Website and automated forms processes, Copyright
2007, Matthew August LeFande.
All
rights reserved. No claim to original government forms
Website and automated forms processes, Copyright
2007, Matthew August LeFande.
All
rights reserved. No claim to original government forms
UK Police Target Expensive Cars for Seizure
Leicestershire, UK police want to increase the amount of cash and cars the force confiscates with a new campaign entitled, "Too much bling? Give us a ring." The program asks the public to call an anonymous Crimestoppers hotline to inform on anyone seen driving a "fancy" car and wearing designer clothing. The Proceeds of Crime Act then gives police the power to seize the automobiles, cash and other properties from those accused of criminal activity. The force is looking to add to the £ 2.2 million (US $3.8 million) it has seized to date under the act.
"If there's someone in your neighborhood driving a fancy car, wearing designer clothes and flashing their cash and you think they might be a criminal, we want you to call and tell us," explained Detective Sergeant Mick Beattie, of the force's Economic Crime Unit.
The 2002 seizure law bypasses the traditional protections for the accused offered by criminal court proceedings. If those charged under the act cannot prove their own innocence in court, police can keep approximately half of the goods seized with the remainder distributed to the Home Office through the government's Asset Recovery Agency.
"The Court of Appeal has held that civil recovery proceedings are not criminal proceedings," the Asset Recovery Agency website explains. "No person is charged with an offence. The Agency is acting against assets and not individuals, therefore, if the Agency is successful in its proceedings, there is no conviction, no sentence and no criminal record."
"Once there is enough evidence pointing to the cash or property being the proceeds of crime, the burden can be on the accused to explain where it has come from –- which can be a difficult thing to do," Beattie said.
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/09/982.asp
posted by Matthew LeFande 10:17 AM
matt@lefande.com
Armed Citizen of the Week
The East Baton Rouge Parish Sherrif's Office announced Monday that the gunshot that left one man dead after an altercation with a Baton Rouge Police Department officer was fired by a bystander trying to help.
Officer Brian Harrison pulled 24-year-old George Temple over after he cut off a funeral procession. After Harrison pulled Temple over and wrote him a ticket, the two began to fight. Temple got the best of the officer and was on top of him, and Harrison called for help.
Perry Stephens came to Harrison's aid and shot and killed Temple.
EBRSO's investigation concluded that shots were fired from two guns during the incident.
Harrison fired three shots, hitting Temple once in the stomach.
Stephens ordered Temple to get off the officer. When he didn't, Stevens fired four shots from his own gun into Temple's chest and then one into his head.
Stephens did have a concealed handgun permit. Investigators also said Temple had an arrest record with violent offenses.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/2340841.html
posted by Matthew LeFande 12:38 PM
matt@lefande.com
Air marshals face smuggling charges - Feb 13, 2006
Two federal air marshals are facing drug charges after allegedly agreeing to smuggle cocaine from a man who turned out to be a government witness, the U.S. attorney's office in Houston, Texas, announced Monday.
Shawn Ray Nguyen, 38, and Burlie Sholar, 32, were arrested Thursday after allegedly receiving 15 kilograms of cocaine and $15,000 cash delivered to Nguyen's home and agreeing to take the drugs on a plane, prosecutors said in court papers.
The U.S. attorney's office accused the two men of agreeing to use their official positions as federal air marshals to bypass airport security and smuggle the cocaine on board a flight from Houston to Las Vegas, Nevada, in exchange for the money.
The two men made an initial appearance in federal court Monday afternoon and will have a detention hearing before Thursday morning, where bail will be discussed.
"The alleged conduct of these two men is serious and disturbing," the inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security, Richard Skinner, said in a press release.
"We remain committed to working with our internal and external partners to aggressively investigate all allegations of corruption to protect the integrity of the Department of Homeland Security personnel, programs and operations."
Kent Schaffer, a lawyer for Nguyen, said his client will be pleading not guilty at Thursday's hearing.
