Heightened Alert (e-ails cited: NY, DC and "beaches" targets)

ABC News ^ | May 20, 2003 | ABC News

[FairOpinion]

Heightened Alert Administration Increases Terror Threat-Warning Level to Orange; E-mails Cited

May 20— The Bush administration raised the domestic threat level to orange, or "high," today, a decision made in part because of a series of threatening messages found on the Internet, ABCNEWS has learned.

An FBI bulletin obtained by ABCNEWS points to two recent e-mails intercepted by U.S. intelligence. One message, according to the bulletin, warns of "a possible devastating attack in the next 48 hours and urged all Muslims to leave all cities, especially Boston, New York and the commercial coastline."

However, one government official said intelligence analysts have serious doubts about the credibility of the source of those messages.

A separate message targets Washington and again points to possible attacks against New York and the nation's beaches.

The nation's terror-alert status was yellow — the third level, signifying "elevated." Orange is the fourth level, and red is the fifth and highest level.

In New York City, site of the deadliest attack on Sept. 11, 2001, officials announced earlier today that they were heightening security measures.

"We're concerned about some of the information that is coming to us," said New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. The information was nonspecific, but was enough to spark an increase in Operation Atlas, the city's ongoing security program, he said.

He said uniformed and plainclothes officers were being added at sensitive locations, and more checks would be conducted at the city's bridges and tunnels.

In raising the national threat level, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge encouraged governors and mayors to deploy additional police. Ridge "particularly discussed with them the venues in which there will be large public gatherings" during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, said Asa Hutchinson, Ridge's undersecretary for border and transportation security, while announcing the decision in Washington.

While officials said there is not credible, specific information with respect to targets or method of attack, Ridge said in a written statement that recent attacks overseas underscore terrorists' desires to attack soft targets with methods such as suicide bombers or car bombs. "Weapons of mass destruction, including those containing chemical, biological or radiological agents or materials, cannot be discounted," he said.

FAA to Issue Some Restrictions

In wake of the heightened terror alert level, the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday is expected to issue a notice restricting some flights. The new restrictions will include:

A ban on flying over sporting events.

The suspension of some of the waivers that were granted to allow flights for aerial photography, crop-dusting, surveillance and banner towing in selected airpaths over the Washington area.

The return of restrictions on small planes coming into the three general aviation airports in the Washington area. Pilots will have to fly to an airport in Tipton, Md., for security screening before they can proceed to one of the three affected airports.

For now, the FAA will not reinstitute the flight restrictions over New York that were put in place during the last code orange alert.

Ripples Around the World

The move to code orange follows bombings in Morocco and Saudi Arabia that killed more than 70 people, and warnings by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security that al Qaeda is still in business and could be planning attacks in the United States or overseas.

In its bulletin, the FBI said today there is reason to believe the "Saudi Arabia and Morocco attacks [are] a possible prelude to U.S. attacks," according to law enforcement officials speaking on condition of anonymity.

In a previous bulletin issued on Friday to law enforcement agencies, the FBI warned that al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden's terror network, "remains active and highly capable." The deadly attacks in Saudi Arabia last week suggested al Qaeda could launch new attacks in the United States and overseas, the agency said.

The U.S. government has warned consulates in the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa and Southeast Asia that an attack might be imminent. ABCNEWS has learned that the information comes from foreign intelligence agencies, informants, and intercepts of telephone conversations and e-mails of suspected al Qaeda members.

The United States is specifically concerned that al Qaeda may try to crash a plane into a U.S. consulate — or attack airliners and tanker ships in East Africa, sources said.

The latest warnings came a day after Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, said he believed the suicide bombers who struck in Riyadh last week were planning another, larger attack.

The warnings of possibly imminent terror attacks caused Western officials around the world to take precautions.

The United States and Britain said they were temporarily closing their embassies and other missions in Saudi Arabia as of Wednesday because of possible imminent attacks.

Terror Alerts

The terror alert was last raised from "yellow" to "orange" on March 17, immediately after President Bush announced that he was giving Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his sons 48 hours to leave Iraq and go into exile or risk a U.S.-led military campaign.

The Bush administration lowered the national terror alert from "high" to "elevated" status on April 16, as the war in Iraq wound down.

The threat level also was elevated to orange for two weeks last September to coincide with the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and from Feb. 7 to Feb. 27.

President Bush's Homeland Security Council decided to raise the alert during a meeting at the White House, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. After the session, Bush was informed of the council's decision, which is binding and takes immediate effect, by Chief of Staff Andrew Card at 1:50 p.m. ET.

In his written statement, Ridge recommended that Americans continue with plans for work or leisure and contact their local FBI offices about any suspicious activity.

"Your vigilance at large public events or other locations where crowds gather can help us disrupt terrorists' plans," he said.

ABCNEWS' Pierre Thomas, Mary Walsh, Beverley Lumpkin and Lisa Stark contributed to this report.

[FairOpinion]

Maybe there is more to those Arabic web posting/e-mails, than we first thought.

Beaches? What are they going to do with beaches? Release some chem/bio agents??? I read elsewhere that the FBI alert included some statement that "radiological, biological or chemical weapons can't be discounted". There are lots of nice beaches all along CA...

[John H K]

Maybe there is more to those Arabic web posting/e-mails, than we first thought.

Did you read the article? My impression from it is that there's LESS to those e-mails than we first thought. As the article mentions, according to one official their credibility is seriously in doubt.

