FBI Warns Al-Qaeda May Have Anti-Aircraft Missles

Reuters/Yahoo ^ | 5-30-2002

[blam]

FBI Warns Al Qaeda May Have Anti-Aircraft Missiles

Thu May 30, 1:39 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI has warned law enforcement agencies that al Qaeda may possess shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, but it has no information that the organization has any plans to use the weapons against U.S. aircraft, an FBI official said on Thursday.

The official said the FBI issued on May 22 one of its intelligence bulletins to state, local and federal law enforcement agencies warning that al Qaeda -- the group linked to Osama bin Laden ) who is blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks on America -- may have the weapons.

The official said the warning was issued after U.S. military personnel discovered some weapons systems in Saudi Arabia.

"We do not possess any information indicating al Qaeda has any intention of using these weapons systems against U.S. aircraft," he said. "We just wanted to make people aware of their existence."

The United States supplied shoulder-launched missiles to anti-Soviet Afghan guerrillas in the 1980s. Afghanistan's new interim government has handed dozens of U.S. Stinger missiles back to Washington to try to keep them out of the wrong hands.

FBI Director Robert Mueller said on Wednesday the FBI was regularly providing warnings to law enforcement agencies urging them to be alert to the possibility of potential terrorist attacks on various places or locations.

Over the past few weeks warnings have been made public about potential threats to rail and transit systems, New York City landmarks, apartment buildings, small aircraft and even scuba divers.

Law enforcement officials caution that the warnings are based on uncorroborated and unconfirmed information, but they are made in an "abundance of caution."

Mueller has said another suicide attack on the United States was "inevitable" and other top officials have warned that extremists could launch fresh attacks on the United States which has been on edge since the Sept. 11 hijackings which killed more than 3,000 people

[blam]

I expect they would already have used them if they had them, huh?

[sam_paine]

May I be the first to discount this report, as all evidence shows that exploding fuel tanks are more likely than AA missule strikes.... </sarcasm>

[d4now]

F.B.I. is in CYA mode.

[onedoug]

But no one thinks of that in connection with TWA 800, or that AA crash into Astoria a few months ago.

Nah. No one at all....

[Mixer]

A lot of people think it. Too bad they also hushed it. Many people said they saw missles at the time of the 800 crash. I have never heard any about 587 though.

[fire_eye]

The United States supplied shoulder-launched missiles to anti-Soviet Afghan guerrillas in the 1980s. Afghanistan's new interim government has handed dozens of U.S. Stinger missiles back to Washington to try to keep them out of the wrong hands.

I *think* those things have a highly sophisticated battery pack with a limited life span... not sure about that, but I seem to recall hearing that unless the goat-ropers had a source for the batteries (such as from one of Bill Clinton's Treason contractor oops excuse me Defense Contractor friends), the Stinger would be useless by now...

but maybe not...

[blam]

"I *think* those things have a highly sophisticated battery pack with a limited life span... not sure about that, but I seem to recall hearing that unless the goat-ropers had a source for the batteries (such as from one of Bill Clinton's Treason contractor oops excuse me Defense Contractor friends), the Stinger would be useless by now..."

Didn't our forces find some soviet AAA missiles in a cave in Afghanistan?

[Voltage]

I have always wondered why these were not designed to require time expiring passwords at a level of complexity as to require supercomputers 1000 years to unscramble. Even if they were long lasting, several years, they would have expired by now.

[Recovering_Democrat]

The FBI has warned law enforcement agencies that al Qaeda may possess shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles...

Afghanistan rebels' weapon of choice was the shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile, right? This is no surprise.

I drive near airports regularly, and if I see someone shouldering an anti-aircraft missile gun near them, they're gonna be greeting the bugs on my bumper REAL QUICK.

[Mo1]

Many people said they saw missles at the time of the 800 crash. I have never heard any about 587 though.

True .. but there were a few witnesses that saw some kind of explosion on the wing before it started to fall apart and crash ...

The shoe bombers comes to mind

[tophat9000]

the Stinger would be useless by now...

That was an old (untrue) Michael Rivero harp

There are news storys of the Northern Alliance shooting down Taliban aircraft as of late 2000 with old Stingers

[Mo1]

Wasn't there a report about finding some kind of missle type in the mountains in AZ during the time of the World Series

I remember there was a thread here on FR about it

[Bobby777]

May I be the first to discount this report, as all evidence shows that exploding fuel tanks are more likely than AA missule strikes....

LOL ... my thoughts exactly ... now that a China Air 747 has "conveniently" had another "fuel tank random blowup" ... of course, questioning such leads to "tin foil hat" alerts ...

[Bobby777]

I have never heard any about 587 though.

my guess on 587? ... "shoe bomber" or some such similar ... it's dang lucky they were able to stop that one idiot ... perhaps 587's passengers were not so fortunate ...

[Mixer]

The shoe bombers comes to mind

Yes that comes to my mind as well.

[blam]

"Wasn't there a report about finding some kind of missle type in the mountains in AZ during the time of the World Series "

I remember reading about something being found there also. I can't remember what though.

[Husker24]

Everybody seems to think that the only shoulder fired missile in existance is the Stinger, there are a Variety of Soviet and Chinease made shoulder fired missiles that would probably be much easier to get ahold of.

[BlackbirdSST]

But no one thinks of that in connection with TWA 800, or that AA crash into Astoria a few months ago. A day or so after TWA800 went down, there were brief news reports of a rural area in Maryland, they found leaning against a Telephone Pole, a loaded shoulder fired launcher. They had them then, they have them now. They have them in afghanland, they have them here! This one was left by the side of the road as a message. We didn't get the message, did we? Blackbird.

[MUDDOG]

I expect they would already have used them if they had them, huh?

Against Israel anyway. I was surprised the Palestinians had nothing against the tanks.