CIA, FBI AUTHENTICATE NEW QAEDA TERROR TAPE; ABCNEWS EXECUTIVES CONSIDER POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF AIRING

**Exclusive**

The CIA and FBI late Wednesday authenticated a disturbing new al Qaeda videotape which warns the next terror attack will dwarf 9/11.

"The streets will run with blood," and "America will mourn in silence" because they will be unable to count the number of the dead, a man claims on the video. Further claims on the video: America has brought this on itself for electing George Bush who has made war on Islam by destroying the Taliban and making war on Al Qaeda. . . .

Intelligence officials believe:

Videotape message likely produced in late summer '04 due to references to current events such as the 9/11 Commission.

Individual is college educated, either American born or raised in the U.S.

The U.S. is actively seeking to identify the individual. Adam Gadhan - aka Adam Pearlman of Southern California - remains the chief candidate but another still unknown individual may be possible.

Pearlman was highlighted by the FBI in May as an individual most likely to be involved in or have knowledge of the next al Qaeda attacks.

US intelligence officials say the danger is that if this individual is an American citizen, he will be immersed in the culture and customs and have the ability to travel in America freely and unnoticed.

As for ABC's handling of this story, I find myself agreeing with Jim Geraghty's comments at NRO:

. . . I think that so far, ABC has done what it is supposed to do. If an al-Qaeda tape falls into my hands, the first place I want it is in the hands of the folks who can do the most good with it - the FBI and CIA.

If Election Day (or perhaps Monday) rolls around and they still haven't said anything about the tape, then the right will have a legitimate gripe. But we folks on the outside have to give the ABC folks the time to do their job right. Do background research. Compare it to other al-Qaeda tapes. Figure out what is new and what is different about this one. Interview a terror expert from a think-tank or two.

I mean, if CBS had put half the effort into checking Bill Burkett's memos as ABC put into checking this Pakistani terror tape, the world would never have heard of the word, "Pajamahadeen."