British authorities now say suspects from the failed bombing attempts last Thursday in London may have also been on a rafting trip earlier this summer with the individuals who orchestrated the July 7 terrorist bombings.
On Monday, MSNBC's Randy Meier spoke to terrorism expert Steve Emerson, executive director of The Investigative Project, one of the world's largest archival data and intelligence on Islamic and Middle Eastern terrorist groups, about the connection between London attacks.
To read an excerpt of their conversation, continue to the text below. To watch the video, click on the "Launch" button to the right.
Randy Meier: Any surprises for you Steve, that these two events and this group of men have a connection?
Steve Emerson: I'm not surprised. The only thing I'm surprised about is that there actually would be physical evidence, a picture perhaps linking them or the brochure linking them. We know in previous terror cases including 9/11, Randy, that 9/11 hijackers got together in a bonding experience in Las Vegas before they carried out the attack. We also have known in several other cases, including (in) Northern Virginia (that) terrorists got together under the mantel of being prepared for paintball exercises so it provided a legit cover to actually get together and carry out terrorist training. This could have happened here as well.
Meier: It just strikes me as odd, Steve. These men knew at that point that they were going to blow themselves up less than a week later. Is this some sort of bonding thing they do? What is it?
Emerson: It could have been bonding. It could have been jointly bonding so preparations for the terrorist attacks under the cover of actually having an outdoor exercise where no one would suspect there were doing anything but enjoying themselves. Remember, even on 9/11, there were young men who worked out and went to nightclubs three nights before they carried out the attacks and knew they were going to kill themselves.
Meier: Does it in any way Steve, suggest ... (that) there are other teams of terrorists out there who have not struck yet?
Emerson: I think it's a logical leap. The fact is, Randy, these attacks ... the ones in London in particular, occurred under the noses of the most effective law enforcement and intelligence groups in the world; the groups being MI5 and Scotland Yard. The reality is, it was nothing to indicate that this would happen and it would come out of nowhere. And I think within the U.S. government for example, there are those officials who are very concerned that the absence of what we call the chatter and the very fact that this could happen right under their nose in such a short amount of time. And these young kids are being recruited in such a short period means that now we are on the losing edge of this preemptive war on terrorism.
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Meier: You mentioned recruiting and I've got to tell you Steve, (in) my image of a terrorist ... I don't envision young men, educated men dressed in normal street clothes, gathering together for a rafting trip. Is this an example of al-Qaida contorting itself to appeal to a new crop of recruits?
Emerson: With the transformation that has got law enforcement intelligence communities very worried because not only is the recruitment period very short, it's hard to penetrate the cell, but they recruit from unsuspecting terrorists, middle class, university graduates and those that don't dress up in that garb who don't go to traditional terrorists camps but rather they get their training in white water rafting weekends and there's no way of knowing until, unfortunately, after the fact.
Meier: Now, British authorities are working together, trying to piece together the time three of the four July 7 bombers spent in Pakistan. It's been said that there was a meeting, some sort of collaborative induction for new terrorist recruits back in 2004. What do we know about that?
Emerson: I've only read the reports and they seem to consistently cite the fact that there were visits by, as you pointed out three of the four. They went to a certain madras's that are known to espouse certain jihad, and there may have been some type of terrorist doctrine or recruitment process sort of like hazing in a fraternity, where they are welcomed into this very elite community. That's very interesting because that does provide a paper trail back to Pakistan and does indicate that Pakistan itself is still home to some of the leaders basically initiating these operations.
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