Al-Qaeda Planned USFK Attacks
From the confession of the Ron Jeremy look-alike known as Khalid Sheikh Mohammad:
23. I was responsible for planning and surveying to hit American targets in South Korea, such as American military bases and a few night clubs frequented by American soldiers.
The thought occurred to me almost every post-9/11 day I was assigned to Korea. The “Hooker Hill” district of Itaewon mixes very uneasily with the nearby Korea Islam Mosque, a congregation that includes a high percentage of conversative Pushtuns from the Northwest Frontier Province. It’s pure speculation of me to say so, but I’ll do it anyway: the attackers would have used the mosque as cover for their presence, and the King Club would have been their target.
Any guesses on how various segments of the South Korean population would have reacted? We may get some idea when this story hits Naver.
Update: Or not. Some “officials” claim that KSM is a BS artist.
Update 2: And then again, on the other hand:
According to Mr. Chung, a group of Islamic fundamentalists from the Middle East was raided last year by the National Intelligence Service while planning an attack on South Korean soil. They were reportedly a mix of persons residing in South Korea and those entering on tourist visas.
In addition, news reports have revealed that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a senior Al-Qaeda leader, has several years ago come to Seoul to gather intelligence on South Korea’s airport security. In 1999, Nizar Nawar, who is allegedly responsible for a 2002 terrorist attack in Tunisia, stayed illegally in Pocheon, Gyeonggi province, for more than six months while collecting intelligence.
Both mens’ visits went undetected.
A common mission of terrorist operatives has been to scan U.S. military bases. “The National Intelligence Service has told us a package was sent overseas last April from Korea, which contained a disc with maps of U.S. military bases in South Korea and methodologies to be used in an attack,” a government official told the JoongAng Ilbo last week.
Thanks to Mingi for sending.
Among other crimes, I think KSM also shot JR and Olaf Palme, stole a step ladder from my father’s tool shed in 1994 and managed the Kansas City Royals for the last decade.
Don’t forget Hoffa.
Still, the USFK terror thing is very, very plausible.
I agree, Joshua, and didn’t mean to be flippant. I recall that on Sept 7, 2001, US Forces in Japan and Korea got unprecedentedly specific warnings, which may have been part of the Qaeda chatter to divert or confuse monitors. I always steered clear of Geckos and that area of Itaewon because of the same sense you expressed.
I remember on my old blog, in the emotional days right after 9/11, I mentioned SK as a ripe target and remarked how I felt a little worried about even posting about it – because I didn’t want to give any terrorist ideas – but when I read months and months later about the ROK and US authorities saying SK had been scouted – it made perfect sense.
I remember teaching in Songnam and meeting a lot of 3-D workers from Muslim nations in North Africa, Africa, Pakistan, and other parts of Asia. There was a foreign workers dorm near my apartment, and I talked to a good number of them. Nice guys…
After 9/11, (years later), I thought given the amount of US bases, US camp “villes”, GIs moving about, and South Korean anti-US activists proving you could cut a fence and easily get on a US base, or scale the walls of the US Embassy (even after 9/11) —
— if I were a terrorist, I’d be maping out an effort in Korea…
Below is the link to an article I wrote two years ago on the Islamic fundamentalist threat with regards to South Korea. This should answer some questions, though certainly not all.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2611515
There was a specific target in Itaewon, one that is always crowded with foreigners of every stripe. At the time I was told, the name of the bar was classified and since I haven’t heard otherwise I won’t divulge the name here. But yeah, it makes sense that the popular hangouts would be targets, similar to what happened in Bali. And the curfew, initially at least, was in response to specific intelligence regarding an attack.
Mind you, I’ve only heard about certain aspects of “the Hill”; but al Qaeda may well have thought that Itaewon was a very potent weapon against our troops all by itself!
Certain aspects of life in Korea need to stay there; but does Injun Joe’s still have those novelty matchbooks?
Hmmm, and down in SONGTAN – I’ve counted I think 5 different ‘middle eastern’ carpet shops. All of which I NEVER have seen any (or much) business. NOR have I seen an Adjashi working in any of them.
If they were successfull enough to warrent 5 shops – don’t you think Adashi would have opened his own version of middle eastern rugs by now and ran out those who didn’t have Korean ties (spouses, partners, etc)?
Oh, then there is that restaraunt outside the gate – serving middle eastern dishes. Odd that you can find ‘free meal’ cards on Osan AB. Hmmmm? Covert intel collection?
I dunno, I’m just saying…
Soon after September 11th, while I was re located to Yangsan. I started to notice more and more arabic males out in the city. I mentioned it to some of my higher ups, but they told me they’ve always been there, I was just noticing them because of the attacks….
Not more than 1 week after that, I was doing backfill in Daegu, working gate 6 when a couple arabs rolled up on a moped with a video camera, video taping the traffic and gate operations. Needless to say, after a long long chase, I began to suspect a terrorist plot in the works against USFK….
While back in Seoul I too steared clear of Gecko’s, Hard Rock Cafe and those other “Western” style bars…
BUT JESUS! THE KING CLUB!! COME ON AL!! WHATS THE WORLD COMING TO?! THATS WHERE I SPENT MY FIRST NIGHT IN KOREA!! (Also where I met and took home a hot golfer chick.)
I can see a motive for North Korea and its extensive net in the South to support something like this, but I have no direct evidence of that. Can anyone add any substance to my speculation?