ATTN: HST/2; HST/1; NSNS/1; US/30; Mil.COM-Ed.; IMF/2; LAT/4; WDN; OCR
[ed.note: Too bad we don’t have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore--over the “NEW” Pentagon Papers leak, previously referenced.
Below, Nixon’s home town newspaper reports that executives of the local drone manufacturer AeroVironment Inc., who were specifically named on a new Al Qaeda Assassination HIT LIST were NOT briefed by the FBI until this past THURSDAY, 30 June—THREE-WEEKS after THREE federal and ONE state AGENCY issued restricted intelligence Security BULLETINs which listed the California defense contractors by name. (DHS, DoD, FBI and CFIX.)
The Bureau briefing came ONE WEEK after an EXCLUSIVE Homeland Security Today and BlackNET Intelligence Channel joint report that detailed the 58-name ‘Law Enforcement Sensitive’ Al Qaeda assassination target list, with specific reference to the AeroVironment officials by name.
As reported Friday in a BKNT-NODIS Post,* certain other AQ Assassination Hit-List TARGETs also had NOT received FBI warnings until after being contacted by BlackNET investigators.
In one particular case, the FBI failed to warn a prominent public figure about being targeted with AQ Death Threats until TWO weeks after the FOUR AGENCY Security BULLETINs were issued. These accumulatingly delayed warnings appear to fly in the face of various PUBLIC PROCLAMATIONS to the effect that the Al Qaeda Hit List Targets had been notified by the Bureau.
Most hit-list TARGETs who responded in any way when contacted by BlackNET investigators, told us it was the first they’d heard of the death threats: “We learned about it from you,” said one high-profile assassination target. “The FBI then called right after that.” **
Go figure.
(*- 01 July 2011 : 1800 ET – NO DISSEMINATION :: BKNT--FLASH--Exclusive BlackNET Member Threat PROFILE--Coming to a BlackNET BlackSITE near You--SOON--ND-HpR;
**- Interview, 23 June 2011 : 1530 ET)]
Posted: 07/01/2011 04:56:13 PM PDT
FBI officials warned AeroVironment Inc. employees of threats to 11 senior executives by Al-Qaida in Monrovia on Friday, July 1, 2011.
MONROVIA - Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, confirmed Friday that AeroVironment and senior executives of the West Huntington Drive company appeared on an al-Qaida hit list in June.
"There is currently no evidence that an attack is about to happen or even being extensively planned against local businesses or individuals," Schiff said in a statement released Friday afternoon.
Schiff indicated the threat may be linked to recent developments in the Middle East including the death of terror kingpin Osama bin-Laden and street protests in Egypt, Syria and Tunisia.
"Al-Qaida has been trying to re-affirm its credibility after being marginalized by the Arab Spring," Schiff added. "Many thousands of these kind of threats have proved no more than idle rants over the years."
Nonetheless, Monrovia city officials said Friday they've ramped up security around the AV plant in the 1800 block of West Huntington Drive.
Officials also added additional security around the perimeter of the Friday Monrovia Family Festival and Farmers Market, City Councilman Tom Adams said.
"There's all kinds of things going on," Adams said. "Police and security will have a huge presence. We're stepping it up."
On Thursday FBI officials warned AV employees of the al-Qaida threats against 11 senior executives of the Monrovia-based company, according to sources with knowledge of the warning.
The FBI warning came after jihadist blogs and websites urged attacks on U.S. military and corporate facilities in the United States.
Those threats first surfaced in early June after a call to action from former Southern California resident Adam Gadahn, a high ranking al-Qaida member from Winchester in Southwestern Riverside County.
Agents from the FBI field office in Los Angeles took part in talking to AV executives. Their briefing was based on a classified law enforcement bulletin published in mid-June, according to a source with knowledge of the bulletin.
"The Bureau did contact individuals with AeroVironment, but said none of the information specifically named all of the individuals that were contacted," the source said.
An FBI spokeswoman declined to discuss the matter Friday.
"We're not commenting on threats that come from websites," spokeswoman Ari Dekofsky said.
No tactical alerts had been issued by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in response to the threat, officials at the Temple City substation said Friday.
The threat first came to light in a June 23 blog post on Homeland Security Today, a New York-based website that reports on counterterrorism, intelligence and border security. That post revealed extensive details about a bulletin released by the Florida Fusion Center on June 6.
[NOT exactly ‘mid-June’]
According to the Homeland Security Today blog, the Fusion Center warned that "11 of the nation's top military leaders are among 58 past and present military, corporate and civilian officials who have been identified by members of the Al Qaeda-linked Ansar Al Mujahedeen jihadist forum as infidels who should be murdered, according to a jihadist `hit list."'
AV executives were also on that list.
After their discussion with the FBI, company officials late Thursday removed all signage from the West Huntington Drive corporate headquarters.
On Friday afternoon, police presence outside the plant was minimal.
Meanwhile local members of Congress said they were monitoring the situaiton.
Schiff, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said AV's role in the war on terror likely played a role in the threats.
"Many Southern California companies produce advanced technologies and products that play an important role in maintaining our national security, and we need to take every threat seriously. The businesses and individuals targeted by these sites have been notified and will take appropriate action to maintain their security."
AV makes a variety of unmanned surveillance aircraft systems - known as drones - that are used extensively by U.S. military forces in the global war on terrorism.
frank.girardot@sgvn.com
626-962-8811, ext. 4478
Read more: Schiff confirms al-Qaida threat to Monrovia plant - Whittier Daily News http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_18394500#ixzz1R17IODyv
[Information contained in BKNT E-mail is considered Attorney-Client and Attorney Work Product privileged, copyrighted and confidential. Views that may be expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of any government, agency, or news organization.]
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