January 14, 2010
U.S. Notes AlQaeda Olympic Threat
The U.S. government is advising American sports fans travelling to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics to watch out for al-Qaeda and otherJust how does one "watch out for alQaeda"? "Hey dude, do you belong to alQaeda by any chance? Wow, did you shave ALL the hair off your body? Dude, burkhas are for women, why are you wearing one? Wow, did you hit your forehead real hard, you have quite a bruise there.extremists,terrorists[FTFY...ed] especially on transit and in restaurants, churches and other areas outside official venues."Al-Qaeda's demonstrated capability to carry out sophisticated attacks against sizable structures - such as ships, large office buildings, embassies and hotels - makes it one of the greatest potential threats to the Olympics," the U.S. State Department said in a fact sheet on the Games posted on its website.
No specific credible threats have been identified, the U.S. government said. However, Americans planning to attend Olympic events or participate in large-scale public gatherings during the Winter Games should use caution and be alert to their surroundings, the advisory said.
Americans are advised to be especially alert when outside Olympic venues. "As security increases in and around Olympic venues, terrorists could shift their focus to more unprotected Olympic venues, open spaces, hotels, railway and other transportation systems, churches, restaurants and other sites not associated with the Olympics."[...]
A spokesman for the U.S. Consulate General in Vancouver said the U.S. State Department advisory was posted within the past six weeks, but could not immediately confirm the date.[Sounds familiar...ed]
Seriously, if going, be careful.
