Newsweek: Terrorist Group Arrested In Jordan Earlier This Month Linked To Osama Bin Laden

NEWSWEEK NEW YORK, NY USA 12/18/1999

Suspect Arrested in Washington State Directly Tied to Algerian Extremist Group; FBI Document: 'Five to Fifteen Attacks Worldwide' Possible

NEW YORK, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of Islamic extremists arrested earlier this month in Jordan while planning millennium attacks against Americans and Israelis "is linked to and acted under the direction of Osama bin Laden," according to a classified counterterrorism communique sent to FBI field offices last week, Newsweek has learned. In hedged and general terms, the document went on to say "the Central Intelligence Agency speculates that Osama bin Laden and associates could be planning five to 15 other similar attacks worldwide." Some U.S. intelligence officials caution that public celebrations in Paris, London and especially Jerusalem may be targets for terrorists, report Jerusalem Bureau Chief Daniel Klaidman and Assistant Managing Editor Evan Thomas in the current issue of Newsweek. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991218/HSSU002 ) Terrorist threats are also being taken seriously in the United States. Newsweek has learned from Canadian police sources that Ahmed Ressam, the man arrested in Washington state last week with a car full of bomb-making materials, is directly tied to a cell of a well-known Algerian extremist group, Armed Islamic Group (GIA). Other intelligence sources believe Ressam may be connected to bin Laden, although without specifying why. Although the FBI suspects Ressam may have been delivering a bomb to be placed by other terrorists, Ressam had roomed in Montreal for a time with Said Atmani, the leader of a gang that allegedly stole laptops and cell phones out of cars and fenced goods in front of Islamic mosques. Early this year, Atmani was extradited to Paris in connection with the investigation of the Paris subway bombings by the GIA in 1995-96. And, Ressam was denied refugee status in Canada in 1998 because authorities believed him to be a member of the same Algerian extremist group, reports Newsweek in the January 1, 2000 issue (on newsstands Monday, December 20). Bin Laden seems to fear that he could be a target of an American commando raid any day now. According to the FBI counterterrorism document, bin Laden recently warned his followers to be on alert and relayed a message from Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Mohammed Omar: "Any Arab in Afghanistan should be free to fire on anyone who comes into his house," reports Newsweek.

(Read Newsweek's news releases at http://www.Newsweek.com. Click "Pressroom.")

-- (@ .), December 19, 1999

Answers

you couldn't pay me enough money to leave my dirt road this new years...I am very concerned there will be alot of this type of activity.

-- More Dinty Moore (dac@ccrtc.com), December 19, 1999.

snip

according to a classified counterterrorism communique sent to FBI field offices last week, Newsweek has learned.

end snip

This, my friends, is called disinformation.

Cmdr Don

-- Cmdr Don (cmdrdon@mad.scientist.com), December 19, 1999.

TO: Osama bin Laden

What goes around, comes around.

-- the Virginian (1@1.com), December 19, 1999.

By the way Mr. bin, Right now, as is rather obvious, we have a wimp for a President. This will change. Rest assured America is resilient. We are asleep at the wheel right now. But that could change very rapidly. If you stick a needle in our butt, we just might wake up. As Clint Eastwood would say, "Go ahead, make OUR day."

God Bless America



-- the Virginian (1@1.com), December 19, 1999.

15, is that all? Well, Im glad he told us what he is planning on doing so we can relax now. I don't live in one of the 15 biggest cities so I'm not worried.

Just let me know if the C.I.A. is planning on using anthrax and I'll put my gas mask on. Oops, did I say C.I.A.? Oh, well of course I meant Bin Laden, the C.I.A. would never think of hurting us. :-)

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), December 19, 1999.

No, they said 5 to 15 cities. Why not 4 to 16, you ask? Silly, they never use multiples that are divisable by 4!!

Fish guts smell great along side this.

-- (5or@15.com), December 19, 1999.

only 15 worldwide What happened to those other 120 U.S. cities I heard about? As far as Americans 'waking up'. How long it going to take? Another 8 years when we have no defenses or firearms?!?!? Anyone missed it drop back to my post about taking a stand now instead of when it's finally testicles in a clamp time...please...

Link

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0022yn

-- Satanta (EventHoriz@n.com), December 19, 1999.

Time to warm up another flock of cruise missiles...

-- (putoneinhis@window.please), December 19, 1999.

This whole terrorism thing really really really smells orchestrated to me. I have absolutely nothing on which to base this feeling. And strangely, I guess I would have to say maybe it's a good idea for the government to "arrange" the scary stuff so they can control its outcome, all the while blacking out the truth. I'd much rather see my neighbors standing around going "Ah, what's happening?" than see that terrified look in their eyes.

Sometimes I think knowing is over-rated.

-- Clare (clarehamilton@mindspring.com), December 20, 1999.

Problem

Reaction

Solution

gotta create a problem in order to implement the solution...

trouble is...

you ain't gonna like the "solution"...

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), December 20, 1999.

"Any Arab in Afghanistan should be free to fire on anyone who comes into his house," what a bunch of dangerous extremists these Afgans are, heh?

-- nobody (nbdy@ndy.nbdy), December 20, 1999.

See ZHIRINOSKY thread above for full article.

"Soldiers are not ambassadors any more than ambassadors are soldiers," added Ratte, founder of the Rhodesian Selous Scouts and the man who ran South Africa's "Border War" in Angola against invaders from the Soviet Union, Cuba, North Korea and former Eastern Bloc states.

"I can't understand the Americans helping Red China. Chinese troops and weapons killed American boys in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Someday the U.S. will regret having betrayed the old order for the new one. Russia and China, along with Islam, will attack America when they feel the time is right."

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), December 20, 1999.

Chinese troops and weapons killed American boys in the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Yes, and Russia was our friend in WWII and our foe in WWI. Times change. Wake up.

-- (@ .), December 20, 1999.

"and Russia ... our foe in WWI" Ummmmm...No. From what I remember of history classes Russia was fighting the Germans in WW1 (and was part of the France/Russia/Britain alliance, thus our friend), which was the main reason the Germans sheltered Lenin and then reinserted him into Russia (to spark the revolution to get Russia out of the war). We did indeed fight with the Russians after the revolution, in an attempt to overthrow their government, but they kicked our asses right back out of their country almost before we could say "invasion". But yes, the popular "enemy du jour" does seem to change depending on the political climate.

-- A (very) amateur historian (am@eur.edu), December 20, 1999.