NewsMax.com Wires
Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Ashcroft noted that after the March 11 train bombings in Madrid an al-Qaida spokesman said the terrorist organization's plans for an attack on America were 90 percent complete. That, coupled with a steady stream of intelligence about al-Qaida gathered before and after the Spain bombings, "suggest that it's almost ready to attack the United States," he said at a Justice Department news conference with FBI Director Robert Mueller.

The intelligence does not contain specifics such as timing, method or place of an attack. But officials say it is backed with greater corroboration than usual, including information that operatives might already be in the United States.

However, there are no immediate plans to increase in the U.S. terror alert.

Ashcroft and Mueller asked state and local law enforcement and the public for help tracking down seven people thought to be connected to al-Qaida. "All present a clear and present danger to America. All should be considered armed and dangerous," Ashcroft said.

The ominous warning returns the nation's attention to terrorism, the issue that President Bush has highlighted as a central theme of his re-election campaign, after intense focus on other subjects such as prisoner abuses in Iraq. Bush has lost ground in the polls, falling in approval ratings to the lowest point of his presidency.

Terrorists Swaying Another Election

Ashcroft said the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq due to the political repercussions of the train bombings could lead al-Qaida to attempt to influence U.S. politics.

"Al-Qaida may perceive that a large-scale attack in the United States this summer or fall could lead to similar consequences," he said.

"We are not aware of details of a plan," Ashcroft said when pressed for specifics.

The attorney general said recent intelligence indicated that al-Qaida operatives might be traveling with their families to attract less suspicion and that the terror network has been seeking recruits "who can portray themselves as European."

He portrayed the "ideal al-Qaida operative" as an individual in the late 20s or early 30s.

To focus on the threat, the FBI has established a 2004 Threat Task Force, and FBI analysts are reviewing previously collected intelligence to see if it contains any clues to the latest threat. There will also be a series of interviews conducted by the FBI with individuals who could have information about potential plots.

At the news conference, large photos of the seven suspected al-Qaida operatives were displayed. The suspects, all of whom have been sought for months, include Adnan G. El Shukrijumah, a Saudi native who once lived in Florida, and Aafia Siddiqui, a woman from Pakistan who studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Earlier Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said there were no plans to lift the national alert status from yellow, where it has stood since January. That's the midlevel alert level on a five-step warning program.

"First of all, every day we take a look at the overall threat reporting that we receive," Ridge said on NBC's "Today Show."

"There's not a consensus within the administration that we need to raise the threat level. ... We do not need to raise the threat level to increase security. Right now, there's no need to put the entire country on a [elevated] national alert," he said.

Asked whether Ridge's comment suggested a difference of opinion between his office and Ridge's, Ashcroft told reporters, "I believe we're all on the same page."

Mueller said that "extraordinary precautions" already were being taken to protect the sites of the two political conventions _ the Democrat convention in Boston in late July and the Republican convention in New York in late August, as well as next month's Group of Eight economic summit on Sea Island in Georgia.

Kerry's Supporters Suspicious

Some law enforcement and firefighter union representatives, supporters of Democrat John Kerry for president, suggested that the timing of the threat report was suspicious because of polls showing a sagging approval rating for President Bush.

International Association of Firefighters President Harold Schaitberger told reporters in a conference call that the intelligence had been in the government's hands for weeks.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan, however, said there was no political aspect to the threat report.

"The president believes it's very important to share information appropriately," McClellan said. "We do that in a number of ways when it comes to looking at the threats we face here in the homeland."

© 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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