"The charges are serious, but we believe he should be released on bond," Schaffer said. He added that Nguyen has "a history of service to this country."
Sholar had not retained a lawyer Monday, according to prosecutors. He is supposed to appear in court briefly on Wednesday to identify his attorney.
Authorities said the inspector general's office began an investigation into alleged drug trafficking by Nguyen in late 2005 after receiving information from a witness that he had been involved in selling drugs, according to a criminal complaint.
In addition to the cocaine delivered last week, a December 21 incident is also detailed by prosecutors in the criminal complaint. In that incident, they allege, Nguyen bypassed airport security with a package containing $25,000 in narcotics proceeds and fraudulent government documents.
http://us.cnn.com/2006/LAW/02/13/marshals.cocaine/index.html
posted by Matthew LeFande 11:21 PM
matt@lefande.com
Rookies are N.Y.'s poorest
The 1,211 recruits sworn into the NYPD's latest academy class pledged to put their lives on the line to protect and serve the city.
But during the six months they are training, these brave men and women will earn less than city bus drivers, sanitation workers and gardeners - pocketing roughly $370.17 after taxes each week.
"These cops - these heroes in training - can barely make ends meet when they are in Police Academy," said Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association. "It is disgraceful."
The $25,100 annual salary is down significantly from the $38,000 earned by NYPD recruits sworn in last July before a new contract between the police union and City Hall lowered the academy pay.
By comparison, the city Sanitation Department pays new hires about $26,000 a year and the starting salary for Parks Department gardeners is $30,630. New bus drivers earn about $35,000 a year.
Almost every penny of the NYPD recruits' $370.17 weekly take-home pay must be devoted toward academy expenses, union officials argued.
The costs, they said, begin to add up almost immediately. First, recruits pay an estimated $1,500 for the required dress uniform, and then roughly $670 for police equipment, including traffic vests, handcuffs, locks and shirts.
The weekly take home pay was calculated by Marc Albaum, a certified public accountant, who modeled the calculations using a hypothetical single recruit from Staten Island.
Union officials said a recruit living on Staten Island would likely spend $532 every two weeks for parking, tolls, lunches, gasoline, haircuts and supplies. Those expenses would leave a recruit $208.34 to cover rent or mortgage payments, breakfast and dinner, as well as other expenses, every two weeks.
The academy salary, which has been criticized by the PBA and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, was brokered by a state arbitrator after union and city officials failed repeatedly to agree on a contract.
An NYPD spokesman declined comment other than to reiterate Kelly's previous statement that it is "simply bad public policy to reduce the starting salary by $15,000."
Union officials said they fear they will not be able to lure enough future recruits because of the meager salary. They point to the most recent academy class, which drew 1,211 applicants for 1,400 slots, and say the trend will intensify now that the pay cut has gone into effect.
Negotiations for the PBA's next contract are underway.
Lynch argued that a lack of substantial raises in the first few years out of the academy exacerbates the problem. After graduating, salaries rise to $32,700 and eventually top out at $59,588 after six years on the job.
By comparison, the Port Authority pays rookies $32,500 a year. Nassau County cops make only $21,000 their first year on the beat but their salary reaches $90,000 after seven years.
"You've got to promise them a substantial raise, something they feel like they are working toward," Lynch said. "You have to give them a light at the end of the tunnel, or we'll just keep losing them to the suburbs."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/390632p-331366c.html
posted by Matthew LeFande 8:15 AM
matt@lefande.com
Brokeback Top Gun
Sid: You want subversion on a massive level. You know what one of the greatest farking scripts ever written in the history of Hollywood is? Top Gun.
Duane: Oh, come on.
Sid: Top Gun is farking great. What is Top Gun? You think it's a story about a bunch of fighter pilots.
Duane: It's about a bunch of guys waving their dicks around.
Sid: It is a story about a man's struggle with his own homosexuality. It is! That is what Top Gun is about, man. You've got Maverick, all right? He's on the edge, man. He's right on the farking line, all right? And you've got Iceman, and all his crew. They're gay, they represent the gay man, all right? And they're saying, go, go the gay way, go the gay way. He could go both ways.
