The bureau planned to put photos and information on a Web site to help Americans identify the possible perpetrators.
"Recent information indicates a planned attack may occurred in the United States or against U.S. interests on or around Feb. 12, 2002. One or more operatives may be involved in the attack," the alert to 18,000 law enforcement agencies said.
The alert asked police "to stop and detain" any of the named individuals in alert and that all "should be considered extremely dangerous."
Law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the alert was prompted by recent information from interviews of detainees in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where several al-Qaida operatives are being held.
I hope the "Emmisaries of Peaceful Islam" down in Guantanamo Bay are jerking our chains on this.