Posted on 05/30/2002 12:45:49 PM PDT by blam
FBI Warns Al Qaeda May Have Anti-Aircraft Missiles
Thu May 30, 1:39 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI has warned law enforcement agencies that al Qaeda may possess shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, but it has no information that the organization has any plans to use the weapons against U.S. aircraft, an FBI official said on Thursday.
The official said the FBI issued on May 22 one of its intelligence bulletins to state, local and federal law enforcement agencies warning that al Qaeda -- the group linked to Osama bin Laden ) who is blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks on America -- may have the weapons.
The official said the warning was issued after U.S. military personnel discovered some weapons systems in Saudi Arabia.
"We do not possess any information indicating al Qaeda has any intention of using these weapons systems against U.S. aircraft," he said. "We just wanted to make people aware of their existence."
The United States supplied shoulder-launched missiles to anti-Soviet Afghan guerrillas in the 1980s. Afghanistan's new interim government has handed dozens of U.S. Stinger missiles back to Washington to try to keep them out of the wrong hands.
FBI Director Robert Mueller said on Wednesday the FBI was regularly providing warnings to law enforcement agencies urging them to be alert to the possibility of potential terrorist attacks on various places or locations.
Over the past few weeks warnings have been made public about potential threats to rail and transit systems, New York City landmarks, apartment buildings, small aircraft and even scuba divers.
Law enforcement officials caution that the warnings are based on uncorroborated and unconfirmed information, but they are made in an "abundance of caution."
Mueller has said another suicide attack on the United States was "inevitable" and other top officials have warned that extremists could launch fresh attacks on the United States which has been on edge since the Sept. 11 hijackings which killed more than 3,000 people
A group of Muslims with large backpacks and inappropriate attire were spotted hiking, and disappeared into the mountains in Arizona, right before a weekend World Series game. I don't recall hearing that anything was found.
8 posted on 5/30/02 4:09 PM Eastern by blam
blam! You have a great memory!!
Al-Qaeda got anti-aircraft missiles from Bill Clinton's allies the Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army.
From an article dated November 22, 2001: Al Qaeda trained terrorists for Kashmir: Documents (got anti-aircraft rockets from Albanians - more) One Arabic language article describes how in 1999 bin Laden received Russian anti-aircraft rockets from Bulgaria and how the rockets were smuggled through Pakistan with the help from 'Albanian separatists who are fighting in southern Serbia'.
Put the former leadership on trial for treason, and maybe we'll find out what happened to our nuclear secrets, why our computers were hacked, why the Pentagon was bugged.
The KLA needed Barrett rifles to sniper at Yugo armored vehicles. As the article CIA aided Kosovo guerrilla army [terrorists] states sniper rifles were exported from America using a loophole in federal law that allowed them to be shipped to "hunting clubs". Armour-piercing Barrett rifles made their way to the KLA's "hunting club" in Albania. I guarantee you that any large number of weapons being exported in such a way to Albania would have been noted by the ATF and US Customs.
There is also precedence in American covert-ops supplying Barret rifles to Islamic guerillas: U.S. Sent Guns to bin Laden in 1980s. Barrett is now under some legal trouble over this especially from the Violence Policy Center, a Washington-based group that stated in a press release that "Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network have understood the destructive power of the .50-caliber sniper rifle for more than a decade," the report says. "It would be absurd to think that they have forgotten it." Also from the article; The center's report was based in part on testimony by Essam al Ridi, an Egyptian-born flight instructor who worked as Mr. bin Laden's pilot, during the trial this year of four men who were found guilty of conspiring with Mr. bin Laden to bomb the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. The Violence Policy Center notes that a Web site belonging to a London organization called Sakina Security Services, which British authorities have linked to Muslim extremists, has offered live-fire sniper training somewhere in the United States.
The sporting event you guys remembered was the Winter Olympics. The Utah Olympic Public Safety Command confirmed that a .50-caliber rifle was found, but said it was "important to note the rifle was not near an Olympic venue".
I'm surprised the FBI hasn't released a warning that the Al-Qaeda may have access to automatic weapons.
I cant believe what I heard.
Sometimes you just cant believe what you hear!
All the fun they made of people they humiliated,"You dont know whatyou're talking about!"
This American government is sickening!
Holy Moly! No Kidding! This is unbelieveable that they've kept this seceret this long.
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