TSA: Dry Runs Indicate Terrorist Attack Near
The Transportation Security Administration has issued a bulletin that confirms that an uptick in suspicious incidents indicate that a terrorist attack on airliners may be close at hand. The items seized by TSA include clay-like substances, potential IED components such as wires and switches, and cell-phone components that could be used as remote triggers (via Michelle Malkin):
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.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.”
TSA told NBC that they issue bulletins like this on a fairly regular basis, and that the traveling public should not panic. Over 90 such bulletins have been issued in the past six months on similar security-related issues. It's part of their job to keep the entire network informed and focused on the task at hand.
However, this seems to be a little more than the usual alert. The bulletin specifically warns that these kinds of activities have peaked in the past just before terrorist attacks -- and that part of the value in them is to desensitive security personnel to the probes. Part of the desensitization comes from using the same substances repeatedly -- and in this bulletin, cheese and clay keep coming up again and again.
Here are the four seizures:
* 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.
One interesting note about these probes: they came at airports one might consider as secondary targets. If terrorists wanted to make the biggest splash, they would have targeted LAX, O'Hare, JFK, LaGuardia, Reagan, Dulles, or one of the Midwest line of major international hubs such as Minneapolis-St. Paul. The airports mentioned in the bulletin are major airports, but they wouldn't be as critical as the others -- which means that the terrorists may be looking to see if security is consistent across the network.
So far, TSA apparently has passed that test. With reports of terrorist chatter reaching levels seen just before the 9/11 attacks, let's hope they can continue to uncover the probes and keep track of those who conduct them.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on July 25, 2007 5:53 AM | Comments (25) | TrackBacks (0)
Comments (25)
Posted by Immolate | July 25, 2007 6:32 AM
Another point of dry runs is to see how many attempts are not detected. Assuming that TSA batted a thousand here is probably not a safe assumption.
Posted by Lightwave | July 25, 2007 6:36 AM
While the TSA is paid to be vigilant, I think the terrorists have largely been successful in their attempts to "desensitize" the American people.
I'm willing to bet far more people would view this as a Rovian attempt to "scare us back into line" than an actual threat to the country, Ed. As you have pointed out, with AQ suffering increasing losses in Iraq due to the surge strategy and the Islamist world growing increasingly desperate for another attack on America to prove it's still relevant, there is certainly more to this bulletin than meets the eye, as you have said.
But there are still millions of Americans who don't believe we're at war, and don't believe we're under attack. One of the advantages the terrorists may be looking for at these airports is a lax populace. "Terrorism is a NYC and DC and LA problem, not where WE live."
Hopefully this bulletin will help correct that view. Me, I live and work in Cincinnati, one of those "major midwest hubs" you were talking about. It's less than a mile from where I work, and it's always been a tempting target.
Posted by Ron C | July 25, 2007 6:38 AM
I have avoided airports like the plague they are since 2002 - and I imagine a lot of others are doing the same. That has to be a large part of the airline income woes I've been hearing about.
Posted by RG | July 25, 2007 6:42 AM
An Air Force general in charge of North American/Homeland Defense just said this monring that AQ is here in the US.
Gee, how did they get here? I guess that qualifies as "home-grown" terrorists, huh?
It's the IMMIGRATION, STUPID!! Accepting "immigrants" from the "enemy culture" during a time of war is STOOOPID!
Posted by Jim | July 25, 2007 6:50 AM
I really can't see how any Airlines can have "income woes" unlesss it is simply from gross mismanagement.
The flights I've been on this summer have been PACKED. The airports are like downtown Kowloon or Calcutta on a bad day. How many more humans do we need to shoehorn into the terminal areas, like sardines in a can, before these lame-ass Airlines manage to turn themselves a profit, for f---k's sake.
As for the TSA seizures - nothing to see here folks; go back to sleep or catch a little hip entertainment off Youtube or Comedy Central. The "war on terror is just a bumper sticker" see, and When are we going to have Universal Health care for every child in America is the ONLY question we should be debating right now, fellow comrades!!! That, and when are those pathetic DINOs who really aren't Progressive at all they're just pandering to us - are going to finally DO THEIR JOB and arrest Bush and Cheney and charge them with WAR CRIMES, DAMMIT! (sarcasm off).
Posted by Tom Shipley | July 25, 2007 6:52 AM
Boy, that's great news considering I'm traveling throughout August. F***ers.