Duane: What about Kelly McGillis?
Sid: Kelly McGillis, she's heterosexuality. She's saying: no, no, no, no, no, no, go the normal way, play by the rules, go the normal way. They're saying no, go the gay way, be the gay way, go for the gay way, all right? That is what's going on throughout that whole movie... He goes to her house, all right? It looks like they're going to have sex, you know, they're just kind of sitting back, he's takin' a shower and everything. They don't have sex. He gets on the motorcycle, drives away. She's like, "What the fark, what the fark is going on here?" Next scene, next scene you see her, she's in the elevator, she is dressed like a guy. She's got the cap on, she's got the aviator glasses, she's wearing the same jacket that the Iceman wears. She is, okay, this is how I gotta get this guy, this guy's going towards the gay way, I gotta bring him back, I gotta bring him back from the gay way, so I'll do that through subterfuge, I'm gonna dress like a man. All right? That is how she approaches it. Okay, now let me just ask you - I'm gonna digress for two seconds here. I met this girl Amy here, she's like floating around here and everything. Now, she just got divorced, right? All right, but the REAL ending of the movie is when they fight the MIGs at the end, all right? Because he has passed over into the gay way. They are this gay fighting farking force, all right? And they're beating the Russians, the gays are beating the Russians. And it's over, and they farking land, and Iceman's been trying to get Maverick the entire time, and finally, he's got him, all right? And what is the last farking line that they have together? They're all hugging and kissing and happy with each other, and Ice comes up to Maverick, and he says, "Man, you can ride my tail, anytime!" And what does Maverick say? "You can ride mine!" Swordfight! Swordfight! farkin' A, man!
http://www.youtube.com/v/HxInXcfHuMk
posted by Matthew LeFande 11:07 PM
matt@lefande.com
Officer sues gun-maker for $53 million
A Portland police officer who was injured while firing a handgun has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the manufacturers of the gun and the ammunition.
Officer Florin B. Pirv was taking a qualification test in March 2004 with a .45 caliber Glock 21 when the "breech/cartridge feed ramp fractured, causing backward propulsion of hot gases, hot air, and shrapnel to be blown into Pirv's face, body, and hands," according to the suit.
The lawsuit names Glock and two ammunition-makers, Federal Cartridge Company and Alliant Technosystems, also known as ATK. Glock is based in Georgia. The ammunition makers are based in Minnesota.
None returned phone calls or e-mail seeking comment.
Pirv was one of two Portland officers injured while firing the weapon in March 2004, prompting Police Chief Derrick Foxworth to order its recall. The .45 caliber Glock had been carried by 230 officers.
The Police Bureau replaced them with 9 mm Glocks.
Pirv's suit seeks $50,000 in compensatory damages, $3 million for pain and suffering and $50 million in punitive damages.
Pirv is assigned to a patrol shift, according to a police spokeswoman.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1139453739272330.xml&coll=7
posted by Matthew LeFande 7:51 PM
matt@lefande.com
Armed Citizen of the Week
An 87-year-old woman shot at and killed an intruder early Tuesday, then went back to bed, apparently not realizing she had hit him.
The shooting occurred about 2 a.m. as the man was coming through a side window at 2101 Gaty Ave. He had cut the telephone wire and taken the burglar bars off the window to create an entryway.
Later in the morning, the elderly woman's daughter arrived for breakfast and found the man's body lying inside a screened-in porch.
Chief Deputy Coroner Bob Shay pronounced Larry D. Tillman, 49, of East St. Louis, dead at 7:30 a.m.
An autopsy determined that Tillman died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Neighbors and family members identified the woman as Jacksie Mae King. They said the great-grandmother heard a noise at her front door. She grabbed a gun that family members had given her to protect herself and turned toward her front door and pulled the trigger of the gun. She thought she had scared the intruder away.
Police and family members said she didn't know she had killed Tillman.
