Chicago Emergency Institute Issues Worldwide Terrorism Advisory
By Paul Anderson
Chicago, IL (Emergencynet News) -- Clark Staten, Executive Director of the Chicago-based Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI), today issued a terrorism threat advisory warning American citizens and those of her allies, world-wide, to be particularly cautious for the remainder of 1999.Staten, a recent winner of the International Association of Counter-Terrorism and Security Professionals (IACSP) 1999 National Leadership award, said that current world circumstances could result in additional attacks on America, her military bases, embassies, or commercial concerns closely associated with the United States. Additionally, Staten warned that the United Nations (U.N.) and its missions throughout the world, might soon find themselves targeted by militant factions.
"At present, we are particularly concerned about the effect of impending United Nations sanctions that are to soon be imposed on Afghanistan for it's recalcitrance in failing to turn over Usama Bin Laden for trial in the United States in connection with the bombings of American embassies in Africa," Staten said. "We know that the Taleban, who control 90-95% of Afghanistan, are not going to turn Bin Laden over to justice...and we would expect them to either sponsor or condone terrorist acts in retribution for the new U.N. sanctions that are to be implemented on Sunday," he added. "It may just be that the Taleban will 'unleash' Bin Laden and encourage him to take out his already threatened wrath on the United States," Staten continued.
"We know that a number of new 'fatwas' or Muslim religious edicts, that condone and authorize these barbarous terror acts to be carried out against the United States, have been issued in the past few weeks and months by radical clerics in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Egypt," Staten continued. "Violent events, like the mortars launched yesterday in Islamabad, Pakistan would suggest that a new cycle of militant violence may soon be forthcoming," the veteran counter-terrorist analyst added.
"As the year ends, we would anticipate the possibility of multi-dimensional threats, coming from multiple vectors, simultaneously," he continued. "Actually...a number of both domestic and world events and circumstances seem to be converging as we conclude the 20th Century...the combination of these matters may prove extremely troubling for America's military, intelligence, and emergency service agencies in the near term," Staten said.
Staten pointed out that instability and violence in a number of countries, often caused by ethnic or religious separatist elements, can be expected to continue or even increase as the 20th Century draws to an end. He said that ERRI is also presently monitoring possible threats concerning an upcoming World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting to be held in Seattle, WA. at the end of November, and the possibility of anti-capitalist street violence and/or computer-related attacks being associated with it. Staten said that it is likely that that several potentially very damaging computer viruses will also proliferate at year's end. And, he said that current ERRI assessments would suggest that "opportunistic" criminal or terrorist attacks, coordinated to take advantage of the so-called Y2K bug, may also occur at the end of this year.
"All in all, we are urging a greater than normal sense of awareness, precaution, and preparedness with regard to this latest set of national security challenges that presently face the United States...certainly there is no reason to panic, but we must respectfully suggest that the U.S. undertake a higher than normal state of alertness and readiness to defend against those that would wish us harm," Staten concluded.