If they confiscated this stuff, you'd think that at least they'll know what to look for, eh?
And Lightwave, I don't think the terrorists have desensitized the American people. I guarantee you most if not all Americans have a heightened fear when flying these days. It's just that we don't let it overcome us. Sh*t happens, we just gotta go on.
If anything, there's a false sense of security. And actually, I hesitate to use the words "false" because, in reality, we are pretty secure flying. Even with the terrorist threat, it's safer to fly than to drive.
It's just something we have to deal with.
Posted by Kim | July 25, 2007 7:12 AM
Who are the carriers? Have they been arrested? What are their nationality? I suppose someone knows? Nothing like putting their pictures in the MSM. It provokes phone calls to the authorities. Tips come in. Phone taps go in. The government wants no panic. Maybe panic would provoke citizens to sharpen up and report suspicious behavior. If we take a catastrophic hit, I can just hear the MSN: "but you never warned us". Lets face it, business wants no panic, it lowers profits.
Posted by Aloysius | July 25, 2007 7:24 AM
Why doesn't the TSA say anything about the ethnicity of the people who they confiscted these items from?
Posted by negentropy | July 25, 2007 7:45 AM
When you note how seriously some of these TSA employees take their jobs, it's amazing that they find anything. While there are some good ones here and there, it seems that most are more concerned with last night's game or what so-and-so said to her the other day, and can't be bothered with the people they are screening.
As for efficiency, forget it. There's one or two screening stations open, a line that stretches back to the outside of the terminal (marked off with cones, umbrella stands, abandoned carts, whatever they can find), and knots of 3 or 4 TSA employees standing around talking to one another. Excuse me if I'm not entirely confident in their ability to do what they are paid to do.
Posted by Continuum | July 25, 2007 7:49 AM
Call me suspicious, but since the Dept of Homeland Security fails to trumpet the names of the perpetrators and frog march them to jail, I am totally suspicious.
Anytime the Bush Admin doesn't exploit a "terrorist" arrest for everything it milk out of it, one wonders just how valid and accurate the information is.
This info sounds like another example of the Bush Admin "crying wolf",
Posted by Stewart J Mart | July 25, 2007 7:57 AM
There is one error in your thinking Ed. The size of the airport is not the issue. The type of items they are "dry running" would most likely be for the purpose of bringing down a plane not exploding the device on the ground. Many secondary airports fly internationally and also have physically large planes. I also think that the psych ops impact of a plane being brought down from Baltimore to Des Moines would have a "heartland" impact far beyond one from New York to Brussels. The smaller airports also have significant lapses in security (see Phoenix Skyport security lapses story from the past week) hence a higher potential success rate. I would guess we will probably see 10 or more attacks at once. If they can only bat .250, even that impact on our economy would be devastating.
Chins Up,
Jason in Indy.
Posted by Tom Shipley | July 25, 2007 8:40 AM
Why doesn't the TSA say anything about the ethnicity of the people who they confiscted these items from?
I'm guessing that no information is released about these people because they have done nothing illegal, you know? It's not illegal to bring cheese on a flight.
My guess is that these people we detained briefly, then released. But I don't know for sure. It would be interesting to hear what did happen to these people.
Posted by B. English | July 25, 2007 9:03 AM
It's not illegal to bring cheese on a flight.
Right on Tom!
I always wrap my blocks of cheese, clay filled ice packs, pipes, and cell phone parts together with duct tape. Keeps the cheese fresher after all. And prevents my carry on bag contents from shifting.
/sarcasm off
Posted by jerry | July 25, 2007 9:13 AM
B_English:
Unfortunately Tom is correct. Cheese, clay etc are not dangerous substances. Same goes for wires, batteries and tape. Even if the authorities strongly suspect that the bearers of such materials are making dry runs there would still be no probable cause for an arrest. The only thing TSA can do is hold them for a short period of time until they check on the immigration status, see if they are on a watch list or if there are any outstanding warrants for previous offenses.
Continuum lives in a fantasy world where Bush is simultaneously running a police state but doesn’t throw anybody into the GULAG. Terrorism is just a phony threat that the Bushhitlerhaliburton administration uses to keep us all in a virtual police state where we simply pretend that we are sent to concentrations camps when we engage in thought crime. If there happens to be an actual attack it will have actually been staged by the administration to keep us in line.
