Análisis de datos

National monuments and icons (NMI) could be attractive targets to terrorists considering their national significance, generally open security, and concentration of people. Attacks on such symbolic infrastructure would have serious economic and social consequences.458 Not only could there be a number of casualties, especially for co-located icons or nearby infrastructures but the tourism and recreation industry, as well as the national psyche, could be damaged if a significant monument or icon were destroyed.2

Potential Trend(s) Impacting Sector

The sector is especially vulnerable because it is open to the public and accommodates a large number of people within specific, known times, making it difficult to detect operational planning and surveillance. Given the wide variety of qualifying structures and location, the vulnerability and attractiveness of each site varies with the site’s engineering, size, age, purpose, and number of visitors. 459 The most likely form of attack, due to the ease of access and the lack of security at national monuments and icons, as well as similar tourist attractions, is from vehicle borne or traditional improvised explosive devices (VBIED/IED).460The potential for a small arms attack in a lone wolf ‘active shooter’ scenario is also possible, especially within the homegrown or domestic extremist categories.

Sector List Criteria

The National Monuments and Icons List will include Monuments and Icons that meet all of the following:

1. A monument, physical structure, or object; AND

2. Recognized both nationally and internationally as representing the Nation’s heritage, traditions, and/or values or is recognized for its national, cultural, religious, historical, or political significance; AND

3. Primary purpose is to memorialize or represent significant aspects of our Nation’s heritage, traditions, or values and to serve as a point of interest for visitors and educational activities. It generally does not have a purpose or function that fits under the responsibility of another sector.

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Potential Threat Group(s)

Al-Qa‘ida has repeatedly emphasized the importance of selecting targets of symbolic value, such as those within the NMI sector, which symbolize American history and values. As demonstrated in previous attacks, including those against the World Trade Center in 1993 and 2001, the USS The Sullivans and USS Cole in 2000, the Pentagon in 2001, and embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 all targeted symbols of American capitalism, military power, and global policies and presence.461 Domestic extremists, such as white nationalists or black separatists, may target sites that feature historic interpretation that is not aligned with the group’s ideology. Whereas white nationalists may target newer historic interpretations that include the roles of African-Americans, black separatists may target those sites that have not expanded their interpretive views.

It is also important to note the potential for insider threat, as many of the national monument and icon sites have private security with full site access. The potential for paid security staff or for volunteers to leverage their access to such sites for the purpose of surveillance and information collection is significant.462

Domestic Incidents

Terrorist operational planning and surveillance against tourist-related facilities and infrastructure is often difficult to detect due to the presence of crowds, the intentional open nature of public access and the availability of open source information. Although authorities have reported numerous suspicious activities, write-ins, and call-ins for this sector, such reports have generally been poor indicators of future operations.463 According to a DHS report, the following domestic incidents or plots concerned national monuments or icons464:

• September 2003 interviews revealed a now-detained senior al-Qa’ida operative’s desire to obtain pilots for al-Qa‘ida in order to attack targets that included the Washington Monument.

• Convicted Taliban supporter John Philip Walker Lindh told FBI interviewers that the most recognizable landmarks to al-Qa‘ida and Taliban soldiers, trainers, and students while he was in Afghanistan were the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

• A senior al-Qa‘ida operative stated in a December 2004 custodial interview that any symbol of the United States would be a good target and singled out the Statue of Liberty as an example of a potential symbolic target.

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DHS and the Department of Interior have identified the Jamestown Settlement, Monticello, and Mount Vernon as nationally significant; regionally critical assets include Colonial Williamsburg, George Washington’s birthplace, and the National D-Day Memorial.465 Richmond, Albemarle County, and the Division of Capitol Police reported surveillance and suspicious persons at monument and icon assets; Albemarle County Fire and Rescue also reported suspicious persons.466 Prior reporting of note included:

• During the Jamestown 400th Anniversary on May 12, 2007 approximately 70 individuals from the New Black Panther Party, Black Lawyers for Justice, and the American Indian Movement held a demonstration at Historic Jamestowne (formerly known as Jamestown Island); the demonstration was billed as an anti- slavery rally (Jamestown was where the first Africans came to an English colony) but ended up being an anti-Caucasian hate speech.467

• The National Socialist Movement held a rally on Yorktown Battlefield on June 25, 2005; Communist Party counter protestors were very vocal and anti-police; Anti Racist Action also counter protested and swarmed individuals suspected of being racist.468

Intelligence Gaps

1. How many monuments, icons, or other tourist facilities in Virginia border or otherwise provide potential surveillance access points for CIKR?

2. Have employees or visitors reported any suspicious photography incidents?

3. Have employees reported incidents of individuals asking questions about security measures?

4. Have Virginia monuments or icons experienced any bomb threats or suspicious package incidents?

5. How many monuments, icons, or other recreational areas have had suspicious fires? Was it determined who set them?

6. Have any special use permits been requested by white nationalist, black separatist, or other potentially disruptive protest group? Did such groups adhere to the regulations in the permit?

7. Have Virginia monuments, icons, or other recreational areas experienced any damage to trees or facilities caused by eco-terror groups such as Earth Liberation Front or Earth First?

8. Have any employees been harassed by animal rights activists or environmental extremists?

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Projections

National monuments and icons offer potentially large casualty numbers, would damage the American psyche, and would have an adverse affect on the tourism industry - the 6th largest employer in Virginia.469 The Commonwealth is in close proximity to a number of major national targets, and is rich in regional and state monument and icons sector assets. Given this information, the following projections are offered:

Interest as a Target: Possible Increase - While the most visible and most frequently referenced targets are not within the Commonwealth, Virginia does have several upcoming 2009 events that might garner attention. These include:

• Monticello will have a grand opening ceremony for a new Visitor Center on April 15, 2009 which may attract regional and possibly national attention470

• D-Day Memorial in Bedford will hold various events from June 4-7, 2009 for the 65th Anniversary of the invasion and expect 6000 in attendance and state VIPs471

• Colonial Williamsburg holds the Grand Illumination annually on the first Sunday in December and attracts 25,000 to 35,000 visitors472

Number of Virginia–based assets: Remain Constant – Given the emphasis on historical significance for this sector, it is unlikely that additional sites will be designated as monument or icon CIKR in the near future.

Interdependence: Possible Increase - Attacks on national monuments affect tourism, which affects restaurant and retail business, airlines, travel agencies, etc.; al-Qa'ida could view the volatile U.S. economy as an impetus to attack national monuments or nearby critical infrastructure that could have an adverse affect on monuments in order to inflict damage on the tourism industry.

2009

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