| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: WoT |
| AQ threatens to usurp prerogatives of EPA, DNC, E, UN and Forest Service |
| 2004-04-08 |
| EFL An Arabic-language jihadi website posted a message purporting to be "al-Qaida’s plan of economic attack" on the U.S. that included setting forest fires, according to the Northeast Intelligence Network. The six-point plan appeared Saturday and called for: 1. attacks on the assets of large American companies all over the world; 2. attacks on U.S. oil refineries; 3. attacks on civilian airports with the goal of financially devastating U.S. airlines; 4. deliberate pollution of food system; 5. setting of fires in the forests – "especially those that provide the American market with the raw materials for the wood and paper and byproducts industries"; 6.attacks like those on the railway transportation lines in Spain; Last fall, WorldNetDaily reported on al-Qaida’s threats against the forests of the U.S. and its allies – and pointed out the rash of devastating wildfires that raged through Europe, Australia and the U.S. Law enforcement officials suspected several of the California wildfires that killed 18, consumed more than 718,000 acres and destroyed more than 2,400 homes in 10 days were deliberately set – increasing speculation there is a terror connection to the blazes. Only one man was arrested – Dikran Armouchian, 23, of Pasadena. He pleaded not guilty and has not yet been tried. Damage estimates exceeded $2 billion. The fires were among the deadliest and costliest disasters in California. Meanwhile, there is evidence terrorism was behind other wildfires in Europe and Australia last summer. In the devastating forest fires that swept through the Maures mountains near the French Riviera in late July, investigators found Molotov cocktails, or gasoline bombs, were used to ignite the blazes that killed at least four and destroyed 50 homes. Luc Jousse, the mayor of Roque-Sur-Argens, called the fires "a new form of terrorism." President Jacques Chirac threatened those responsible with "sanctions of an extraordinary gravity." The fires in France were the worst ever in the region. In addition, southern Italy also was hit last summer with devastating wildfires also believed to be the result of arson. In August, Australian authorities launched an investigation into reports al-Qaida planned to spark brushfires in a new wave of devastating terror attacks. A June 25 FBI memo to United States law enforcement agencies revealed a senior al-Qaida detainee claimed to have developed a plan to start midsummer forest fires in the U.S. The terrorist hoped to mimic the destruction that devastated Canberra last summer, killing four people and destroying more than 500 homes, as well as in other parts of Australia. The memo, obtained by the Arizona Republic newspaper, said the unidentified detainee revealed he hoped to create several large, catastrophic wildfires at once. "The detainee believed that significant damage to the U.S. economy would result and once it was realized that the fires were terrorist acts, U.S. citizens would put pressure on the U.S. government to change its policies," the memo said. The detainee told investigators his plan called for three or four operatives to travel to the U.S. and set timed explosive devices in forests and grasslands. "Australian security authorities are aware of reports that al-Qaida has considered starting brushfires in the U.S. as a form of terrorist attack," said a spokeswoman Australian Attorney General Daryl Williams. "Arson attacks are just one of a wide range of scenarios which have been considered as part of our investigations into al-Qaida’s ability to conduct attacks in Australia." In fact, Arab terrorists in Israel have started dozens of major forest fires over the years. As far back as 1988, Israeli police caught more than a dozen Palestinian adults in the act of setting fires, while other Arabs confessed to arson after arrest. Some fires followed specific calls by underground Arab terrorists. A leaflet issued by the Palestinian uprising’s underground leadership called for "the destruction and burning of the enemy’s properties, industry and agriculture." Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir said at the time: "The need to set fires, which also leads to murders, is in my eyes worse than fundamentalism." Israeli nature reserve authorities said 408 fires in May and June of 1988 destroyed 400,000 acres of land, nearly seven times the acreage burned from 1974 to 1986. Last year, Gilad "Gidi" Mastai, chief ranger in the Galilee region of Israel, told the Jerusalem Post: "It’s extremely hard to find arsonists, just like it’s hard to close off the Green Line to terrorists. The forests here are on the front line." But, he said, the vast majority of deliberate fires are started by Arabs with political motives. Forest rangers often need the help of the Israel Defense Forces to battle the terror blazes. Arson cases account for one-third of Israeli forest fires. "Political" arsonists cause the most with negligent hikers a close second. |
