NFL Stadium Threat: Officials Skeptical But Issue Warning

October 18, 2006 5:37 PM

Pierre Thomas Reports:

Football_stadium_nfl_nr_1The Department of Homeland Security says an online threat against NFL stadiums this weekend is "not credible," but it issued a bulletin today to let the public know about it.

DHS said a rambling threat posted on an English-language website warned that dirty bombs, delivered in trucks, would be detonated outside NFL stadiums in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Oakland and Cleveland on Sunday, Oct. 22.

A DHS spokesperson told ABC News, the department "routinely shares threat information with various public and private sector interests...This was done out of an abundance of caution.  This is not a credible threat."

The FBI said it would work with "our state and local partners as well as the concerned security representatives at sporting venues...The FBI routinely maintains a working relationship with the NFL and meets with them on a regular basis.  This item will be part of our routine discussions this week."

The NFL issued a statement saying, "Our stadiums are very well protected through the comprehensive security procedures we have in place, including secure facility perimeters, pat-downs, and bag searches."

There may be some stepped-up security at stadiums this weekend out of an abundance of caution.

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October 18, 2006 | Permalink | User Comments (11)

User Comments

Well, DUH. I won't say more.

Posted by: Lisa Miller | Oct 18, 2006 6:01:37 PM

Not a credible threat: What terroists group would waste a bomb on this year's Raiders?

Posted by: Irene Butts | Oct 18, 2006 6:10:07 PM

gee whiz mister cleaver. anybody remember the spike in threat alerts last election? this is just another, tired maniputlation from karl rove's playbook. typical GOP fear tactics.

Posted by: dudeman | Oct 18, 2006 6:25:26 PM

You know what else isn't credible? DIRTY BOMBS release radiation that kills people. In fact, they don't and our government knows this. Almost all studies of such a possible weapon have concluded that the radiation spread in this way would not kill anybody because the radioactive material would be so dispersed, and, providing the area was cleaned promptly, the long-term effects would be negligible. In the past, both the American army and the Iraqi military tested such devices and both concluded that they were completely ineffectual weapons for this very reason.

The U.S. Department of Energy actually set up such a test and they actually measured what happened. The measurements were extremely low. They calculated that the most exposed individual would get a fairly high dose — not life-threatening, but fairly high and they assume that after the attack, no one moves for one year. One year. Now, that’s ridiculous.

Posted by: John | Oct 18, 2006 7:13:21 PM

There has been prophesy in the christian community that 7 cities would get bombed. 5 of the 7 are listed here. The two not mentioned are Detroit and San Francisco. Oakland is near San Francisco and Detroit isn't that far from cleveland. I hope this does not happen but am concerned.

Posted by: Todd | Oct 18, 2006 8:00:29 PM

if They do that.all they will do is help the rebublicans continue to control the congress

Posted by: Bryan | Oct 18, 2006 8:37:23 PM

I'm not certain what worries and frightens me more: a terrorist threat or people who think such a threat is going to fulfill some biblical or other religious prophesy.

Posted by: gus | Oct 19, 2006 8:18:13 AM

Does anyone know that Giants Stadium is in NJ not NY?

Posted by: andrea | Oct 19, 2006 9:46:22 AM

Thanks for the laugh Irene!

Posted by: Jessica | Oct 19, 2006 10:18:07 AM

So will a sport announcer get fired this weekend if he use the old cliché
"He's going for the BOMB"
when speaking of a deep pass... :)

Posted by: darrell | Oct 19, 2006 1:37:25 PM

Farrell, yeah he would. Look what happened to Lamar Thomas.

Posted by: Nik | Oct 26, 2006 12:23:36 AM

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