(Washington Times) Bill Gertz- U.S. intelligence officials say a high-profile political assassination, triggered by the public release of a new message from Osama bin Laden, will lead off the next major al-Qaeda terrorist attack. The killing could be carried out against a U.S. or foreign leader either in the U.S. or abroad. Saudi Arabia and Yemen, two nations that are working with the U.S. in the battle against al-Qaeda, are likely locales for the opening assassination. The attacks to follow involve "multiple targets in multiple venues" across the U.S., one official said. U.S. intelligence officials said they think that several al-Qaeda terrorists already in the U.S. are part of the plot, although their identities and locations are not known. Officials said the terrorist group has begun using female members for pre-attack surveillance and possibly as suicide bombers, thinking that women will have an easier time getting past security checkpoints. Officials said there are intelligence reports that a new tape from the al-Qaeda leader will surface soon. "The message likely will be the signal for the attack to be launched," one official said.
2004-08-11 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive