CBS News Exclusive: CIA Had Info on Person of Interest Dubbed “The Nigerian” in August But Officials Failed to Connect Dots

CBS | Dec 29, 2009

By Armen Keteyian

(CBS)   CBS News has learned that as early as August of 2009 the Central Intelligence Agency was picking up information on a person of interest dubbed “The Nigerian,” suspected of meeting with “terrorist elements” in Yemen.

Sources tell CBS News “The Nigerian” has now turned out to be Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. But that connection was not made when Abudulmutallab’s father went to the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria three months later, on November 19, 2009. It was then he expressed deep concerns to a CIA officer about his son’s ties to extremists in Yemen, a hotbed of al Qaeda activity.

In fact, CBS News has learned this information was not connected until after the attempted Christmas Day bombing.

“We must get better at collecting these bits of information, putting them together at a central point, analyzing them and then acting,” said Lee Hamilton, the vice-chair of the 9/11 Commission.

Also Tuesday, the Foreign Minister of Yemen told the Times of London that there may scores of trained young militants ready to follow in the footsteps of Abudulmutallab, the minister saying, “They may actually plan attacks like the one we just had in Detroit. There may be hundreds of them – 200 to 300.”

A Yemini-based Al Qaeda group has claimed responsibility for the attack, praising Abudulmutallab’s attempt to blow up Flight 253 with about 3 ounces of the powerful explosive PETN stashed inside a pair of specially-made underwear, reports CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian.

For many the global security breach represents the kind of system failure detailed in the 9/11 Commission Report.

“We’re sharing information better than we did prior to 9/11, but this incident surely illustrates we’ve got a long ways to go,” Hamilton said.

In a statement, the CIA did not dispute CBS News’ report.

“We learned of him in November, when his father came to the U.S. embassy in Nigeria and sought help in finding him. We did not have his name before then,” said Paul Gimigliano, a CIA spokesman. “Also in November, we worked with the embassy to ensure he was in the government’s terrorist database – including mention of his possible extremist connections in Yemen. We also forwarded key biographical information about him to the National Counterterrorism Center. This agency, like others in our government, is reviewing all data to which it had access – not just what we ourselves may have collected – to determine if more could have been done to stop Abdulmutallab.”

Blackwater ‘hired’ Pak’s intelligence, army officers: Khwaja

dnaindia.com | Dec 29, 2009

LAHORE: Controversial US private security firm Blackwater, accused of carrying out secret operations in Pakistan, has hired services of army officers and former employees of intelligence agencies of this country for “handsome” salaries, a retired ISI official has claimed.

Khalid Khwaja, who has been at the forefront in raising the issue of “missing persons” or people detained without charges by Pakistani security agencies, said that ex-intelligence personnel hired by Blackwater had been asked to “pick up people with alleged connections to Taliban or al-Qaeda.”

The Supreme Court “has directed the Pakistan government to produce some 1,000 or so missing persons. The Pakistani (intelligence) agencies have expressed inability to comply with the order (on the ground that they do) not have knowledge
about the missing persons,” he said.

“I have written to the prime minister and the Interior Minister to investigate the matter,” said Khwaja, a retired ISI official.

Blackwater, he claimed, has “hired the services of army officers and former employees of intelligence agencies of Pakistan for handsome salaries.”

Former Pakistan army chief Gen Mirza Aslam Baig recently alleged on a TV news channel that Blackwater was involved in the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto.

Shireen Mazari, a defence analyst and editor of The Nation daily, believes the American security contractor is operating in North West Frontier Province, Islamabad, Quetta, Karachi and Lahore.

Islamabad recently deported a US national who was believed to be an employee of Blackwater, which also operated during wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and whose functions had been shrouded in secrecy.

The Interior Ministry said the American national was accused of establishing “illegal contacts with pro-Taliban militants.”

The Lahore High Court too sought details of the deportation of the US national while hearing a petition regarding the presence of Blackwater in Pakistan.

The Pakistani media has been reporting about the presence of Blackwater in the country for the past few months. However, the Pakistan government and the US embassy have rejected reports about Blackwater’s presence in Pakistan.

“Blackwater is not operating in Pakistan. We have our own system, rules and regulations and will not allow anybody to operate from here,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said.

Blackwater has officially changed its name to Xe Services LLC.

Critics have described them as a ‘virtual strip search’.

Daily Mail | Dec 29, 2009

By Vanessa Allen

Fears over airport security could leave millions of passengers facing the indignity of a ‘naked’ body scan and paying higher fares to fund it.

Hi-tech body scanners can see through clothes to detect hidden weapons or explosives such as those used in the failed Christmas Day plot.

They produce an anatomical image of passengers’ bodies, including breasts and genitalia, and have been attacked as too intrusive. Critics have described them as a ‘virtual strip search’.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the Government was looking at the use of the full body scanners, but admitted there were cost and privacy issues.

The scanners are on a year’s trial at Manchester Airport, where security officers have already been banned from using them on children following warnings that the images could break child pornography laws which outlaw the creation of images of youngsters.

The machines cost £80,000 each, meaning it would cost millions to install them in all
of Britain’s airports. Inevitably the cost would be handed on to passengers through higher air fares.

But security experts have said they would speed up safety checks by quickly revealing any concealed weapons or explosives.

Dutch airport authorities said yesterday that they would make the new scanners mandatory after syringe bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was able to board his flight from Amsterdam to Detroit without the explosive sewn into his underwear being detected.

Heightened security ordered by the U.S. in the wake of the failed bomb plot has
caused massive delays on both sides of the Atlantic, as airports struggle to cope with the new measures.

The machines would speed up checks as they eliminate the need for passengers to take off their shoes, belts, coats and scarves and would reduce the number who were then subjected to ‘pat-down’ searches.

Instead, the fully-clothed passenger steps between two screens and is instructed to stand with fingers touching the sides of the head, to provide a clear image of the body.

The machine performs a simultaneous front and back scan using electromagnetic waves, similar to a low-level X-ray.

According to the manufacturer, Rapiscan, passengers can be scanned safely up to 5,000 times a year. They say a dental X-ray produces 20,000 times more radiation.

The scans show every contour of the body, including intimate areas, and also reveal body piercings, colostomy bags, false limbs and even breast enlargements.

Airport security officers inspect the images in a separate office, away from the scanner, to reduce the potential embarrassment for passengers.

If the scan is clear the whole process should take around 20 seconds, and the image is then deleted. If security officers see anything suspect, the passenger is searched.

Officials have said the images cannot be stored or captured, but the scheme has led to fears that scans of celebrities could be leaked on to the internet.

Civil rights campaigners have expressed fears that the scans are too intrusive and could prove offensive, particularly for Muslim women. Security officers at Manchester have been warned not to scan under-18s over fears that the legislation could lead to them facing criminal charges.

There have been no known terrorism arrests at Manchester since the trial began in October. It is not known if the machines have been used to detect other offences at the airport.

When the trial ends in ten months, the Government will decide if the scanners should be used nationwide.

In the scheme, passengers can opt not to have a full body scan and to go through a traditional metal detector and ‘pat-down’ search instead.

But critics have questioned how useful an ‘optional’ search is, and whether it would be feasible if the scanners are installed permanently.

The Home Secretary said the Government would weigh the privacy and cost issues against national security.

The memo states that airline personnel should perform a “thorough pat-down of all passengers at boarding gate prior to boarding, concentrating on upper legs and torso.”

myfoxspokane.com | Dec 28, 2009

By FRANK CARNEVALE

(MYFOX NATIONAL) – Following the failed terrorist attack on Christmas Day, authorities have added more security measures for air travel, including limiting carry-on bags, restricting movement during the last hour of flight and implementing pat-downs before boarding planes.

Travel Web site Elliott.org has posted a memo reportedly from the Transportation Security Administration sent to US Airways employees regarding stepped-up security measures.

The memo states that airline personnel should perform a “thorough pat-down of all passengers at boarding gate prior to boarding, concentrating on upper legs and torso.”

Another measure addressed in the memo states that during flight “passengers may not conceal their hands under blankets, pillows, or personal belongings held on their lap beginning one hour prior to arrival at destination.”

After a two-day clampdown, some in-flight security rules have been eased. The Associated Press reported that at the captain’s discretion, passengers can have blankets and other items on their laps or move about the cabin during the tail end of flight, two industry officials briefed on the situation said Monday.

The New York Times reported that passengers on international flights coming to the United States had to remain in their seats for the last hour of flight without any personal items on their laps.

On Saturday Jennifer Allen was on a Northwest Airlines flight on the same route as the plane that was disrupted by the attempted bomber. She said she was well-searched before boarding the flight.

“They patted you down really well,” said Allen, 41, to The Canadian Press . “It wasn’t just a quick rub, it was a slow pat. They went through everything in your bags, went through the pockets in your pants, the pockets of your coat.”

The Canadian Press also reported that young children were pat-down before boarding a flight.

The Department of Homeland Security released a statement stating that “passengers flying from international locations to U.S. destinations may notice additional security measures in place. These measures are designed to be unpredictable, so passengers should not expect to see the same thing everywhere.”

The Associated Press reported that a woman returning from an international flight in Philadelphia said that security screeners in Santo Domingo asked her to lift her long hair so they could look at her back.

The tougher security measures were imposed after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, flying from Nigeria to Amsterdam then to the U.S. on a Northwest Airlines flight, tried to ignite an explosive as the plane prepared to land in Detroit.

KATU | Dec 28, 2009

by Dan Tilkin KATU

PORTLAND, Ore. – Following the bomb scare in Detroit Christmas Day, travelers at Portland International Airport will be screened with new technology and the Transportation Security Administration said Monday the airport will get body scan machines sometime next year.

The body-scan machines are designed to detect weapons or explosives using low-level X-rays.

Tina Burke, from the local TSA office, said Monday that after the machines are installed she does not know (at this time) when they will be used on passengers or how many of them will be required to pass through the machines. She said that decision will come from TSA headquarters in Washington, D.C. and will depend on the number of machines the airport receives.

The machines don’t come without controversy, however; privacy advocates said the machine subjects passengers to a virtual strip search.

Other machines that hit passengers with quick bursts of air to dislodge small particles that could be instantly analyzed for traces of explosives were removed several months ago. They were installed in 2006. The remaining machines are getting upgrades with technology that is designed to detect explosives in liquid, aerosols, and gels.

Portland International Airport already uses bomb-detecting scanners to analyze checked baggage and Monday morning something suspicious was detected by unit number three, possibly explosives in a bag. It turned out to be homemade Christmas ornaments. The incident caused no delays for passengers.

With Christmas Day’s bomb scare, passengers on international flights should be aware of few changes:

* A second screening for international flights.

* U.S.-bound passengers are limited to one carry-on

* Flyers must now remain seated with no personal items on their laps during the final hour of the flight.

WestJet, Air Canada announce new security measures for U.S. flights

Canadian Press | Dec 26, 2009

CALGARY – WestJet says that effective immediately, passengers on its flights to the United States will undergo a secondary search.

The Calgary-based airline says all passengers on U.S.-bound flights must submit to a pat-down search, and carry-on luggage, which will be limited to one bag per passenger, will be searched by hand.

Air Canada also announced stricter security measures and urged passengers to arrive at airports early for U.S. departures.

The moves follow the arrest Friday of a Nigerian man who’s alleged to have tried, but failed, to detonate an explosive device aboard a Northwest Airlines flight as it approached Detroit. The flight landed safely.