Later in the morning, King's daughter, Pamela P. Clark, arrived to help King get her breakfast and check her vitals.
"The gun was laying on the table. I asked mother what it was doing there. She told me she had a guest and told me to go look out front. I did. I saw glass on the floor by the front door. I raised the shade and saw the man's body there.
"I told my mother, 'We still have a guest.' She didn't know she had killed him. He was lying between the security door and the front door. I stepped over him to call the police," Clark said.
Family members said they believe Tillman is the same person who broke into King's home the week before Christmas, beat her up, ransacked her house and made off with some money.
After that break-in, Clark and her husband, George Clark, who are reserve deputies for the sheriff's department, decided to arm King with a weapon to protect herself.
"We taught her how to use the weapon in the event she had to," Clark said.
Illinois State Police are investigating the case. Sgt. Jim Morissey said it was early in the investigation, but it appeared that King was protecting herself and that the case would be presented to the St. Clair County state attorney's office for review.
http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/13818646.htm
posted by Matthew LeFande 8:47 AM
matt@lefande.com
Target sets sights on hard-to-crack cases
Target has one of the most advanced crime labs in the country at its headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was initially set up to deal with things like theft, fraud, and personal injury cases in their stores. Now, Target also helps law enforcement agencies nationwide solve crimes, even murders. Target has worked with the Secret Service, the ATF, and the FBI, to name a few.
Target does the work for free, seeing it as a kind of community service. It doesn't advertise its crime lab services, but word started spreading and law enforcement agencies started asking for help. Some government agency labs aren't as well-equipped as Target's. In other cases, Target can get results faster because of logjams in agency labs.
Target's lab is run by an ex-FBI agent and boasts a staff of forensic experts. They spend a lot of time analyzing video from surveillance cameras in their own stores.
The day we visited we looked at how they helped crack a murder case using video from a convenience store security camera in Minneapolis. The Target team cleaned up the image of the shooting suspect, but that wasn't enough to identify him. Then they figured out what kind of car he was driving, even though you could barely see the vehicle through the store's window on the surveillance tape. It was the stuff of CSI.
Police put these pieces together to help identify the murderer. He's now serving a life sentence in prison.
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/
posted by Matthew LeFande 9:52 PM
matt@lefande.com
Lost men carrying explosives enter U.S.
It's always good to know where you're going, especially when you end up carrying a load of explosives over a border crossing.
Two Canadian construction workers must have come to that conclusion Tuesday after they crossed the border without stopping at the border crossing. They were apprehended, but were later released and returned to Canada.
No charges were brought, nor are any pending, according to a U.S. Border Patrol agent.
"It was an innocent mistake," Brian Lundquist said Wednesday. "The men and the explosives have been returned to Canada."
Sometime Tuesday morning the two unnamed Canadians were supposed to deliver a load of explosives to a construction project on the Trans Canada Highway in northwest New Brunswick.
Lundquist said the two men, who were looking for the remote site to deliver the explosives got lost and somehow ended up at the border crossing. They reportedly didn't know where they were, and failed to stop at the U.S. Custom and Border Protection station at Fort Fairfield.
The Border Patrol was alerted. Lundquist said the pair was tracked down and arrested.
After an investigation, which included the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, the Maine State Police and the Maine Fire Marshal, the pair was sent back to Canada.
The explosives were delivered to their construction project on the TCH, Lundquist said.
Lundquist said there will be no federal charges.
http://www.bangornews.com/news/templates/?a=128748&z=175%20class=
posted by Matthew LeFande 9:34 AM
matt@lefande.com
Sheriff's new rule prohibits adultery
To his agency's list of policies and procedures, Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats has added one of the Ten Commandments.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
At least, not with another sheriff's employee.
The policy, the first of its kind among Tampa Bay's large law enforcement agencies, bans the sheriff's 3,000 employees from having adulterous relationships with their colleagues. It applies both to single and married employees.
