Decoded Al Qaeda Files Suggest Passenger Vessels May Be At Risk for Attack

About one year ago, Berlin police stopped and interrogated a 22-year-old Austrian on his return from Pakistan. During their search, authorities recovered a digital storage device and memory cards hidden in his underpants.

After weeks of attempting to crack a password that was protecting the devices, investigators uncovered an array of intelligence, with over 100 al Qaeda documents describing some of their future plots against the world. These documents were strategically encoded deep inside two pornographic files.

Some of the plans include: seizing cruise ships, carrying out gun attacks in Europe, and they also provided PDF versions of terrorist training manuals in multiple languages. In a document titled ‘Future Works’, the terrorist group discusses the goal of finding new targets and methods of attack.

One major plan recognized is to seize passenger ships. According to CNN, the author of the plan detailed hijacking a passenger vessel and using it to pressure the public – a similar effort made by sea pirates today. Once onboard the ships, the documents state that passengers will then begin to be executed, as al Qaeda forces the release of particular prisoners, their allies.

This plan would also include dressing passengers in orange jump suits, as if they were al Qaeda prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, and then videotaping their execution, according to the original report in German newspaper Die Zeit.

‘Future Works’ suggests al Qaeda was an organization under pressure, without a major attack to its name in several years, as Western intelligence agencies have become excellent in hampering attacks. Although the document does not contain dates, places, or specific plans, it appears to be a brainstorming exercise to grab the initiative and reinstate al Qaeda around the world.

Photo (thumb): USS Cole after al-Qaeda suicide attack

Watch the CNN news report below: