OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY BULLETIN
posted 24 Oct 2002

Ann M. Beauchesne
Director, Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division
Center for Best Practices
National Governors Association
444 North Capitol Street
Washington, D.C. 20001
PH: 202/624-5370
FX: 202/624-5313
www.nga.org

NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION CENTER

Potential Al-Qaida Threats to Economic Targets in the United States and Abroad
Infrastructure Sector Notification
23 October 2002

NIPC Infrastructure Sector Notifications communicate issues that pertain to the critical national infrastructure and are for informational purposes only.

This is an update to the NIPC's 9 October 2002 Infrastructure Sector Notification. Events since early October 2002 - including the release of audiotaped messages from Usama Bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawihiri and subsequent terrorist attacks in the Persian Gulf area and East Asia - appear to indicate heightened operational intensity on the part of Al-Qaeda and loosely affiliated terrorist organizations.

The U.S. intelligence community continues to assess that Al-Qaeda plans to attack targets which they believe would be readily recognized as representing U.S. economic interests.

Specifically, there has been recent reporting that Al-Qaeda is targeting the U.S. railway sector. Information from debriefings of Al-Qaeda detainees as of mid-October indicates that the group has considered directly targeting U.S. passenger trains, possibly using operatives who have a western appearance. Additional information suggests operatives may try a variety of other attack strategies, such as destroying key bridges and sections of track to cause derailments or targeting hazardous material containers. Recently captured Al-Qaeda photographs of U.S. railroad engines, cars, and crossings heighten the intelligence community's concern of this threat.

The attack of the French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen and additional information from Al-Qaeda detainees suggest plans exist to attack the global petroleum sector. According to this information, Al-Qaeda plans to weaken the petroleum industry by conducting sea based attacks against large oil tankers. Information also suggests that such attacks may be a part of more extensive operations against port facilities and other energy-related targets including oil facilities and nuclear power plants.

The U.S. intelligence community continues to receive general threat reporting on such sectors as financial institutions and other market related facilities, the airline and maritime industries, and government facilities and installations.

In view of the above information, the FBI urges recipients to continue to take all prudent steps to detect, disrupt, deter, and defend against potential attacks against critical infrastructure and installations at home and abroad.

Due to the lack of specificity of method, location, and timing, the Homeland Security Advisory System threat level will remain at yellow (elevated), at this time.

The NIPC encourages individuals to report information concerning suspicious activity to their local FBI office, http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm or the NIPC, and to other appropriate authorities. Individuals may report incidents online at http://www.nipc.gov/incident/cirr.htm, and can reach the NIPC Watch and Warning Unit at (202) 323-3205, 1-888-585-9078, or nipc.watch@fbi.gov.

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