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| Home Front: WoT |
| Officials put little stock in Gadahn threat |
| 2005-09-12 |
| Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Sunday that authorities didn't know of any "credible threat" to the city after ABC News aired a threatening video in which a masked speaker claiming to represent al-Qaeda warned of terrorist attacks on Los Angeles and Melbourne, Australia. "Bombastic pronouncements are expected on the anniversary of terrorist incidents like Sept. 11," Villaraigosa and Police Chief William Bratton said in a statement. The video, they said, "was meant to instill fear." "The best thing any Angeleno can do is go about his or her daily life as you normally would," they advised. In the 11-minute video, a masked man speaks — in fluent English — of the "blessed raids on New York and Washington" four years ago. He says that "Allah willing," Los Angeles and Melbourne will be hit. "Don't count on us demonstrating restraint or compassion," the speaker warns. Brian Ross, a reporter for ABC, said the tape was delivered to one of its offices in Pakistan on Saturday. It was shown to federal intelligence officials before ABC broadcast its report Sunday morning. Those officials, Ross said, "say without a doubt it's the same guy" who was in another taped threat obtained by ABC last October. Officials remain "95% certain" the person in that first video was California native Adam Yahiye Gadahn, Ross said. Michelle Neff, a CIA spokeswoman, told USA TODAY that the agency could confirm only that it was "aware of the tape." She wouldn't discuss any details. Gadahn, about 27, has been sought by federal officials since early 2004. In May that year, he was among seven people suspected of being associated with al-Qaeda who FBI Director Robert Mueller warned were "armed and dangerous" and who had allegedly made terrorist threats. Gadahn grew up on a goat ranch in Riverside County, Calif. He converted to Islam when he was about 17 and soon after left the USA, the FBI said.Villaraigosa and Bratton said they discussed the video with Homeland Security officials. In Melbourne, police spokesman Craig Walsh told the Herald Sun that officials want to examine the video before commenting. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |