Posted: August 15, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com  
Homeland security officials doubt the terror plot to blow up U.S.-bound planes over the Atlantic was Osama bin Laden's encore to 9-11. The White House has described the foiled plot as "a second September 11." But officials say bin Laden is preparing a larger strike on U.S. soil targeting major U.S. cities. They cite the terror kingpin's message in January in which he warned Americans that sleeper cells were preparing a major new attack "on your own ground."
"Operations are under preparation, and you will see them on your own ground once they are finished, Allah willing," bin Laden said in Arabic.
Some translations have him saying "in the heart of your land" or "in your houses."
The London plot, which may have rivaled 9-11 casualties, still did not involve ground targets.
"While impressive in scale, the damage on the ground would have been limited if anything," a U.S. official said. "It's not the spectacular attack he (bin Laden) is looking for to do maximum damage to our economy." Terror experts agree.
"There may have been money or a blessing from al-Qaida, but I doubt that this was an ...   more »

Sign hung above clothing store in southern city of Alanya; Israeli tourist who photographed sign: Even on the way back to the cruise ship someone asked me if I was a solider and if I enjoy killing children
Miri Chason
A sign reading “For Children killers Israelis No Sale, No Entry ” welcomed Israel tourists who passed by a clothing store in the city of Alanya in south Turkey.
The city is frequented by many Israelis, who arrive mainly on cruse ships during the summer.  
“We entered the store because I didn’t notice the sign, which was hung very high,” said Nimrod Buchman, 25, of central Israel, who was on a trip with his girlfriend.   
“The Turks immediately recognize Israelis, and therefore they asked us if we are soldiers and if we are capable of murdering children. They told us to leave and did not let us go inside. I had to take a photo of the shocking sign.”  When the vendor realized that Buchman had photographed the sign, an argument erupted.   
“One of the salespeople began to chase after me and demanded to see what I had photographed,” Buchman said. “We argued for a while and ...   more »

Syrian president tells Egyptian newspaper ‘in Lebanon Israel destroyed everything, but it was unable to achieve its true military objectives on the ground;’ adds: The resistance has won the war, now we must win the diplomatic battle as well; if Israel launches a war against Syria, it will pay a heavy price
Syrian President Bashar Assad said his country is prepared for any war that may break out with Israel , adding that he is convinced that the chances for peace have decreased and that “the Golan Heights will be liberated by Syria.”
In a special interview with Egyptian newspaper Al-Osboa, Assad said “if Israel launches a war against Syria, it will pay a heavy price.”  
He said Syria has been following Israel closely, particularly after former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon came to power.
US Media  Americans press Bush: Talk to Syria / Yitzhak Benhorin   New York Times editorial asserts 'Bush has always seen talking, by itself, as a reward. That cold shoulder may have made Mr. Bush feel righteous, but it hasn't done anything to choke off nuclear programs in Iran or North Korea.' Bush: We are in contact with Syria     
“The fact that he was elected ...   more »

Spychips in Passports May be Just the Start, Warn Privacy Advocates
RFID-laced passports may be just the start of an Orwellian airport experience, warn privacy advocates and authors Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre as the nation braces for a rollout of the controversial technology in passports this week.
They point to a U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) concept video created by CompEx Inc. that shows how citizens can be tracked and monitored throughout an airport terminal — without their knowledge or consent. In the video, citizen "Bob" is remotely identified and tracked via Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices as he enters an airport and navigates to his gate. The video ends with chilling frames of a government agent surreptitiously scanning Bob and his belongings as he sits in the waiting area.
CompEx Inc. President Aram Kovach, who developed the film as a demo for the TSA, received a U.S. Patent for the idea he calls "Method for Tracking and Processing Passengers and their Transported Articles" in November of 2005. According to company press releases, TSA officials entertained his ideas twice, once in 2002 and once in 2003, and "offered to direct CompEx in pursuing a segmented objective within the guidelines ...   more »

CNN Int'l snubs Israeli civilians
Highly unbalanced report mostly ignores plight of Israeli civilians, portrays Israelis as soldiers and politicians in suits, while coverage from Lebanon features in-depth interviews with Lebanese civilians and images of children and ruins; no mention of large number of Israelis displaced from their homes in north
Yaakov Lappin
The anatomy of bias: A CNN International in-depth report from Israel and Lebanon unveiled the full extent of bias at work behind the global news network's coverage of the Israel – Hizbullah war.  
Scant attention is paid to Israeli civilians, while a long report featuring images and interviews of Lebanese civilians followed. The report's startling lack of representation of the suffering experienced by so many Israeli civilians stood in stark contrast to the interviews and video footage taken of Lebanese children and scenes of wreckage shown from across Lebanon.
Ignoring Bombardment of Israel       
The report began with an account of Haifa by a CNN female correspondent. During the report, there is a single, brief image of Israeli civilians, sitting at a café in Haifa. The picture remains on the screen for a number of seconds, before the journalist is seen being interviewed by the CNN ...   more »

New Yorker reporter Seymour Hersh claims Bush Administration was closely involved in planning of Israel’s retaliatory attacks in Lebanon’ says US Intelligence officials told him that ‘successful IAF bombing campaign against Hizbullah’s heavily fortified underground-missile complexes in Lebanon could ease Israel’s security concerns, serve as prelude to potential American preemptive attack to destroy Iran’s nuclear installations
Yitzhak Benhorin  
The New Yorker weekly claims that the Bush Administration was closely involved in the planning of Israel’s retaliatory attacks in Lebanon following the kidnapping of two IDF soldiers by Hizbullah terrorist just over a month ago.  
“President (George W.) Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney were convinced, current and former intelligence and diplomatic officials told  
me, that a successful Israeli Air Force bombing campaign against Hizbullah’s heavily fortified underground-missile and command-and-control complexes in Lebanon could ease Israel’s security concerns and also serve as a prelude to a potential American preemptive attack to destroy Iran’s nuclear installations, some of which are also buried deep underground,” investigative reporter Seymour Hersh said in his article.  
According to Hersh, a Middle East expert said that the Bush Administration had several reasons for supporting the Israeli bombing campaign: Within the State Department, it was ...   more »

JERUSALEM – Palestinian gunmen in the Gaza Strip today kidnapped two Fox News journalists, including reporter Steve Centanni, to protest America's "involvement " in Israel's military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon, leaders of the Al Aqsa Martys Brigades terror group told WorldNetDaily.
The Brigades, the declared "military wing" of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, is responsible for scores of shootings and rocket attacks against Israelis and, together with Islamic Jihad, every suicide bombing in Israel the past two years.
Brigades leaders have in the past kidnapped foreigners, mostly in the West Bank, only to let them go usually hours later.
Sources in the Al Aqsa Brigades told WND "independent Palestinian gunmen" affiliated with their group carried out the kidnapping "completely on their own."
A senior Al Aqsa leader, who claimed his group did not sanction the kidnapping, told WND he thinks the Fox News hostages are being held "to make a point that Palestinians are against American aid to Israeli aggression." He mentioned Israel's military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon.
The terror leader provided WND with Centanni's name, but not that of his associate, though wire reports indicate he's cameraman Olaf Wiig from New Zealand. The terrorist said ...   more »