Incendiary Packages Target Government Buildings in Maryland

NYPD SHIELD Terrorism Assessment
Open Source Assessment
January 6, 2011 Information cutoff: 4:00 PM
NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau Terrorism Threat Analysis Group

Key points. Two packages ignited shortly after being opened in two separate government buildings in Maryland. Investigators are examining two additional suspicious packages in a courthouse and a state office building in Baltimore.

The first device ignited in the mailroom of the Jeffrey Building, located in the state capital of Annapolis. A second device ignited at the state’s Department of Transportation headquarters, located in Hanover, Maryland. Two people suffered minor burn-related injuries. No claim of responsibility has been made.

Details of Incident. On Thursday, January 6, 2011, two incendiary devices concealed in packages ignited in two government office buildings in Maryland. At approximately 12:30 pm, a package addressed to Governor O’Malley ignited when it was opened in the mailroom of the Jeffrey Building located at 16 Francis Street in Annapolis. The mailroom attendant who opened the package suffered minor burns on his hands. The Jeffrey Building houses several different offices of the Maryland state government, including Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of State.

At approximately 12:45 pm, a second package of similar size and color ignited when it was opened in the mailroom of the Maryland Department of Transportation, located in Hanover, MD. The state employee who opened the package suffered minor burns, and several others were transported to medical facilities as a precautionary measure.
Both ignitions included a brief flash of fire, smoke, and an odor. Officials evacuated both buildings following the incidents. No claim of responsibility has been made regarding these incendiary devices.

Conclusions. Several factors suggest that the two devices that ignited may be linked: reports indicate that the packages were of a similar shape and color; both packages targeted government officials and buildings; and the devices ignited within approximately 15 minutes of each other. Moreover, the two devices that ignited appear to have been either poorly constructed or not intended to cause severe injury. The deliberate targeting of Maryland’s governor and state office buildings suggests that these attacks may have been motivated by anti-government sentiment.

Implications for New York City.

• New York City remains a major target for terrorist groups and individual domestic terrorists. 
• Explosive and incendiary devices concealed as packages have been used in the past by international and domestic terrorists and anarchists in attacks against civilians and government personnel.
• Mailroom personnel, especially those working in government offices (JCRC comment: and Jewish organizations), should remain vigilant and keep an eye out for unusual activity and suspicious packages.

JCRC comments: Later reports indicate that the standard yellow padded envelopes had both excess postage and a fictional return address. Both are  standard indicators of suspicious mail. See JCRC's guidance on screening suspicious packages and mail here.

Sources
1. WP Editors. “Incendiary Devices at Md. Buildings.” Washington Post. January 6, 2011.
2. M. Dresser, T. Bishop, J. Bykowicz “Explosive Devices Cause Injuries At Two Maryland State Buildings; One Addressed To O’Malley.” Baltimore Sun. January 6. 2011
3. This Just In. Explosions at Maryland State Offices Injure 1. CNN. January 6, 2011.

UK terror arrests a reminder: threat is real

The UK Christmas bombing campaign by nine alleged terrorists primarily targeted iconic sites such as the London Stock Exchange, Big Ben, the Millennium Wheel and the American Embassy in London. The religious sites on their list included Westminster Abbey and two British synagogues and rabbis (The CST is the lead British organization dealing with Jewish security, see their information here).

Prosecutors reported that the group had conducted pre-operational surveillance of some of their potential targets and had tested explosives.

This plot echoes many of the "homegrown terror" plots here in the U.S. and is a reminder that:

• Anti-Semitism is a core component of Jihadist ideology.
• Anti-Semitism is a common tool in the radicalization process.
• Jewish-affiliated targets may be preferable for less sophisticated terrorists.
• Jewish institutions may not be priority targets, but may become secondary targets or targets of convenience.

