Jan 17 2007
Update To Russian Terror Threat
Some recent updates on the Russian terrorism threat and how they are responding and what they are discovering. First source:
The committee, headed by Federal Security Service chief Nikolai Patrushev, said Tuesday foreign sources had warned the FSB about a possible terrorist plot to attack ground transport and one of the country’s subway systems.
“Information provided by our foreign colleagues has not been substantiated for now,” said Nikolai Sintsov, a committee spokesman.
But he said the measures taken following the alert had helped reduce the terrorist threat in transport and thanked passenger transport companies and passengers for their vigilance and assistance.
“We have received over 100 phone calls alerting us of suspicious facts. Some of them are still being checked,” Sintsov said, adding the enhanced security measures had helped seize 10 kilograms of explosives in the Urals.
…
Anti-terrorism policing was stepped up in the Moscow Metro, and the FSB’s regional departments throughout Russia were put on high alert to forestall any attacks.
Security was also reinforced at especially important military and state facilities, natural gas and oil companies. Organized trips of schoolchildren on public transport have been canceled until further notice.
America has not yet come to grips with these kinds of possibilities, where our childrens’ field trips are cancelled. We here in the DC area felt some of this during the sniper attacks a few years ago when we did cancel school trips. But America has not yet experienced this broadly. Second source:
Russia deployed police with bomb- sniffing dogs on Moscow’s subways and tightened security at international airports after receiving warnings of a possible terrorist attack.
…
At Moscow’s main international airport, Domodedovo, security forces “are working under a strengthened regime,” the airport’s press service said in a statement. It gave no further details. Travelers who flew out of Domodedovo today said the airport was working quickly and efficiently, with a high security presence visible and relatively few passengers.
Security procedures were also tightened at the capital’s other international airports, Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo, the Interfax news agency reported. The agency said Interior Ministry troops were also on high alert.
OAO Russian Railways, which operates 80,000 kilometers (50,000 miles) of track across 11 time zones, said it increased security especially “at stations and other places where people gather in mass numbers.”
Russian law enforcement officials seized explosives today en route to the oil-rich region of Tyumen, Sintsov said.
Two men from the neighboring region of Sverdlovsk were arrested at the Plekhanovo railway station in Tyumen, western Siberia, for attempting to smuggle 9.2 kilograms of TNT and 10 meters of safety fuse, Interfax said, citing unidentified officials from the FSB. The two men were being interrogated, Interfax reported.
…
Mobile phone companies cut off service in the subways at the request of security officials, the state-run RIA Novosti news service reported.
Clearly these kinds of public alerts can lead to discovering active plots. I would note that Americans have not had their cell phone services shutdown as a precautionary action yet either. If the Dems surrender Iraq to Al Qaeda maybe we will have the pleasure of experiencing these things in the near future.
All that’s missing is Tom Ridge. And, his color-coded alerts.
In russia, anything that shows up as “news” is discounted as lies for propaganda purposes.
Why would putin push this story, now?
Because he’s better at the game than Tom Ridge.
Also, it makes sense for putin to do something that cancels all those headlines about the russian sale of short-range missiles to iran.
What does putin share with the Warren Commission? Both produce works of fiction.
By now most Americans listen. But it doesn’t create panic.
If there was panic, then you’d see the kinds of rumors that flew into the imam’s ear. In Londonstan. When he thought Litvinenko’s casket was radioactive.
Even the “report” of Cesium supposedly found following a call to putin from chechnya, could also be a lie. Once you’re dealing with propaganda artists, their reasonings have no match up’s to fair play.
For putin, too, nothing has to happen in the Moscow subways.
Just like nothing much happened when Tom Ridge ran out with his color schemes. To the point people didn’t even know what “orange” meant. And, Lewis Black said he thought “everyone was supposed to dress up in orange that day.”
We can’t do anything about the missile sails to iran, either.
I notice the “arrestees” were carrying TNT. And, they boarded the train in Western siberia.
Again, that’s a long way from Moscow.
And, Moscow’s not so easy to penetrate. Because every other russian citizen works for the KGB.
Human intelligence is NOT in short supply in russia! (When Israeli spooks write about the russians, they describe the “packs of people” who are assigned to follow each and every foreigner. Not easy to shake them. Or even to do “drops.” That’s because the humans are trained, and get paid for, FOLLOWING others. The russians are not provided with comfortable rooms where the “staff goes to relax.) Different rules. And, they don’t sleep on the job.
But even KGB people can hold down other jobs as well. So they can also work for PR. Or garbage collecting. Or hotel room maid service. They’re not paid all that well, either. But bread and vodka come cheap. Prices have no reality basis, as a matter of fact. (Jimmy Rogers, INVESTMENT BIKER, and ADVENTURE CAPITALIST, do excellent work at showing you why russia’s economy is in the toilet. But the people won’t complain as long as the costs of things aren’t reflected in the prices of bread. And, vodka.)
Ever hear about how you take the news you get with grains of salt? Give the europeans credit, at least, for not expecting officials to give quotes containing any truth. You’re left to figure things out on your own. And, some? Actually can develop a talent to read between the lines.
Or in russia? To notice someone’s been airbrushed out of existence, in “official” pictures.