On Tuesday AlertsUSA subscribers were notified that security was increasing at synagogues & Jewish Community Centers across the U.S. following a multi-location terror attack in a suburb of Tel Aviv, Israel.
In this incident, a gunman on a motorcycle opened fire at two locations in Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox city just east of Tel Aviv, killing at least five people and injuring others.
This was the third terror attack within Israel in a seven-day period.
This string of attacks came just days before the start of the historically volatile Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began Friday, April 1st and runs through Sunday, May 1st.
In a rare overlapping of dates, this year's Ramadan observance takes place in the same month as Passover and Easter, a correlation almost certain to raise problems.
Readers are reminded that just two months ago, a 44-year-old British Pakistani armed with a pistol, took a rabbi and three others hostage at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. During hostage negotiations the suspect demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani national and convicted al-Qaida terrorist imprisoned in nearby Fort Worth. One hostage was released and the three others managed to escape. The FBI's Hostage Rescue Team subsequently entered the synagogue and fatally shot the suspect.
Just weeks after this incident, the Department of Homeland Security issued a terror bulletin warning that supporters of foreign terrorist organizations have encouraged followers to carry out copycat attacks modeled after the Texas synagogue incident.
This year alone, testimony and public comments by our nations military and intelligence leaders make clear that groups including the Islamic State, al-Qaida, their associates, and those inspired by such organizations, remain intent on attacking U.S. citizens and the homeland.
As in the past, extremists may use conventional or non-conventional weapons to target U.S. government and private interests. Terrorists are also increasingly using less sophisticated methods, including edged weapons, pistols, and vehicles as weapons, to effectively target crowds.
Additionally, as we have seen repeatedly over the past two decades, extremists increasingly aim to identify and attack "soft" targets, including:
- high-profile public events
- hotels, clubs and restaurants
- places of worship
- schools
- parks
- shopping malls and markets
- tourism infrastructure and tourist sites
- public transportation systems
- airports
AlertsUSA urges caution and vigilance when out and about in the coming months.
Ukraine Invasion Update
Russian progress in Ukraine remains slow, if nonexistent, though there is a lot happening just outside the war-torn country.
For instance, late Thursday night night Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out an air strike against a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod, located approximately 35 km (22 miles) from the border of Ukraine.
Russia's defense ministry said the strike was carried out around 5 a.m. Moscow time by two Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopters flying at low altitude.
If verified, this would be the first major attack on Russian soil by Ukraine since Moscow invaded more than one month ago. It would also be the first military attack on Russian soil by a foreign force since World War II.
Questions.. Questions..
There are a host of reasons why the current narrative regarding this attack could change. For instance, there are 58 other countries around the world who also operate the Mi-24 helicopter, including NATO members Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and the U.S.. (yes, the U.S. Army and Air Force have a number of Mi-24 aircraft in inventory).
In addition, the ability of the helicopters to penetrate 20+ miles into Russian territory, carry out the attack, then safely get out would potentially require electro-optical and infrared capabilities, RF countermeasures, communications jamming, radar jamming, electronic masking and loads of real-time intel and battlespace awareness... Perhaps Ukraine could have pulled it off given the current situation in the country, but it is likely they had some help.
Sweden, Finland and NATO
Sweden and Finland are making headlines this week as both governments have been raising the issue of NATO membership in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö stated that support for NATO membership in his country has risen to 61%, and there is no need for a referendum.
Also on Wednesday, Sweden's prime minister Magdalena Andersson told Swedish public television that she does not rule out NATO membership in any way.
Russia's Threat
Readers are reminded that early last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened military action against Sweden and neighboring Finland should either join NATO. His threat was followed up two days later by sending four Russian jets into Swedish airspace. Swedish media reports two of these jets were armed with nuclear weapons. The airspace violation is reported to have lasted only about one minute.
Invasion Progress
Below is an invasion map as of April 2 based on open source reporting. Compare this map with that of last week.
AlertsUSA warns that the conflict in Eastern Europe has potential to get much worse, and spillover into neighboring NATO nations is a possibility. Caution is urged if traveling to Europe in the coming months.
AlertsUSA continues to monitor the domestic and international threat environment around the clock and will immediately notify service subscribers, via SMS messages to their mobile devices, of new alerts, warnings and advisories or any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens as events warrant.
