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Scouring some of the links to al-Qaeda websites over the last week, some of you may recall that the date August 5 came up repeatedly in the intercepts of the "chatter" that was made public. It looks like we made it past that date. The other "hard" date that came up from the most recent arrests was "early September." We'll see if they were blowing smoke, if we foiled them, or if there is something else out there.

August 2, 2004THE OVERVIEWU.S. Warns of Qaeda Attack in 'Near Term'By ERIC LICHTBLAU ASHINGTON, Aug. 1 - The Bush administration on Sunday declared a high risk of terrorist attacks against financial institutions in the New York City and Washington areas after receiving what it described as alarming information that operatives of Al Qaeda had conducted detailed reconnaissance missions at certain sites.Intelligence information gathered and analyzed since Friday, intelligence officials said, indicate that Al Qaeda has moved ahead with plans to use car bombs or other modes of attack against prominent financial institutions, including the New York Stock Exchange and the...

WASHINGTON "...Al Qaeda members captured in recent weeks in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan have provided important information about a possible impending terrorist attack on the scale of Sept. 11, according to senior American intelligence officials. The interrogations of the Al Qaeda members have been a major factor in raising American concerns about a possible attack to a level not seen since Sept. 11, 2001, the intelligence officials said. They added that the captured Al Qaeda members had provided clues that traced planning for a major attack back to the group’s central leadership, including Osama bin Laden, who is believed...

An al-Qaida-affiliated Internet site is cautioning Muslims to avoid being near planned targets of the terrorist group, reports Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence news service. The Al-Battar Camp online magazine, stated in a June 29 posting that the measure was for Muslims' safety. By providing the warning, the group is revealing its plans for attacks against "Christian companies, airlines and oil companies," according to a translation of the report. The report, "A Warning to Muslims With Regard to Getting Close to Infidels and Oppressors," was written by Sheikh Amir Ibn-Abdullah al-Amir. It advises Muslims, "If you are working with our infidel...

Washington - Warnings that terrorists are plotting "something big" against the United States are based on "very, very solid" information, the CIA's acting director said on Wednesday, likening the threat reports to those that preceded the September 11, 2001 attacks. John McLaughlin, the acting CIA director, noted in an interview with National Public Radio that the US had ample warning of an attack before the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington but no specifics on the timing and targets. "But we did have conviction that something big was coming at us. We have that same conviction now," he...

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge warned Americans to stay watchful for terrorism, saying that al Qaeda could be preparing to carry out a large-scale attack. His cry of concern, interpreted by critics as scaremongering, illustrates the administration's dilemma on homeland security, caught between deadly threats and partisan mischief. While precise knowledge of prospective assaults does not exist, Mr. Ridge notes that there have been credible indications that "al Qaeda is moving forward with its plans to carry out a large-scale attack in the United States in an effort to disrupt our democratic process." Terrorists may be trying to follow...

WASHINGTON -- The United States is tightening security in the face of a steady stream of intelligence indicating al-Qaida may seek to mount an attack aimed at disrupting elections, the White House said. The Department of Homeland Security is addressing the threat and has efforts under way to "ramp up security," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Thursday. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist told reporters that Americans should not expect a major announcement on homeland security any time soon, indicating that the nation's threat level could remain at its "elevated" level. "There's, obviously, no reason for panic, or paralysis,"...

Seems they have evidence that Al Qaeda is attempting to attack the political conventions in Boston and New York.

Almost daily we are assured that another attack on the homeland, commensurate with 9/11, is inevitable. What a scary mood of fatalism we are in! Where will it happen? The Olympics? The party conventions this summer? A week before the election? Chicago? L.A.? Our experts weighed in over the 4th of July weekend and seemed to disagree only over the method of the mass murder to come. Will it be chemical, biological, radiological, or involve hijacked planes, car bombs, or waves of suicide terrorists? We talk endlessly about "they" without ever specifying exactly who "they" really are who are planning...

ASHINGTON, July 4 — The federal authorities, concerned about a terror attack during this summer's national political conventions, have begun a new effort to identify potential extremists inside the United States, including conducting interviews in communities where terrorists might seek refuge, government officials said.The fears about an incident during the conventions or later in the year have also led state and local officials to impose extraordinary security precautions. Persistent if indistinct intelligence reports, based on electronic intercepts and live sources, indicate that Al Qaeda is determined to strike in the United States some time this year, the officials said in...

