FBI: No Credible Threat, But Stay Vigilant (Sports)

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 3-11-2006 | Mark Sherman

[blam]

FBI: No Credible Threat, but Be Vigilant

Saturday March 11, 2006 3:01 AM

By MARK SHERMAN

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The FBI said Friday there is no specific, credible threat of a terror attack aimed at college basketball arenas or other sports stadiums, but acknowledged alerting law enforcement to a recent Internet posting discussing such attacks.

The FBI and Homeland Security Department distributed an intelligence bulletin Friday to state and local law enforcement nationwide describing the online threat against sporting venues, said Special Agent Richard Kolko, an FBI spokesman in Washington.

``We have absolutely no credible intelligence or threats pertaining to this issue,'' Kolko said.

With conference tournaments taking place this weekend, and the NCAA tournament scheduled to begin next week, the bulletin was sent ``out of an abundance of caution,'' Kolko said.

``We have been in touch with Homeland Security and the FBI about this issue,'' said NCAA spokesman Erik Christiansen.

[blam]

I wonder if this will affect ticket sales?

[meanie monster]

hi blam! I like your posts...

[blam]

Hi MM. (thanks)

[skip_intro]

``We have absolutely no credible intelligence or threats pertaining to this issue,'' Kolko said.

Good reason to issue a press release about it, then.

Maybe a new cable tv channel could be created just to report instances where ``We have absolutely no credible intelligence or threats pertaining to this issue".

They could call it CYA-TV.

[metmom]

Does this include professional sporting events, does anyone know?

[metmom]

Why does this warning about the US come from the UK Guardian?

[blam]

"Why does this warning about the US come from the UK Guardian?"

Because that's where I saw it, lol.

Now, after I posted this thread, I saw another one on the same subject posted here earlier today.

[metmom]

It was sort of rhetorical. It's not unusual to get information from overseas before it's released here. It happened some time ago and I don't remember what the particular issue was, it was some kind of national security thing, but my husband read about it on the London Daily Telegraph, weeks before it was released here. I'll remember it and 3 this morning, or something.

[metmom]

and=at 3 this morning

Spell check don't work when it's spelled right

[Calpernia]

ping

[Cindy]

Yep and thanks for the ping Calpernia.

[308MBR]

They know where the attendance is greatest, and it surely is NOT at any sort of round ball game nor any sort of professional sport. It's going to be a college football game.

Crowds at auto races are too spread out for anything short of a small nuke. Only 25,000 or so can cram themselves into any sort of basketball arena. However, a college football game is another case. Look at Knoxville TN on a home game with 108,000 crammed around a 0.88 acre field and you can see why this was already tried last season at Oklahoma.

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

Yet they'll get all upset over a 2" penknife in someone's pocket. We have to get a handle on what constitutes a real threat at professional sporting events.

~ Blue Jays ~

[Pharmboy]

Just saw this on espn.com...thanks for posting.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Bump.

There has been several Superbowl threats, now they are willing to try again, as the Oklahoma suicide bomber only took out one person........?

[Glenn]

Someone in the government has been busy watching "Sleeper Cell".