WestJet says it anticipates its new security procedures will result in delays at the airport and possibly in delayed departures as well.

Passengers are advised to get to the airport for trans-border departures three hours before the scheduled flight time.

WestJet says it’s acting in co-operation with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority and that the new procedures will remain in effect until at least Dec. 30.

radiovop.com | Dec 28, 2009

Masvingo – Zimbabwean farmers are withholding their farm produce in protest of an influx of cheap Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) products into the country.

Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) acting president Robert Marapira blasted government for allowing  GMOs in the country, saying they were putting farmers out of business.

“Farmers have agreed to stop selling their products to government through Grain Marketing Board (GMB) because of the GMOs. We have been thrown out of business, as farmers we also want to make profits out of our business but we can not do anything because the government has
allowed the GMOs,” said Marapira.

Marapira said Mashonaland East alone was withholding more than 600 000 tones of maize. “There are thousands of tonnes of farm produce in all provinces. Each province has an average of over 600 000 tonnes which did not go to GMB as farmers complain over poor prices for their products.”

According to Zimbabwean laws, it is illegal to manufacture GMOs in the country, however, the law does not ban the importation of such foods.

Marapira said one tonne of GMOs of maize goes for about USd 60,  which is ten times less than the money which is needed by farmers for the same quantity.

independent.ie | Dec 29, 2009

By Ralph Riegel, Anita Guidera and Brian McDonald

Householders and motorists have been warned to brace themselves for a new spell of severe freezing weather with temperatures set to plummet to record levels over the coming week.

Warnings to exercise extreme care were issued last night with a severe weather alert being given for a 48-hour period tomorrow.

Arctic winds will now keep Ireland firmly in an icy grip until January 3 and fears are mounting that temperatures in some upland northern areas could sink as low as minus 12 C on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Met Eireann said that, apart from last year, Irish winters have been relatively mild in recent times — which is making the current cold snap feel even frostier as arctic air sweeps the country.

Local authorities were last night racing to bring in extra supplies of grit and salt amid predictions that icy roads will be far more treacherous over the coming days than last week. Gardai again asked motorists to postpone all unnecessary journeys, if possible; but if they have to travel, to slow down and exercise extreme caution on the roads.

Freezing fog and ice left many roads in Co Cork and Co Kerry treacherous yesterday — with gardai urging drivers to take extreme care in Fermoy, Youghal, Blarney, Mallow, Doneraile and Bandon.

About a dozen crashes were reported around Cork, although none involved serious injuries.

Conditions were also hazardous in the north-west yesterday where roads remained frozen over.

The Donegal Mountain Rescue team mobilised its members to assist in several aid missions.

Among the worst affected was the ‘Back of Errigal’ Road stretching across the mountains from Termon to Dunlewey, which was closed for a time.

Delegates travelling to the annual Frankie Kennedy Winter School in Dunlewey, which opened yesterday, were forced to take a detour.

Roads in the Inishowen peninsula, even those that had been gritted, remained dangerous throughout the day.

In Sligo, minor roads were worst hit, with motorists being asked to avoid the Gurteen to Ballaghaderreen road and Gurteen to Cloonloo roads in particular.

Driving conditions led to several minor incidents but no major accidents were reported.

The Boyle to Frenchpark road and the R280 Kinlough to Manorhamilton route in north Leitrim were impassable for a time yesterday morning and several vehicles had to stop along the route because they were unable to travel any further.

The roads also remained treacherous in Dublin yesterday and the N4 near Palmerstown was shut briefly due to severe ice.

The Dublin Fire Brigade said they had been kept busy with call-outs from pensioners, who had slipped and fallen on icy patches, while freezing fog led to races at Leopardstown being abandoned.

In Galway and Mayo, both national and non-national roads were described as being dangerously icy.

Thousands of homes throughout mid-Galway were without water again yesterday because of problems at the Mid-Galway Regional Water Supply Scheme station in Abbeyknockmoy.

