Bush: Al Qaeda attack on West Coast thwarted

[gldstwmn]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/....ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush said the U.S.-led global war on terror has "weakened and fractured" al Qaeda and allied groups, outlining as proof new details about the multinational cooperation that foiled purported terrorist plans to fly a commercial airplane into the tallest skyscraper on the West Coast.

"The terrorists are living under constant pressure and this adds to our security," Bush said. "When terrorists spend their days working to avoid death or capture, it's harder for them to plan and execute new attacks on our country. By striking the terrorists where they live, we're protecting the American homeland."

But the president said the anti-terror battle is far from over.

"The terrorists are weakened and fractured, yet they're still lethal," the president said in a speech at the National Guard Memorial Building. "We cannot let the fact that America hasn't been attacked in 4 1/2 years since September 11 lull us into the illusion that the threats to our nation have disappeared. They have not."

Los Angeles skyscraper targeted
Bush has referred to the 2002 plot before. In an address last October, he said the United States and its allies had foiled at least 10 serious plots by the al Qaeda terror network in the last four years, including plans for September 11-like attacks on both U.S. coasts. The White House initially would not give details of the plots but later released a fact sheet with a brief, and vague, description of each.

The president filled in details on Thursday.

He said that Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks who was captured in 2003, had already begun planning the West Coast operation in October, just after the September 11, 2001, attacks. One of Mohammed's key planners was Hambali, the alleged operations chief of the al Qaeda related terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah. Instead of recruiting Arab hijackers, Hambali found Southeast Asian men who would be less likely to arouse suspicion and who were sent to meet with Osama bin Laden, Bush said.

Under the plot, the hijackers were to use shoe bombs to blow open the cockpit door of a commercial jetliner, take control of the plane and crash it into the Library Tower in Los Angeles, since renamed the US Bank Tower, Bush said.

The president said the plot was derailed when a Southeast Asian nation arrested a key al Qaeda operative. Bush did not name the country or the operative.

NSA eavesdropping
Bush has been on a campaign to defend his controversial domestic monitoring program. But the White House would not say whether the 2002 plot was thwarted as a result of the National Security Agency program to eavesdrop on the international emails and phone calls of people inside the United States with suspected ties to terrorists.

Bush said only that "subsequent debriefings and other intelligence operations" after the arrest of the unnamed operative led to information about the plot, and to the capture of other ringleaders and operatives involved in it. Hambali, for instance, was captured in Thailand in 2003 and handed over to the United States.

"It took the combined efforts of several countries to break up this plot," the president said. "By working together, we took dangerous terrorists off the streets. By working together, we stopped a catastrophic attack on our homeland."

Bush's speech in October cited two other attacks inside the United States that were foiled, including one to use hijacked planes to attack the East Coast in mid-2003.

The third was the case of Jose Padilla, a former Chicago gang member who converted to Islam and allegedly plotted with top al Qaeda commanders to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" in a U.S. city. Padilla, whose plot never materialized, now is being held without bail in civilian custody on charges that he was part of a secret network that supported Muslim terrorists. He was arrested in May 2002 and had been held as an enemy combatant without criminal charge at a Navy brig in South Carolina until last month.

[SuzeQuze]

I wonder how big of a threat this really was and I'd like to see proof that it even existed before I'll believe it.

[irishgrl]

gosh Im glad I dont live near any skyscrapers! what a maroon!

[Patti]

Trying to get a little bump in the approval ratings, is he?

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by Patti

Trying to get a little bump in the approval ratings, is he?

Hmm, is it that obvious?

