-Caveat Lector- More government "Phantoms of Terror" threats. And they will keep coming until you submit to their police state. ---------------------
Senator Warns of Pre-9/11 Attacks By JOHN J. LUMPKIN Associated Press Writer August 3, 2002, 9:52 AM EDT WASHINGTON -- Al-Qaida operatives may try to prove they still can do harm with a strike timed for the run-up to the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the Senate Intelligence Committee's top Republican says. "Although they've been dispersed around the world, they're beginning to reassemble in areas," Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama said Friday in an Associated Press interview. "We have not killed enough of them. We have not captured enough of them." Shelby said he had no information about any specific al-Qaida strike. One counterterror official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said his colleagues have observed no particular spike in terror threats -- the "chatter" -- so far as Sept. 11 approaches. While al-Qaida is capable of launching an attack at any time, U.S. officials have no evidence the terror network is in a hurry to strike before the anniversary of the attacks, the official said. "They operate under their own timetable, and strike when it's logistically doable." While officials acknowledge concern that al-Qaida might attempt a strike on the anniversary of Sept. 11, they note the group has not struck in the past on dates symbolic either to Americans or to Muslims. A few attempted strikes tied to al-Qaida have occurred close to holidays: the attempted millennium bombings in Los Angeles and Jordan, and Richard Reid's alleged attempt to blow up an airliner before Christmas last year. But counterterror analysts don't think holidays hold any particular significance to al-Qaida leaders; they simply prefer large gatherings of people that can serve as targets. Shelby also said he believes Iraq is developing weapons of mass destruction at multiple sites, and a pre-emptive strike is warranted to stop President Saddam Hussein from doing "irreparable damage" to Americans. Shelby, who met Thursday with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on the Iraq situation, said a new American strike to take out Saddam is inevitable. It would be foolish to wait while the Iraqi leader builds his arsenal of chemical, biological and perhaps even nuclear weapons, Shelby said. "I believe they are continuing to manufacture weapons of mass destruction at many sites," Shelby said. "A lot of them we don't know about, some of them we are suspicious of. Every month, every week, Saddam Hussein will have more weapons of mass destruction to use against us. Why put it off?" As for Osama bin Laden's whereabouts, the senator said U.S. officials "have to presume he's alive until a forensic report shows he's dead." But he added: "It's strange that he has not, to our knowledge, as of today reappeared recently." On other matters, Shelby: * Expressed concern about reports al-Qaida members are building relationships with members of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese group that Shelby called the "A team" of terrorism, while al-Qaida is the "B team." * Said he remained uneasy about the Russian-backed project to build a nuclear reactor in Iran. "If this regime stays in power and had nuclear weapons, it would change the whole balance of power in the Persian Gulf, Middle East, big time," Shelby said. If a pre-emptive military strike became necessary, that job should fall to Israel, he said. * Called for more cooperation by the FBI and CIA with Congress' investigation into intelligence failures before the Sept. 11 attacks, saying it was "a struggle" to get certain information from the agencies. FBI and CIA officials say they have provided unprecedented cooperation. * __ On the Net: Sen. Richard Shelby: http://shelby.senate.gov/ Copyright � 2002, The Associated Press --------------------- -iNFoWaRZ Submit! Submit! Submit! <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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