| Posted by:Super Hose |
| #23 We can't guard all our country's forests all the time, but we can guard all our country's points of entry all the time. Nobody from any Moslem country should be entering the USA without being thoroughly vetted and without legitimate business to conduct. We're at war! |
| Posted by: Mike Sylwester TROLL 2004-04-08 9:42:16 PM |
| #22 [Troll droppings deleted] |
| Posted by: Man Bites Dog TROLL 2004-04-08 9:42:16 PM |
| #21 I agree Mike S. Secure the borders now. INS should be locating all expired visas w/a vengeance and all students over *25. Methinks mass deportations are in order. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-04-08 10:21:39 PM |
| #20 [Troll droppings deleted] |
| Posted by: Man Bites Dog TROLL 2004-04-08 9:42:16 PM |
| #19 O.P Good idea. How about sic-ing Earth First and PETA on Al-Q. Then sit back and watch the fireworks....... BTW: Excellent title SH! |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-04-08 8:10:44 PM |
| #18 Mucky> Hang in there, fella. I do not think that there are any cows in downtown Fallujah. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-04-08 8:06:09 PM |
| #17 crap! Now my head hurts |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-04-08 7:22:24 PM |
| #16 godd link half! |
| Posted by: muck4doo 2004-04-08 5:45:27 PM |
| #15 There lotsa car wrecks going on too i fear the worse and hed hurts good nite |
| Posted by: HalfEmpty 2004-04-08 5:02:12 PM |
| #14 Hmmmm. Maybe fight fire with fire. Dump several thousand tons of napalm into South Waziristan the first time we have proof of a terror-started wildfire. Hit North Waziristan if there's a second attempt. Hit downtown Damascus if there's a third. Think they'll get the hint???? |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2004-04-08 4:15:47 PM |
| #13 Wasn't it about this time last year that they were going to attack "the big refinery in Texas"? |
| Posted by: Matt 2004-04-08 3:51:59 PM |
| #12 We're already going into ANWR sideways. Please, this is a family blog. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-04-08 3:49:48 PM |
| #11 --2. attacks on U.S. oil refineries;-- Well, W just might have to declare a state of emergency and waive all those summer requirements which cause us to have 95 different blends of gas. We'd just have to deal w/it for one season. We're already going into ANWR sideways. |
| Posted by: Anonymous2U 2004-04-08 3:43:55 PM |
| #10 How nice of them wanting to clear out our underbrush problem. |
| Posted by: Anonymous2U 2004-04-08 3:42:13 PM |
| #9 Uncle War, unless they spray water on the fires. :-) |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-04-08 3:34:29 PM |
| #8 Ironically, all those forest fires are gonna put a huge damper on global warming. One measley fire in Canada a couple years ago cooled off the entire northeast in the dead of summer. |
| Posted by: Uncle War 2004-04-08 3:24:52 PM |
| #7 M4D, don't slap a tree. The birch never did anything to you and the bark was very helpful to Native Americans. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-04-08 3:24:41 PM |
| #6 if im catch any al quada trying to burn tree im going slap that beyotch! |
| Posted by: muck4doo 2004-04-08 3:20:40 PM |
| #5 Fox News Alert just reported a refinery explosion in New Mexico. Two hurt and the rest evacuated. Fire out. There have be at least 3 of these recently.. one hopes they are not sabatoge. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2004-04-08 3:08:07 PM |
| #4 Fox News Alert just reported a refinery explosion in New Mexico. Two hurt and the rest evacuated. Fire out. There have be at least 3 of these recently.. one hopes they are not sabatoge. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2004-04-08 2:48:17 PM |
| #3 SH - awesome title! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-04-08 2:36:24 PM |
| #2 Unfortunately, things are pretty dry in the western US after several years of drought. Sigh. |
| Posted by: rkb 2004-04-08 2:29:43 PM |
| #1 Luc Jousse, the mayor of Roque-Sur-Argens, called the fires "a new form of terrorism." President Jacques Chirac threatened those responsible with "sanctions of an extraordinary gravity." Ooooooooooooooo! Chiraq's statement will put fear into the Al-Q cells. I can see them now ditching their incendiary junk bags and making reservations for flights back to ___________ [ME location] and using ______________[fill in nation] passports. Fill in the blanks. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-04-08 2:27:30 PM |