[gldstwmn]

He might be trying to deflect attention from this:
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/02/09/...abramoff-house
EXCLUSIVE: Abramoff Photos of President Bush, First Lady ‘Just Sitting In His Office’

Or this:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/09/fem....ap/index.html
Ex-FEMA chief: I may tell all about Katrina

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

He might be trying to deflect attention from this:
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/02/09/...abramoff-house
EXCLUSIVE: Abramoff Photos of President Bush, First Lady ‘Just Sitting In His Office’

Or this:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/09/fem....ap/index.html
Ex-FEMA chief: I may tell all about Katrina

that would be an elaborate cockblock

not his first...or last I'm sure

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

He might be trying to deflect attention from this:
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/02/09/...abramoff-house
EXCLUSIVE: Abramoff Photos of President Bush, First Lady ‘Just Sitting In His Office’

Well, until mainstream press picks it up, no one will listen to a crazy left-wing moonbat site's report. The editor of the Washingtonian said she saw the pictures. That isn't very hard evidence. However, as a journalist, why would she make something like that up and risk her reputation if it weren't true?

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Or this:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/09/fem....ap/index.html
Ex-FEMA chief: I may tell all about Katrina

Sing like a canary, Brownie. What I caught of what was going on was people from the top saying "What are you going to do?" and people at the bottom saying "What should I do?" but no one was actually doing anything. What a nightmare mess. Last I heard there were still 3,000 NOLA residents missing.

[DavidMn]

I like how he referred to the building as the "Liberty tower." when its actually the Library tower.... WHICH WAY DID THEY GO GEORGE, WHICH WAY DID THEY GO?

[gldstwmn]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060209/...ror_plot_mayor

L.A. Mayor Blindsided by Bush Announcement

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Thursday he was blindsided by President Bush's announcement of new details on a purported 2002 hijacking plot aimed at a downtown skyscraper, and described communication with the White House as "nonexistent."

"I'm amazed that the president would make this (announcement) on national TV and not inform us of these details through the appropriate channels," the mayor told The Associated Press. "I don't expect a call from the president — but somebody."

Bush has referred to the 2002 plot before but he publicly filled in the details Thursday.

Bush said Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks who was captured in 2003, had begun planning an attack to fly a commercial airplane into the tallest skyscraper on the West Coast, the Library Tower in Los Angeles, since renamed the US Bank Tower.

Instead of recruiting Arab hijackers, Southeast Asian men would be used, Bush said, because they were less likely to arouse suspicion. He said they would use shoe bombs to blow open the cockpit door.

The president said the plot was derailed when a Southeast Asian nation arrested a key al-Qaida operative. Bush did not name the country or the operative.

"I go to work every day knowing that we are a target," Villaraigosa said.

The mayor said homeland security needs better funding, including for the protection of high-risk targets in Los Angeles. He said some funding could be redirected from the war in Iraq, but he did not advocate an immediate withdrawal of troops.

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060209/...ror_plot_mayor

L.A. Mayor Blindsided by Bush Announcement

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Thursday he was blindsided by President Bush's announcement of new details on a purported 2002 hijacking plot aimed at a downtown skyscraper, and described communication with the White House as "nonexistent."

"I'm amazed that the president would make this (announcement) on national TV and not inform us of these details through the appropriate channels," the mayor told The Associated Press. "I don't expect a call from the president — but somebody."

Bush has referred to the 2002 plot before but he publicly filled in the details Thursday.

Bush said Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks who was captured in 2003, had begun planning an attack to fly a commercial airplane into the tallest skyscraper on the West Coast, the Library Tower in Los Angeles, since renamed the US Bank Tower.

Instead of recruiting Arab hijackers, Southeast Asian men would be used, Bush said, because they were less likely to arouse suspicion. He said they would use shoe bombs to blow open the cockpit door.

The president said the plot was derailed when a Southeast Asian nation arrested a key al-Qaida operative. Bush did not name the country or the operative.

"I go to work every day knowing that we are a target," Villaraigosa said.

The mayor said homeland security needs better funding, including for the protection of high-risk targets in Los Angeles. He said some funding could be redirected from the war in Iraq, but he did not advocate an immediate withdrawal of troops.

It's good to know the administration is communicating information to those authorities that need it.....