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Although we have to be vigilant about terrorism, I sometimes wonder if
government and certain businesses are using the fear of terrorism as an excuse to hide from the public. The following article about a kayaker who "was observed videotaping a Northwestern U.S. company's refinery" may mean the public will be barred from going anywhere near oil refineries. I personally think it's a huge leap to think that a kayaker videotaping an oil refinery is a possible Al-Qaida terrorist (more likely it'll come from domestic terrorists such as ELF, but you can't get headlines talking about domestic terrorism). In the Pacific Northwest, kayakers are often the stewards of the local waterways who conduct "surveillance," i.e., observe, photograph and videotape oil tankers and oil refineries to ensure that they aren't spilling oil and other waste into the water. I now expect there will be new "security restrictions" to keep kayakers and others away from surveillance of oil refineries so that oil companies can conduct their business outside of the eyes of the public. (Hey, isn't GW Bush an oil man?) So be forewarned. . . if you are seen photographing or videotaping an oil refinery, an oil tanker, a bald eagle near an oil refinery, an oil spill, etc., you too could be considered a potential Al-Qaida terrorist. -------------------------------------------------- SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER Thursday, July 1, 2004 · Last updated 2:58 p.m. PT Govt: May have been terrorist interest in state refinery THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TACOMA, Wash. -- The Department of Homeland Security says one of the state's five oil refineries may have come under surveillance by terrorists, a newspaper reported Thursday. While the suspicious activity could be part of preparation for an attack, the agency said there was no specific information suggesting energy facilities were being targeted. Word on the possible surveillance was in a department bulletin sent to industry, state and local law enforcement officials, The News Tribune of Tacoma reported. A person in a kayak "was observed videotaping a Northwestern U.S. company's refinery," it said. The company's security staff also reported a "suspicious encounter" with a diver last year in the same general area. The bulletin noted that a key ring containing about 50 keys was stolen from a field truck owned by a company with a Northwest refinery. The keys represent "potential access" to the company's U.S. facilities, the agency said, noting that locks at the local operation were being changed. "Suspicious incident reports concerning possible surveillance of oil and gas refineries and infrastructure continue to emerge from throughout the homeland and may, in some cases, be indicative of terrorist pre-operational activities," the department said. Al-Qaida considers such facilities "attractive options because of their potentially significant economic, public health and safety, and psychological impacts," it said. The state has received no information about specific threats to refineries, said Joe Huden, a special assistant to Maj. Gen. Timothy Lowenberg, Gov. Gary Locke's homeland security adviser. "This is all pretty standard stuff," Huden said. A spokesman at BP's Cherry Point refinery, the state's largest, said the company has reported no suspicious activity in the past three to six months. The state's other refineries are Shell and Tesoro operations in Anacortes, a ConocoPhillips refinery in Ferndale and a U.S. Oil refinery in Tacoma. The Homeland Security bulletin noted there have been a series of terrorist attacks on energy-related targets overseas, particularly in the Persian Gulf. --- Information from: The News Tribune, http://www.tribnet.com |
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