Terrorists probing, planning for new aviation attacks

Despite billions of dollars spent on securing our nation's airports since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, experts say terrorists are still testing and targeting aviation security because an attack could kill a lot of people, undermine public confidence and cause significant economic damage. "It remains an incredibly high target for terrorists," Erroll Southers, President Obama's first choice to head the Transportation Security Administration, said. Southers had to withdraw his name from consideration due to political reasons. "It's still vulnerable... and it would be a decisive economic blow to our country." Aviation security experts spoke at homeland security and counterterrorism forum Tuesday at the Aspen Institute which was attended by lawmakers, industry insiders, journalists and the public.

Since 1960, there have been more than 90 active attacks by terrorists on airport structures, according to the experts. "What you're seeing here is experimentation on their part to see what they can get through screening. They've been more successful every year getting on planes and that troubles me," Southers said. The experts agreed that aviation security is only as good as its weakest link because once a passenger gets behind security barriers, they can access nearly any airport in the world. Because of that, the experts said that the greatest threat is overseas. Some international airports do not maintain the same security standards as the TSA.

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Suspect in terror probe admits ties to al Qaeda

A 24-year-old Colorado resident and Afghan national who is a suspect in an alleged terrorist plot in the United States has admitted to having ties to al Qaeda, an administration official familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.

Either a plea deal or charges are possible for the man, identified as Najibullah Zazi. Zazi began meeting in Denver with the FBI at 9 a.m. Friday for the third consecutive day, and was still there by nightfall. Zazi's father Mohammed met for three hours Friday afternoon with the FBI, then returned to his home.

The alleged terrorist plot, which came to light this week after raids in New York, may have been targeting a major transportation center, such as a large railroad or subway station, sources close to the investigation told CNN on Thursday.

There were plans for an attack, presumably in the New York area, where crowds are large and security screening for travelers who are not flying is lax, the sources said.

While DHS and the FBI have no information regarding the timing, location or target of any planned attack, they believe it is prudent to remind transit authorities to remain vigilant

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Terrorists Shift Focus to Hotels and 'Soft' Targets

Terrorists are aiming for hotels and other easier-to-hit targets as security measures at military and government facilities continue to improve, said a global intelligence company.

Al Qaeda is changing from a centralized organization with global goals to regional "franchises" with more parochial aims and strong grass-roots support, according to a report Tuesday from STRATFOR. These smaller cells get less training and less money, so they set their sights lower. That doesn't mean they aren't dangerous, "particularly if they are attempting to prove their value or if they are able to link up with someone who is highly tactically skilled," the report said.

According to STRATFOR, the number of attacks on hotels has more than doubled since the 9/11 attacks in 2001 when compared with the eight years before. Injuries and deaths caused by those attacks have increased six times over the same comparison period.

A hotel is the ultimate soft target for Islamic extremists: a fixed location, lots of human traffic and shallow security perimeters. Hotels also attract many Westerners, giving militants high probabilities of killing or injuring large numbers of them in a single attack, according to the report.

Although hotel security guards try to monitor suspicious people and activities, extremists know the way around this is to check in as a guest, giving them full access to the grounds. As an example, the report said the bombers who carried out the July 17 twin suicide attacks at the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia, had registered two days earlier.

• "Terrorists Shift Focus to Hotels and 'Soft' Targets; Study Says", Wall Street Journal, 9/8/09.
• "Special Security Report: The Militant Threat to Hotels", Stratfor, 9/8/09.

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