Did anyone else read this today? I could hardly believe my eyes.. Best leave your almanacs at home...
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FBI warns of terrorists using almanacs
Police cautioned that books could be used for terrorist planningThe Associated Press
Updated: 4:18 a.m. ET Dec. 30, 2003WASHINGTON - The FBI is warning police nationwide to be alert for people carrying almanacs, cautioning that the popular reference books covering everything from abbreviations to weather trends could be used for terrorist planning.
In a bulletin sent Christmas Eve to about 18,000 police organizations, the FBI said terrorists may use almanacs to assist with target selection and pre-operational planning.
It urged officers to watch during searches, traffic stops and other investigations for anyone carrying almanacs, especially if the books are annotated in suspicious ways.
The practice of researching potential targets is consistent with known methods of al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations that seek to maximize the likelihood of operational success through careful planning, the FBI wrote.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the bulletin this week and verified its authenticity.
For local law enforcement, its just to help give them one more piece of information to raise their suspicions, said David Heyman, a terrorism expert for the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. It helps make sure one more bad guy doesnt get away from a traffic stop, maybe gives police a little bit more reason to follow up on this.
Publishers surprised
The FBI noted that use of almanacs or maps may be innocent, the product of legitimate recreational or commercial activities. But it warned that when combined with suspicious behavior such as apparent surveillance a person with an almanac may point to possible terrorist planning.
I dont think anyone would consider us a harmful entity, said Kevin Seabrooke, senior editor of The World Almanac. He said the reference book includes about a dozen pages out of its 1,000 pages total listing the worlds tallest buildings and bridges but includes no diagrams or architectural schematics. Its stuff thats widely available on the Internet, he said.
The publisher for The Old Farmers Almanac said Monday terrorists would probably find statistical reference books more useful than the collections of Americana in his famous publication of weather predictions and witticisms.
While we doubt that our editorial content would be of particular interest to people who would wish to do us harm, we will certainly cooperate to the fullest with national authorities at any level they deem appropriate, publisher John Pierce said.
The FBI said information typically found in almanacs that could be useful for terrorists includes profiles of cities and states and information about waterways, bridges, dams, reservoirs, tunnels, buildings and landmarks. It said this information is often accompanied by photographs and maps.
The FBI urged police to report such discoveries to the local U.S. Joint Terrorism Task Force.
© 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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FBI warns of terrorists using almanacs
Police cautioned that books could be used for terrorist planningThe Associated Press
Updated: 4:18 a.m. ET Dec. 30, 2003WASHINGTON - The FBI is warning police nationwide to be alert for people carrying almanacs, cautioning that the popular reference books covering everything from abbreviations to weather trends could be used for terrorist planning.
In a bulletin sent Christmas Eve to about 18,000 police organizations, the FBI said terrorists may use almanacs to assist with target selection and pre-operational planning.
It urged officers to watch during searches, traffic stops and other investigations for anyone carrying almanacs, especially if the books are annotated in suspicious ways.
The practice of researching potential targets is consistent with known methods of al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations that seek to maximize the likelihood of operational success through careful planning, the FBI wrote.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the bulletin this week and verified its authenticity.
For local law enforcement, its just to help give them one more piece of information to raise their suspicions, said David Heyman, a terrorism expert for the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. It helps make sure one more bad guy doesnt get away from a traffic stop, maybe gives police a little bit more reason to follow up on this.
Publishers surprised
The FBI noted that use of almanacs or maps may be innocent, the product of legitimate recreational or commercial activities. But it warned that when combined with suspicious behavior such as apparent surveillance a person with an almanac may point to possible terrorist planning.
I dont think anyone would consider us a harmful entity, said Kevin Seabrooke, senior editor of The World Almanac. He said the reference book includes about a dozen pages out of its 1,000 pages total listing the worlds tallest buildings and bridges but includes no diagrams or architectural schematics. Its stuff thats widely available on the Internet, he said.
The publisher for The Old Farmers Almanac said Monday terrorists would probably find statistical reference books more useful than the collections of Americana in his famous publication of weather predictions and witticisms.
While we doubt that our editorial content would be of particular interest to people who would wish to do us harm, we will certainly cooperate to the fullest with national authorities at any level they deem appropriate, publisher John Pierce said.
The FBI said information typically found in almanacs that could be useful for terrorists includes profiles of cities and states and information about waterways, bridges, dams, reservoirs, tunnels, buildings and landmarks. It said this information is often accompanied by photographs and maps.
The FBI urged police to report such discoveries to the local U.S. Joint Terrorism Task Force.
© 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
i've never believed the almanac, especially since they've never given an accurate winter outlook...it's terrible how they keep turning innocent objects into potential weapons or into assistance for themselves...
