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For some reason, this made me think of Phil (greatbearmd):

Extra Security Measures in Europe

This was sent to me by a fiend with contacts in the Intelligence/Law Enforment communities. Permission was granted to share anonymously.

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Lately, the public has been intensely interested in alleged al-Qaeda operations in Europe.  The United Kingdom and France have each issued non-specific warnings, and the United States Department of State is cautioning about travel to continental Europe.  The United States media outlet ABC News reports that al-Qaeda operators have "moved through the surveillance stage" and "received the go-ahead to strike."

This reporting appears to be circular: the only corroboration for one story is the next one in the closed loop.  None of the U.S., the U.K., France or Germany have moved to the highest level of alert, which we would expect to see if there was a known and imminent danger.  Further, neither are are the U.S. or U.K. governments forbidding their employees from traveling to continental Europe.

Still, there is some cause for concern.  When al-Qaeda's leadership sends activation messages to operations cells, they often do so by appending them to the end of public statements.  These messages often appear to be out-of-context Quranic verses, citations of hadith, or mentions of important persons.

A recent al-Zawahiri statement ended with the unusual question, "Where are the Muslims to protect their Prophet?"  A few days ago al-Sahab, al-Qaeda's media arm, released two messages from bin Laden.  The second ended with, "Who will give victory to Wafa Qustantin and Camellia Shehata and their sisters?"

Although these strange questions are troubling, it cannot be stressed enough: we do not know if they are activation signals.  Even if they are, many operations get called off at the last second due to an enhanced security posture.  al-Qaeda may also be trying to play head games with us.  It's only natural to think the worst and to let our imaginations run wild, but we need to be careful not to overreact.

The best precautions today are the same as the best precautions pre-9/11.  Register your travel with the State Department.  Stay alert.  Know how to contact the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy.  Be wary of overly-helpful people near airports, train stations, and tourism destinations.  Obey local laws and customs.  Show your European hosts that you are an American, that you are their friend, and that you are not afraid.  By doing this, you will play an important role in fighting terror.

Travel smart.  Make friends.  Take lots of photographs.  Create some great memories.  Send postcards.  Enjoy your time in Europe!

Fear and Favor

Fear and Favor:

“A note to Tea Party activists: This is not the movie you think it is. You probably imagine that you’re starring in ‘The Birth of a Nation,’ but you’re actually just extras in a remake of ‘Citizen Kane.’”