WASHINGTON (AP) - A constant stream of intelligence indicating that al-Qaida wants to strike the United States this summer or fall has led federal officials to urge increased vigilance during the Independence Day weekend, but there is no specific threat of an attack timed to the holiday. In a bulletin sent to law enforcement agencies nationwide Thursday, the FBI said police should step up patrols and watch for signs of terrorist activity, including surveillance of potential targets. The FBI also listed advice on how to spot possible suicide bombers. "We know the U.S. homeland remains a top al-Qaida target," the...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI on Thursday warned police of potential July 4 attacks by al Qaeda using tactics like assault teams, car bombs and suicide bombs, although it said it had no credible threat for the holiday. In a weekly bulletin sent to law enforcement officials across the country, the FBI repeated recent warnings the United States remained a top al Qaeda target, but said it had no specific information regarding a July 4 attack. "Al Qaeda's targets generally have been of symbolic significance as well as directed at inflicting mass casualties with the timing of attacks driven more...

<p>U.S. intelligence agencies are warning the federal government to be on alert for a terrorist attack around the July Fourth holiday, especially at military facilities and large gatherings, according to U.S. officials.</p> <p>Officials familiar with an internal report outlining the concern said it indicates that an attack might take place from a high vantage point, although there was no further explanation.</p>

Attorney General John Ashcroft reiterated Tuesday his warning that terrorists intend to attack the United States and that the upcoming Fourth of July holiday and political conventions should be considered prime targets. "We are a nation at war," Ashcroft said. "There are times when 9-11 may seem like a distant memory, but it is not. Al-Qaida wants to hit us and hit us hard." Ashcroft said the nation is entering a "season of symbolic events" that might become terrorist targets. While not wanting the public to be fearful and not enjoy the upcoming holiday, he urged people to be vigilant....

Airport Security Alert Issued Bulletin Covers JFK, Newark, Dulles, Detroit, O'Hare And Los Angeles LAX Airports Jun 29, 2004 7:45 pm US/Eastern WASHINGTON (CBS) CBS News Correspondent Bob Orr reports the Department of Homeland Security has issued an alert that warns customs officers at six of America's busiest airports to watch for travelers of Pakistani descent who show physical signs of preparing for terror attacks against the U.S. The bulletin says, "Officers should look for rope burns, unusual bruises, wounds/scars or other evidence that they engaged in paramilitary training..." The unusually specific internal warning, obtained by CBS News, covers customs...

A New Terror ThreatThis holiday, watch out for those floating beer coolersSunday, Jun. 27, 2004As the July 4 holiday approaches, Bush Administration officials are bombarding the nation's police, fire, emergency and corporate-security offices with another round of terrorism warnings. Although there are no plans to raise the threat level from yellow to orange, a senior Justice Department official says, "there's very serious intelligence that's corroborated, that's multiple sourced, that indicates that al-Qaeda is intent on hitting us and hitting us hard this year." The official concedes, however, that "we don't have specific information." Along with this now familiar general warning,...

As the July 4 holiday approaches, Bush Administration officials are bombarding the nation's police, fire, emergency and corporate-security offices with another round of terrorism warnings. Although there are no plans to raise the threat level from yellow to orange, a senior Justice Department official says, "there's very serious intelligence that's corroborated, that's multiple sourced, that indicates that al-Qaeda is intent on hitting us and hitting us hard this year." The official concedes, however, that "we don't have specific information." Along with this now familiar general warning, the FBI has introduced the specter of a new terrorism threat: booby-trapped beer coolers....

As the July 4 holiday approaches, Bush Administration officials are bombarding the nation's police, fire, emergency and corporate-security offices with another round of terrorism warnings. Although there are no plans to raise the threat level from yellow to orange, a senior Justice Department official says, "there's very serious intelligence that's corroborated, that's multiple sourced, that indicates that al-Qaeda is intent on hitting us and hitting us hard this year." The official concedes, however, that "we don't have specific information." Along with this now familiar general warning, the FBI has introduced the specter of a new terrorism threat: booby-trapped beer coolers....

June 8, 2004 -- Al Qaeda warned yesterday that U.S. and European airliners and other "means of transportation" will be targets for terror attacks this summer.

An FBI bulletin issued between May 17-21, 2004 urged local law enforcement officials to keep especially alert for suicide bombers and people dressed suspiciously. One counterterrorism official, told the Washington Post on condition of anonymity that al-Qaeda is planning an attack designed to kill as many people as possible, and is focusing on soft targets such as passenger trains and commercial centers. Additionally, al-Qaeda has threatened to poison drinking water in major U.S. cities. In fact, the terror network may have tried to poison an American embassy in early 2002. The Al-Majallah news magazine, published in Britain, reported that Abu...