Kindgo
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http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/...p-5933206c.html
FBI: Terrorist threat names Sacramento
The information is vague and unverified, authorities caution.
By Sam Stanton -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 a.m. PDT Thursday, October 24, 2002
The FBI has issued a warning to local law enforcement agencies alerting them of a terrorist threat Friday against targets in Sacramento and New York City, sources said Wednesday, although officials downplayed the probability of an attack.
Similar threats are intercepted regularly throughout the nation, officials said. But an FBI spokesman said this is the first time Sacramento has been mentioned as a target.
Authorities emphasized that the threats are unverified and contain no specifics, meaning agents believe there is little action that can be taken. Nevertheless, police agencies said they planned to enhance security in some areas and make uniformed officers more visible.
"The information is so non-specific that there is nothing one can do to reasonably thwart what might or might not happen," said Michael Mason, special agent in charge of the Sacramento FBI field office. "It is information that, if it was on a scale of one to 100, I would give it a one."
The warning came from FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and was received in Sacramento on Monday, sources said. FBI officials passed it on to area law-enforcement agencies Tuesday.
The warning indicated agents had received "information of unknown reliability from an allied agency regarding uncorroborated threats to civil sites in Sacramento," according to sources who saw the alert.
The alert, labeled "law enforcement sensitive," warned of possible attacks Friday against sites in Sacramento and New York City.
The message the FBI received appeared to have come in some sort of text, with the phrases "may God protect Islam" and "may God destroy America" included, sources said.
Mason said the information was not meant to become public knowledge and that it was "nothing more than somebody passing us information from a foreign country that they heard about here, but nothing specific whatsoever."
He added that it is similar to previous threat warnings issued elsewhere in the country since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, although Mason said it was the first he was aware of that mentioned Sacramento.
Sacramento Undersheriff John McGinness said, "We're going to make modification of our deployment plan and harden some targets."
However, officials added that they gave the threat little credence.
"This is not unusual -- we get these all the time," California Highway Patrol Commissioner D.O. "Spike" Helmick said. "We've had them with the bridges and colleges and nuclear plants.
"I don't want to make light of it or overexaggerate it, but this is as vague as it can get."
Sgt. Justin Risley, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department, said, "We are aware of the claim and I think the FBI has made some statements as far as the quality of the threats as being fairly low.
"We're working with other law enforcement agencies in the region to take the appropriate steps, in terms of staffing and having the contingency in place to be secure."
Helmick and others noted that security enhancements have already been made at potential targets, including the state Capitol, courthouses and Folsom Dam, and that the nation as a whole remains on guard against potential terror attacks.
Last Thursday, CIA Director George Tenet warned Congress that there is evidence al-Qaida operatives are planning attacks against the United States "both here and overseas."
Despite the level of security in place, officials said there would be more patrols and other efforts made Friday. Such responses are not unusual, and Helmick noted that the CHP was taking similar steps around California schools as a result of the sniper shootings in the Washington, D.C., area.
Authorities said FBI Director Robert Mueller's visit Monday to the Sacramento field office was not related to the threat. Mueller gave a speech at Stanford University last week and visited Sacramento briefly Monday to meet local authorities, officials said.
Some who fear they may be targeted in an attack said they were concerned to learn of the warning when called by a reporter, and said law enforcement should not discount any possibilities.
"We have to learn as a society how to respond with the appropriate lead time to be able to take precautions," said Rabbi Brad Bloom of Congregation B'nai Israel in Sacramento.
Bloom, whose synagogue was one of three Sacramento-area temples targeted in 1999 by white supremacists, said he believed officials should have warned local Jewish leaders about the potential threat if they found it credible.
He added that area Jewish leaders had met with Mason two weeks ago and were told they should report any problems or concerns to his office.
"In a quiet way, we have to be alert and watching," Bloom said. "Jews are targets throughout America, as well as other groups."
FBI officials said there were no specific threats against any particular group.
"Quite frankly, there would be no more reason to tell the Jewish community than to tell the Asian American community," Mason said. "It is information without verification, period."
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God bless,
Kindgo
Inside the will of God there is no failure. Outside the will of God there is no success.
Posts: 4320 | From: Sunny Florida | Registered: Jun 2002
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