"I felt it was necessary to make it clear to the members of our agency that we have a moral image and obligation to the public," Coats said in an interview Tuesday. "If we openly allow it, what kind of example does that set?"
Coats, who has been married for 32 years, said he is not on a crusade. He is not out to find adulterers; in fact, since the policy took effect in October, no one has been investigated for cheating.
But because such affairs can have perilous effects in the workplace, Coats said it was important that he be able to respond to complaints. For similar reasons, the Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement agencies already bar relationships between a supervisor and subordinate or two members of the same squad.
"It's very disruptive," he said. "It creates an adversarial working environment."
Violating the policy is comparable to associating with criminals or accepting gratuities, with punishments ranging from written reprimands to three-day suspensions.
http://www.stpetetimes.com/2006/02/08/Tampabay/Sheriff_s_new_rule_pr.shtml
posted by Matthew LeFande 8:11 AM
matt@lefande.com
Interpol Issues Urgent Global Security Alert After Al Qaeda Prisoners Escape
Interpol has issued an urgent global security alert, known as an Orange Notice, following the escape on Friday from a Yemeni prison of 23 dangerous individuals, including at least 13 convicted Al Qaeda terrorists, some of whom were involved in attacks on U.S. and French ships in 2000 and 2002.
The Interpol Orange Notice is ordinarily used to warn police in member countries of mail bombs or disguised weapons or criminal modus operandi. However, Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble personally ordered an Orange Notice to be issued after the Yemeni jail break because the escape and unknown whereabouts of Al Qaeda terrorists constituted a clear and present danger to all countries.
Mr. Noble has urged Yemen to immediately provide Interpol with all the names, photographs, fingerprints and other details of the escaped prisoners so that Interpol’s International Wanted Persons Notices, or Red Notices, can be issued for each of them. Red Notices can only be issued by Interpol at the request of member countries and only if they are supported by underlying national arrest warrants.
'Al Qaeda terrorists have been deemed a serious threat to the entire world community by the UN Security Council, by Interpol and by a wide range of countries,' Mr. Noble said. 'Their escape cannot be considered an internal problem for Yemen alone. Unless Interpol Red Notices are issued urgently for these fugitives and unless the world community commits itself to tracking them down, they will be able to travel internationally, to elude detection and to engage in future terrorist activity.'
Mr. Noble also called on Interpol member countries to take all relevant precautionary measures both at and inside their borders and to provide Yemen with all required support to locate and eventually apprehend the escaped Al Qaeda terrorists.
The escape from a Yemen prison took place on Friday and involved a 140-metre long tunnel dug by the prisoners and co-conspirators outside. Yemeni officials have confirmed to Interpol that that the escapees included Jamal Ahmed Badawi mastermind of the bomb attack on the navy ship USS Cole in 2000, and Fawaz Yahya Al-Rabeei, one of those responsible for attacking the French tanker Limburg in 2002.
http://www.interpol.int/Public/ICPO/PressReleases/PR2006/PR200602.asp
posted by Matthew LeFande 8:02 AM
matt@lefande.com
Md. Suspect Elusive in More Ways Than One
The driver of a souped-up yellow Corvette led police on a wild chase Friday night from a Rockville restaurant through sleepy residential neighborhoods, cutting through yards, escaping police in a cul-de-sac, racing down parkways and almost running down two officers.
Police cornered the suspect in a North Potomac townhouse, blew open the door and arrested him early Saturday on charges of assault and several major traffic violations, including an outstanding warrant from an alleged hit-and-run incident in 1997.
They thought they had snared a motoring menace. But hours later, Thomas J. Hayes, 39, was released from custody after posting bond, police said.
Yesterday, Hayes was behind the wheel again, police said, even though his license was revoked years ago. Officers spotted him driving a Lexus and then an Acura. Hayes was arrested again, this time at Clyde's Tower Oaks Lodge in Rockville.
Same restaurant, different cars.
Police said they hope to keep him in jail for a bit longer -- at least until prosecutors can try him.
