Al Qaeda May target VA Hospitals!

[Gimpy]

Al Qaeda May Target Veterans Hospitals, U.S. Says


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda and other Islamic militant groups may be considering attacks against Veterans Affairs hospitals in the United States, U.S. law enforcement officials said.


Citing reports of "suspicious activity" at VA hospitals in Colorado and Bethesda, Maryland, the FBI (news - web sites) and Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin on Thursday urging law enforcement agencies around the country to be vigilant.

The agencies stressed they had no credible information about any specific planned attacks.

U.S. officials have warned of possible attacks in the run-up to presidential elections in November. On Aug. 1 they raised the terror alert to "high" for financial institutions in New York, New Jersey and Washington.

Al Qaeda and affiliated groups may be eyeing Veterans Affairs hospitals as symbolic targets, believing they are less heavily defended than traditional military installations, the agencies said.
"These facilities may be considered attractive targets due to their association with the military and a perception that such an attack may be more successful than an attack against traditional military targets," the agencies said.

They said concern was sparked by reports of possible reconnaissance being conducted at military medical facilities, including hospitals in Bethesda, a suburb of Washington, D.C., and Aurora, Colorado.

It advised officials to watch for signs of "similar surveillance activities at VA hospitals and other key facilities."

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[revwardoc]

http://www.comcast.net/News/DOMESTIC...1aa68b0eb.html

NEW YORK - Two men have been arrested in connection with an alleged plot to bomb a subway station in midtown Manhattan, sources said early Saturday. At least one of the men may have an affiliation with a terrorist organization, according to two law enforcement sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The sources said the group in question was not believed to be al-Qaida. The men appeared to be acting independently, and there was no evidence that the alleged plot to bomb the subway station at 34th Street was an attempt to disrupt the Republican National Convention, which is taking place a block away, the sources said. The two men tried get explosives to bomb the station but did not succeed in obtaining any, the sources said. There was no timeline for the plot, which was first reported by WNBC early Saturday. The men were arrested Friday, and were expected to face charges in federal court in Brooklyn. Spokesmen for the New York Police Department and the U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn did not immediately return calls for comment early Saturday.