Not sure how serious to take this story, but ABC News is reporting that the FBI has issued a warning regarding the potential for suicide bomb attacks at sporting events this month:
March 10, 2006 — With college basketball championships under way around the country, the FBI has warned stadium operators of a possible suicide bomb attack at sporting events.
In a directive issued today, obtained by ABC News, the FBI said a posting on an extremist message board “advocated suicide attacks against sporting events as a cost-effective means of killing thousands of Americans.”
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said they cannot confirm the credibility of the threat or whether the message is affiliated with al Qaeda.
The FBI said the Internet posting said the suicide attacks would be justified because the United States refused a truce offered by Osama bin Laden in his last videotaped statement, Jan. 19, 2006. […]
According to the FBI bulletin, the author of the posting recommended using “three to five blond or black American Muslim suicide bombers.” The FBI said the author suggested that homemade explosives be hidden under their winter clothing.
The posting recommended, according to the FBI, that one suicide bomber detonate inside the stadium and the others detonate at exit gates as spectators were fleeing.
“The combined explosions would create a panic that would kill far more spectators than the bombing alone,” the FBI quotes the message as saying.
Does this sound real to you or is it the usual ginned up terror alert we’ve come to expect whenever Bush’s poll numbers take a hit? The trouble with the way the Bush administration has played the “terror card” is that we just don’t know. When will little boy Bush’s warning that the wolf has come be real for once?
In any event, might want to reconsider your NCAA tournament plans if you have tickets for any of the games in the coming weeks. Maybe.
