SAN FRANCISCO - The Governor of California says there is a "credible" threat that the state's major suspension bridges - including the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the world's most famous landmarks - could be attacked between Friday and next week.
"We've received from several different sources threats that the
law enforcement community in general believes are credible that between November 2 and November 7 at rush hour there will be an effort to blow up one of those bridges," Governor Gray Davis told a news conference.
Davis said it would be up to commuters to decide whether or not they wanted to cross the bridges during the period in question.
"The best preparation is to let the terrorists know we know what you're up to, we're ready, it's not going to succeed," Davis said.
The National Guard will station additional personnel at California's major suspension bridges: the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge in San Francisco, the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles and the Coronado Bridge in San Diego.
"We are bound and determined to protect Californians and the vital assets of this state and protection of our bridges, our water systems, our electricity grids ranks very high on our priorities," Davis said.
The Justice Department later released a copy of the warning Davis cited.
In it, the FBI's counterterrorism division said it was in possession of "uncorroborated information indicating the possibility of additional terrorist attacks against the United States, specifically the West Coast.
"Reportedly, unspecified groups are targeting suspension bridges on the West Coast. Six incidents are to take place during rush hour beginning Friday, November 2 and continuing through November 7, 2001," the FBI warning said.
The governor's warning marked one of the first times since the September 11 hijack assaults on New York and Washington that officials had mentioned specific targets for potential attack - and the first time that the US West Coast was put on notice.
- REUTERS
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