Summit Terror Threat Advisory Issued

http://www.newsmax.com/us/mideast_peace_security/2007/11/23/51720.html

Summit Terror Threat Advisory Issued

Friday, November 23, 2007

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Federal authorities have advised local law enforcement

agencies to be alert to possible terrorism threats because of the Middle

East peace conference next week in Annapolis, Homeland Security and FBI

officials said Friday.

Although intelligence reports indicate no credible threats by domestic

extremist groups to the conference or Islamic or Jewish sites in the

Annapolis area, "nonetheless, the Department of Homeland Security does not

discount the threat of the lone wolf terrorist, including individuals

radicalized by homegrown extremist groups or Internet content," said a

bulletin issued by the agency and the FBI.

The threat assessment bulletin highlights about a dozen groups, including

the radical Islamic fundamentalist organization Hamas, and Hezbollah, the

Lebanese umbrella organization of radical Islamic Shiite groups that is a

bitter foe of Israel.

Homeland Security spokeswoman Laura Keehner said the bulletin was sent to

law enforcement agencies "in an abundance of caution."

"It's basically saying we're mindful of those who wish to do us harm," she

said.

The State Department is coordinating security for the meeting Tuesday at the

U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. Keehner said her agency's Transportation

Security Administration will work to ensure that the foreign visitors _

about 200 dignitaries from 35 countries are coming, according to the

bulletin _ get safely through area airports.

At the Naval Academy, workers set up tables, chairs and telephones inside

Alumni Hall, the basketball arena that will serve as the media filing

center. A tall stage nearly as wide as the basketball court was erected at

one end of the building, with three giant projection screens on the walls at

that end of the structure.

Campus visitors encountered a newly installed metal detector at Gate 1, the

main visitor gate, but no other heightened security measures were visible at

the academy nor in downtown Annapolis. The campus will be closed Monday and

Tuesday to general visitation.

Annapolis police reported no unusual activity.

Electronic sideboards along highways in Maryland urged people to report

"terror tips" and suspicious behavior, but State Highway Administration

spokesman David Buck said those are standard messages displayed during

holiday weekends.