[News] FBI Issues Alert Against Almanac Carriers

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FBI Issues Alert Against Almanac Carriers
By TED BRIDIS
WASHINGTON (AP) - 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, it's 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 doesn't get away from a 
traffic stop, maybe gives police a little bit more reason to follow up on 
this.''


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.''


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.



12/29/03 15:58


© Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information 
contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise 
distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.


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