http://www.apbnews.com/newscenter/breakingnews/1999/12/30/terror_churches1230_01.html

Seized Evidence Lists Catholic Landmarks Radicals May Have Targeted Religious Sites Dec. 30, 1999

By James Gordon Meek

WASHINGTON (APBnews.com) -- As millions of Americans prepare to celebrate the new millennium, APBnews.com has learned that evidence seized by investigators during a house search in Montreal could be an indication that terrorists are eyeing U.S. religious sites for eventual attack.

A knowledgeable law enforcement official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, told APBnews.com that Canadian investigators searching a dwelling allegedly connected to a suspected terrorist apprehended near Seattle, Wash., recovered "tourist literature" listing prominent Catholic landmarks in the United States.

But the official strongly cautioned that the information gathered last week amounted to raw intelligence and said no specific threats against any identifiable American targets have been confirmed anywhere. Still, the evidence collected in Montreal prompted the FBI to notify other agencies, said another source in federal law enforcement.

At FBI headquarters in Washington, spokesmen have repeated the carefully worded general advisory issued by Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI counterterrorism chief Dale Watson last week, which asked Americans to be aware of the real possibility of terrorist attacks and exercise appropriate precautions if attending large New Year's gatherings.

"The FBI has no specific information about credible threats," FBI spokesman Paul Bresson said today.

Spokeswoman Julie Brongel of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Montreal said she was not aware of any details of searches conducted there.

St. Patrick's Cathedral named

Among the most notable Catholic landmarks in the United States are New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

Joseph Zwilling, spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese in New York, said late Wednesday he had not been contacted by law enforcement officials about any new threat of terrorism.

Neither had the national Catholic shrine in Washington received notice, said communications director Peter Sonski, who said security is rarely needed at the place of worship.

President Clinton and other government officials have warned New Year's revelers of the possibility of terrorism occurring at public celebrations marking the turning of the millennium -- but officials have stopped short of asking citizens to stay away from large gatherings.

U.S. investigators are bringing to bear "all legal methods" of information gathering, such as surveillance devices monitored "in real-time," in an effort to thwart would-be terrorist activities, said the law enforcement source.

"An awful lot of technical assets are being used by the FBI -- there's a lot of listening," the source said.

Arrests around the nation

Recent arrests have caused many Americans to rethink their New Year's plans, and Seattle Mayor Paul Schell announced earlier this week the city had decided to cancel the celebration planned for the Space Needle due to concerns for security.

Last week, Ahmed Ressam, 32, was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly carrying false identification and smuggling explosives into Port Angeles, Wash., from Victoria, British Columbia, in a rented Chrysler 300.

Another Algerian, Bouabide Chamchi, 20, and a Canadian national, Lucia Garafolo, 35, were also arrested last week when bomb-sniffing dogs used by Customs Service officers in Beecher Falls, Vt., made "light hits" on possible nitrate or black powder residue in a Dodge Neon driven by the pair, said the source.

And, today, a nationwide FBI sweep brought dozens in for questioning and resulted in at least six arrests, five in Boston and one in New York.

International cooperation

Investigators here are pooling information with German, French and Israeli intelligence services, information that in recent days has led to connections being made between the Algerian detainees and individuals in Montreal who allegedly have received military training in camps operated by accused terrorist Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan.

Federal law enforcement officials first became concerned about the increasing risks from terrorism nearly three weeks ago when a group of suspected terrorists captured in Jordan provided information apparently indicating teams of like-minded militants had already been dispatched to carry out Y2K attacks against Americans.

But discovering when or where they might attack has frustrated counterterrorism practitioners.

Meanwhile, security in U.S. airports has been noticeably stepped up, as have usually quiet points of entry along international borders.

James Gordon Meek is an APBnews.com staff writer in Washington (james.meek@apbnews.com).

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), December 31, 1999