"He has a serious driving problem, and he is a threat to the community," Officer John Romack said. The 21-year veteran of the Montgomery County police force knows a few things about Hayes.
Romack said he chased Hayes nine years ago down Sam Eig Highway in a high-speed pursuit involving a collision that seriously injured two innocent people. Hayes eluded arrest and moved to Florida, where he allegedly had more run-ins with the law, said Romack, who kept a file on him.
At 8:37 p.m. Friday, Romack was in a black unmarked Crown Victoria when he picked up Hayes's trail again outside the Clyde's on Preserve Parkway. He noticed the driver of the yellow Corvette revving his engine at a stop sign and stoplight and skidding sharply on turns, even hitting a curb. Romack pulled him over on Wootton Parkway to check for the influence of alcohol. The driver's face seemed familiar.
"White male, brown hair. Very GQ. Good-looking man. I could recognize him," Romack recalled in a telephone interview. "I didn't know his name."
Before Romack could get more than a glimpse, however, the driver gunned the engine and took off, heading west. Romack said he followed, clocking 90 mph in a 35 mph zone, but lost his quarry near Thomas S. Wootton High School. Romack was struck by the driver's skill.
The traffic officer pulled into some side streets southwest of Wootton Parkway, where he chanced upon the Corvette on Veirs Drive with its headlights off. Romack gave chase again through a poorly lighted neighborhood with curvy streets and sharply angled intersections. The suspect went through some yards and again eluded Romack.
By this time, police helicopters and other patrol cars had joined the chase as it careered through Overlea Drive, Valley Drive, Foxden Drive and other streets. The Corvette got stuck in one yard, and Romack thought he had him. Instead, the officer found himself dodging into bushes to avoid being run over. The Corvette sped down Southwood Drive, a cul-de-sac, but crossed more yards, evading police.
Another officer spotted the car on Travilah Road, to the west, but had to swerve to avoid a head-on collision. Finally, police found the Corvette about 9:30 on a small street in Dufief Mill Estates in North Potomac, Romack said. The car was hidden under blankets. Police dogs tracked a scent to a nearby townhouse.
Susan Greenspoon and her husband, who live nearby, heard a hubbub.
"They were searching everywhere. They had canine units, helicopters, SWAT teams, snipers in the bushes, everything," Greenspoon said. Police hauled the Corvette away. Eventually, they obtained a warrant to enter the townhouse, which police said was the residence of a woman who knew Hayes.
"They blew the door right out," Greenspoon said. "We heard a loud explosion at 5 after 5 in the morning. It was a blast. They went in forcefully."
Romack said Hayes was charged with two counts of second-degree assault against a police officer, speeding, reckless driving and other charges from the 1997 incident. Romack said he alerted the courts that Hayes was a flight risk. A court commissioner set his bail Saturday at $27,000, Romack said. By 8 that night, Hayes had posted bond and was free.
The administrative commissioner for Montgomery County District Court, Charles W. Peters, did not respond to e-mail or phone messages seeking comment yesterday. A commissioner on duty declined to comment.
On his day off yesterday, Romack fumed about Hayes's quick release. Then came a one-in-a-million turn of events. An officer who participated in the arrest Saturday morning was eating lunch at the Rockville Clyde's. He overheard a fellow named Hayes asking about a lost credit card. The officer called Romack, who told him that Hayes had no right to drive a car.
Hayes drove away in a Lexus. Police then suggested that the restaurant management call Hayes and ask him to return and pick up his credit card. Shortly before 2 p.m., he came back, this time in an Acura. Police handcuffed him. Romack said yesterday afternoon that Hayes was being booked again on various traffic and criminal charges.
"Can they keep him under lock and key this time?" Greenspoon asked.
Late last night, Romack said Hayes's bail for the new charges had been set at $7,500.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/05/AR2006020501087.html
posted by Matthew LeFande 7:48 AM
matt@lefande.com
Video Shows Deputy Shooting Airman Apparently Obeying Commands
The FBI is investigating possible civil rights violations in connection with home video of a California deputy shooting an Air Force security officer back from Iraq who appeared to be obeying his commands, according to a Local 6 News report.
