Airports Warned About Terror Dry Runs
Wednesday, July 25th, 2007 | 
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Posted by John under: Perilous Times
WASHINGTON-Airport security officers around the nation have been alerted by federal officials to look out for terrorists practicing to carry explosive components onto aircraft, based on four curious seizures at airports since last September.
“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse,deceiving, and being deceived”
—2 Timothy 3:13″
The unclassified alert was distributed on July 20 by the Transportation Security Administration to federal air marshals, its own transportation security officers and other law enforcement agencies.
The seizures at airports in San Diego, Milwaukee, Houston and Baltimore included “wires, switches, pipes or tubes, cell phone components and dense clay-like substances,” including block cheese, the bulletin said. “The unusual nature and increase in number of these improvised items raise concern.”
Security officers were urged to keep an eye out for “ordinary items that look like improved explosive device components.”
The 13-paragraph bulletin was posted on the Internet by NBC Nightly News, which first reported the story.
A federal official familiar with the document confirmed the authenticity of the NBC posting but declined to be identified by name because it has not been officially released.
“There is no credible, specific threat here,” TSA spokeswoman Ellen Howe said Tuesday. “Don’t panic. We do these things all the time.”
Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke described the notice as the latest copy of a routine informational bulletin with TSA workers, airport employees and law enforcement officials.
A statement posted late Tuesday by the TSA on its Web site confirmed that “a routine TSA intelligence bulletin relating to suspicious incidents at U.S. airports” had leaked to news organizations. The statement added, “During the past six months TSA has produced more than 90 unclassified bulletins of this nature on a wide variety of security-related subjects.”
The bulletin said the a joint FBI-Homeland Security Department assessment found that terrorists have conducted probes, dry runs and dress rehearsals in advance of previous attacks.
It cited various types of rehearsals conducted by terrorists before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon; the July 7, 2005, London subway bombings; the Aug. 2, 2006, London-based plot to blow up trans-Atlantic flights using liquid explosives and the 1994 Bojinka plot in the Philippines to blow up multiple airliners over the Pacific Ocean.
The bulletin said the passengers carrying the suspicious items seized since September included men and women and that initial investigation had not linked them with criminal or terrorist organizations. But it added that most of their explanations for carrying the items were suspicious and some were still under investigation.
The four seizures were described this way:
_ San Diego, July 7. A U.S. person – either a citizen or a foreigner legally here – checked baggage containing two ice packs covered in duct tape. The ice packs had clay inside them rather than the normal blue gel.
_ Milwaukee, June 4. A U.S. person’s carryon baggage contained wire coil wrapped around a possible initiator, an electrical switch, batteries, three tubes and two blocks of cheese. The bulletin said block cheese has a consistency similar to some explosives.
_ Houston, Nov. 8, 2006. A U.S. person’s checked baggage contained a plastic bag with a 9-volt battery, wires, a block of brown clay-like minerals and pipes.
_ Baltimore, Sept. 16, 2006. A couple’s checked baggage contained a plastic bag with a block of processed cheese taped to another plastic bag holding a cellular phone charger.
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Bob says Comment posted on July 25th, 2007
Your readers might be interested in my quest to uncover under-reported details related to the Associated Press article about terrorists conducting “dry runs†that include the use of block cheese at the nation’s airports.
After reading the entire AP article, I immediately drafted and sent an e-mail — “Media Query: Block Cheese†— to officials at the American Dairy Association whose contact information I found at their ILoveCheese.com web site. The message below was sent just after 11 a.m. CDT today:
“Dear Cheese People,
My blog, Bob McCarty Writes™, consistently ranks in the Top One Percent of the blogosphere, according to Technorati.com. Today, I’m writing a post that will likely fall under the humor column and is based on an Associated Press article today.
“AP reports that terrorists are likely conducting “dry runs†at the nation’s airports. In addition, the report says that terrorists, as part of their practice runs, have been packing blocks of cheese in their bags to simulate certain types of explosives that share a similar consistency. Those details in mind, I have a handful of questions for the American Dairy Association:
• Is the Association working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify, locate and remove from distribution any and all blocks of cheese that might be used by terrorists in the manner described in the above-referenced article?
• Is the Association working with Homeland Security to increase security at the nation’s cheese-production facilities as a result of today’s news?
• Is the Association going to ask retailers to remove from store shelves any and all blocks of cheese that might be used by terrorists in the manner described in the above-referenced article?
