New FBI warning about imminent terrorist strike

February 11, 2002 6:21 PM

New FBI warning about imminent terrorist strike A bit more specific this time
posted by Slagman (36 comments total)

Here's the AP version...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The FBI issued an extraordinary terrorist alert
Monday night, asking law enforcement and the American public to be on the
lookout for a Yemeni man and several associates who might be plotting a
terrorist attack as early as Tuesday.

The FBI scrambled to put the warning out after information emerged that one
or more people were involved. Officials the intelligence, while deemed
credible, was not specific about possible targets.

The alert identified one possible attacker as Fawaz Wahya al-Rabeei, a
Yemeni national born in Saudia Arabia in 1979. It listed about a dozen
associates of al-Rabeei.
posted by Slagman at 6:25 PM on February 11, 2002

Allow me to cower in terror for a moment.

*ahem*

I love these 'terrorist threat' warnings because they appear to be timed in such a way that just as one begins to fade from the public memory another one is issued. Meanwhile, the fearless leader continues to ask us to go about our daily lives and consume the blood-drenched oil we get from our good friends from the House of Saud with our shiny-new Ford Landwhale™ SUV that we bought because it was brought to our attention it was patriotic to buy a $40k vehicle at 0 percent financing.

I'd go on but it's time for the 30 minute hate with Tom Brokaw.
posted by tankboy at 6:35 PM on February 11, 2002

Go about your normal business. But report anything suspicious.
I have a slight cough. Does that count?

Seriously, the interesting thing here is there are specific names attached.
posted by Slagman at 6:41 PM on February 11, 2002

I should be on the lookout for suspicious middle-eastern men! Thank you FBI!
posted by geoff. at 6:47 PM on February 11, 2002

This reminds me of that quote from the movie Brazil:

"Don't suspect your neighbor, report him!"
posted by insomnyuk at 6:57 PM on February 11, 2002

Did anyone else feel like they were reading a Social Studies assignment, specifically those two questions and descriptions of who Osama bin Laden, Daniel Pearl, and George Bush were?

I mean, anybody reading this article who needs to check who George Bush is probably isn't worrying about the "information" contained therein.

As for those two questions, my answers are: no and yes.

And as a NYC resident, I say -- aaaaaaaagh! aaaaaaaah! That is all.
posted by meep at 7:01 PM on February 11, 2002

tankboy: my new hero.
posted by quonsar at 7:04 PM on February 11, 2002

Yemeni Crickets!
posted by machaus at 7:05 PM on February 11, 2002

I will avoid the subway tomorrow...
posted by ParisParamus at 7:12 PM on February 11, 2002

I got dinner from a middle eastern take out place tonight, and I felt kind of nauseous afterward. I don't know if the owner if from Yemen...should I call the FBI? I go there all the time, and the food is usually excellent.
posted by Doug at 7:19 PM on February 11, 2002

doug: a middle eastern man stopped me on the street downtown after work, asking directions to the nearest eating place still open. coincidence?
posted by lescour at 7:22 PM on February 11, 2002

well said tank boy. well said. how many palestinians got smoked today by our israeli buddies???
posted by specialk420 at 7:22 PM on February 11, 2002

sorry to answer my own question.... speaking of terror...

it was only a couple hundred
posted by specialk420 at 7:26 PM on February 11, 2002

I wish the government would stop terrorizing us with these warnings.
posted by donkeyschlong at 7:28 PM on February 11, 2002

how many palestinians got smoked today by our israeli buddies???

Probably less than the Israelis who were slaughtered by Palestinian terrorists who strap bombs to themselves or empty an uzi in a crowded area...
posted by Rastafari at 7:30 PM on February 11, 2002

Wake up, Rastafari:
At least 836 Palestinians and 256 Israelis have been killed since the uprising against Israeli occupation erupted in September 2000 shortly after peace talks stalled (Reuters).
posted by Zurishaddai at 7:42 PM on February 11, 2002

PS, back on thread—
The place to check for news on this (including photos of Rabeei and/or his associates who are the suspects in the possible terrorist attack) is the FBI.

I sure hope these guys get caught.
posted by Zurishaddai at 7:45 PM on February 11, 2002

Bzzzzzz!

Oh, and there is the buzzer. So ends today's version of "Off Topic Rant". It was a good game by both sides, as specialk420 and Rastafari gave it a good show on the subject : "Palestinians or Israelis: Who's More Evil". Unfortunately, Zurishaddai broke the rules by not actually saying anything inflamatory.

Come back again next time as the "Off Topic Rant" will be on the subject: "Dubya - Is He Nuts Or What?"
posted by Grum at 7:47 PM on February 11, 2002

Wait -- so we've gone from everyone on "highest alert" to "ultra-highest alert" to "super-ultra-mega-defcon 2000-highest alert?!"

So...this stops where? At what point does the US Government say "Everyone just stay the fuck home, doors and windows locked, 'cause we heard a vague rumor that something might blow up somewhere in the United States today -- oh, and if you see any strangers in your town, be sure to let us know..."

We're reaching overkill here -- too many warnings and it's the "boy who cried wolf" all over again.
posted by metrocake at 7:49 PM on February 11, 2002

Wolf! Wolf! No really....er, wolf...
posted by briank at 7:53 PM on February 11, 2002

Rastafarai - you sure about that?

Going by these figures, it looks like there have been 2329 Palestinians killed since 1987, vs. 666 Israeli dead in the same time frame.

