[unitedstatesaction.com news] Explosives found in two U.S.-bound packages, thwarting terrorist attack

Explosives found in two U.S.-bound packages, thwarting terrorist
attack Page 1 of 2 By Paul Richter, Richard A. Serrano and Brian
Bennett, Tribune Washington BureauStory posted 2010.10.29 at 06:35 PM
PDTReporting from Washington-- A terrorist attack apparently aimed at
two Jewish centers in Chicago was thwarted when two packages the size
of bread boxes containing explosives were intercepted in Europe and
the Middle East, President Obama and counterterrorism officials
announced Friday. The packages, which had originated from Yemen, were
found on cargo planes after a tip from an official in Saudi Arabia.
The targets were a synagogue and another Jewish center on the North
Side of Chicago, a U.S. official said. As they launched a terrorism
investigation on three continents, authorities said suspicion fell in
particular on Al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen, which has been linked to
the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound U.S. airliner on Christmas
Day. The explosive material found in the two packages is the same as
that used in the failed airliner attack, according to a U.S. official.
Authorities discovered the packages late Thursday in UPS cargo planes
that had flown from Yemen to an airport in East Midlands, England; and
Dubai, United Arab Emirates. An initial examination of the packages
found that "they do apparently contain explosive materials," Obama
said in an announcement from the White House on Friday afternoon.
Officials said it was still uncertain whether the devices were
operational or whether they were to be picked up and activated by
someone in Chicago. One official said federal law enforcement
authorities believe the latter scenario to be the most likely. The
events "underscore the necessity of remaining vigilant against
terrorism," the president said. He warned that authorities believe Al
Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemen-based group, "continues to
plan attacks against our homeland, our citizens and our friends and
allies." A federal law enforcement official said the cargo packages
resembled the kind of smaller but deadly attacks recently urged by
Anwar Awlaki, the American-born radical Muslim cleric thought to be
living in Yemen. Awlaki sent e-mail to U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Malik
Hasan encouraging him to militant activity before the November attacks
at Ft. Hood, Texas, in which Hasan is suspected of killing 13 fellow
soldiers. The cleric is also suspected of being behind the Christmas
Day airliner plot allegedly carried out by Nigerian Umar Farouk
Abdulmutallab. "He is pushing the less sensational,'' the official
said, asking not to be identified because the investigation is
continuing. "There appears to be a good amount of debate within Al
Qaeda, and Al Awlaki is pushing for more hits, but on a smaller scale.
He also believes that even when attacks are scrubbed or foiled, they
nonetheless are successful if it terrorizes the United States.''
Federal authorities searched cargo planes at airports along the
Eastern seaboard on Friday as well as a delivery truck in Brooklyn,
N.Y., but found no explosives. An Emirates Airline passenger jet
carrying cargo from Yemen was escorted from the Canadian border to New
York City by two military jets, in what U.S. officials described as a
precautionary measure. A package aboard the passenger plane appeared
similar to those found in England and Dubai, officials said, but was
found not be contain explosives. John Brennan, Obama's
counterterrorism advisor, said the explosives "were in a form that was
designed to try to carry out some type of attack." A federal law
enforcement official said initial reviews of the two suspicious cargo
packages showed that the one found in England apparently contained a
printer or ink toner cartridge with "some kind of white powder" and
syringes and wires. He said the package uncovered in Dubai apparently
contained cellphone components and a timer. He cautioned that both
were still being evaluated and that no firm conclusions had been made.
Obama said that Brennan had spoken with the president of Yemen, who
had pledged full cooperation in the investigation. According to
officials, the White House called a 1 a.m. meeting Friday to evaluate
the cargo package intelligence, which included video participation
with Homeland Security officials. They said the White House decided it
was "good enough intelligence" to alert allies in Europe to start
checking cargo packages coming from Yemen and bound for the U.S. At 3
a.m., they said, the U.S. ordered every package from Yemen headed for
the U.S. to be pulled off planes and inspected. Homeland Security
officials took a series of steps to enhance security, including
heightened cargo screening and additional safety measures at U.S.
airports. "Passengers should continue to expect an unpredictable mix
of security layers that include explosives trace detection, advanced
imaging technology, canine teams and pat downs, among others,"
Homeland Security officials said. A Jewish Federation of Greater
Chicago spokeswoman said the group was "taking appropriate
precautions" and was "advising our local synagogues to do likewise."
One of the targets was a Jewish congregation that meets at a Unitarian
church, according to a U.S. official. Oren Segal, director of the
Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism in Washington, said Rahm
Emanuel has been the focus of some attention on extremist blogs since
long before he resigned as White House chief of staff to run for
Chicago mayor. Segal said that vitriol on message boards peaked when
Obama named Emanuel his top aide in early 2009. The two incidents
highlight a known vulnerability in the air cargo industry, one that
has been the subject of extensive discussion between the
Transportation Security Administration and the industry for several
years. The federal government has mandated in recent years that all
cargo on passenger aircraft be screened, a goal that was achieved only
this August. But the issue of parcels aboard cargo-only aircraft has
been far more difficult to resolve. As far back as March 2009, the
industry warned Congress it would not be able to meet the August
deadline that 100% of cargo would be screened.

The federal government has mandated in recent years that all cargo on
passenger aircraft be screened, a goal that was achieved only this
August. But the issue of parcels aboard cargo-only aircraft has been
far more difficult to resolve. As far back as March 2009, the industry
warned Congress it would not be able to meet the August deadline that
100% of cargo would be screened. A TSA official acknowledged Friday
that not all cargo inbound from abroad is screened and that the cargo
that does get screened is handled differently than passenger luggage,
which is subject to X-ray. That means that the two suspicious packages
may not have been subject to screening when they were originally
loaded in Yemen.