U.S. Had Warning of Attack, but No Details

[Khephra]

Only days before the bombing in Saudi Arabia on Saturday that killed at least 17 people, American intelligence agencies had been warned that such an attack by Al Qaeda was imminent but the warnings lacked sufficient detail to disrupt the plot, officials said Sunday.

The information, which came from several sources, prompted the closing of the United States Embassy in Riyadh, but did not provide specifics about the time or location of an attack, officials said. It did lead American officials to conclude that Qaeda cells were planning to go after "soft" targets "very soon," one official said.

The chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence added Sunday that his panel had been briefed by intelligence officials about a week ago that an attack in Saudi Arabia appeared likely.

The suicide bomb attack blasted through a residential compound for foreigners in Riyadh. The attackers, who may have been disguised as police officers, shot their way into the compound and then set off a car bomb. The attack seemed similar to ones staged near foreign compounds in Riyadh on May 12, for which officials have also blamed Al Qaeda.

more...........

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/10/international/middleeast/10INTE.html

[Liberal Veteran]

1. How long before Condi comes on camera to say....

"No one imagined they would use suicide bombers against residential compounds".

[deric1]

2. Advanced Warning

Seems the US had advanced warning of 9-11 as well, but chose
to do nothing about it. Maybe Bush and friends knew it was
going to boost his ratings thru the roof for doing absolutely
nothing to stop it. 
I wouldn't be surprised if Bush didn't have something to do
with this latest bombing just to get more middle eastern
countries on our side. 

[DUreader]

4. welcome to Du , deric

[newyawker99]

7. Hi deric1!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[bemildred]

3. So nobody ever took public "credit" for the attack on May 12?

Seems odd.

[DUreader]

5. Yeah, another similarity to 911

[loudnclear]

6. Not odd, and not al-qaeda!

The neocons can't afford too many more of these transparent operations. But notice how the information was touted that it would be an attack by al-qaeda...just in case you focused on the wrong people!