Posted by Dr. T | July 25, 2007 9:15 AM
Another possible motive for this kind of stuff is just to screw with us. You don't have to kill people to terrorize them. Just to let us know they're still there.
Posted by KauaiBoy | July 25, 2007 10:25 AM
Good question Kim (et al) as to who these people are. My guess is it wasn't Aunt Edna from Wisconsin safely transporting her prize cheese collection down to the Texas state fair. I'll also bet they profess to subscribe to a religion of peace. Hopefully one of our "illegal domestic surveillence programs" is tracking these folks. Or better yet maybe they have been whisked off to our torture center at Guantanamo where Karl Rove himself is getting the truth out of them. Funny how we haven't heard who they are.
Posted by Continuum | July 25, 2007 11:06 AM
Way suspicious that no one from the Admin is trumpeting these incidents.
No names of individuals.
No photographs.
Just some nameless TSA person saying that these things have happened.
Rember last summer they warned about "dairy cows" being possible terrorist target. (Ya, cows.)
Just more efforts of the Bush Admin trying to save their own skins.
Posted by jerry | July 25, 2007 12:36 PM
Continuum continues to demonstrate the ignorance of the Bush hating moonbat left crowd.
Look dummy; if they cannot charge then with a crime then they can’t identify them to the general public by releasing names and/or pictures to the press. Somehow I think you are actually disappointed that TSA followed proper legal procedures to protect the identity of people who they cannot charge with a crime. I am sure that if they did release names and pictures you would be screaming how Bush wants to lock up all Muslims in concentration camps.
During WWII George Orwell remarked that if you were a pacifist you were objectively pro-fascist. Today, those who seek to undermine the War Against Radical Islam are objectively pro-terrorist.
Posted by Tom Shipley | July 25, 2007 12:46 PM
Today, those who seek to undermine the War Against Radical Islam
So Bush is pro-terrorist? Well, I know he's not, but in my estimation, he's done A LOT to set us back in the war on terror.
Namely, let al-qaeda slip away and find safe haven in Pakistan. Start the Iraq war, which has been a boon for AQ recruitment and training.
Not to mention setting Mideast and world opinion against the US (which, yes matter when fighting terrorism).
People against Bush are not undermining our efforts against the war on terror, we're trying to correct them.
Posted by jerry | July 25, 2007 12:57 PM
Continuum continues to demonstrate the ignorance of the Bush hating moonbat left crowd.
Look dummy; if they cannot charge then with a crime then they can’t identify them to the general public by releasing names and/or pictures to the press. Somehow I think you are actually disappointed that TSA followed proper legal procedures to protect the identity of people who they cannot charge with a crime. I am sure that if they did release names and pictures you would be screaming how Bush wants to lock up all Muslims in concentration camps.
During WWII George Orwell remarked that if you were a pacifist you were objectively pro-fascist. Today, those who seek to undermine the War Against Radical Islam are objectively pro-terrorist.
Posted by Thomas Jackson | July 25, 2007 1:23 PM
This wonderful article brings several points to mind. These actions are obviously probes so why isn't the Congress or states doing something about making this a criminal matter. It appears to be conspiracy to commit a criminal act or why welse would these individuals be doing this?
The next issue is that CAIR and its radical allies in the US have been using the legal system against us for obvious reasons. No wonder they want John Does silenced.
Finally, how many Muslims and illegals are working at airports and other sensitive infrastructure locations (powr plants, bridges, tunnels, government facilities; airports; etc). Have these people been screened? If not, why not.
Posted by Bill Faith | July 25, 2007 2:44 PM
So if I can be hauled off to jail for yelling "Hi, Jack!" in an airport why isn't taping a cell phone to a loaf of cheese a crime? I excerpted and linked.
Posted by Continuum | July 25, 2007 6:14 PM
The AQ trial run that turns out to be the proverbial little old lady who packed some gel. Not really AQ at all.
Per TSA, . . . . well. ...........nevermind.
Just for the neocon Republicans who went crazy this morning . . . . . (Don't forget that Clinton got a BJ in the Oval Office. There don't you neocons feel better now.)
Report of terrorist 'dry run' at Lindbergh a false alarm . . . . from the San Diego Union Tribune.
SAN DIEGO – The San Diego director of the Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday that a recent report of a possible terrorist “dry run” at Lindbergh Field stemmed from what turned out to be a false alarm.