Galway County Council said pumps at the station were in overdrive and in danger of overheating.

This is believed to be a result of householders leaving taps running day and night to avoid pipes freezing over as temperatures in the west have plummeted over the past fortnight.

Freezing fog made conditions around Castlebar, Co Mayo, very difficult early yesterday and, while the fog later lifted, road conditions remained dangerous.

In Co Roscommon, the areas worst affected were around Boyle, Castlerea and Ballaghaderreen.

A driver alert was issued in Galway last night after the city council ran out of salt and grit for the icy roads.

Fine Gael claimed it was outrageous that councils weren’t able to make roads — particularly non-national routes — safe in the freezing spell because of a chronic lack of funds for gritting and salting crews.

Fine Gael road safety spokesman Shane McEntee TD claimed such funding shortfalls were threatening people’s lives.

Meanwhile, Irish Water Safety has issued a warning for people — particularly youngsters — not to play on or near ice.

Former ISI chief Asad Durrani

Press TV| Dec 25, 2009

Former ISI chief Asad Durrani says private US contractors such as Xe (formerly known as Blackwater) and other intelligence agents may be behind the assassination of civilians across Pakistan.

In an exclusive interview with Press TV, Durrani said on Friday that the local militants led by Hakimullah Mehsud primarily target the government and military installations.

Arguing against the local militants involvements in civilian assassinations, Durrani added that the militants consider Islamabad as a close ally of the US in the so-called ‘war on terror’ and that they have been launching retaliatory attacks against the government targets, particularly since the Pakistani army launched a major offensive against their stronghold in South Waziristan.

Durrani said that he doubted the notorious militants groups were behind a recent surge in attacks on civilian targets across the country.

The former head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) claimed that certain theories were circulating among Pakistani intellectuals suggesting that the foreign agents or private US contractors could have been orchestrating assassinations on the civilian targets in the nuclear-armed country.

According to Durrani, these attacks were being carried out to encourage Islamabad to be more involved in war against the militants.

Pakistan has experienced a wave of violence over the past two years. Nearly 3,000 people have been killed in bomb attacks and other terrorist operations across the country.

Reuters | Dec 28, 2009

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oil rose on Monday to touch a five-week high over $79 a barrel as expectations of colder weather in the United States and signs of economic recovery boosted the outlook for fuel demand.

U.S. crude settled up 72 cents at $78.77 a barrel in thin trade, after earlier touching $79.12, the highest since November 23. Heating oil futures led gains in the oil complex as forecasters called for colder weather in the United States.

Brent crude rose $1.01 to settle at $77.32 a barrel. Energy markets were shut on Friday for the Christmas holiday.

Oil has climbed more than 12 percent from a dip below $70 two weeks ago on expectations of rising consumption and falling inventories in the United States, where companies have been drawing down stockpiles for end-year tax purposes.

“The market continues to climb on bullish momentum. Cold weather, economic optimism, Russian/Ukraine concerns, possible further draws in this week’s inventory reports, all are in the mix,” said Tom Bentz, analyst at BNP Paribas Commodity Futures Inc.

Temperatures in the U.S. Northeast — the world’s largest heating oil market — were expected to average above normal on Monday before dipping to below normal through Friday, private forecaster DTN Meteorlogix said.

News that Russia and Ukraine agreed on the terms of a new deal governing the transit of oil exports to Europe eased concerns about a potential disruption, which had supported prices early Monday.

Oil has edged toward the upper end of the $70-$80 range that Saudi Arabia, the largest exporter in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, has said is comfortable for producers, consumers and investors.

Signs of China’s economic recovery added to the supportive backdrop for prices. Profits at Chinese industrial companies returned to growth in January through November, offering clear evidence of a stronger recovery for the country’s businesses.

U.S. stocks dipped on Monday as airline shares faltered amid security worries, while losses were limited by retail shopping data indicating improved consumer spending.