US hunts four men linked to terrorism threats

4.00pm

WASHINGTON - The FBI urged the public to be on the lookout for four men - including two the agency has been seeking for months - who may be connected to possible threats against the United States.

The FBI issued "Seeking Information" alerts on its website for Adnan G. El Shukrijumah, Abderraouf Jdey, Karim El Mejjati and Zubayr al-Rimi.

The alerts, signed by FBI Director Robert Mueller, said the men "should be considered armed and dangerous." But, he added, "We don't have a specific threat."

The warnings were issued a week before the second anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked plane attacks and the day after the Department of Homeland Security issued an advisory warning that al Qaeda appeared to still be planning hijackings or attacks against the United States.

An intelligence official said the FBI alerts were related to the Homeland Security advisory, and authorities believed the men could be involved in some plot involving aviation.

In March the FBI had made urgent calls for public help to find El Shukrijumah, a Saudi-born man who they said could pose a "very, very serious" threat as part of an al Qaeda plot against the United States. A material witness warrant has been issued for El Shukrijumah in Virginia.

The original information leading to El Shukrijumah was based on debriefings of al Qaeda captives. An FBI official said the latest alerts were prompted by intelligence information that pointed to renewed interest in the four men.

The FBI said El Shukrijumah carries a Guyanese passport but may attempt to enter the United States with a Saudi, Canadian or Trinidadian passport.

Al-Rimi is from Saudi Arabia, and El Mejjati was born in Morocco and has a passport issued in France. His last known entry into the United States was between 1997 and 1999.

SUSPECT IN CASABLANCA BOMBINGS

El Mejjati was among the first suspects named in Morocco as possible plotters of May 16 suicide bombings in Casablanca which killed 45 people.

He is described by security services as dangerous and armed. Acquaintances in Morocco said he came from a prosperous family from Rabat and is married to an American.

Jdey, who was born in Tunisia, may be using a passport issued in Montreal and was the subject of a previous alert, the FBI said.

Thursday's Homeland Security advisory, based on a review of intelligence ahead of the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, said the department had no specific information on individual targets or dates of an attack but said it remained concerned about al Qaeda's plans.

The advisory said the department had no plans to raise the terror alert warning level.

It repeated warnings issued during the summer about possible al Qaeda attacks involving commercial aircraft, noting that attacks could involve the hijacking of airliners transiting near or flying over the continental United States.

The advisory said al Qaeda, which the United States blames for the Sept. 11 attacks, sees "international flights transiting the US as candidates for takeover and use in aerial suicide attacks against the U.S."

The FBI would not say if the four men it was seeking had ties to al Qaeda, although in the past law enforcement has linked El Shukrijumah with the group.

- REUTERS