This is one of the most fascinating things I’ve read since leaving the Intel world…
It’s the statement of uncontested facts for the trial of one of the Toronto 18 plotters (the big arrests in Canada that linked all through Europe and into US too). R v Saad Khalid
God Bless the Canadians there is a LOT of detail in here quite a few people might find interesting. It should help distill the myths around homegrown terrorism somehow not being sophisticated. Ok so it’s not al Qaeda core level. But seriously, take a read.
Things of interest as I read it. No analysis I’m just skimming picking out things as I go.
- Radio Frequency remote controls…. how cheap they were and where they got this idea from. This particular model is not in any bad guy manuals I’ve seen and I have pretty much all of them. Though I would also defer to Casey and Aaron on this too. They may have caught some. An MK 160 Remote Control Via Cellular Phone. They are very cheap and evidently quite dangerous when put to nefarious use.
- Photo cell devices…
- 3 UHAUL vans as the VBIEDs
- Remotely detonated, no martyrdom. They planned to flee. I find this interesting.
- I’m very curious about the detonator in the pictures of stuff seized. From the two dodgy shots I have it is more advanced than the manuals that were available at the time they started this. Again, Aaron and Casey may disagree.
- WHERE DID THEY GET 20 000 IN CASH??? That’s not exactly normal for homegrown plots. At least not the ones I’ve worked on and/or seen…
- Following the guidance of Yousef Al Ayiri in keeping information segmented. Clearly these boys were reading Al Battar.
- The usual renting of a house as bomb making factory
- Meeting *someone* (it’s blacked out) in Pakistan after fleeing. This is interesting. Wonder how it links into the UK/US/PAK/EUROPE network that these guys hooked into.
- Use of USB as communication tool…this is old school.
- The detonation device was rigged to be remotely set off via phone call (apparently) seems to be a bit of bravado here and it is agent reporting too.
- WANTED THE BOMBINGS TO TAKE PLACE ON 9/11 ANNIVERSARY. Don’t they all. Anniversary dates are still so underestimated.
- THINKING THEY WERE UNDER SURVEILLANCE AND STILL CONTINUING ON. This is incredibly common and shows why disruption only ever does just that. These guys are like energizer bunnies they just keep going and going.
- The usual weekend group congealing/planning/training trips.
- Making of a video as if al Qaeda did it. Interesting. Though not novel by any means.
- *someone* (blacked out) talking about OPSEC at the storage facility when storing the chemicals. Putting dots on the bags so they know if they are replaced and wax on the door.
- THESE GUYS HAD A LOT OF CASH for small time numpties.
- The usual jihadi literature surfaces again.
Okay so that’s my extraction of interesting things. If anyone out there picks up something I’ve missed I’d be really interested to hear it. And one day way way away I will come back to this, but it goes on the bottom of the pile for now. Back to pesky thesis for me thus ending blogging for now.
UPDATE: If this were facebook my post would be Leah Farrall: is sighing whimsically and wishing she had analysts notebook and could make a great big messy chart. aah Telco analysis. intercepts. how i miss it. I’m going to have to make some form of chart just to feel a bit better with my teeny tiny network mapping program, which is oddly enough a medical tool. it rocks. except i can’t quite figure out all the algorithm thingies.
I miss doing this stuff. Big time.
Where are you getting this from? link?
Okay, so I read through item number 22 of the original document that you linked. So I will be commenting on what you have posted.
My first comment is on the UHUALs, did they not learn the lessons from the first WTC bombings. Maybe they were going to go back and get a refund or make a rental car insurance claim.
“Uhm yes, it seems that the van I rented from you blow up while I was in another country.”
Now on to the photo cell devices, sounds like a delayed arming mechanism. Park the vans with the cells in the morning shade knowing that in a certain amount of time the sun light would hit the cells and arm the IED.
Radio Frequency remote controls, these are archaic. It can be replace with a more effective control.
Was the ‘training camps’ a means to acquire the need funding? I believe the document said the camp was held twice. Did they charge for these camps?
I have never used analysts notebook but it sound like a great tool/app.