Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Thu 04/25/2024 View Wed 04/24/2024 View Tue 04/23/2024 View Mon 04/22/2024 View Sun 04/21/2024 View Sat 04/20/2024 View Fri 04/19/2024
2005-01-16 Home Front: WoT
FBI warns of suspicious inaugural activity
Just in time for me to visit ...
And let's be careful at Rantapalooza ...
The federal government is receiving reports of "suspicious activity" around buildings where presidential inaugural events and a parade are scheduled to occur Jan. 20 in Washington, FOX News learned Friday.

FOX News obtained an intelligence bulletin sent this week to law enforcement by the FBI's Washington field office, which is coordinating the security for next week's inaugural along with the U.S. Secret Service. An FBI official confirmed the authenticity of the bulletin and said, "there is no credible threat information but we are looking at everything and anything out of an abundance of caution."

More than 6,000 law enforcement personnel will be on duty Jan. 20, the day President Bush is sworn in for a second term.

Reports of suspicious activity noted by the FBI include people taking pictures and writing descriptive notes while being near the buildings. But there is no indication that any of these activities are linked to terrorist activity. Plus, many of the buildings and streets in question consistently receive numerous suspicious activity reports due to their high visibility in the Washington area.

Some of the threat reporting is coming to U.S. officials from overseas, according to the FBI bulletin. For example, the State Department advised that on Jan. 6, a regional security office received a letter via local mail service from a Kenyan national, alleging that terrorists will launch an attack at the inauguration using tactics similar to those employed in Iraq last month that killed 19 U.S. soldiers. The letter did not contain further details about the alleged attack but it rambled on about other topics such as the recent tsunami disaster, the Kenyan government's inability to provide jobs and medical care to its citizenry and the torture of political prisoners, according to the bulletin.

The possible reference in the letter to the Dec. 21 attack in Mosul, Iraq, on a U.S. military mess hall may indicate the use of an improvised explosive device by a would-be homicide bomber, the agency noted. Based on the information received to date, this is not assessed to be a credible threat. A copy of the letter is being passed to the Kenyan police for further investigation.

Another threat report, as outlined in the FBI bulletin, consists of word that Mohamad Chafiq Dekkak contacted a U.S. businessman of Muslim descent to sponsor his visa entry into the United States for business purposes. Dekkak has been associated with two possible international arms dealers, Hemad Lakhani and Samir El Mahallawy (search). Lakhani was arrested in the United States in August 2003 and charged with providing material support for terrorist acts and with violating the arms import/export control act. The FBI continues to investigate. Dekkak's hidden intent is allegedly to attend the inauguration. This is suspicious, since Dekkak has no known basis for his recent interest in U.S. political events, the FBI noted.
Posted by Dan Darling 2005-01-16 4:57:10 PM|| || Front Page|| [9 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 I drove down Pennsylvania Avenue this very evening...give it the "all clear."

Although the kiddiez from International S.O.R.E.L.O.S.E.R. were on the radio tonight proudly describing their 16-foot-tall papier maché puppets...
Posted by Seafarious  2005-01-16 12:22:52 AM||   2005-01-16 12:22:52 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 I suspect it would be quite an experience for anyone who dropped in on Rantapalooza with evil intent... a friend (now a 4th degree blackbelt) once snuck up behind his father, shouted "boo!", and found himself before the word was completely out of his mouth up against the wall with his throat not quite separated from the rest of him. His father was awf'ly sorry (retired Special Forces and all), but the lad never did anything like that ever again -- nor does his wife now (nor I to my husband, that's one of those "stupid only once" things! I do try to learn from my experiences).

So those of you who will be palooza-ing, try to play gently with any chewtoys that mistakenly wander in... we don't want to hear about mysterious disappearences later, 'k?
Posted by trailing wife 2005-01-16 1:20:44 AM||   2005-01-16 1:20:44 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Trailing Wife,

I witnessed a similar incident years ago. A bunch of us high school buddies were back in our hometown from college, drunk as skunks, when we saw our pal Scott (USMC) was back from Beirut.

One guy snuck up on Scott as he was talking to some girls, leapt on him, and found himself on his back, prone, and waiting for the coup de grace.

We all laughed it off and no one was seriously hurt but
Beirut understandably had made Scott razor sharp edgy.

I always approach my military friends from the front with a smile and a warm handshake. Much safer.
Posted by JDB 2005-01-16 12:53:32 PM||   2005-01-16 12:53:32 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 When my cousin got back frow Nam,you woke him up with a broom handle at arms length.
Posted by raptor 2005-01-16 1:55:09 PM||   2005-01-16 1:55:09 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 I couldn't help but think that maybe the Feebs are observing the Secret Service taking notes.
Posted by John Q. Citizen 2005-01-16 2:03:30 PM||   2005-01-16 2:03:30 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 After I was discharged I moved back home with the folks. Mom woke me one morning by putting her hand on my shoulder. By the time I really woke up I had her on the floor with fist raised.

We both cried for about a week. :(
Posted by Doc8404 2005-01-16 2:48:31 PM||   2005-01-16 2:48:31 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 There's this article in Newsmax (use salt) about violent protesters. This may be some of what the Feds are watching. These dolts need to run into about 40 Special Forces folks home on leave from Iraq or Afghanistan.

I spent a lot of time with a Korean ROK Marine Master Sergeant in Vietnam. He taught me some really NASTY things to do to the human body. I spent the first year I was back from Nam (actually in Germany) trying to keep my reactions under control, and not kill anybody. IT was a heavy strain.
Posted by Old Patriot  2005-01-16 3:32:11 PM|| [http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]  2005-01-16 3:32:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 OP...remind me never to startle you.
Posted by 2b 2005-01-16 4:06:33 PM||   2005-01-16 4:06:33 PM|| Front Page Top

10:02 Rex Mundi
09:57 NN2N1
09:54 Frank G
09:48 Skidmark
09:48 Skidmark
09:43 Skidmark
09:40 Skidmark
09:39 Raj
09:37 Skidmark
09:32 Super Hose
09:31 Skidmark
09:30 Rex Mundi
09:24 Raj
09:23 MikeKozlowski
09:14 trailing wife
09:04 M. Murcek
08:45 Procopius2k
08:42 Skidmark
08:41 Galactic+Coordinator+and+Company6935
08:38 Skidmark
08:31 Skidmark
08:25 Skidmark
08:16 Xyz
08:12 Skidmark









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com