SSI News

Five men arrested, public never in danger.

(Cleveland) - The FBI has uncovered a plot to blow up a bridge near Cleveland!

Tags: bridges, C-4 explosives, Joint Terrorism Task Force, anarchists, FBI, terrorist, bomb, Cleveland

The U.S. government wants to more aggressively track terrorists on social media — and it’s asking for your help.

Tags: terrorists, FBI, State Department, social media

Tags: terrorists, terrorist, terrorism, Suspect, SSI, sovereign citizen, security, risk, news, law enforcement, HSN, homeland security network, homeland security, first responders, first responder, FBI, extremists, Cyber Security, attack

From the minute they get on a plane, visitors to Indianapolis should expect to be watched, sniffed and pawed as security around the Super Bowl XLVI host city tightens.

Tags: TSA, tom brady, terrorist attack, Super Bowl 46, super bowl, SSI, security, risk, police, Patriots, Patriot, NY Giants, NFL, news, new england patriots, lucas oil stadium, law enforcement, HSN, homeland security network, homeland security, Giants, football, first responders, first responder, federal, FBI, Eli Manning, attack, airport security

In another apparent cyberattack on a government website, the official site for the city of Sacramento, Calif., has been hacked and a number of its services and pages, including its home page, being taken down, reports Govtech.com.

Tags: White House, Turkish Hacker, sacramento, Obama, network hacker, law enforcement, Justice Department, HSN, homeland security network, homeland security, hacking, hacker, government website hack, FTC, FBI, Cyber Security, computer hacking, California

The FBI is seeking to develop an early-warning system based on material "scraped" from social networks.

Tags: app, attack, FBI, first responder, first responders, homeland security network, HSN, law enforcement, mashup, military, news, risk, security, social media, Social Networks, SSI, terrorism

Radical Islamists from Kosovo who blame America for the deaths of thousands of Muslims worldwide now are plotting terrorist attacks on US soil.

A 25-year-old naturalized US citizen from Kosovo is in police custody after federal agents thwarted a terrorism plot in Florida that the would-be culprit wanted to be “terrifying.” Sami Osmakac from Pinellas Park, FL was arrested Saturday night after authorities intercepted his attempt at a massive attack on US soil. According to a taped statement from Osmakac, the planned events would serve as “payback” for wrongdoings to Muslims carried out at the hands of America.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s sting on Osmakac comes less than a year after 21-year-old Arid Uka from Kosovo opened fire at the Frankfurt Airport in Germany, killing two US soldiers and wounding two others. Investigators in that case allege that Uka came clean on the charges and insisted that the attack was retaliation for crimes committed against Muslims by American forces.

Radical Kosovo Islamists have become an increasing threat to America less than 15 years after a US-led intervention and bombing campaign of Serbia eventually yielded control over disputed land to the Albanians. As a result of it, the Albanian-majority declared Kosovo an independent state and 88 countries recognized Kosovo’s independence, US included.

At the time of involvement in the Kosovo conflict though, opponents of America’s intervention then warned that the creation of a separate state of Kosovo would lead to the development of a radical Islam nation in the heart of Europe. Even some of the most influential American intellectuals cautioned the campaign and warned of consequential circumstances that would come from the creation of the Kosovo state.

“Even if Kosovo declared itself an independent state, it would be a dysfunctional one and a ward of the international community for the indefinite future,” former Secretary of State Lawrence Eaglburger wrote in the Washington Times in 2008. “Law enforcement, integrity of the courts, protection of persons and property, and other prerequisites for statehood are practically nonexistent,” added Eaglburger, who continued that “While these failures are often blamed on Kosovo’s uncertain status, a unilateral declaration of independence recognized by some countries and rejected by many others would hardly remedy that fact.”

Former US ambassador to UN John Bolton added to RT at the time, “I think that we've got to get to the point where attempting the carve out about new countries really threatens to exacerbate the risk of instability.”

Now down the road, predictions like those from Bolton, Eaglburger and others have largely come true, and this latest attempt by way of Sami Osmakac shows that the backlash, while not immediate, could be intensely violent.

In the case of Osmakac, the Florida resident has continuously been in contact with an FBI informant working under the guise as an intermediary capable of supplying weapons to the terrorist. In December, the undercover agent agreed to equip the man with an AK-47 assault rifle, Uzi submachine guns and enough explosives to arm three car bombs.

"I want to do something terrifying, like one day, one night, something's going to happen, then six hours later something else," Osmakac allegedly told the informant.

During a January 7 meeting between the two, Osmakac asked the agent to record a martyrdom video, which he did. According to court documents obtained by ABC News, "In the video, Osmakac stated his belief that Muslims' 'blood' was more valuable than that of people who do not believe in Islam. He also stated that he wanted 'pay back' for wrongs he felt were done to Muslims.”

