Posted on 05/25/2004 4:52:15 PM PDT by Wolfstar
17 minutes ago (at time of posting) The intelligence does not include a time, place or method of attack but is among the most disturbing received by the government since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, according to a senior federal counterterrorism official who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday.
Of most concern, the official said, is that terrorists may possess and use a chemical, biological or radiological weapon that could cause much more damage and casualties than a conventional bomb.
"There is clearly a steady drumbeat of information that they are going to attack and hit us hard," said the official, who described the intelligence as highly credible.
The official declined to provide any specifics about the sources of the information but said there was an unusually high level of corroboration.
Despite that, the official said there was no immediate plan to raise the nation's terrorism threat level from yellow, or elevated, to orange, or high. The threat level has been at yellow — midpoint on the five-color scale — since January.
Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller plan a news conference Wednesday to outline an intensive effort by law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security officials to detect and disrupt any potential plots. And the FBI plans to dispatch a bulletin to some 18,000 state and local law enforcement agencies warning of the threat.
Beginning with Saturday's dedication of the new World War II Memorial in Washington, the summer presents a number of high-profile targets in the United States. They include the G-8 summit in Georgia next month that will attract top officials from some of America's closest allies, the Democratic National Convention in Boston in July and the Republican National Convention in August in New York.
The FBI and Homeland Security Department also are concerned about so-called soft targets such as shopping malls anywhere in the United States that offer a far less protected environment than a political convention hall.
U.S. authorities repeatedly have said al-Qaida is determined to mount an attack on U.S. soil, in part to announce to the world that it remains capable of doing so despite the money and effort that has gone into homeland security in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.
There also is concern terrorists might try to mount an attack to coincide with the November election. The political fallout from the March 11 train bombings in Spain taught al-Qaida that an attack timed to an election can have a major impact. Spain's former ruling party was ousted in the voting that followed the bombing, which killed 191 and injured more than 2,000.
The official did not say how many suspected al-Qaida or other terrorist operatives are believed in the country, whether they made their way into the United States recently or have been here for some time. The FBI has warned in the past that Islamic extremist groups may attempt to recruit non-Middle Easterners or women for attacks because they would be less likely to arouse suspicion.
Special security attention already is being focused to the nation's rail, subway and bus lines. The FBI last week sent out an intelligence bulletin to law enforcement agencies urging vigilance against suicide bombers, who have been used by terror groups worldwide to devastating effect but not so far in the United States.
Separately, Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief Michael Garcia told reporters Tuesday that some 2,300 of its agents are being deployed to assist in security for the high-profile events scheduled this summer in the United States. These include as many as 20 agents each day working with the Secret Service to protect the campaigns of President Bush (news - web sites) and Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), the Democratic presidential candidate.
Garcia said his agency also is working to "tighten the investigative system" to ensure that terrorists do not enter the United States by way of human smuggling operations or through the vast, largely unprotected border with Canada.
There are a lot of Muslims from Kosovo that could easily pass themselves off as blond haired blue eyed eastern europeans.
When did that happen? I hate the media.
Oh for crying out loud. We all know that. Sheesh!
Wake up, they could put thousands in here with little effort. We have MILLIONS, do you understand, MILLIONS entering illegally, routinely, at will. They could easily put 100 a week in here and they wouldn't even be noticed! Sheesh! Can you imagine what several thousand could do on one morning in this country? They could wreck absolute havoc and chaos!
The people in the country to our south can be bribed with a few dollars to do ANYTHING. We already have thousands of trucks entering with unknown loads.
Some of you folks better wake up to this titanic security time bomb.
It had to be on Fox News. I only watch Fox News. But I was appalled when I heard this. That thousands (like the one poster said "The Boston Marathon"), coming across the Mexican border every night.
The border patrols find those rugs that the Muslims use for prayers? And they find their prayer books, etc. It was pretty spine chilling.
What this president need to do is DECLARE WAR OFFICIALLY and then these anti-American anti-Freedom slugs in this country can go down fighting or they can leave.
I will give them the option --- at first.
Yup, also another name is Jose Padilla.
Sorry Joe, I don"t think he is Mexican so you can't base your whole arguement against Mexicans on him.
I believe that he is Puerto Rican, which makes him an American citizen by birth.
1st and caustic answer: Only if the voting public in the Unites States had the same kind of spine as the voting public in Spain.
But I will be fair both ways: the Spanish were already very divided and it was the diversion of a very small number of votes that made the difference. We in the U.S. are nearly as equally divided and a "Spanish vote" (to coin a term) is a possibility. OTOH, I don't believe that given an atrocity here that so many of us would cave; if anything (caveat: I Am Not A Pundit) I think overall we would move in the opposite direction. As we did, briefly, post-9/11.
I truly believe that if Al-Qaeda attempts such an effort here that it will backfire on them.
I would hate to go up against guys like the NASCAR male fans and the Iron Workers! We have a lot of tough American men in this Country! :) Not to mention our own military personnel.
I happen to agree. But I wanted to see your thought process.
but the attack will not come from thousands of terrorists, it will come from a small team. 5 teams of 4 men with nerve gas in NY, DC, Dallas, LA for example. are you really saying that you expect an army of 5000 AQ guys to hit the streets with small arms, that the attack will take that form? I don't think so - its too hard to coordinate and communicate with a large group of people like that.
yes, we have millions entering illegally. 99.9% of them are not terrorists. so what is your point?
don't let your desire to close the border cloud your judgement on the real issue with regards to the possibility of a terror attack.
Besides the nordic looking ones from the Kosovo area, there are a lot of Asian Muslims. The Muslim nation with the largest popular is Asian.
Watched a militia guy on the Donahue Show some time back...(and no I wasn't a regular viewer)...
Of course Donahue, being the good Demoslob that he is was attacking everything American...
Someone in the audience mockingly asked the militia guy, "Who is the militia, anyway?"
The fella in the camos pointed his finger at the crowd and raked it across the audience and said, "YOU ARE"...
I thought that was rather profound, especially now...
bump
Was coming home from shooting and heard him mention it (XM radio in the car is nice.. fox news while driving heh)
I figure its only a matter of time. Thanks for the ping.
BTW Later in the news cast I heard someone else say we may see the alert level go up tomorrow morning I think.
Constitutionally, that's Congress's job and how it is done is extremely vague in that document.
The Threat Matrix threads have the best news.....the first news.... about all the terrorist threats. Tune in.
I believe that would be Indonesia.
That's right...And ya know why they'll be there??? They will be hunting for white guys with guns while protecting the muzlim american population...
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