Posted on 05/20/2003 10:33:07 AM PDT by dogbyte12
CNN flashing alert. More details to follow. Could be a drudge like siren, or series. CNN thinks this one is serious.
As I live in Arizona, I'd greatly appreciate it if you told me who is doing such speculation and how reliable it may be.
Thanks.
g
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senior U.S. officials said Tuesday that intelligence "chatter" suggests terrorists may be planning a major attack inside the United States.
One official called the intelligence "reasonably spooky stuff."
The FBI warned state and local law enforcement authorities Tuesday that the terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco "may be a prelude to an attack in the United States."
The message was sent to police agencies nationwide on a secure telecommunications system, two senior law enforcement officials said.
"While these attacks produced a significant loss of life and destruction, recent intelligence suggests that the attacks may be a prelude to another attack in the United States," the message said.
Officials said as they monitor suspected al Qaeda members talking about future operations, the problem is separating the "wishful thinking and bluster" from discussion of real plots that are under way.
"There is some chatter that points to the U.S.," an official said, "but we don't really know if it is real."
But law enforcement officials stressed that the message also said the FBI possesses no specific threat information. The message on the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System urged local police agencies to report any suspicious activity and to remain alert to potential terrorist operations in the United States.
Authorities believe al Qaeda was responsible for May 12's multiple suicide bombings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that killed 25 people and nine bombers. Moroccan officials said 42 people, including bombers, were killed in Friday's attacks in Casablanca.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials are expected to meet at the White House on Tuesday to discuss whether the nation's threat level should be raised in light of the Saudi attacks.
A Homeland Security official said the United States continues to see a credible threat overseas against U.S. and British interests. The official said there were no credible or specific threats against targets in the United States.
"Right now, it doesn't appear to be anything that would lead us to raise the threat level," the official said.
However, Homeland Security principals are "very concerned" and are trying to figure out if there is a correlation to threats in the United States, the official said. (The U.S. threat level system)
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge appeared Monday on Capitol Hill to discuss U.S. preparedness for terrorist attacks as intelligence officials warn that new strikes may be imminent.
Ridge said his department still had a lot of work to do but added it had made much progress since its creation in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks.
"We are significantly safer than we were 20 months ago," Ridge said. "We are safer because as a nation we are more aware of the threat of terrorism and much more vigilant in confronting it. We are safer because our homeland security professionals now have a single department leading them and our states and cities have a place to turn for financial, technical and operational support."
Ridge's testimony before the House Select Committee on Homeland Security comes after the United States announced that it was closing its embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and its consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran on Wednesday after receiving "credible information that further terrorist attacks are being planned against unspecified targets in Saudi Arabia." (Full story)
Officials have not decided when the facilities will reopen, according to an embassy statement, but officials said that it would be Sunday at the earliest. The missions are usually closed Thursdays and Fridays, according to the embassy's Web site, and they already were scheduled to close Saturday for the Memorial Day holiday.
Britain also plans to close its Riyadh embassy Wednesday, officials said. They did not say when it would reopen.
Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, said Monday that he believes the suicide bombers who struck Riyadh last week were planning a much bigger operation and that he fears another devastating attack.
Saudi Arabia has raised its threat level to its highest point ever in response to the bombings.
Four people believed to be linked to al Qaeda have been detained in connection with the Riyadh attacks, said Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef, adding that each had prior knowledge of the bombings. (Full story)
Iran denies hosting al Qaeda Iran again denied Tuesday that it is harboring suspected al Qaeda operatives, turning aside U.S. beliefs that some members of the terror group are using the country as a base for attacks. (Full story)
The U.S. government has been in communication with Iran about the presence of al Qaeda members, making it clear to the nation's Islamic leadership that it must take more steps against terrorism, U.S. officials said Monday.
Senior U.S. government sources last week told CNN that evidence suggested al Qaeda's operation chief was in Iran and may have played a role in planning the Saudi attacks.
However, on the Web site of Iran's state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi rebutted remarks by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that al Qaeda leaders are in Iran, adding that Iran has no links to the "fundamentalist and violent" network.
Because that's what the local news anchors said.
The local news editors of your 6 o'clock news want to make sure there is a local angle on every story they present. So when presented with a national terrorism alert, they immediately look around for local landmarks that might be targetted, whether that makes any sense or not.
That's why the 6 o'clock news leads with a story like:
"Federal officials say there is an risk of attack, and downtown might be a target. Our own Margie Shamlts has the story. Margie?"
If you listen to the news in Portland, Maine or Portland, Oregon, they will all say the same thing -- "our little town may be a target!" The fact is that local officials have no idea if they are targeted or not, but it never hurts the budget to claim to be a target.
Where is "local"? Arizona? NM? Which news officials? Which political pundits?
I'm not trying to harass you, just trying to determine the credibility of the people making such speculation.
Thanks.
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