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Terror Plot Probe Under Way in U.S.
 WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal investigators are pursuing leads in the United States related to the foiled plot to blow up flights from Britain but so far have found no evidence of terrorist activity, Bush administration officials said Friday.U.S. counterterrorism officials stressed that there was no reason for Americans to believe plotters or others connected with the terror scenario were in the country. Still, the FBI has so far assigned an estimated 200 investigators to track down potential links. "We operate on the assumption that we don't have everybody," White House homeland security adviser Frances Fragos Townsend said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I never, and I don't think anybody else in this business ever assumes when you take a case down that you've gotten everybody." "I think it's pretty clear that in this case, we don't have everybody," she added. Two other U.S. counterterrorism officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation, said the British suspects placed calls to several cities in the United States before their arrests. At least some of the calls were placed to people in New York, Washington, Chicago and Detroit, one official said. The FBI is expecting the arrests and searches of homes and computers in England to generate another round of leads on possible U.S. ties. But there have been no arrests in the United States in connection with the plot, officials said. Dozens of Muslim and Arab people in the United States reported being questioned by law enforcement officials over the last several weeks, community leaders said. But they believed the scrutiny was related to the conflict between Israel and Lebanon - and not to the British-based plot. Authorities on both sides of the Atlantic fear there still could be dozens of people loose who participated in the plot - even if only tangentially, like by supplying chemicals or funding. Lawmakers also continued to be briefed on details. Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he was assured during several intelligence briefings that "there's absolutely no evidence" of plotters in the country. "They're not looking at anybody in the U.S.," said King, R-N.Y.
Posted by: Steve White 2006-08-13 |
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