Security Warning Issued to Mass Transit [View All]

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U.S. mass transit systems should remain alert against possible terror attacks, the Homeland SecurityDepartment said in a new warning that highlighted suspicious activity at unnamed European subway stations last fall. Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said Wednesday there is no specific or credible intelligence to indicate U.S. transit systems are being targeted, and he described the notice, sent Tuesday, as a routine reminder for transit authority operators, state security advisers and police to remain on guard.

At issue were two incidents last November of what the notice described as a foreign man who was arrested in an unnamed European city after videotaping the interior and exterior of several subway cars and stations, including trash cans and stairwells. The man taped nearly 17 minutes of subway pictures, the notice said, but "the camera contained no footage of tourist sites." Three other people were later arrested for similar activity, the notice said.

The incidents "prove indications of continued terrorist interest in mass transit systems as targets, and potentially useful insights of the terrorists' surveillance techniques," said the notice, a copy of which was read to The Associated
Press. It added: "DHS has no credible or specific intelligence regarding active plots targeting U.S. mass transit systems."

Knocke said Homeland Security has no immediate plans to raise the nation's terror threat alert level. It was not immediately clear why the arrests six months ago would prompt the new notice. However, Knocke said it was not connected to Wednesday's sentencing verdict of al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, who was sentenced to life in prison.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/transit_warning