FBI: Al-Qaida interested in ferries Attacks could yield ‘high casualty cou

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/946574.asp?0cv=CB10

The FBI is warning of increased al-Qaida interest in targeting U.S. ferry operations based on several reports of suspicious activity around ferry terminals. The weekly advisory says no specific threats have surfaced but that increased security awareness is “prudent” because ferry operations have minimal security measures in place.

TERRORISTS GROUPS LIKE al-Qaida have long shown interest in maritime targets, the FBI advisory says, citing the successful bombing of the U.S.S. Cole. Terrorists might considering broadening their interest to less secure targets, like ferries, which are often located near high-traffic tourist attractions or industrial areas, such as oil facilities.

The FBI emphasizes that it has received no specific threat against a ferry operation. However, ferries make a tempting target, the FBI warns, because they “have the potential to yield a high casualty count.”

Capable of hauling hundreds of people and scores of cars on each trip, ferries on the Seattle-Bremerton route in Washington state alone carried 2.2 million passengers and vehicles last year.