Jewish organizations should continue to operate with heightened vigilance. Review our security resources for suggestions and guidance at: http://www.jcrcny.org/securityresources. Timely articles include Tips on detecting hostile surveillance from our partners at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and JCRC's Sample Building Access Policies and Procedures.

JCRC commends NYPD & Shomrim in Hate Crime arrest

Alan Jaffe, President and Michael S. Miller, Executive Vice President and CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York commended the actions of the NYPD and the Williamsburg Shomrim Patrol, saying: "The arrests of two individuals show what can happen when the NYPD and the community work together. It was great teamwork."

Monday night, a man leaving a synagogue was assaulted. The Williamsburg Shomrim Patrol responded, identified the perpetrators and held them until officers from the 90th Precinct arrived to arrest them.

Detectives from the 90th Precinct and the Hate Crimes Task Force jointly questioned the suspects, who admitted to last week's brutal Thanksgiving assault in the same neighborhood.

The suspects, who are 14 and 15 years old, have been charged with several counts of assault and hate crimes. "While these individuals are technically minors," explained Jaffe and Miller, "we call on the District Attorney of Kings County to petition that they be tried in Supreme Court. These individuals admitted to multiple felonies with bias motivation and this was not the first attack. They should be held accountable for their actions to the full extent of the law."

More tips for package screening

Wall Street Journal, "Focus on Cargo Security Steps", November 1, 2010

We continue to advise Jewish institutions to carefully screen their mail and packages. Be suspicious of any item coming from an unknown sender, especially unknown senders from overseas.

If you receive a package from an unknown sender and suspect that it could be an explosive device or it may contain a hazardous substance, do not disturb it, do not try to open it. Leave the room, close the door and call 911.  For specific steps see steps below.

The packages from Yemen discovered last week were designed to be hard to detect, even with an x-ray device. They prove that terrorist tactics are evolving and adapting to our security measures.

Although none of the following suggestions can definitively "rule-in" or "rule-out" a shipment, think about the following before opening any parcel:

Rethinking mail screening

Due to critical intelligence information two sophisticated explosive devices shipped via air cargo with explosives were intercepted before detonation. John Brennan, the deputy national security adviser, said on Sunday that there might be additional devices like the two discovered last Friday.

Both of these packages were addressed to former addresses of synagogues in the Chicago area. However, investigators are still attempting to determine whether the devices were meant to explode in transit or at their ultimate destination.

General guidance
We continue to advise Jewish institutions to carefully screen their mail and packages. Be suspicious of any item coming from an unknown sender, especially unknown senders from overseas. Both devices were sent from Yemen, but some analysts speculate that terrorists might send devices to other countries for subsequent rerouting.

If you receive a package from an unknown sender and suspect that it could be an explosive device or it may contain a hazardous substance, do not disturb it, do not try to open it. Leave the room, close the door and call 911. Other suggestions for mail screening are provided below.

Plot Involving Suspicious Packages

Key Points from the NYPD

• Since Thursday night, law enforcement officials identified two suspicious packages addressed to two synagogues in Chicago. 
• Initial reports indicate that the packages contain explosive material. Forensic analysis is underway. 
• The packages were discovered in Dubai and East Midlands Airport in the United Kingdom. 
• Cargo planes at Newark International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport originating in Yemen were searched for similar suspicious packages. 
• Media reports indicate that one woman was arrested in Yemen on suspicion of mailing the packages and that authorities are searching for others.

Implications for New York City 

• The NYPD is working closely with our federal partners in the intelligence community to investigate this incident. 
• At this time, there is no known specific threat to New York City connected to this incident. 
• The NYPD recommends that all New Yorkers remain vigilant. 
• In the event a suspicious package is found, call 911 and do not handle it.

Implications for the Jewish community

• There are no known additional specific threats to Jewish institutions at this time.
• Jewish institutions continue to be targeted by those wishing to attack the United States.
• Jewish communal institutions should review their security precautions and ensure continued vigilance, both for mail and direct threats.
• Jewish communal institutions and known leaders should be suspicious of any packages from unknown senders. Terrorists know how to adapt. Do not assume that bombs only come from Yemen. 
• In the event a suspicious package is found, do not handle it and call 911. Be prepared to evacuate your building.

