By Sr. National Security Producer Pam Benson
Analysts are working 24/7 this week at the National Counterterrorism Center, sifting through databases for connections to a possible threat of an attack on New York or Washington around the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
"Some people have not gone home who are working on this," a counterterrorism official said Friday.
Experts are reviewing variations in names - names that might be fragments or aliases, but are enough to run through their computer systems in an effort to glean more information about the possible plot, which is believed to involve a vehicle-borne explosive device.
As analysts pore through travel records trying to find out if any suspected terrorists have entered the United States, they take the fragments of information they have - names, countries, dates - to narrow down nationality, country of departure, timeframe of travel and any contacts the suspects might have had en route.
The NCTC works with other members of the intelligence community to run down leads and information is exchanged.
"A fair amount of questions are being posed both from us and to us," the counterterrorism official said. FULL POST
By CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden
Reminiscent of the national unity which followed the 9/11 attacks, a rare bipartisan embrace highlighted the 9/11 memorial tribute at the Justice Department Friday.
Members of Attorney General Eric Holder's team and a substantial delegation of GOP officials from former Attorney General John Ashcroft's administration joined to pay tribute to the victims and their families. The event also marked a celebration of the Justice Department and FBI efforts over 10 years to reform the nation's response to combating international terrorism.
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By CNN National Security Producer Jamie Crawford
Speaking just a few blocks north from where New York’s twin towers once stood, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the latest terror threat "should surprise no one," but serves as a "reminder of the continuing stakes in our struggle against violent extremism."
Clinton spoke at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan to mark the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and to herald a strategy that weaves U.S. diplomacy and development assistance with defense in its engagement with the world. She has called the strategy "smart power."
As a reflection of the continued evolution of counterterrorism strategy, President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing a strategic counterterrorism communications initiative that seeks to counteract jihadist recruitment messages and propoganda.
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By CNN National Security Producer Jamie Crawford
The United States is sending the first team of diplomats into the Libyan capital since its embassy was shuttered earlier this year, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said Friday.
Joan Polaschik, the deputy chief of mission, is scheduled to arrive Saturday to establish what the State Department calls a "modest" diplomatic footprint.
Polaschik will have "a couple of policy people with her and some more security folks and building folks to work on getting the premises ready for the reopening as soon as we can," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
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By CNN National Security Producer Charley Keyes
Billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer funds are being spent to send diplomats and other civilians to Afghanistan without proper understanding of how the money is spent and how expenses may keep going up, a new report concludes.
"No agency has comprehensively assessed the cost of establishing and sustaining the civilian uplift or the mechanisms in place to ensure uplift funds are used appropriately," the report said, pointing out that most of the civilians, and the expenses are part of the State Deapartment. Uplift is government term for bringing more civilians into the war zone
"State had neither established formal mechanisms with other agencies regarding their use of civilian uplift funds nor monitored how agencies spent funds and instead relied on informal communications such as emails and meetings," the report said. "As a result, this increased the risk that funds would not be spent for their intended purpose."
By CNN National Security Producer Jamie Crawford
Ten years after the September 11 attacks, al Qaeda's ability to finance such a large and sophisticated operation has been significantly diminished, but new challenges to choke off funds for further attacks continue, the Treasury Department said.
"Al Qaeda struggles to secure steady financing. It can no longer rely on a thick Rolodex and a simple bank transfer," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said at a symposium Thursday to highlight the work of the Treasury Department's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. The death of Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda's most effective advocate for funding, dealt a blow to the group, Geithner said, "but al Qaeda is a determined and sophisticated organization, and it will continue to find ways to access funding."
To be sure, the Treasury Department said it has been able to curtail al Qaeda's financing ability through arrest, prosecution and targeted sanctions aimed at its key leadership.
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A senior US administration official tells Pentagon correspondent Barbara Star that it is the 'origin' of the intelligence information about a possible 9-11 attack that is causing the concern that has led the warnings from the Obama Administration.
"It gives us pause" he says.
"It all gets to the assessment of where the information is coming from" the source said.
The focus right now is finding corroboration that either this is real, or they can dismiss it, the source said.
The 'working assumption' is that operatives have entered the US. "The working assumption is if the plot is for real and there are individuals plotting then some have already arrived." But he stressed they cannot confirm that has happened.
The US also believes the operatives came out of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region, that they are part of Al Qaeda 'central", but he said there is also a possibility Pakistan-based groups like LET or TTP groups are also involved.
Asked by CNN business reporter Alison Kosik if Pakistan was involved in uncovering the threat or following up on it, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said U.S. government is taking the threat seriously.
"We are, obviously, working with everybody to try to find as much information as possible," Clinton said in an interview after she helped ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.