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Posted on 06/12/2002 4:38:25 PM PDT by MikeJ
A frightening sequence of events and clues gleaned by U.S. intelligence has some in law enforcement believing that a maritime terrorist attack against San Francisco could be imminent.
Local ferry operators became alarmed last week when someone described as Middle Eastern man boarded a ferry to Alcatraz but did not leave the boat when it reached the island. Instead, the man videotaped boat traffic and used a stopwatch to time the route.
"He got on the boat to go to the island, but never got off when the other tourists did. Instead, he asked unusual questions about the timing and frequency of the trips, all the while videotaping and using the stopwatch," a source told The Examiner.
The frequency of suspicious activity in San Francisco became apparent to the feds and local law enforcement in October when three men, described as Middle Eastern, boarded a ferry at Pier 41 for a trip to Alameda.
The boat's crew became alarmed when one of the men made his way to the upper deck to observe the captain piloting the ferry, another man used a stopwatch to time the route and a third man videotaped the Anchorage 9 terminal, a source said.
The crew noted the men did not appear interested in filming standard tourist attractions like bridges or other known sites. The report stated in part: "While it is not an overt act of terrorism, it is not (considered) normal passenger activity."
This was preceded by an alarming incident that occurred in Daly City on Oct. 20. Six Blue and Gold Fleet and Golden Gate Transit uniforms were stolen from a ferry employee's car, in addition to ferry schedules, maritime maps and a copy of the U.S. Coast Guard's Rules of the Road.
Anyone wearing the uniforms is automatically granted unlimited access to "all the ferry boats and buses in the Bay Area."
The employee told authorities the thieves didn't bother to take money or a cache of CDs left inside the car.
According to a report of the theft:
"Maybe it's nothing, but when you put it all together, it starts to add up," a source said.
An incident that occurred Oct. 8 still makes Erin Everett cringe with fear.
Everett, an employee at the St. Francis Yact Club, was approached by a man she described as Arabic who wanted to rent a large boat "to see the beautiful coast of California."
When Everett told the man the club wasn't in the business of renting boats, the man became agitated and insisted money wasn't a problem. He was willing to spend whatever it took, Everett recalled, to rent a large boat.
When Everett suggested he try Fisherman's Wharf, he said he never heard of it and abruptly left the office. He returned a few minutes later demanding directions to the popular tourist destination. Suspicious, Everett called the Coast Guard and FBI, who sent an agent the next morning to retrieve a security videotape of the man.
"He kept saying money wasn't a problem. I don't know what it means, but it was scary," Everett said.
Recent terrorist alerts by the Coast Guard, the FBI and the California Anti-Terrorism Warfare Center in Sacramento point to growing concerns among those in the intelligence community that a seaborne attack against the country is imminent.
The FBI contacted San Francisco Police Chief Fred Lau last week requesting information on The City's dive shops. The feds issued similar appeals to other law enforcement agencies situated near waterways or harbors.
Ferry operators told the Examiner of efforts to beef up security on their boats plying the Bay, saying crews are on the lookout for suspicious activity and that engine rooms and pilot houses are now sealed to the public. During the summer peak season, 4,000 people travel to Alcatraz every day.
"We have good reason to believe that something is being planned," said another law enforcement source. "When you begin putting pieces of the puzzle together, it starts to make sense."
Oh... never mind... ;0)
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The actions reported are not . . . possibilities, folk. THEY WERE/ARE working to act out a major terrorist act there. No doubt. What does it take--neon skywriting for people to wake up there? From this distance, it sounds like the response has been rather feeble.
What will it take before more effective actions are taken in such situations? Sheesh! Perhaps lives there have become as cheap as they are in Asia? Well, if everyone believes that man is nothing more than a rat, a pidgeon or a radish to quote Skinner, I guess that's reasonable.
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