Posted on 05/18/2002 8:01:27 PM PDT by blam
U.S. Detects 'Enhanced' Threat of a New Attack Sat May 18, 8:38 PM ET By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence officials have detected "enhanced activity" that points to a potential new attack against the United States or American interests abroad, a White House official said on Saturday.
The FBI (news - web sites) also warned of a possible plot by Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s al Qaeda network to detonate bombs in apartment buildings in the United States.
The comments came as The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence agencies have intercepted a series of messages among al Qaeda operatives indicating the group is attempting to launch an attack as big as or bigger than the one on Sept. 11.
Quoting unidentified intelligence and law enforcement officials, the Times characterized the communications as vague but disturbing. The intercepted messages are so general that they have left President Bush (news - web sites) and U.S. counterterrorism officials uncertain about the timing, location or method in this potential attack, the Times reported.
"There has been information of concern, enhanced activity of concern," the White House official, who asked not to be quoted by name, told Reuters. The information has been detected in recent weeks and months, the official said.
"Certainly we are always concerned about the possibility of a terrorist attack. The president and senior administration officials and the vice president, just a couple of days ago, have told the country that there always exists the possibility of a terrorist attack against the country, and the country's interests. We as American citizens want to be vigilant, but also live our lives."
Separately, the FBI has received information that al Qaeda operatives are "considering renting apartments in unspecified areas of the United States and then planting explosives," said bureau spokeswoman Debbie Weierman. The information was "nonspecific" and "uncorroborated," she said.
During the last few days, the FBI has passed the potential threat on to its field offices around the country as well as to local officials and managers and owners of apartment buildings, Weierman said.
The FBI has issued no official alerts, and put out the notices "only in an abundance of caution," but there was "no reason to believe (the threat) has gone past the discussion phase," she added.
CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE
Officials cited by the Times said the intercepted messages represent some of the most credible intelligence gathered on al Qaeda's plans since the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington involving hijacked commercial airliners.
U.S. intelligence agencies have gathered reports of potential threats to U.S. interests by al Qaeda continuously since Sept. 11 and are still worried about another attack, an intelligence official who requested anonymity told Reuters.
"We remain concerned that there could be an attack. They have not gone away," the official said, adding that the reports are "the same unspecific, generalized concern" that had arisen in the months prior to the Sept. 11 attacks.
"There is no reason to think terrorism has gone away, there is threat reporting every day, we get new stuff every day," the official said.
Asked whether the level of al Qaeda threat reports being picked up by intelligence agencies was similar to that in the months before Sept. 11, the intelligence official said it was "in the neighborhood."
The officials cited by the Times compared the messages with the pattern of communications picked up in the spring and early summer of 2001, when al Qaeda operatives were detected speaking about a major operation.
"There's just a lot of chatter in the system again," a senior administration official told the Times. "We are actively pursuing it and trying to see what's going on here."
One senior official said the volume of intelligence relating to a potential future attack -- in Europe, the Arabian Peninsula or the United States -- has increased in the past month, the report said.
The Times said messages referring to mass casualties do not specifically mention the use of weapons of mass destruction such as chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
Bush has faced criticism in recent days over disclosures that a series of possible clues about al Qaeda's plans went unheeded in the months before the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Republican president on Friday hit back at Democratic "second-guessing" of his handling of intelligence ahead of the Sept. 11 attacks, adding: "Had I known that the enemy was going to use airplanes to kill on that fateful morning, I would have done everything in my power to protect the American people."
Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) cautioned on Thursday that "without a doubt a very real threat of another perhaps more devastating attack still exists." (Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria and Peter Kaplan)
You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.
Have some ham,
Big Guy and Rusty 99
Won't happen, corporate America needs the cheap labor.
Corporate America considers terrorist attacks, such as the 911 bombings, the cost of doing business.
We're getting very on edge here in California.
Tuor
Separately, the FBI has received information that al Qaeda operatives are "considering renting apartments in unspecified areas of the United States and then planting explosives,"Like this is going to do UNDETECTED under our noses ...I ask you - just how are a group of swarthy Middle-east nationals going accomplish this without standing out like sore thumbs?
There's really no way to stop that without encroaching on civil liberties. Anyone can purchase perfectly legal ingredients and assemble them in their apartments, and blow them up right there. I wonder, what does law enforcement plan to do to prevent this?
Huh?
How about: "You're right" (a contraction for "YOU ARE RIGHT") toots?
They're not all swarthy ;)
Besides, most Americans mind their own business. This can be done easily, as long as they can cover their financial tracks and not make it obvious that a single individual/organization is paying for X number of apartment rentals around the country. They also have to buy the ingredients in a suitably discreet (sp?) manner.. This is definitely doable since nobody will bother them if they don't make waves.
That was Abu-Ghaif (sp?).. bin Ladens "spokesman".. the dark-skinned "Kuwaiti" guy.. I point that he was dark complexioned and "Kuwaiti" cuz the two really don't go together, unless he was an immigrant from one of the "darker" Muslim nations like India or Pakistan...
They also have to buy the ingredients in a suitably discreet (sp?) manner.
All these theories like this work - as long as you consider them taking place in a vacuum.
Which they DO NOT.
People are involved now ...
Are you also an ex-Y2K refugee? Own a TON of C-rations/MRE's yet?
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