Seattle is repeatedly mentioned in information gathered by U.S. intelligence sources monitoring suspected al-Qaida terrorists and their sympathizers, and the Department of Justice has ordered an investigation to find out why.
The references to Seattle and the recent discovery of photographs of the city on a computer hard drive recovered from Osama bin Laden's fractured stronghold near Tora Bora, Afghanistan, led to a decision by Justice officials to determine whether the city or any of its landmarks, such as the Space Needle, may be a target, a source said yesterday.
"The photographs were cumulative of other intelligence," said one high-ranking source, who asked not to be identified. "While they, of themselves, would be a concern, they are not the first time Seattle has come up in connection with intelligence around possible terrorist acts."
Another source, who also requested anonymity, said Seattle has surfaced regularly in intelligence data reviewed by analysts in Washington, D.C.
"The city has earned the ignominious distinction of coming up very frequently on the nonspecific threat alerts," the source said.
"It's certainly in the top five, and my guess is that it is behind only New York and Washington."
And while the news has been filled with reports of a possible terrorist plot to fly a hijacked jet into one of the country's nuclear power plants, such as the plant on the Hanford nuclear reservation in Eastern Washington, published reports say the al- Qaida operative who told the FBI of the plot has not been credible in the past and the information has not been corroborated.(snip)