Posted on 05/12/2002 7:40:10 AM PDT by mhking
Saturday, May. 11, 2002
The FBI has issued another alert about possible terrorism attacks, but this time quietly. Law enforcement sources tell TIME that the bureau has sent word to its field offices and 56 federal terrorism task forces that they should advise local officials to tighten security around large apartment buildings, as well as busy malls, supermarkets and restaurants. The alert is a response to statements made by the same man whose words put U.S. banks on alert two weeks ago — captured bin Laden aide Abu Zubaydah.
According to sources, Zubaydah told interrogators that al-Qaeda operatives were discussing attacks on "soft targets," meaning non-governmental buildings and places where large numbers of Americans gather. Although investigators remain leery of anything Zubaydah says, they don't want to discount his remarks entirely. So, instead of issuing a public warning that might turn out to be a false alarm, this time they passed the message along to local police chiefs and mayors discreetly.
Meanwhile, the bureau is about to send more agents to Spain, to help Spanish authorities pull together tantalizing evidence of a thriving al-Qaeda network based there prior to Sept. 11. For one thing, the FBI wants to determine exactly whom 9/11 ringleader Mohamed Atta met with when he visited Spain in July, 2001. One person they suspect he may have linked up with is Ramzi Binalshibh, a member of the Hamburg al-Qaeda cell and a former roommate of Atta's, who visited Spain at the same time.
Binalshibh, a Yemeni who sent money from Germany to 9/11 hijackers and also to accused terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui, hasn?t been seen since he flew from Hamburg to Madrid on Sept. 5. Investigators believe he made his way to the border regions of Pakistan and is still hiding there. But if the FBI can establish whether Binalshibh and Atta were in Spain together — and find out who else was with them — they may be able to warm up the trail.
Great, here's the FBI crying wolf again. It's amazing that a spy agency has no concept of what disinformation is.
Owl _ Eagle
“Guns before butter.”
Why don't we just admit that if someone wants to explode themselves in a crowded public gathering, there is nothing that can be done to prevent it?
Tom Ridge's color-coded alert system is the biggest non-starter in government since the "conversion" to the metric system back in the 1970s.
..with a 100ft tarp!
/overkill
Yup. (we told you what we know)
More likely, he is getting steak and lobster for dinner and dancing girls to make sure he can go to sleep at night.
These anti-terrorist people are totally lost in their maybes and "technical jargon." The whole country is a "soft target."
That can be said of the whole "Homeland Defense" crap that he is running.
Hate to say it but you’re probably right. I’m embarrassed to say that I thought we were keeping him in an undisclosed foreign location so as not to have to worry about his “civil rights”. Looks like other "humanitarian" considerations were the driving factor here.
Excuse me while I get sick…
Owl _ Eagle
“Guns before butter.”
Thank God they have narrowed it down to only 12,262,922 places.
That really narrows it down and engenders a real feeling of security.
I was in a Super WalMart yesterday, thousands of people, it looked like an ant hive.
Now how would they tighten up security there. Train those elderly Walmart greeters to spot suspicious characters. I don't think so.
We cannot prepare for terrorists attacks on soft targets, anymore than the Israeli's can prepare. It's a crap shoot!
If it appears that these people have nothing to do..
Then there is no need for them to be doing it...
Sounds like job security, doncha' know?
Maybe the attention to detail including public warnings prevented bioterror attacks using stolen crop-dusters a few months ago.
Maybe public warnings are part of what's preventing terrorist attacks. When they issue a warning, even a vague one, we should take heed as much as we can. We must remain vigilant. That's the price we have to pay.
If you really believe we can prevent this from happening in a HUGE and open country as ours, you're mistaken. We may be able to stop a lot of bad acts, but not all.
9/11 is proof of it.
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