More detailed article on the 3 hour terrorist phone call:
11 News obtains terror calls made to sherrif's office
10:21 PM CDT on Thursday, May 27, 2004
By Vicente Arenas / 11 News
Thursday, 11 News obtained the telephone calls that were made to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Department.
They're taped terror threats made from half a world away in Afghanistan.
KHOU-TV
The Fort Bend County Sheriff's office received the terror threats in March.
"I want to tell you people...that we are going to destroy you," the caller said.
The chilling call to the Ft. Bend County Sheriff's Department was at times hard to understand, yet very clear.
"And that's why I alert...alert all of your nation...don't let their children to the school...don't let them to work...," the caller continued.
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A terror threat from halfway around the world
A man said his friends were about to launch an attack in the United States.
"When are you going to start this?" asked the negotiator.
The caller responded, "You will see it. I told you. You will see it. But you said you wanted me to be scared."
"Why don't you tell me when this is going to happen?" the negotiator asked.
Don't worry. Just see. Go on the roof...and just see...watch around the sky for a last time…" the caller responded.
Lt. Roger Pavelka, a trained negotiator, says the man told him to look east for something in the sky.
When asked what went through his mind as the night wore on, Pavelka responded, "that this call was for real. It could happen."
That was Pavelka's and the FBI's assessment after the man made 32 phone calls during a five-hour period back in March.
The man said he wanted to kill Americans and President Bush. He also said he wanted to repeat September 11th.
"Do you want to fly in an airplane?" the negotiator asked the caller who responded with, "come on...I want to die. Yeah I want to fly on an airplane...same like my brothers did. You know what they do in 2001 11th September 2001..."
Even though the man contacted the Fort Bend County Sheriff's office, he didn't seem to know exactly who or where he was calling when he threatened more attacks in different areas.
The negotiator followed with the question, "How about Fort Bend County? Are they in there?"
The caller's said, "What?"
Once again the negotiator asked, "How about Fort Bend County?"
And once again the caller seemed confused and asked, "What is this?"
Confusion, maybe.
Concern, no doubt.
Concern that he could be a credible threat if he could be found in this country. That he had enough anger and resentment. That he could do or attempt to do what he was telling us he was going to do.
The FBI was able to trace the call to Afghanistan, where agents said the man is being questioned.
11 News was told the man had been up for nearly 50 hours and was angry after members of the Taliban got into some trouble in Afganistan.
http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou040527_gj_terrorcalls.2048faa2e.html