Rumors of New Attacks Leave Cities on Edge Officials Urge Normalcy Despite High Alert

By Ceci Connolly and Dan Eggen Washington Post Staff Writers Saturday, September 22, 2001; Page A21

BOSTON, Sept. 21 -- The warning to the mayor and governor came in unusual telephone calls from U.S. Attorney General John D. Ashcroft himself: Terrorists could strike sometime this weekend in Boston, a city already on edge as the origin of two hijacked jetliners that demolished the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, leaving more than 6,000 people missing and presumed dead.

Yet by this morning, a day after Ashcroft had called Acting Gov. Jane Swift and Mayor Thomas Menino, city officials and the local FBI office were urging residents to go about their business as usual this weekend -- saying the information that led to the warning had been determined to be unreliable.

In Atlanta, Richmond and now Boston, vague, unsubstantiated threats received since the Sept. 11 terrorist attack have presented authorities with the difficult task of sorting through raw intelligence and alerting authorities without panicking a jittery public. In each case, there have been warnings of possible violence followed quickly by retractions.

Earlier this week, for example, a nationwide edict grounding crop-duster planes was rescinded within a day and an FBI alert warning that ambulances and fire trucks could be hijacked was discounted as inaccurate.

"The nation continues to remain on a heightened sense of security and awareness at this point," said Justice Department spokeswoman Susan Dryden, who said threat reports are examined on a case-by-case basis. "If we had something that was a specific and credible threat where we had information of substance, the public would certainly be notified."

U.S. officials say they nevertheless continue to be concerned about unspecific threats of further terrorist violence. The Federal Aviation Administration has declared no-fly zones over sports stadiums this weekend, the Miss America Pageant Saturday will deploy bomb-sniffing dogs, and several Hollywood studios have canceled tours following a warning from Ashcroft of possible attacks on the industry.

Water departments around the country also received advisories Thursday that the FBI had received an anonymous, general threat against the water supply. Officials were urged to be on the lookout for saboteurs.

Air Force jets also resumed combat air patrols today over some U.S. cities on a random basis. The patrols, which were begun almost immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks, had extended to as many as 15 cities before being virtually discontinued at the end of last week, a senior Air Force officer said.

The air of dread has been heightened by sketchy and often inaccurate information. Persistent reports have swirled around an impending attack scheduled for Saturday, although officials at Justice, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies say they have no specific evidence attaching importance to the date.

An e-mail making the rounds on the Internet in military circles, for example, purports to contain a warning from the Dallas FBI that "according to intel developed by FBI, CIA and NSA, the 22 September has been targeted for future terrorist attacks," citing "several credible tips/leads regarding plans by terrorists."

Marty Cenkci, a spokeswoman at the Army's Intelligence and Security Command, which is listed as the e-mail's source, said today she was not aware of any warning. Lori Bailey, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Dallas field office, called the e-mail "erroneous."

"We have not issued any warnings," Bailey said. "If we had any specific and credible evidence, we would release something. . . . We don't consider the date to be a credible issue or threat at this time."

In Boston, both Menino and Swift confirmed they had received warning calls from Ashcroft Thursday, but quickly downplayed any notion that the city is under a new, immediate threat.

Boston Police Commissioner Paul Evans confirmed that his officers investigated an e-mail describing a conversation a local bartender overheard prior to the Sept. 11 attacks, in which a group of Middle Eastern men spoke of "bloodshed in Boston on the 22nd." But Evans said, "We're not concerned about that. We traced that one down."

Justice officials said that e-mail was not what prompted the Boston warning. Ashcroft, during a visit to the World Trade Center site today, declined to comment.

The alert "was a reaction to information that came in quickly and raw," Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) said. "Upon further analysis, it is safe to say there was no threat and is no threat. . . . People have to calm down at every level. The fear out there is unnecessary. We are safer in America today than we have been in a long time."

Massachusetts officials rallied to assure residents that all is well.

"This is the time to stand up to fears," said the state's attorney general, Thomas Reilly. "Now is the time to get out. Now is the time to visit the city."

The public reaction to such entreaties has been mixed. Juliana Verdone, 38, a Cambridge writer and musician, canceled plans to attend a lunchtime concert at Faneuil Hall and is unlikely to go to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park this weekend. Still, she refuses to spend all her time at home.

"I can't be ruled by fear. I can't live that way, but of course we're afraid," Verdone said. "We've seen just how vulnerable we are, and it's reckless to think that we're not."

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2001