FBI: Uncorroborated threat received against Texas schools

12/12/2001

By CONNIE MABIN / The Associated Press

AUSTIN – FBI agents have alerted schools throughout Texas that a vague threat has been received suggesting two people may retaliate against unknown Texas schools for the U.S. bombing in Afghanistan.

"Basically, as vague as I gave it, is as vague as we have it," Houston FBI Special Agent Bob Doguim said Wednesday. "This is coming to us from a foreign government. We are working with them to try and determine the reliability of it."

Land Commissioner David Dewhurst, chairman of the state's Task Force on Homeland Security, said in Austin he was told by the FBI Tuesday night that schools in Texas and another state were threatened with attack if Osama bin Laden is captured by U.S. military forces.

His office later said Dewhurst misspoke and that the threat had nothing to do with capturing bin Laden but with bombing in Afghanistan. He declined to name the other state.

An alert was issued to Texas law enforcement agencies at 8 p.m. Tuesday, said Dewhurst, who did not know specifics about the threat, what types of schools may have been threatened or their locations.

The alert means security will increase in and around schools. The alert will remain in effect until the threat is cleared by law enforcement, who will either confirm the threat or consider it false, Dewhurst said.

"We have no confirmed threat here in Texas at this time," he said. "But one thing the governor insists on and I insist on is to do everything we can to ensure that Texans are safe in their homes and as they travel around the state."

He did not recommend parents keep children home from school, saying, "We've got to get on with our lives."

The Texas Education Agency did not cancel classes. The agency was preparing an e-mail to be sent Wednesday to the state's 1,183 school districts alerting them of the threat that FBI officials told the agency was low-level, said spokeswoman Debbie Graves-Ratcliffe.

"At this point, it may prove to be unfounded but it provides us all with a good opportunity to review our security and emergency procedures," Graves-Ratcliffe said.

In Houston, Doguim said agents aren't sure how accurate the information is, but said it is not related to a specific school. He said the FBI informed Texas' Homeland Security Task Force, which began informing public school districts, private schools, colleges and universities late Tuesday night after receiving the information.

"The initial concern is that this might cause undo panic," he said. "We are emphasizing that it is uncorroborated."

"Our responsibility is to let them know this is out there," he said, adding it was better to "err on the side of caution."

A law enforcement official in Washington, speaking only on condition of anonymity, said Texas homeland security officials were warned of a threat against schools.

Authorities have not determined if the threat is credible, the official said, and the Justice Department is monitoring.

Gov. Rick Perry's office did not immediately return a telephone call from The Associated Press but scheduled a news conference for later in the day.

Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Vinger declined comment.

Other threats around the nation made public in recent months never have materialized.

In October, hospitals in Baltimore were warned of a possible anthrax attack. The FBI told police there it had learned the attack might come Oct. 17, the same day first lady Laura Bush was visiting children at an elementary school.

In early November, a threat of rush-hour terror attacks against four California bridges turned out to be not credible, causing California Gov. Gray Davis to face criticism for announcing the threat publicly. The FBI said the information was uncorroborated but Davis said he believed he had an obligation to warn the public.

(ap.state.online.tx0069 - 12:50:23,12-12-01)

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001