• Is the Association going to call upon its members to modify and/or discontinue production, distribution and sales of certain types of cheeses that, when sold in block form, can be used by terrorists in the manner cited in the in the above-referenced article?
• Is it true that FBI officials have used the Cheese Profiler program on your web site to help identify potential terror suspects?
• Finally, is the Association willing to admit that terrorists may, indeed, have discovered the so-called “Power of Cheese�
Thanks in advance for your attention to this request.
I provided my contact information at the end of the e-mail and expect a reply from officials at “cheese headquarters†in Rosemont, Ill., will be forthcoming.
As soon as I receive that reply I will post an update here at Bob McCarty Writesâ„¢.
[Note: Your readers can click on my name above to read the entire post.]
jen-o says Comment posted on July 25th, 2007
“During the past 6 months TSA has produced more than 90 unclassified bulletins of this nature…”
gee, i wonder how much has slipped through the cracks… if this is the quantity of possible security threats we have, i wonder how many threats have gone unnoticed…(afterall, profiling is politically incorrect)…
and what does the classified information look like?
if all this information made headline news, even the democrats would have to change their position on terrorism… (i think they would be forced to by the american population)… but i don’t think the mainstream media is going to publicize this… sadly, i think it’s going to take another 9/11 before people wake up… but then i fear it will be too late…
Remnant says Comment posted on July 25th, 2007
I just finished a great book by Paul L. Williams “The Day of Islam”
I recommend it, a lot of the information in it is rather alarming, but confirmed many things I was made aware of 15 years ago as to the amount of WMDs missing from the Soviets arsenal after the great collapse, that have made it into the country in the last eight years.
Many things have It really is only a matter of when not if.
Watch and pray!!!
In Messiah
Remnant
jen-o says Comment posted on July 25th, 2007
um… i changed my mind…
(i must have been posting at the same time as bob… this happens to me a lot for some reason… i post and it shows up, but later gets bumped behind another person’s post)
anyway, perhaps i was wrong… even IF the mainstream media were to report ALL the potential security risks for terrorism (in the headline news), democrats may very well continue to ignore the threat of terrorism… i suppose it is easier to make light of the problem as bob has done here… (i saw this same style of posting and cavalier attitude towards terrorist threats over on the john edwards blog)… so i guess it is easier to find a minor detail (like cheese) and joke about it than to look at the big picture… what can i say?… people just refuse to pull their heads out of the sand even if ya give them a shovel…
Peregrina says Comment posted on July 25th, 2007
The idea that these warning signs are to be taken as jokes reminds me of that old saying, “Don’t bother me with the facts, my mind’s already made up.”
Lance Gilman says Comment posted on July 26th, 2007
In regards to the “profiling” comment.
Isn’t it tragic that a Judge just awarded Million$ to the muslim clerics that were kicked off the plane after seriously drawing attention to themselves in prayer and upsetting many passengers.
Hey! I got an idea lets give lot$ money to those that preach hatred against this country and fund groups that want to annihilate us! Yaaayy!
I think we will all sadly look back to these days as the time our country slipped away from us. Any practical ideas on what can be done???
Jesus called these days “very perplexing”.
I think he hit the nail on the head, as always!
jen-o says Comment posted on July 27th, 2007
hey lance!
thanks for the update on that case… i was unaware that a judge awarded them money… or should i say “rewarded” them with money… i would be interested in knowing the reasoning behind this monetary award… was it because these clerics were inconvenienced?… how ridiculous!… all americans have been inconvenienced at airports due to the actions of terrorists…
is this judge penalizing those who err on the side of caution?… i think this decision sends a bad signal to those who may run across suspicious activity and hesitate to report it… and an even worse signal to airlines who may now think twice before taking action on a perceived terrorist threat…
i don’t really think anything can be done about unjust judge rulings… (but Jesus will judge the world when He returns)… in the meantime, we can still encourage people to be vigilant and report suspicious activity (in spite of being politically incorrect)…
thanks for the update, lance…
shalom,
jen-o
p.s. i wonder what the clerics are going to do with that money… there are some “charities” i’ve heard of… hmmm…
Linda says Comment posted on July 29th, 2007
Lance,
Re: “I think we will all sadly look back to these days as the time our country slipped away from us.”
What is so amazing is that so many people agree with all the measures (& the inactions) that are being taken by the leaders & judges of this country that seem to fall under the category of aiding the enemy.
Hopefully the rapture will happen soon before they actually turn the USA over to them.