Officials said 21-year-old Senior Airman Elio Carrion had just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq and was a passenger in a Corvette that was involved in a chase and crash.
The 40-second video shows Carrion cowering next to the Corvette after the crash with the deputy standing over him.
An amateur photographer said he began shooting the video after the Corvette crashed into a wall.
"I'm in the military, OK," Carrion can be heard saying on the home video. "Believe me."
The deputy said, "Get up, get up."
"OK, I'm getting up," Carrion responded.
The deputy then fired several shots at Carrion seconds later for no apparent reason.
"Shots fired, shots fired," someone can be heard on the tape yelling.
The Air Force officer was hospitalized late Tuesday with wounds to his chest, ribs and leg, relatives told a TV station in Los Angeles.
Carrion does not face any charges in connection with the incident.
The deputy, who was not named in the report, was placed on administrative leave while the FBI investigates the shooting.
http://www.local6.com/news/6652276/detail.html?details=yes
posted by Matthew LeFande 10:43 PM
matt@lefande.com
Super Bowl Sunday terror chatter high
There is a high likelihood of a major terrorist attack next Sunday, say international terror analysts and intelligence sources.
- There is increased "chatter" in the terrorist world about a major new attack in the West – a sign often leading to an impending strike;
- The date Feb. 5 has been specifically referenced in some of this chatter;
- The date is significant to Osama bin Laden;
- Much of the western world will be watching television that day;
- The release of al-Qaida videotapes seems to provide clues about the dates of future attacks and, in this scenario, Feb. 5 becomes the most likely near-term terror strike date.
Terror attacks seem to follow the release of al-Qaida videos by about 30 days. Some intelligence analysts are noting the significance of the release of videos recently by both Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Zawahiri released his last video Jan. 6, making Feb. 5 the most likely target date, according to past attacks. Some analysts suggest the release of communiqués by both al-Zawahiri and bin Laden might be the precursor to a mega-attack – something even rivaling Sept. 11 in scope and devastation.
But there does seem to be an unmistakable pattern involved in the release of videos and al-Qaida attacks.
Zawahiri, bin Laden's right-hand man, who narrowly escaped death in the Pakistani missile attack weeks ago, seems to release videos in pairs. After the release of the second video, within 30 days a major event occurs.
For instance:
- release dates of Sept. 9 and Nov. 9, 2004, were the first set of videos, followed by the Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, bombings Dec. 6.
- release dates of Feb. 20 and June 26, 2005, were followed by the July 7, 2005, London bombings.
- release dates of Aug. 4 and Sept. 1, 2005, were followed by the Bali bombings Oct. 1, 2005.
The next set started Oct. 23, 2005, and on Jan. 6, the second video followed.
That, suggests some analysts, makes Feb. 5 a likely target date. Interestingly, it is also a significant date to bin Laden. Feb. 5, 1989, was the day the last Soviet troops withdrew from Kabul, Afghanistan, signaling their defeat at the hand of the mujahedeen. Kabul was the capital of Osama's adopted country and was a major win for him and Islam. Significantly, perhaps, in bin Laden's audio release he referenced the U.S. withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan.
It also happens to be Super Bowl Sunday, when the eyes of the entire world will be watching America.
Authorities in Detroit, where the Super Bowl will be played, are certainly taking the threat of terrorism seriously. According to the FBI and Detroit police, the game will be the focal point of one of the largest security operations in U.S. history, guarding against any threats to Super Bowl XL and aided by more than 50 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
Including private security guards, there will be about 10,000 security personnel on duty, more than for any other one-day event in U.S. history. Radiation detectors will be stationed near the stadium. SWAT teams, bomb removal and other specialized law enforcement officials will be on hand.
Despite the recent taped messages, authorities say there are "no credible threats against the Super Bowl."
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48559
posted by Matthew LeFande 10:11 PM
matt@lefande.com
