Al Qaeda Communications System Uncovered, Leading to Heightened Terror Alert

Senior American officials revealed on Sunday that the recent capture of a high-ranking Al Qaeda figure in Pakistan has led to a significant discovery in the terrorist organization's communications system. The individual, identified as Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, a 25-year-old computer engineer, was arrested on July 13 and had been using and helping to operate a secret Al Qaeda communications system that transferred information via coded messages. This finding, coupled with other intelligence gathered in recent weeks, elevated the significance of the warnings issued on Sunday regarding potential terrorist attacks on financial institutions.

Key Takeaways:

• The capture of Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, a 25-year-old computer engineer, led the Central Intelligence Agency to uncover a rich source of information about Al Qaeda's communications system.
• The documentary evidence obtained after Khan's capture demonstrated that Al Qaeda members had conducted sophisticated and extensive reconnaissance of financial institutions, including ones in New York, Newark, and Washington.
• The evidence showed that Al Qaeda plotters had begun casing the buildings even before the 9/11 attacks, and that they had sought to answer questions such as how to gain access to the targeted buildings, how many people might be present, and how large of an explosive device would be required to bring the buildings down.
• The new evidence had been obtained after the capture of the Al Qaeda figure, who was captured with the help of the CIA.
• The captured individual, Khan, had been a key figure in the Al Qaeda communications system, which relied on web sites and email addresses in Turkey, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
• Khan had told investigators that most of Al Qaeda's communications were now done through the Internet, and that messages were deleted after being read by the recipient to maintain secrecy.
• Khan's role as a clearinghouse of Al Qaeda communications could have made him a vital source of information for the CIA since his arrest.

Statistics:

• 24 years: The senior American intelligence official's career span in intelligence work.
• 25 days: The training period at a militant camp in Afghanistan that Khan received in June 1998.
• 25-year-old: Khan's age at the time of his arrest.
• $170: The monthly rent paid to Khan by Al Qaeda for his house in Lahore.
• $90: The monthly expenses paid to Khan by Al Qaeda.
• 6 feet 2 inches: Khan's height.
• 13, July: The date of Khan's arrest.
• 1998: The year Khan received training at a militant camp in Afghanistan.

Sources:

• A senior Pakistani intelligence official, who described Khan's role in the Al Qaeda communications system.
• A senior United States official, who declined to confirm or deny that Khan was the Qaeda figure whose capture led to the information.
• A senior American intelligence official, who said the information was more detailed and precise than any he had seen during his 24-year career.
• A third senior American official, an intelligence expert, who called the discovery a "potential treasure trove."