Friday, June 17, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Maritime Security: Al Qaeda Considered Targeting Oil Tankers
I am sure we will get more of these reports leaking out from the Bin Laden raid material. This is of particular interest, because this supports the jihadist privateer concept I talked about awhile back. If economic attacks are on their mind, then using pirates to seize these vessels and then sink or crash them into a port is definitely something they could benefit from. Or just sinking a vessel in a key water way like the Straits of Hormuz. There are a number of things AQ could do with a vessel like an oil tanker, and the imagination is the only limitation.
This article also mentioned AQ’s prior attempted attacks on oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. Attacks on oil, be it facilities or tankers, is a symbolic attack as well as an economic attack. For this reason, it makes perfect sense that countries like the UAE or Saudi Arabia would invest their oil money into measures that would protect their golden goose.
Finally, this only emphasizes to those security contractors out there that are protecting these vessels, that you have a very important and dangerous job. You are floating on a ‘gold goose’, and it certainly is an attractive target to pirates and terrorists alike. –Matt
Al Qaeda Considered Targeting Oil Tankers
MAY 21, 2011
By KEITH JOHNSON
Intelligence seized from Osama bin Laden’s Pakistani hideout suggested that al Qaeda is interested in attacking oil tankers, Homeland Security officials said, a discovery that has prompted the agency to warn industry officials and local law enforcement.
The warning comes on the heels of indications of continued interest by al Qaeda in attacking other favorite targets, including planes and trains.
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Friday, May 13, 2011
Funny Stuff: Pornography Found In Usama Bin Laden’s Hideout
Now this is funny! So I wonder what kind of stuff he had….or I mean…his ‘sons’ had? (wink, wink….) Either way, there was pornography found at the UBL mansion and that is hilarious. Al Qaeda’s head honcho was a smut peddler!!!
Here is the other angle on this. Because like with the whole controversy about the ‘gun’ used to kill UBL and all that attention brought to the manufacturers, the favorite porn of UBL and family would probably increase the sales of whatever company produced it and make the actors equally famous (or infamous). lol –Matt
Exclusive: Pornography found in bin Laden hideout: officials
May 13, 2011
By Mark Hosenball and Tabassum Zakaria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A stash of pornography was found in the hideout of Osama bin Laden by the U.S. commandos who killed him, current and former U.S. officials said on Friday.
The pornography recovered in bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, consists of modern, electronically recorded video and is fairly extensive, according to the officials, who discussed the discovery with Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The officials said they were not yet sure precisely where in the compound the pornography was discovered or who had been viewing it. Specifically, the officials said they did not know if bin Laden himself had acquired or viewed the materials.
Reports from Abbottabad have said that bin Laden’s compound was cut off from the Internet or other hard-wired communications networks. It is unclear how compound residents would have acquired the pornography.
But a video released by the Obama administration confiscated from the compound showed bin Laden watching pictures of himself on a TV screen, indicating that the compound was equipped with video playback equipment.
Materials carted away from the compound by the U.S. commandos included digital thumb drives, which U.S. officials believe may have been a principal means by which couriers carried electronic messages to and from the late al Qaeda leader.
Three other U.S. officials familiar with evidence gathered during investigations of other Islamic militants said the discovery of pornography is not uncommon in such cases.
Story here.
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Sunday, May 1, 2011
Al Qaeda: Usama Bin Laden Is Dead!!!!
This is incredible news, and I am writing this as it is coming over the news. Usama Bin Laden is dead and it sounds like his body has been recovered, and identification has been made. President Obama is soon to come on the television and make the announcement. This is such awesome news.
By the way, all of Al Qaeda and it’s supporters better watch out–because you are next!…… –Matt
Edit: An American team was tasked with killing or capturing UBL at a mansion in Abbottabad, Pakistan. There was a firefight, and OBL was killed in the firefight. The body was identified by DNA and all of this was confirmed by President Obama in his speech.
Edit: CNN Reports that it was Navy SEALs that came in by helicopter to assault the mansion that UBL was at. Supposedly one of UBL’s sons was killed in the attack as well.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Libya: About Those Rebels–Freelance Irhabists Join The Party And The Article ‘Destination Martyrdom’
Freelance jihadists huh? So this is what our no-fly zone is supporting? I will say that not only does Gaddafi suck, but to support the opposition is not a good idea either. I vote on staying out of the thing completely, and let the kids fight it out.
Both articles that I have posted below should definitely give anyone thinking about supporting these rebels a pause. To think that coalition pilots are providing over watch and even CAS for rebel forces that quite possibly have Al Qaeda sympathizers in their ranks or even freelance irhabists working along side is disturbing. Especially after all we have been through in this war.
And if that doesn’t get you fired up, then read the Destination Martyrdom article that Newsweek published in 2008. That many of the foreign suicide bombers in places like Iraq or Afghanistan came from Libya, and they certainly killed innocents and soldiers alike. So these are the people we are supporting? I say let both sides of this conflict destroy each other, and stay out of the way. Not to mention the costs of such operations?…..
Here is the analogy I have for Libya and all of these uprisings in the Middle East. This is a raging forest fire, and in the world of forest fire fighting, when you have a ‘gobbler’ or fire that is uncontrollable, then you stay out of it’s way and let it do it’s thing. Because to do anything to try and stop this massive force of nature would be a waste of resources and man power, and a needless risk of life. The only things you can do for gobblers is to evacuate people (which has been done in Libya), and put up a buffer around things you hope to save (which nothing has been done about the oil facilities in Libya).
The time where you fight a fire, is when you have the highest chance of success–and that is when it is small or manageable due to the terrain or weather. Or to attack when the fire or the elements that support fire, are weakest and your forces are ready and capable. That is how you deal with fire, and that is how you deal with the ‘fires’ burning in the Middle East.
Which brings me to the Saudi Arabia/OPEC question. If things blow up in the major oil producing countries, I could foresee some kind of effort to secure the oil facilities. That would be an appropriate use of military force, because those facilities are crucial to the world’s oil market stability. We can survive Libya being out for the count, but with countries like Saudi Arabia–that is the kind of thing you want to protect because those oil producing facilities are the life blood of the world.(Robert Baer mentioned the same thing in his book ‘Sleeping With The Devil‘) I would classify that as putting a buffer around the things you want to save during a raging fire. Other than that, get the hell out of the gobbler’s way. –Matt
‘Freelance jihadists’ join Libyan rebels
‘Freelance jihadists’ join Libyan rebels
Ex-al Qaeda member speaks out
By Eli Lake
March 29, 2011
A former leader of Libya’s al Qaeda affiliate says he thinks “freelance jihadists” have joined the rebel forces, as NATO’s commander told Congress on Tuesday that intelligence indicates some al Qaeda and Hezbollah terrorists are fighting Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s forces.
Former jihadist Noman Benotman, who renounced his al Qaeda affiliation in 2000, said in an interview that he estimates 1,000 jihadists are in Libya. (more…)