A quick look at other collections of casualty data seems to suggest that the numbers are indeed in this ballpark.

Next time, do a cursory check of the facts before you parrot the biased and flawed conventional wisdom. Cheap scare tactics and stereotypes cannot erase the blood on Israel's hands.
posted by hipstertrash at 7:58 PM on February 11, 2002

Damn, Zuri, beat me to it. In any case, maybe if people see these numbers over and over again, the truth may finally get through to them ...
posted by hipstertrash at 7:59 PM on February 11, 2002

I think that I'm sick.

Let me offer a POV (not mine)

You're name is Joe Igno-Fuck, you are the protectuh of duh Uhnituhd Stayuts.

You've just been told that a Saudi or Yemeni is amongst us, wanting to cause us pain with a dozen of his/their/her (the latest trend, right?) buddies.

That freak, Kalsa, three doors down wears a turban (he's Sikh) and drives a cab. His wife wears a bedsheet all day (she is also Sikh). Their children are in the same school as Billy-Bob, your son.

When you were drunk at the PTA meeting, with the Kalsa's, and dozed off, you remember hearing something about "..stan" (actually, Stan, is the star violin player of the third grade, he was getting props) when coming-to for a sec.

Tonight the FBI issues a warning about Saudi Yemens"


*record skips*


"SAUDI YEMENS!!!!" You scream. Three doors down an entire family is slain, and you, Joe Igno-Fuck are a hero.

At least in your own head.

......

Some people do not filter information like we do. We do it all day. We paw through text trying to find honesty and reality. Some people do not think like us. That is where warnings, put out like this one, become a really, really, bad idea.
posted by tenseone at 8:06 PM on February 11, 2002

BACK ON THREAD!
There are now photos of the suspects.
posted by Zurishaddai at 8:19 PM on February 11, 2002

Going by these figures, it looks like there have been 2329 Palestinians killed since 1987, vs. 666 Israeli dead in the same time frame.

So, because more criminals than police die, we should be upset? Should we sacrifice Israelis so that the tally is even? Palestinians are being killed, and innocent Palestinians are being killed, but that's overwelmingly the fault of other Palestinians, not Israelis, who are being as careful as they can be. Please tell me that the US and the West are responsible for babies dying in Iraq...
posted by ParisParamus at 8:25 PM on February 11, 2002

Thanks Zurishaddai. Names and ethnic origins aren't much to go by if the guvmint wants us to be on the lookout for these dastardly villains.

But I admit that the first thing that came into my head when I saw those photos was to do a morbid parody of The Brady Bunch.
posted by Hildago at 8:30 PM on February 11, 2002

Yumpin' Yemeni!

If you're part of a terrorist group that's capable of a complex coordinated operation like the attacks on September 11, wouldn't you be capable of waiting, I dunno...until after the alert is over before launching your attack?
posted by kirkaracha at 8:37 PM on February 11, 2002

tenseone, you're absolutely right. Let's start coordinating our entire world around the faint possibility that a mentally unbalanced dipshit might misinterpret what we say.

slagman: as a rule, don't do whole-paragraph links. They're ugly and unreadable, especially (alas) given matt's color choices.

tankboy: you're onto the Dubble Seekrit Konspiracy. Please schedule yourself for a brainwashing at the local Antisocial Security Office, or we'll have to cut your Thorazine ration.
posted by dhartung at 8:44 PM on February 11, 2002

Damn you Hildago, while I was looking at the photos I couldn't get The Brady Bunch theme song out of my head!
posted by homunculus at 8:45 PM on February 11, 2002

Zurishaddai: Thanks for that link. I'm happy to report that none of those men made my sandwhich.
posted by Doug at 8:49 PM on February 11, 2002

dhartung: it would appear that the unbalanced dipshit has misinterpreted what was said. Murdering thousands in the name of Allah (misinterpreted) is no different from innocents dying at the hands of contemporary christians (misinterpreted).
posted by tenseone at 8:49 PM on February 11, 2002

And my point did not seem to resonate (I admit to bad context) dhartung: Do you think you are qualified to judge who is and who isn't a Yemini or Saudi? That was the warning, do you trust the people of this country to make a safe judgement?
posted by tenseone at 8:56 PM on February 11, 2002

Back off thread!
Israelis, who are being as careful as they can be

Lots of Israeli reserve officers who have seen combat in the Occupied Territories would beg to differ—they agree with Israeli human rights groups that they are routinely asked to commit inexcusable war crimes at checkpoints, in "retaliatory" operations, etc.
posted by Zurishaddai at 9:46 PM on February 11, 2002

So, because more criminals than police die, we should be upset?



criminals?

paramus ... some of your posts ive enjoyed... you really dropped the ball with this one..... and we wonder why there are terrorist threats here in the united states now...?? i wonder if it has anything to do with a good deal of our priviledged populace sharing your misguided views. shame.
posted by specialk420 at 11:05 PM on February 11, 2002

specialk420, here's a free clue: patronizing ParisParamus is not going to win him over to your viewpoint.
posted by darukaru at 11:16 PM on February 11, 2002

Do you think you are qualified to judge who is and who isn't a Yemini or Saudi? That was the warning, do you trust the people of this country to make a safe judgement?

Did the warning include anything about people making judgements on birthplace or ethnic background? I don't think so, all they ask is if you see anything legitimately suspicious, that you report it. So the only judgement being made here is whether something is legitimate.
posted by jbelshaw at 6:28 AM on February 12, 2002