U.S. authorities warn of al Qaeda threat
to election
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[November 05, 2016]
By David Ingram
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal officials have
warned authorities in New York City, Texas and Virginia about an
unspecific threat of attacks by al Qaeda militants around Election Day,
putting local law enforcement on alert days before the vote, officials
said on Friday.
A U.S. government source in Washington said some federal agencies sent
bulletins to local and state officials flagging the information but that
the threat was relatively low level.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates airports,
tunnels and bridges around New York City, continues high levels of
patrol it has had in place, spokesman Steve Coleman said.
Coleman declined to offer details on the warning, but the New York City
Police Department said the threat report lacked specifics and was still
being assessed.
"We are aware of the information," the department said in a statement,
adding that it was working with intelligence agencies and the Joint
Terrorism Task Force.
Although some of the attention of U.S. authorities has shifted to
Islamic State-inspired attacks, the al Qaeda network has shown
resilience more than 15 years after it was responsible for the Sept. 11
attacks on New York and the Pentagon.
Last month, the United States carried out strikes in Afghanistan
targeting two of al Qaeda's senior leaders there, and al Qaeda's Yemen
branch has posed a risk to merchant ships in waterways nearby.
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U.S. intelligence agencies still view al Qaeda and its affiliates as a
top counter terrorism priority.
The White House said it was aware of the reported al Qaeda threats and
mindful of increased risk of attacks during events such as Election Day.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement his office was monitoring
the situation and urged Texans to remain vigilant. In Virginia, Brian
Coy, a spokesman for Governor Terry McAuliffe, said: "We are doing
everything we can to keep Virginians safe, and we're confident they are
going to be able to vote safely on Election Day."
The task force issued a notice identifying the three states as possible
targets of an al Qaeda plot, a New York law enforcement official said on
condition of anonymity. The official said the type of threat was common
but authorities were giving it more attention because of Tuesday's
election.
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CBS News first reported the threat of attacks, which it said were
possible on Monday.
Authorities were assessing whether there was a plot and whether the
states named were real targets or misdirection. "Another possibility
is that this is just an attempt to inspire someone here to mount an
attack," the official said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland
Security did not confirm the reports or comment on details.
In Washington, a Homeland Security official said authorities
remained concerned that so-called "homegrown" militants could be
inspired to attack within the United States.
"The public should expect to continue to observe an increased law
enforcement and security presence across communities in public
places," the official told Reuters.
The potential for violence related to the election has already
darkened a rancorous presidential race between Democrat Hillary
Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, on top of the threat of
computer hacking and fears that Russia or other state actors could
spread political misinformation online or tamper with voting.
While federal and state authorities are beefing up cyber defenses
against electronic threats to voting systems, others are taking
additional steps to guard against possible civil unrest or violence.
(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball, John Walcott, Doina Chiacu,
Ian Simpson and Roberta Rampton in Washington and Nate Raymond in
New York; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and
Grant McCool)
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