The “payback,” said Osmakac, would be something that America would be unable to recover from.

"They['re] like $200 trillion in debt, and after all this money they're spending for homeland security and all this, this is going to be crushing them. This is going to terrify them," he said on tape to the agent.

Tags: europe, crime, FBI, Florida, Muslim, terrorism, Kosovo

Trey Scott Atwater, 30, was stopped at security at MAF about 9 a.m. Saturday. FBI spokesman Mike Martinez said Atwater is being held at the Midland County jail and has been charged with trying to bring explosives onto an airplane.

However, a spokeswoman with the Midland County jail said Atwater was being held on a “federal offense” and was being held for the United States Marshals.

The spokeswoman also said the arresting authority was only listed as “Fed,” and was not which authority made the arrest.

He will remain in custody at least until his arraignment Tuesday, given that the courts are closed Monday for the holiday, Martinez said.

Atwater was not listed on the U.S. Magistrate docket Sunday; however, it was not clear when the docket was last updated.

Calls made by the Odessa American to the U.S. Marshals’ office in Midland were met with responses that offices would be closed until Tuesday. Calls and emails sent to Martinez were not returned.

Atwater, his wife and children had been visiting relatives in the area and were on their way back to his base in North Carolina.

Lt. Col. Tom Bryant, a public affairs officer for the Army Special Operations Command, confirmed that Atwater is assigned to the John F.  Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, which is at Fort Bragg, N.C.

“The Army and federal and local authorities are jointly investigating, and some point I’m sure there will be some additional information available,” Bryant said

Bryant said Atwater is currently with Special Forces, and that his rank is sergeant first class.

According to Odessa American reports, Atwater is a member of the Green Berets and was a 1999 graduate of Midland Lee High School. He joined the Army under the delayed-entry program at the Army Recruiting Station in Midland and went to Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga., for basic training. Records state Atwater has served at least three tours of duty in Afghanistan.

Public records searches list addresses for Atwater at Fort Bragg and indicate he continues to have relatives in Midland, though there was no answer at phone numbers given in both locations by the Odessa American or national media. Atwater had a reservation on Flight 3283 operated by American Eagle, which had a scheduled departure of 9:45 a.m. Saturday.

It’s unclear whether Atwater was in military uniform at the time he was detained, or how many explosives were in the bag. It was also unclear where the explosives were obtained.

City of Midland spokeswoman Tasa Watts said Saturday that she had no information on the suspect, but confirmed the explosives were in military-grade wrapping. She said the specific grade wouldn’t be known until the explosives were tested.

The Transportation Security Administration issued a statement saying one of its officers spotted a suspicious item in a carry-on bag during X-ray screening. The agency said the checkpoint was closed for about an hour while officers investigated and removed the item.

Watts said Atwater was entering a terminal when he was stopped, and a sweep was done to clear that terminal before normal operations resumed.

Court records show Atwater pleaded guilty in February 2002 in North Carolina to misdemeanor possession of a container of wine, liquor or beer by an unauthorized person, and to drinking beer/wine while driving.

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There is debate among some experts about the actual likelihood of the nightmare scenario foreseen in the Commission report. "I certainly think they have the desire and motivation to do what they say," said UB physics professor Dr. Dejan Stojkovic.

"Right now, I don't think they have the capabilities to do what they say, but that may change in the near future," said Stojkovic.

"We are in a very critical position here in our town," said Caruana. "We have a water treatment plant, we have a wastewater plant, we have emergency services, hazardous materials and critical infrastructure."

Tonawanda has a backup generator at its wastewater treatment plant. good for a few weeks, till the fuel runs out. "So if we're doing things protecting our own equipment things here," says Caruana, If it's not done at the next level, we may not even be able to continue to function."

In response to the threat, Congress is considering a bill called the Shield Act to strengthen the nation's electric grid. "I think everybody should get to their congressman and tell them this is a high urgency," said Schwartz.

Caruana calls Schwartz a good neighbor and a patriot. "He's dedicated, it looks like, this part of his life, to making sure we're protected."

Henry Schwartz is the sole funder of EMPact America. With its mission of informing the public about EMP, we ask why he is doing that.

"What's in it for me?" he said. "Well,I have a family just like you probably do, and I'd like them to live. I also have another family, and that's the employees that I work with everyday. I have a community, and I have the United States of America, and I want to hold onto them with all my heart and soul.

"My life wouldn't be worth living if we had an EMP event and we're not prepared. So it's everything," said Schwartz. 

Tags: military, terror, FBI

(CBS News) The White House is signing off on a controversial new law that would authorize the U.S. military to arrest and indefinitely detain alleged al Qaeda members or other terrorist operatives captured on American soil.

Tags: FBI, Guantanamo Bay, 9/11 attacks

Sunrise Community Banks plan stop in 2 weeks

Tags: terrorism, FBI