The Latest from National Terror Alert Response Center

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• White House North Lawn Closed - Suspicious Package
  
• Bomb Said to Be On Flight Almost Taken By Former Iranian
  President
  
• Taliban Kidnap Hundreds Of Cadets in Waziristan
  
• Recruitment Center Shooting Act of Terrorism
  
• Air France Jet Carrying 228 Missing Over Atlantic Ocean
  

White House North Lawn Closed - Suspicious Package Posted: 01 Jun 2009 11:53 PM PDT The White House North Lawn has finally reopened after more than two hours after a suspicious package thrown over the fence prompted the closure — and a huge response from four fire trucks and numerous Secret Service. In order to get back in, reporters were walked along a West Wing hallway near the Oval Office. We learned that the president has a lot of large photos of himself along the walls. After the president’s short speech, reporters were forced to remain in the Grand Foyer for the last 10 minutes. No word on when we might be allowed to leave. Your correspondent took the time to do a brief radio interview — and later talked to WDET while walking back from lunch. Earlier, the Secret Service forced reporters off the White Hosue driveway and into the press room over an suspicious package found near the White House fence. Some reporters were forced to go through another entrance into the building, while our trip into the Grand Foyer for the president’s speech on General Motors Corp.’s bankruptcy filing was delayed by 15 minutes. Not clear what it is, but this typically happens over suspcious packages. The Secret Service also cleared pedestrians off the sidewalk in front of White House. via DETNEWS Weblogs Autos Blog. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information.

Bomb Said to Be On Flight Almost Taken By Former Iranian President Posted: 01 Jun 2009 11:48 PM PDT Former President Mohammad Khatami was expected to fly on a domestic flight on Saturday night that was found to have a homemade bomb aboard, an Iranian newspaper reported Monday. The daily newspaper Sarmayeh said Mr. Khatami had been scheduled to fly on the Kish Air flight to Tehran from the southwestern city of Ahwaz on Saturday evening, but that he had taken another flight instead. It was unclear why he had changed his plans. Mr. Khatami has been traveling and campaigning in support of Mir Hussein Moussavi, a moderate politician and the most serious challenger to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ahead of June 12 elections. The semiofficial Fars news agency reported Sunday that a homemade bomb was found in a lavatory on the Kish Air flight, which had 131 passengers aboard. It said about 15 minutes into the flight the plane turned back to the Ahwaz airport, where authorities defused the device. The agency gave no further details. via Bomb Said to Be on Flight Almost Taken by Former Iranian President - NYTimes.com. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information.

Taliban Kidnap Hundreds Of Cadets in Waziristan Posted: 01 Jun 2009 11:43 PM PDT The Taliban in North Waziristan carried out a brazen daylight operation that resulted in the kidnapping of hundreds of military cadets and their teachers as they traveled from a college in North Waziristan. A large Taliban force armed with rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns, and assault rifles halted the convoy of 29 minibuses traveling from the Ramzak Cadet College to the settled district of Bannu. The cadets were traveling under the protection of Pakistani security forces, however there are no reports of fighting. Between 300 to 400 cadets, teachers, and college staffers were kidnapped and taken to an undisclosed location. One bus driver and more than 40 students are reported to have escaped the Taliban hijacking. “[A] Driver of one of the vehicles managed to escape and students reported to us that their colleagues have been kidnapped by Taliban,” a police official in Bakka Khel told Reuters. The convoy is said to have been ambushed near Bakka Khel. The cadets and staff left the college after being threatened by the Taliban, according to reports. via Taliban kidnap hundreds of cadets in Waziristan - The Long War Journal. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information.

Recruitment Center Shooting Act of Terrorism Posted: 01 Jun 2009 04:36 PM PDT UPDATE: The suspect arrested was under investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorist Task Force since his return from Yemen. The investigation was in its preliminary stages, authorities said, and was based on the suspect’s travel to Yemen and his arrest there for using a Somali passport. ——- Just after 5:00 this evening, Little Rock Police say Abulhakin Muhammad, also known as Carlos Bledsoe, will be charged with capital murder and 15 counts of terroristic acts after a shooting at an Army/Navy recruitment center on Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock. Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas says Muhammad, originally of Memphis, targeted military personnel. 23-year-old Private William Long, of Conway, died as a result of his injuries. 18-year-old Private Quinton Ezeagwula, of Jacksonville, was also shot. Chief Thomas says he is in stable condition and will recover. Around two o’clock Monday afternoon, police and bomb squad officers went Muhammad’s apartment off Napa Valley Drive in the Bristol Park complex. The military revealed information about what the victims were doing at the center. Lt. Col. Thomas F. Artis, Commander of the Oklahoma recruiting battalion which has command over the Little Rock recruiting station says the soldiers were enlisted men, not officers, and that they did not work as recruiters. Lt. Col. Artis says they were part of a recruiting program called “hometown recruiting assistance.” He says recruiters use these soldiers to tell their stories to talk to potential recruits, and that it is a volunteer position they do while they are visiting or based back in their home region.” Lt. Col. Artis says he does not know who the suspect was, and says it’s not clear if the man was in the military or not. After the suspect’s vehicle was stopped, the Little Rock Bomb Squad was called in over concern about some bags found inside. The scene was closed off and traffic along the I-30 entrance ramp from I-630 was backed up for some time. The vehicle was finally towed away just before one o’clock. Full Story and Video - KARK4 News Video: LRPD Press Conference Raw Video: Witness Interview Raw Video: Shooting Scene Scene Video: Suspect’s truck on I-630. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information.

Air France Jet Carrying 228 Missing Over Atlantic Ocean Posted: 01 Jun 2009 06:15 AM PDT An Air France jet carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris lost contact with air traffic controllers after flying into a strong thunderstorm over the Atlantic Ocean and signaling it had an electric problem. Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330, was carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members, company spokeswoman Brigitte Barrand said. The flight left Rio on Sunday at 7 p.m. local time. About four hours later, the plane sent an automatic signal indicating electrical problems while going through strong turbulence, Air France said. The plane disappeared about 190 miles northeast of the coastal Brazilian city of Natal, near the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, a Brazilian air force spokesman said. The air force began a search Monday morning near Fernando de Noronha, he added, speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with air force policy. Source This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information.

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