Excerpted from: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-ERRI Risk Assessment Services-Thursday, July 29, 1999-Vol. 5 - 210-09:0CDT
UNITED STATES
Chicago Institute Issues Terrorism Threat Advisory
By Paul Anderson, ERRI Analyst
According to Clark Staten, Executive Director and Sr. Analyst of the Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI), the threat of a terrorist attack on the United States, her allies, or bases and embassies overseas has substantially increased in recent days. Staten says that the ERRI threat "inference" computer (see http://www.emergency.com/putrtrnd.htm) indicates an increased likelihood of a terrorist attack in the coming two week period.
Staten noted the anniversary (August 7th) of the twin U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania as a significant date for a possible terror attack. "Although anniversary dates are not always reliable as an indicative factor," Staten said, "they do seem to have some significance for some terrorist groups and can sometimes be correlated to future attacks."
For instance, in the case of domestic terrorist groups, April 19th is of particular significance as it is the anniversary of the incidents involving Waco, Ruby Ridge, and Oklahoma City. Staten said that every spring, U.S. law enforcement agencies go on alert in regard to the potential for attacks carried out in retribution for those killed in past incidents.
With regard to international terrorism, groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and other religiously inspired militants have undertaken attacks in concurrence with the dates of historical significance. Both IRA and Protestant militants in Ireland have also shown a propensity for attacking on key anniversary dates, Staten said.
In addition to the August 7th anniversary date, Staten says that repeated threats by Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda organization should be taken seriously -- as the events in Kenya and Tanzania more than adequately demonstrated. According to a variety of intelligence and security sources, communications intercepts of Bin Laden associates would seem to suggest that the has been undertaking preparations for a fresh attack on American assets for some months now.
Staten also noted that a recent proliferation of threats against the FBI headquarters in Washington and a number of other prominent U.S. government buildings throughout the world, could be used by terrorists as "distraction or misdirection factor," and potential precursor to an impending attack. Staten noted that even ERRI/EmergencyNet News has received e-mail threats, allegedly from an extremist Islamic source, within the past couple of weeks.
In conclusion, Staten said, "There would appear to be a number of threats coming from a variety of sources at this time." "I would think that the next couple of weeks should be a time of increased awareness, precaution, and preparedness for both emergency service and military agencies," he added.
Terrorist Threats Make Pentagon Consider Suspending Tours
The Pentagon is said to be considering a temporary suspension of public tours because of heightened concerns of a possible terrorist attack by the followers of master terrorist Usama bin Laden. The consideration follows warnings from top Pentagon officials that the United States is not prepared to meet biological attacks by terrorists.
In an editorial published in Monday's Washington Post, US Defense Secretary William Cohen argued that a biological warfare attack on the US could could cause "a plague more monstrous than anything we have experienced." Cohen warned that a surprise attack could infect "unsuspecting thousands" and turn hospitals into "warehouses for the dead and dying."
Members of Congress with access to classified intelligence reports insist the Pentagon is not exaggerating the serious nature of the threat. Although the US military is barred from domestic law enforcement, the Pentagon is assembling 14 specially trained National Guard and Army Reserve units to assist police and fire departments in coping with a possible NBC terrorist attack.
According to a report by NBC News, a Pentagon task force also will work more closely with the FBI, which has closed tours of it headquarters amid concerns over similar attacks by followers of bin Laden.
© EmergencyNet News Service, 1997. May be redistributed to bona-fide law
enforcement, emergency service and government agencies.
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