FBI Reveals Shocking Al Qaeda-Linked Cell In Kentucky

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released shocking video of an Al Qaeda-linked terror cell that was operating in Kentucky. Stinger missiles capable of downing U.S. commercial airliners, grenades, RPG’s, and an assortment of other weaponry that had been rendered inoperable by the FBI can be seen being handled by the cell in the video footage.

The 2010 video was obtained exclusively by ABC News and shows a man granted status by the U.S. government as an Iraqi war refugee handling the weapons. Two men were involved in the case, and one of them has been shown to have killed Americans in Iraq with a roadside bomb. The FBI was able to match fingerprints with those found on an improvised explosive device (IED) that had been used in Iraq to kill U.S. soldiers.

The FBI acknowledged the involvement of a confidential human source (CHS), commonly referred to as an informant, in bringing down the terrorists. Other than that acknowledgement, the FBI did not release much more detail.

My own experiences working with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) as an undercover operational source may shed some light on this investigation.

Generally, the FBI is alerted by a CHS or another citizen about statements or expressed intentions that could result in the loss of lives. Depending on the relationship the FBI has with the CHS, they then determine whether to operate that particular CHS in an undercover investigation, or they insert another CHS known as an operational source.

Once the FBI is able to verify that the initial report from the first CHS is accurate, they then decide to implement advanced investigative techniques. These include the use of listening devices and hidden cameras.

If the FBI is able to determine that the group or individuals of interest are indeed seeking weapons to kill Americans, they then insert another undercover operative, either a Special Agent or another operational source, to provide deactivated weapons to the targets, rather than have the group or individuals otherwise acquire working ones. (This issue is usually used, mostly by left-of-center media, to attack the FBI under the false premise that they somehow are "creating" the terrorists they arrest or that the terrorists would not have obtained weapons had it not been for the FBI providing them. Such assertions are simply inaccurate and demonstrate that those making such claims are either intentionally using dishonesty or woefully ignorant of how such investigations actually work.)

Usually the targets cannot be arrested at that time. Such an early arrest would prevent the FBI from having the needed time to fully investigate the intentions of the targets and determine whether other individuals or groups are possibly involved.

Once the FBI is confident that they understand the full extent of the possible terrorist network, they then act quickly to make their arrests. The interim between the initial infiltration of an operation source and the arrests usually nets a large amount of evidence that is later used in the prosecution phase of the ordeal, as was the case with this FBI video shown on ABC News.

Originally posted on Breitbart.com.