Yemen package alert requires increased vigilance

The JUF in Chicago issued an alert to Jewish institutions to be on the alert for suspicious packages that might be coming via UPS, FedEx, or by other means.The warning comes after a suspicious package, which contained a "manipulated" toner cartridge, was found Thursday night on a Chicago-bound cargo plane from Yemen, according to CNN. This incident is ongoing.

Organizations should review their mail procedures.It is likely that this incident was merely a test and those behind it will vary their methodology. Don't assume that you have to suspect certain senders or mail from specific countries. Everyone opening mail should be wary of mail coming from unknown senders, especially those overseas. 

Jewish organizations should increase their vigilance, in general. If you suspect that you received a suspicious package, call 911 immediately.

Feel free to contact the JCRC if you need additional information on mail screening.

JCRC-NY applauds conviction in Riverdale synagogue bombing case

The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York salutes the work of the prosecutors who won the conviction of four men who plotted to bomb two synagogues in Riverdale and shoot down a plane at the Stewart Air National Guard Base.  The conviction was based on the stellar work of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, led by the New York Office of the FBI and the NYPD.  We are grateful to all of them.

The evidence presented at trial was shocking, in that it demonstrated the visceral anti-Semitism of the defendants. We had no doubt that, given the opportunity, the defendants intended to destroy houses of worship and to kill and maim scores of Jews, soldiers and others. We are fortunate that our law enforcement agencies continue to be vigilant and were able to interrupt the defendants before they committed a heinous act.

Tornado Watch Guidance

The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for most of southern New York State and NJ. Click on the links for more localized information. 

A tornado watch defines an area shaped like a parallelogram, where tornadoes and other kinds of severe weather are possible in the next several hours. It does not mean tornadoes are imminent -- just that you need to be alert, and to be prepared to go to safe shelter if tornadoes do happen or a warning is issued.

Recently, New Yorkers have learned that tornadoes can happen here. To learn more about personal preparedness, click here. Jewish organizations should put their tornado watch plans into effect:

• Flying debris is the greatest hazard in most severe storms. Make sure that your sukkot and their contents are secured or brought inside. 
• Turn on local TV or radio, turn on and set the alarm switch on your weather radio, make sure you have ready access to safe shelter, and make your friends and family aware of the potential for tornadoes in the area.
• Keep children at school beyond regular hours if threatening weather is expected; and inform parents of this policy. Children are safer deep within a school than in a bus or car. Students should not be sent home early if severe weather is approaching, because they may still be out on the roads when it hits.
• Lunches or assemblies in large rooms should be postponed if severe weather is approaching. As illustrated above, gymnasiums, cafeterias, and auditoriums offer no meaningful protection from tornado-strength winds. Also, even if there is no tornado, severe thunderstorms can generate winds strong enough to cause major damage.
• Get more information tornado preparedness and planning for schools  from the National Weather Service click here.

TSA Guidance on Lulav, Etrog, et. al.

The TSA released the following guidance:

Religious Holiday of Sukkot

September 13, 2010

The travel period for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot is from September 19 through October 4, 2010.

Observant Jewish travelers may carry four plants – a palm branch, myrtle twigs, willow twigs, and a citron – in airports and through security checkpoints. These plants are religious articles and may be carried either separately or as a bundle. Jewish travelers may be observed in prayer, shaking the bundle of plants in six directions.

TSA’s screening procedures do not prohibit the carrying of such agricultural items through the airport or security checkpoints, or on airplanes. These plants are not on TSA’s Prohibited Items List. And, as always, TSA is committed to treating all passengers, including passengers who may be observing Sukkot, with respect and dignity during the screening process.