Green Energy
from Dr Shackleford:
Al Qaeda Frequently Encountered in ... Virginia!??!
When I read this, I was stunned. Bombshell?:
So, members of al Qaeda were encountered in Virginia? My immediate thought was that the wording here might be technical. So, I went to a definitional footnote to see how 'encountered' was operationalized:
Okay, I'm guessing that most of these "encounters" were false alarms based on routine screenings which turn up false positives based on similar names.
I hope.
But let's continue with the section specifically dedicated to al Qaeda and its links to Virginia [I've left the footnote numbers in so you can check them in the original if you want]:
So, yes most of these 414 "encounters" were database checks -- again, hopefully we are talking about false positives -- but at least some al Qaeda "subjects" were encountered by law enforcement.
Double Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!?!
Who are these al Qaeda "subjects" being "encountered" in Virginia??????
More:
This is pretty big. Read the footnotes for the sources of this information and you'll see that most of it is open source. Except:
So, on the one hand I'm pretty freaking happy that some in law enforcement are taking the homegrown jihad threat seriously. On the other hand, it's not that comforting to know that, yes, those guys next door that you think might be jihadis might actually be jihadis!
I'm still kind of reeling from this. Maybe you've seen the whole report already as it's a few days months old, but I'm still reading it. It's marked "LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE" and "NO REPORT OR SEGMENT THEREOF MAY BE RELEASED TO ANY MEDIA SOURCES" but it's already out there.
Canada Free Press has the whole thing in PDF format here.
I'll probably update this post as I read the rest of the document. Let me know via email if there are others who have covered this already and have something worthwhile to say and link to; or, if as you read it something important sticks out.
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Green Energy
Hey! Always on Watch! What The Hell's Going on Down There?
from Dr Shackleford:
Al Qaeda Frequently Encountered in ... Virginia!??!
When I read this, I was stunned. Bombshell?:
Based on collection requirements established in 2008, al-Qa’ida, Al-Shabaab,
HAMAS, Hizballah, Jama’at ul Fuqra, Lashkar-e Tayyiba, and the Muslim
Brotherhood were assessed as potential international terrorism threats to
Virginia. While most of these groups are known to have individuals that
currently live, work, or frequently travel through Virginia, some groups were
included in this threat assessment based more on historic data or emerging
significance based on world events. These assessments were largely corroborated
by recently released data from the Terrorism Screening Center. According to 2008
ground encounter data, the most frequently encountered groups were al-Qa’ida,
HAMAS, and Hizballah. Occasionally encountered groups
and movements included
Sunni Extremists, Jama’at Tabligh, Palestinian Islamic Jihadb , Islamic Jihad
Unionc, Muslim Brotherhood, and the Taliban.
So, members of al Qaeda were encountered in Virginia? My immediate thought was that the wording here might be technical. So, I went to a definitional footnote to see how 'encountered' was operationalized:
(LES) Encounters include air travel, traffic stops, arrests, firearms purchases,
employment checks, and visa applications
Okay, I'm guessing that most of these "encounters" were false alarms based on routine screenings which turn up false positives based on similar names.
I hope.
But let's continue with the section specifically dedicated to al Qaeda and its links to Virginia [I've left the footnote numbers in so you can check them in the original if you want]:
Possible activities by al-Qa’ida members or sympathizers within the U.S. include
fundraising through hawalas (moneylenders), front businesses, and narcotics
sales, as well as recruitment and radicalization.5 Group members or sympathizers
may have established a relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood in the U.S. and
may be attempting to exploit minority communities that perceive themselves as
marginalized. 6,7 Past intelligence indicates group operatives may be entering
or attempting to enter the U.S. through Mexico and Latin America.8
According to 2008 Terrorism Screening Center ground encounter data,
al-Qa’ida was one of the three most frequently encountered groups in Virginia.9
In 2007, at least 414 encounters between suspected al-Qa’ida members and law
enforcement or government officials were documented in the Commonwealth.d
Although the vast majority of encounters involved automatic database checks for
air travel, a number of subjects were encountered by law enforcement officers.
So, yes most of these 414 "encounters" were database checks -- again, hopefully we are talking about false positives -- but at least some al Qaeda "subjects" were encountered by law enforcement.
Double Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!?!
Who are these al Qaeda "subjects" being "encountered" in Virginia??????
More:
While reports of encounters with known members or sympathizers are important to
note, the potential for encountering unidentified al-Qa’ida members or
sympathizers within existing Salafie populations in Virginia are also cause for
concern. Enclaves of Salafist ideology adherents have been identified in
Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads areas.10 Al-Qa’ida may also have a presence
in Central Virginia due to the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood.11 College
campuses12 and correctional centers within Virginia also represent potential
recruitment and radicalization venues.f According to 2009 public safety survey
data, the counties of Fairfax and Spotsylvania reported awareness of individuals
potentially linked to al-Qa’ida living, working, or otherwise linked to their
jurisdictions.13
This is pretty big. Read the footnotes for the sources of this information and you'll see that most of it is open source. Except:
10 (LES) 2009 VFC Threat Assessment Survey: Fairfax County, City of Falls
Church, , Spotsylvania County, VSP
11 (LES) 2008 VFC Threat Assessment Survey: FBI Richmond Field Office
12 (LES) 2008 VFC Threat Assessment Survey: Regent University Campus Police;
13 (LES) 2009 VFC Threat Assessment Survey:
So, on the one hand I'm pretty freaking happy that some in law enforcement are taking the homegrown jihad threat seriously. On the other hand, it's not that comforting to know that, yes, those guys next door that you think might be jihadis might actually be jihadis!
I'm still kind of reeling from this. Maybe you've seen the whole report already as it's a few days months old, but I'm still reading it. It's marked "LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE" and "NO REPORT OR SEGMENT THEREOF MAY BE RELEASED TO ANY MEDIA SOURCES" but it's already out there.
Canada Free Press has the whole thing in PDF format here.
I'll probably update this post as I read the rest of the document. Let me know via email if there are others who have covered this already and have something worthwhile to say and link to; or, if as you read it something important sticks out.
- The American Bolshevik
We have already witnessed the punishment by process of the Tea Party groups by the IRS, the EXECUTIVE BRANCH - executed against WHAT THEY CONCEIVE OF AS TRUE DOMESTIC ENEMIES. This MAY have affected the outcome of the 2012 election. It CERTAINLY chilled...
- Fbi National Domestic Threat Assessment Omits Islamist Terrorism
I guess we'll have to check out the "Workplace Violence Assessment" to get a picture of the potential Islamofascist threat. From the Free Beacon: The FBI’s most recent national threat assessment for domestic terrorism makes no reference to Islamist...
- Boundless Dhimmitude In The Virginia Assembly
Our state legislature here in Virginia couldn't manage to come to terms so as to submit a budget. However, the dhimmis did manage to "accomplish" THIS. Excerpt: [B]y a voice vote the Virginia House of Delegates commended here the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic...
- Whoa! Kaiser Dumps The Five Most Important Hospitals In Fairfax County, Virginia
From Inova, which provides the majority of medical care here in Northern Virginia: A note to our patients about Kaiser Permanente As of October 1, 2013, Inova facilities and physicians do not have contracts with Kaiser Permanente to provide in-network...
- Film Screenings By The Virginia Chapter Of The United American Committee
Received via email: July 9, 2008 Concerned about the Islamist threat? Please join us to get out of the heat and into the fight against jihad. The Virginia Chapter of the United American Committee proudly begins an objective and unapologetic series of...