tangent4ronpaul
09-10-2011, 01:03 PM
Federal authorities are questioning the credibility of a tip that Al Qaeda plans to launch an attack on Washington or New York during the 10th anniversary weekend of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks -- even though both cities remain on high alert.
"We don't have a smoking gun yet," Brenda Heck, a top counterterrorism official in the FBI's Washington field office, told Fox News."It is going to take a little bit to completely flush this out. We certainly -- hour by hour -- we are learning more."
The head of the FBI's Washington field office, James McJunkin, said as of Saturday morning the threat "is still unconfirmed," and he said he doesn't expect that there will be any problem" over the anniversary weekend."
Two U.S. officials told Fox News on Saturday afternoon that so far authorities have not been able to corroborate any of the intelligence they have obtained. But one of the officials added that authorities won't rest until they review every last detail.
Extra security is clearly visible on subways in both cities as officials are taking seriously a joint FBI, Homeland Security Intelligence Bulletin, first obtained by Fox News that states the timing and method of the potential terror plot.
“Al Qaeda possibly planned to carry out attacks…including a possible car bomb attack,” the bulletin reads.
Intelligence suggests Al Qaeda may have sent American terrorists or men carrying U.S. travel documents to launch the attack, government officials say.
According to the intelligence, Al Qaeda may have dispatched three men, at least two of whom could be U.S. citizens, to detonate a car bomb in one of the cities. Should that mission prove impossible, the attackers have been told to simply cause as much destruction as they can.
It's still unclear whether any such individuals even exist, according to U.S. officials.
Authorities are still trying "to establish and confirm whether or not that is true or not, and whether there are individuals that are so described," Heck said.
In fact, several possible names "have popped up but so far they have washed out," a federal law enforcement source told Fox News after reviewing databases, travel logs and phone records. "Most urgent issue right now -- to see who is here."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/10/new-york-dc-step-up-security-in-face-credible-terror-threat/#ixzz1XZtKsEaF
"We don't have a smoking gun yet," Brenda Heck, a top counterterrorism official in the FBI's Washington field office, told Fox News."It is going to take a little bit to completely flush this out. We certainly -- hour by hour -- we are learning more."
The head of the FBI's Washington field office, James McJunkin, said as of Saturday morning the threat "is still unconfirmed," and he said he doesn't expect that there will be any problem" over the anniversary weekend."
Two U.S. officials told Fox News on Saturday afternoon that so far authorities have not been able to corroborate any of the intelligence they have obtained. But one of the officials added that authorities won't rest until they review every last detail.
Extra security is clearly visible on subways in both cities as officials are taking seriously a joint FBI, Homeland Security Intelligence Bulletin, first obtained by Fox News that states the timing and method of the potential terror plot.
“Al Qaeda possibly planned to carry out attacks…including a possible car bomb attack,” the bulletin reads.
Intelligence suggests Al Qaeda may have sent American terrorists or men carrying U.S. travel documents to launch the attack, government officials say.
According to the intelligence, Al Qaeda may have dispatched three men, at least two of whom could be U.S. citizens, to detonate a car bomb in one of the cities. Should that mission prove impossible, the attackers have been told to simply cause as much destruction as they can.
It's still unclear whether any such individuals even exist, according to U.S. officials.
Authorities are still trying "to establish and confirm whether or not that is true or not, and whether there are individuals that are so described," Heck said.
In fact, several possible names "have popped up but so far they have washed out," a federal law enforcement source told Fox News after reviewing databases, travel logs and phone records. "Most urgent issue right now -- to see who is here."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/10/new-york-dc-step-up-security-in-face-credible-terror-threat/#ixzz1XZtKsEaF