The TSA circulated an intelligence bulletin Friday noting the July 5 discovery of two suspicious ice packs found inside a checked bag at the Harbor Drive airfield. The bulletin was obtained by NBC News, which first reported the story.
The bulletin said the incident at Lindbergh and three others at airports around the country since 2006 could indicate some type of pre-attack security probing by terrorists.
The bulletin said the ice packs found in San Diego contained clay.
But local TSA Security Director Michael J. Aguilar – and the chief of the police agency that patrols the airport – said Wednesday that while screeners initially thought the packs held a clay-like substance, it was quickly determined they contained the usual blue gel.
Aguilar said he didn't know why the TSA memo, issued in Washington, reported the substance as clay.
He said TSA screeners at Lindbergh spotted the ice packs while working an X-ray machine. He said he believed the incident occurred in Terminal 2.
San Diego Harbor Police Chief Kirk Sanfilippo said the incident involved a bag checked by a woman in her 60s flying out of Lindbergh Field.
Sanfilippo said a routine swab test of the bag indicated the presence of a chemical that is sometimes used in explosives or medications. Inside the luggage, inspectors found cold packs, wrapped in clear packing tape, that were old and leaking.
The TSA bulletin said the ice packs were covered in duct tape and had clay inside of them.
Sanfilippo said they weren't covered in duct tape and didn't have clay inside of them. “It is a little bit off,” he said of the bulletin.
The chief said a Harbor Police officer found what appeared to be hardened old gel that had seeped out of the ice packs and dried, leaving a clay-like substance around the outside edge of the pack.
Investigators with the county's Metro Arson Strike Team were called in to assess the ice packs, and they determined there was no risk.
In all, it took about three hours for the woman's luggage to be cleared by security officials.
After the packs were cleared, the woman told authorities she didn't want to keep them and they were thrown away, Sanfilippo said.
Sanfilippo said he first heard the San Diego incident was being highlighted in the TSA bulletin early Wednesday morning on the TV news.
He said his agency sporadically receives TSA bulletins, but that he plans to make sure the notifications become more regular.
“I can't say they come to us routinely,” Sanfilippo said. “We have gotten them, but it is more sporadic than constant. It has now raised awareness.”
Aguilar said TSA alerts are circulated on a daily basis to make sure they agency's staff has access to the latest security concerns, even if they later prove false or inconclusive.
“We get these all the time,” he said. “Almost all the time they prove false.”
The TSA memo also reported curious seizures at the Milwaukee, Houston and Baltimore airports in recent weeks.
TSA regional spokeswoman Jennifer Peppin said her agency has issued more than 90 bulletins in the past six months.
“It is really a standard way of communicating that information to the people out there on the front line,” Peppin said.
“I think it's really crucial to focus on the fact that there is no specific credible threat related to this information. It is simply just part of an overall environment of being alert.”
Posted by eric | July 25, 2007 11:08 PM
this is a complex story, as there seems to be contradictory statements about the TSA claims AND from the TSA itself. like they are backing down from the more inflamatory tone of the bulletin...
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/210622/_Suspicious_Activities_at_Airports_Subject_of_TSA_Bulletin
Posted by William Wonder | July 31, 2007 10:37 AM
Posted by: Thomas Jackson at July 25, 2007 1:23 PM
These actions are obviously probes so why isn't the Congress or states doing something about making this a criminal matter. It appears to be conspiracy to commit a criminal act or why welse would these individuals be doing this?
You are correct. This was a conspiracy to commit a criminal act by Homeland Security. This story was BS from the start and someone in the Homeland Security department put this conspiracy together. The bulletin was released to CNN and NBC on the same day, no accident. I would like to hear who thought to use the term "Dry run" because that is someone that needs to be in prison.
Questions that should have been raised by anyone reading or reporting this story. Why did they wait 1 year from the initial incident mentioned in the bulletin to release the bulletin? Were the terrorists doing dry runs for the past year and Homeland Security just didn't feel like telling the people on the front line until July 20, 2007? Who thinks these were the only 4 incidents to occur in the past year involving questionable items packed in suitcases? Why was no one arrested in any of these incidents?
Being a Wisconsin resident I had a couple other questions. Wisconsin is America's Dairyland and the largest producer of cheese in the US. They sell cheese INSIDE the airport. How many people do you think have flown out of the Milwaukee airport with cheese in their suitcase in the past year?
If you could not see that this TSA bulletin was false from the start you need to work on your critical thinking skills.