Government Skeptical About NFL Bomb Threat

Update: Belmont Club

“A man has admitted he posted a fake bomb threat against National Football League stadiums in major U.S. cities as part of an Internet competition with a person in Texas to create the scariest terror scenario possible,” according to CNN.

LA Times:

A Web site is claiming that seven NFL football stadiums will be hit with radiological dirty bombs this weekend, but the government today expressed doubts about the threat.

The warning, posted Oct. 12, was part of an ongoing Internet conversation titled “New Attack on America Be Afraid.” It mentioned NFL stadiums in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Oakland and Cleveland, where games are scheduled for this weekend.

The Homeland Security Department alerted authorities and stadium owners in those cities, as well as the NFL, of the Web message but said the threat was being viewed “with strong skepticism.” Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said there was no intelligence that indicated such an attack was imminent, and he said the alert was “out of an abundance of caution.”

“The department strongly encourages the public to continue to go about their plans, including attending events that involve large public gatherings such as football games,” Knocke said.

The FBI also expressed doubt about the threat.

The nation’s alert level remains at yellow, signaling an elevated risk of an attack. The threat level for airline flights is at orange, a higher level, where it has been since a foiled plot to bomb U.S.-bound commercial jets was revealed on Aug. 10.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said stadiums around the country “are very well protected through the comprehensive security procedures we have in place, including secure facility perimeters, pat-downs and bag searches.”

Well, that isn’t exactly true. Thanks to a lawsuit from the ACLU, Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium was forced to stop all their searches. The ACLU also filed suit against the 49′rs to halt their searches as well. I’m not sure if that case is settled or not. Surprising that they are not on the list being how easy the ACLU made it for them in Tampa. Hopefully the FBI’s scepticism is right and there is nothing to worry about. Still, threats like this highlight why security proceedures at these kind of events are so important, and why groups like the ACLU fighting against them is so dangerous.

The posting said that al-Qaida would automatically be blamed for the attacks and predicted, “Later, through al-Jazeera, Osama bin Laden will issue a video message claiming responsibility for what he dubbed ‘America’s Hiroshima.”‘

This isn’t the first time we have heard this threat. Be skeptical if you wish, but don’t just write this off. Stay aware.

Michelle Malkin talked about it on FOX. Allah has the video of course.
Also read In the Bullpen

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