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| Home Front: WoT |
| FBI plays down Boston terror plot |
| 2005-01-21 |
| WARY Bostonians went about their business today as a murky threat of a "dirty bomb" attack hung over the city and the FBI, while playing down the threat, hunted for four Chinese nationals possibly linked to the plot. A day after federal agencies released names and photos of four Chinese nationals sought for questioning about an unconfirmed security threat, Boston newspapers reported that authorities were also seeking two Iraqis said to be planning to blow up a crude radiological device in Boston. The reports of a possible plot emerged as Americans were celebrating the inauguration of George W. Bush for his second term as US president. The Boston Globe, citing unnamed officials, said the four Chinese nationals were chemists. A spokeswoman for the Boston bureau of the FBI declined to comment on whether police were also seeking two Iraqis. Spokeswoman Gail Marcinkiewicz, who has said uncorroborated information was at the root of the probe, said: "There is no real immediate threat to the community." Two federal law enforcement officials expressed surprise that the information had received such attention. "The law enforcement community routinely receives these kinds of reports," said one Homeland Security official. Although not confirmed, the information was serious enough to prompt Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney to cut short a visit to Washington where he had planned to attend the inauguration. Authorities first learned of the potential threat from an anonymous tip, Boston Mayor Tom Menino said. Boston-area residents expressed confusion over the degree of threat, noting that federal officials appeared to have downplayed the reports when they first emerged yesterday afternoon - only to then turn around and release names and photographs later in the day. Authorities said none of the four individuals had previously appeared on any kind of watch list. "My question is why do they have pictures of these people if they aren't on a watch list? There must be some reason why the government has these pictures on file," Marisol Lopez, 34, told a reporter in a Boston bagel shop. Mary Ellen Blythe, 37, said she fretted about a possible attack that might coincide with the inauguration. "Sure, it's scary, I don't know if it's true but I'm concerned," she told a reporter on a downtown Boston street. "I'm not going to barricade myself though, but I'm worried." Others expressed little concern, saying they had grown weary of all the seemingly false warnings issued after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "I'm sceptical about this, it's not the first warning since 9/11. Maybe it's just hype, I think it's been done before," said Brian Hayes, 28. Donna Martelli, 53, said Boston's wintry streets were the real immediate threat. "I'm more concerned about slipping on the snow right now," she said. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 "I’m more concerned about slipping on the snow right now," she said. Just wait 'til tomorrow night - 1'+ is being forecast. Good split pea soup weather. |
| Posted by: Raj 2005-01-21 12:41:44 PM |