[FairOpinion]

Here is another one:

===

Terrorists Could Attack Pittsburgh
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/2217893/detail.html

'Soft Tagets' Like Pittsburgh Could Present An Even Higher Risk Of Attack

POSTED: 12:02 a.m. EDT May 21, 2003
UPDATED: 12:16 a.m. EDT May 21, 2003

PITTSBURGH -- The United States was already concerned that last week's suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco could be a prelude to something here. However, ABC News has learned that a series of threatening messages on the Internet played a major role in the decision to raise the terror alert from yellow to orange.

Authorities said one message warns of "a possible devastating attack in the next 48 hours" and urged all Muslims to leave all cities, especially Boston, New York, and the commercial coastline. A separate message targets Washington, New York and the nation's beaches.

However, the FBI warns that Pittsburgh is not exempt from terrorist attacks. In fact, the special agent in charge of this region warns that "sof targets" such as Pittsburgh could be even more at risk.


More police are on patrol and the FBI has increased its command center staff. But authorities said the most important person in the Orange Alert equation may be citizens.

When dozens of emergency agencies and water suppliers scheduled a terrorist drill for Tuesday, they had no idea it would happen the same time the terror alert was elevated to Orange.

Their scenario: a toxin is introduced into the water supply.

"They are ready, there is certainly always improvements that can be made, but this is a good exercise to point out where those areas need to be strengthened," Department Of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Betsy Mallison said.

Mallison said it is not just the FBI, local police and others in the drill who need to be vigilant, though. The men and women who jog around places like the Highland Park Reservoir every day also should be observant.

"If they see any suspicious activity around any business or any type of structure, a bridge or tunnel, the water supply, anything that looks unusual, people taking pictures and so forth, call their local law enforcement agency," EMA Director Bob Full said.

"Everybody knows that New York and Washington are usually the targets and they've been hardened, so it's possible in middle America, Pittsburgh or some other community could now be the subject of their attack because of it being a little bit softer and not thinking it could happen here," Special Agent In Charge Kenneth McCabe said.

The rivers are another reason Pittsburgh could be in the scope of terrorists.

"We are one of the biggest inland commercial waterways in the U.S., they know that we're watching the coastal waterways in Newark, Boston, L.A., so could they possibly be planning something here? We're trying to find that out," McCabe said.

The Orange Alert will mean more thorough security screenings for airline travelers.

The FAA, Airport Authority and county police are deciding whether the current orange alert warrants the random spot-checks of vehicles on airport property that has been conducted in the past.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

However, one government official said intelligence analysts have serious doubts about the credibility of the source of those messages.

That's to be expected. It's not like the govt. is going to give away the game plan just because some dickweed leaked a memo to ABC for a few bucks.

[FairOpinion]

So they say, but as a wise person once said: "Never mind what they say, watch what they do" and what they did, was raise the alert level to high.

Obviously it wouldn't be "just" based on some e-mails, but the article specifically said that the e-mails were a contributing factor:

"The Bush administration raised the domestic threat level to orange, or "high," today, a decision made in part because of a series of threatening messages found on the Internet, ABCNEWS has learned. "

[FairOpinion]

You really just don't know. These are so complex -- maybe the leak and raising the alert was to send the message to the terrorists that we are onto them, and thereby deter the attack, because they don't know exactly how much we know.

I think I read something along those lines a while ago (prior to this latest elevation of the terror alert).

[CyberAnt]

FOX is saying NY, DC, and Boston.

[FairOpinion]

"FOX is saying NY, DC, and Boston. "
--

That's what I heard first also. That's why I was surprised to hear the threat against "the commercial coastline" and/or "beaches". (It's obviously not the same).

This article in this thread mentions two sources with the variations.

====
"An FBI bulletin obtained by ABCNEWS points to two recent e-mails intercepted by U.S. intelligence. One message, according to the bulletin, warns of "a possible devastating attack in the next 48 hours and urged all Muslims to leave all cities, especially Boston, New York and the commercial coastline."

A separate message targets Washington and again points to possible attacks against New York and the nation's beaches."

Note, it says to leave "ALL cities", especially..., in other words any cities can be targets.

[cgk]

I also heard mention of "Beaches" on KABC radio here in L.A. while driving. I thought, too, that was strange. It was mentioned this way "Muslims are warned to stay away from NY and Boston, the central coastline as well as Washington and beaches."

[cgk]

Sorry. "central coastline" should be "commercial coastline".

[FairOpinion]

They also mentioned on FoxNews, but not in these articles that there was a timeline for it: they were advised to get out by tomorrow, Wed. morning.

[Aliska]

It is highly probable that the intelligence chain is being yanked. Most terrorists will have learned not to communicate via email and keep their plans very secretive imo. But if they don't put out the warning and something goes down, there will be h*** to pay.

[CyberAnt]

They're targeting beaches because of the Memorial Day holiday. If they can make people stay home, it does hurt commerce.

Or ... they targeting beaches because they expect crowds.

[JustPiper]

Beaches? What are they going to do with beaches? Release some chem/bio agents??? I read elsewhere that the FBI alert included some statement that "radiological, biological or chemical weapons can't be discounted". There are lots of nice beaches all along CA...

My thoughts also. Maybe they figure easy access to our shores by coing up on a private beach? Because what else can they kill as they want, but sealife? Not to minimize that but that is too soft a target for terrorists.

[JustPiper]

When dozens of emergency agencies and water suppliers scheduled a terrorist drill for Tuesday, they had no idea it would happen the same time the terror alert was elevated to Orange.

And here in Chicago we had the bio drill, Lake Michigan and our beach coastline is huge! And then the dirty bomb in Seattle, off the coast also.

[JustPiper]

FOX is saying NY, DC, and Boston. I heard NY and DC on MSNBC

[JustPiper]

Ping!

[L`enn]

First thing that comes to mind is a suicide truck bomb at a crowded beach a la Israel style.

[JustPiper]

A Chicago Ping!