawahiri video is part of a pair. And after the 2nd part is released, historically, it was followed within thirty days by a major terrorist attack.
The videos released on Sept. 9 and Nov. 9, 2004, were the first "set" and were followed by the Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, bombings on Dec. 6, 2004.
The second "set" of videos was released Feb. 20 and June 26, 2005, followed by the July 7 London bombings. A third set of videos was released Aug. 4 and Sept 1, 2005, followed by the bombings in Bali, Indonesia, on Oct. 1, 2005.
The fourth set of videos, according to Brown's theory was released on Oct. 23, 2005 and last week -- Jan. 6.
"This pattern has held for at least three of al Qaeda's last large-scale attacks," said Brown, "This most recent video is likely a signal that a large-scale operation is about to be launched within the next 30 days. The question is where."
On Oct. 29, 2005, the London Telegraph reported that Abu Atiya, an al Qaeda operative close to al-Zawahiri, revealed to French authorities that a group called the "Chechen network" entered France with the missiles and chemical and biological agents such as botulin, ricin and cyanide.
The missiles were reportedly purchased in 2002 and eventually smuggled through Georgia and Turkey to be used in a planned attack against French airliners in 2004.
Following the London bombings the brigades posted a communique on the Internet, stating: "We are in Italy, and not one of you is safe as long as you refuse [Osama bin Laden's] offer. Get rid of the incompetent (Prime Minister Silvio) Berlusconi or we will truly burn Italy."
A July 19, 2005, story in Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper indicated that Italian intelligence feared the statement was a coded message activating known cells in Italy, which had previously been providing only logistical support.
Three more messages from the Abu-Hafs al-Masri Brigades were posted in July, promising to "burn Italy down.
"We will raze the cities of Europe to the ground and you will be the first, Berlusconi!" one of the messages declared. On July 31, the brigades claimed to be "calling up all our cells in Rome and other Italian cities for this war ..." Another Internet message followed in August.
However, the November reference to the "land of the Romans" could be misdirection Brown said, since al Qaeda is known to use coded language in many of its communications.
The Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF) has indicated that al Qaeda intentionally labeled Italy as its target, prior to the London bombings.
If the "land of the Romans" doesn't refer to Rome, what might it refer to? Dan Darling of the Manhattan Institute believes it could be a reference to the United States. "It could just as easily apply to the U.S. -- America as the new Rome," said Darling.
The missiles reportedly obtained from Chechnya have not been located and Brown believes it is possible that some of the weapons have been smuggled into North America since individuals involved in the "Chechen network" who procured the missiles were allegedly involved in the 1999 conspiracy to bomb Los Angeles International Airport.
Noted the CNS report: "Regarding the video release pattern, "once can be an interesting anomaly, twice could be a coincidence, but three times is a pattern," Brown said, indicating "that in all likelihood al Qaeda will launch a major attack sometime in the next month."
As I've noted in previous columns, to al-Qaeda and the rest of the Arab world, partisan politics gets lost in translation. To al-Qaeda, statements like those made by Dick Durbin and Teddy Kennedy don't represent the Lunatic Left fringes of American politics.
Outside of America, Dick Durbin and Ted Kennedy are respected mainstream American leaders whose words carry as much weight as any other US leader.
If one is looking for evidence that their partisan sniping gives aid and comfort to the enemy, one can't ask for more convincing proof than the feedback coming from the enemy himself.
If the enemy feels aided and comforted enough to say so, then what more evidence does one need?
"Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason." (Title 18, United States Code, Part 1, Chapter 115, para 2381)
The evidence is beginning to pile up, as we've noted. Mysterious cell phone purchases, threats from Iran about US sleeper cells, alien smuggling from Mexico, new threats from al-Qaeda . . . they all add up.
It seems that a good part of America has forgotten September 11, or else they believe it was an anomaly, never to be repeated. While Osama may have awakened 'a sleeping giant' on September 11, it only rolled over and went back to sleep again.
The Dow just broke 11,000, the economy is humming along, the war is 8,000 miles away, and most Americans have been lulled into their complacent pre-9/11 world of peace and safety.
www.omegaletter.com/articles.asp?ArticleID=5831