May 26, 2004
By CURT ANDERSON

Photo: A poster of individuals sought in connection with possible terrorist threats against the United States is seen before a news conference by FBI Director Robert Mueller and Attorney General John Ashcroft at FBI Headquarters Wednesday, May 26, 2004 in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Al-Qaida is determined to launch a U.S. attack in the next few months that could be linked to a major event such as the upcoming international economic summit or the summer political conventions, Attorney General John Ashcroft said Wednesday, citing "credible intelligence from multiple sources."

Ashcroft noted that following 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 may 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 like prisoner abuses in Iraq. Bush has lost ground in the polls, falling in approval ratings to the lowest point of his presidency.

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 indicates that al-Qaida operatives now may 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 are no current 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.

"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 Democratic 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.

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 has been in the government's hands for weeks.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan, however, denied that there is a 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."

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040526/D82QGFJO7.html