In Overheard Calls, Terrorists Spoke of Major Attack, Officials Say

ASHINGTON, Nov. 1 — Government officials intercepted telephone conversations in recent days in which members of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, Al Qaeda, spoke urgently of an imminent attack against American targets even larger than the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, senior government officials say.

Intelligence reports based on the intercepted communications frightened the officials who read them and played a decisive role in the Bush administration's decision to issue its latest warning Monday of an imminent terrorist attack, the senior officials said.

Al Qaeda intercepts were interpreted as extraordinarily clear signals of potential danger in part because of the urgent and serious tone of the conversations. Officials said the terrorist operatives were overheard talking about an operation that would be even bigger than the Sept. 11 hijackings. Officials said they intercepted several of these conversations between Al Qaeda members in several countries.

Counterterrorism analysts at the C.I.A. and F.B.I. who reviewed the intercepts judged their credibility to be high also because they determined that the participants believed no one was eavesdropping on their discussions, the officials added.

The reports, supported by other intelligence, were rushed to President Bush and his national security aides on Monday morning. Senior national security officials were quickly persuaded that the potential threat was grave. But the debate at the White House over whether to issue an alert lasted several hours. Some counterterrorism officials expressed strong disagreement with issuing another nonspecific alert like the warning issued on Oct. 10.

When the administration issued the public warning of another attack on Monday, senior members of Congress criticized the decision, saying it raised fears among Americans without providing any specific information that would allow the nation to prepare. But the administration said the intercepts were so worrying that they had little choice.

Officials who have seen the intelligence reports said they raised greater concerns than did the intelligence that prompted the Oct. 10 warning. The latest intercepts indicated that Al Qaeda operatives were talking about a big event and discussed a specific time frame for action, prompting the government to warn of a terrorist attack within the week.

The intercepted communications did not provide specific clues about where the attacks might come, and the intelligence did not indicate whether the terrorists were planning actions inside the United States or against American interests overseas. The reports also did not even suggest the nature of the plot or the methods, officials said.

Tom Ridge, director of homeland security; George Tenet, director of central intelligence; Robert S. Mueller III, the F.B.I. director; and Attorney General John Ashcroft were each advised of the threat soon after the intelligence was collected. The information, along with sanitized but still secret summaries, was described in secret briefings for a few top lawmakers, officials said.

Throughout Monday, the government's still evolving threat-assessment network worked to reach a consensus on whether to issue a new alert — knowing that the Oct. 10 warning was criticized by lawmakers and state and local authorities for spreading fear without offering any information about where or how terrorists might strike.

As a result, some senior officials at the Federal Bureau of Investigation were reluctant to recommend issuing a second warning on Monday. But Mr. Ashcroft and other senior administration officials were persuaded that the threat was too significant to be ignored. In the end, the White House said it was Mr. Bush who made the decision to issue the threat warning, the officials said.

Officials also said they hoped the warning would persuade state and local authorities to increase their vigilance. They added that they had believed an attack was imminent when they issued the Oct. 10th warning, but that it was delayed or prevented, possibly as a result of the arrests and detentions of suspected Al Qaeda operatives in the United States and overseas.

Frustration by state and local officials about the vague nature of the warnings on both Oct. 10 and Monday may help explain the F.B.I.'s decision to issue a more specific warning that terrorists were planning rush- hour attacks against four California bridges, possibly as early as Friday. Senior officials added, however, that they found the intelligence behind that threat less credible than the intelligence leading to the national warning issued on Monday.

Gov. Gray Davis of California, who announced the threat warning this afternoon, said law enforcement officials believed that the Golden Gate Bridge or Bay Bridge, both in San Francisco, the Vincent Thomas Bridge at the Port of Los Angeles or the Coronado Bridge in San Diego were all potential targets.

While the intelligence that prompted Monday's warning was general, officials have scrambled to respond to potential vulnerabilities. Aviation authorities have barred flights over nuclear power plants and have created a no-fly zone in the vicinity of buildings thought to be potential targets, like the Sears Tower in Chicago.

Regardless of the means of communications, if it was intercepted, surely they must know who initiated the communication and who received it. If the communications were made through cellular phones, from what I've read over the years, the intelligence community is are capable of triangulating the frequency to pinpoint the location from which the communications were originated.

I'm don't buy the official line on 9-11, nor this tit-for-tat game of anthrax hits on highly visible officials which promote more public hype, and I'm not buying into this. I believe it all has been planned and orchestrated via the CIA. This all is a major, progressive psychological operation on the American public.

I agree with everything you said. But not even clintoon allowed terrs to run free after the events of 9/11. Of course he didn't, he did not have that sort of problem. I'm sure he would have done much worse than what is being done now. But THAT is not the point. The PC madness we are now drowning in is much worse than EVERYTHING bubba ever did. I mean that in the most sincere way.

I would like to see some attempt on the part of the Fed to know who is here and who isn't. Especially investigate those Muslim males between the age of 15 and 35.

Other than that, yes Bush could issue an executive order tomorrow kicking everyone out of the country, even those with resident status, but it really is the job of the congress.

I am pretty upset myself that they are all more worried about being PC than they are about who loses their lives next. It needs to be faced squarely by our government that other than a small minority of Muslims, the only definition presented to us so far as an example of a "moderate Muslim" seems to be those that are too cowardly to fight us themselves, but will happily contribute their part as good Muslims to the oppression of the infidel should the terrorists happen to luck out and win.

I was shocked to find out there are over 30 million Muslims in Europe and some European countries have more mosques now than churchs. Now we find out what their aim is world wide, even the "moderate" ones. Not to take action for fear of appearing racist is nuts right now, we are not so racist as to declare the entire rest of the world infidels, fit only for death or conversion, like the Muslim religion does. Even so, worring about all of it will not add one second to our lives, we can do what we can do, which obviously doesn't include marching on DC making demands as citizens, not enough people have died, and so there is a lack of interest on the part of the average guy. I just can't seem to be afraid, it's not a big part of my nature, I will do what I can to protect my family and be watchful, other than that, I continue to live and enjoy my life. I hope you do also.

I get a lot of mail from DC and it has entered my mind that something could have been done to it but so far, so good. Titan, the company that is irradiating the mail, is located near here along with two refineries, a couple chemical plants and a tank plant, along with several reservoirs. I wonder a lot but don't dwell on it because some things we have to learn to live with. Our lives have changed since Sept. 11 and this is the new normalcy for us. Our youngsters won't know anything but what is now. We can tell them about the good old days which weren't so good at the time. That's just the way it is. I don't except terrorism; you can bet your butt I am observant now and will fight but they aren't going to do me in. I'm too important and so are you.

You don't keep up with the news do you? The spores go right through paper. The spores from one letter can get into and on another letter. You are right about me getting the mail. I did not know untill tonight that this was going on. I personally am not worried about the mail. If I bring it into the house she will still do what she does. It is what makes her feel secure. Of course you probably just slap your wife around and tell her to straighten up. My wife would shoot me in my sleep if I treated her this way. I respect her. I let her do what she does.

Very well put. I agree 100% If Clinton hadn't made the United States of America a laughingstock to the enire world, we would be in a much better position. He weakened us. He broke down our military defense. And I'm sure that Bin laden would've still been there plotting, 1992, 1995, 1998...but he wouldn't have gotten the confidence to pull it all off, if our President "Clinton" didn't plaster his stupid face on the cover of every tabloid magazine or hog the news with his disgusting behavior; I did not inhale I did not have sexual relations with that woman Anybody got a cigar? I'm sure that the Al Gore (I really won recount the votes!) helped us also. Democrats. How pathetic. Thank GOD Bush is leading us, or else Gore would've swept this tragedy right under the table.

Mercy, I agree with you that we need to send 'em all back to where they came from, NOW. If the gubmnt and the sheeple don't wake up, this PC BS is going to be our end.

And to all those who are telling you to get a grip, i wonder if they'll be singing the same tune if we see just one case of smallpox...or maybe one successful attack on a reactor site. I guess the 4 airplane bombs, 2 downed towers, the hit on the Pentagon, anthrax deaths, and the ultimate goals of Islam, aren't quite enough. helloooooo?

Whether your Christian or not, You have to agree this is just a war of good against evil. And as you see, evil is everywhere. Prayer is the only true weapon against evil, it could be the one thing that would make our weapons stronger and more accurate, and our country safer.

It really couldn't hurt if everyone spent some time each day in prayer. My favorite time is in my drive to and from work. (In prayer it isn't required that your eyes are shut, just that your heart is open).

You don't keep up with the news do you? The spores go right through paper.

That seems to be the case. Folks were jabbing at Gephardt for calling it weapons grade...seems Gephardt was right. Turns out the letter sent to Daschle was estimated to be enough to kill millions. I'd call that weapons grade too...even though I despise Gerphardt for his political view, he called this one right from the getgo.

If your wife is donning rubber gloves and a mask to pick up your mail in Texas, then yes, she's lost it. Mrs. Miniver she is not.

It might be a kindness to take her and yourself to somewhere that you feel is less at risk. Israel would be next to last on my list, however, with Afghanistan being last.

What you want is to feel you are in control again, but you won't get that feeling in Israel, even if they let you in the army. Your wife will still be hysterical.

Mostly, you need to go somewhere where there is no TV news, no mail delivery, and no internet. You need to cut the input that is putting you and her on overload.

Your travel agent might be able to recommend a remote vacation spot. After a month, maybe the worst will be over.

Thankyou. That was very nice. .... I think. But I assure you it is not fear. It is red-hot-take-no-prisoners-RAGE. They better start deporting these rag-headed-women-abusing-scum pretty damn fast or the morgues of this country won't hold all the bodies.

You know, I know you do, there was one tribe of people that the Lord commanded Israel to slay utterly. Even the cattle of these people. These people were sacrificing children on the arms of glowing red hot idols. Well, I think they must have missed a few of them and they've been breeding for a long time now. We need to finish the job.

I can understand your outrage.

But,

PLEASE
CONSIDER
that
ANY
DEMOCRAT
would
likely
HOLD THE
TOOLS
LIGHT
THE
FUSE
GIVE
COFFEE
AND DOUGNUTS
AND
FLUFF THE
PILLOWS
OF SUCH
TERRORISTS

Bush at his worst will best virtually any of the potential Bumocracks one could imagine having the audacity to run for office.

Some of my friends are certain he's a vigorous supporter of NWO goals etc. I hope not. He could be. Regardless, he's still our best and only reasonably realistic hope for a slowed pace toward WWIII.

The Bumocracks would grease the skids and put rockets on the sled in the race to WWIII in the hopes that they would have a chance to get some of the lesser posts in ruling THE WORLD.

That's the main thing Villianny Hillfanny is working toward. She probably knows she can't be the top demon but she's bound and determined to be one of the Jr ruling demons ruling THE WORLD. . . . she might even fantasize that she'll get the NORTH AMERICAn region. Perhaps she'll be sucking flower roots from terminal shamelessness before then.

"You are right. I'm having a bad night. I think it was watching my wife at the PO (we have to pick up our mail) sorting the mail with a mask and gloves on. We get stuff from the E. Coast. I'm very mad. I'm very very mad. "

You are not wrong to do what you're doing. If you are mad about getting mail from the East Coast...How would you like to be right at the center of all of this?

My neighbors aren't even bring the mail "into the house" these days, but keeping it in the garage, quickly gotten rid of and they also where gloves. One of my neighbors is a Drug Researcher/MD and he advised me to use gloves taking the mail out of the mailbox, and sorting (but I admit I haven't done that)

We live within the 40+ postoffices communities that are serviced by the "TRENTON/Hamilton" facility...and we had been getting our mail through there when those anthrax loaded letters went through.

Right now they have our mail going in and out of diff facilities (our mail is so screwed up and delayed...and one of those other facilities has tested positive for anthrax-though no one is sick yet....Also they are now testing all our post offices here and I'm curious to see what happens with that.

I think this is going to become a huge contamination of postal equipment problem and the "spores" will haunt us, showing up everywhere and making people afraid. They are going to have to come up with something to "sterilize" the mail.

I'm less afraid of anthrax than some other terrible terrorist act, but hearing it on the news all the time doesn't help.

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