“The bulletin on stadiums notes that an Al Qaeda training manual specifically lists ‘blasting and destroying the places of amusement, immorality, and sin… and attacking vital economic centers…'”
New York Jihad Plot Update: “Authorities Eye Stadiums, Hotels, Storage Centers in Colorado Terror Plot Probe,” from FoxNews, September 22 (thanks to all who sent this in):
Federal counterterrorism officials warned local police to patrol stadiums, hotels and entertainment complexes for suspicious activity after the arrest of a Colorado man suspected of a far-reaching terror plot.
Officials said the FBI/Homeland Security bulletins weren’t tied to known threats and New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly downplayed terror fears there, saying there was no specific threat and he wasn’t stepping up his forces as a result.
“There is no security information on entertainment, sports, transit, no specific information … other than the fact that in a post-9/11 world, we are concerned about a lot of things,” Kelly told reporters at a Tuesday morning briefing in Manhattan.
Kelly said New York City already devotes “1,000 or over 1,000” police officers daily to counterterrorism efforts.
“We have not engaged in any different practices or increased our security,” he said. “We are, every day, up to a level that exceeds any other city that I’m aware of.”
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security also issued joint alerts to police around the country to watch storage centers for any unusual behavior.
Two bulletins were sent Monday to local authorities nationwide, with federal officials saying they know of no specific plots against such sites. The warnings — the latest in a flurry circulated as authorities investigate a possible bomb plot in Denver and New York City — say those sites remain attractive targets to groups like Al Qaeda.
The directives came after a similar bulletin about the vulnerabilities of mass transit systems was sent out Friday.
The bulletin on stadiums notes that an Al Qaeda training manual specifically lists “blasting and destroying the places of amusement, immorality, and sin… and attacking vital economic centers” as desired targets of the global terror network.
A joint statement from DHS and FBI said while the agencies “have no information regarding the timing, location or target of any planned attack, we believe it is prudent to raise the security awareness of our local law enforcement partners regarding the targets and tactics of previous terrorist activity.”…