FBI, Local Officials On Lookout For Suspected Terrorists

The FBI has issued an alert to be on the lookout for two Middle Eastern men seen in the Portland, Maine-area last Sunday.

NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported that witnesses claim the men fit the description of two suspected terrorists on the FBI's latest bulletin, and there may be a Massachusetts connection.

State police received a bulletin on Wednesday from the FBI that said two of four men featured on the FBI's Web site may have been seen driving in an area northwest of Portland. The alert said on Sunday, Sept. 7, around 4 p.m., two Middle Eastern men were seen in Naples, Maine, traveling southbound on Route 302 in a newer slate gray BMW sedan.

"There has been no confirmed sightings, but we have gotten the information out to our department and we are on the lookout for these guys," said Steve McCausland of the Maine State Police.

"I wouldn't say that we've put it at a higher alert, but we definitely made sure that all of our members that are working definitely knew of this incident on Sunday, the sighting," said Massachusetts State Trooper Scott Schubert.

The unconfirmed sighting claims one of the two men fit the description of Adnan el Shukrijumah, a Saudi native who lived for year in south Florida. The FBI has been searching for him for months. Officials said he could be a terror cell leader or organizer similar to Mohamed Atta, the alleged mastermind of the 9-11 attacks. Atta was also sighted at the Portland airport the morning of the attacks, boarding a plane for Boston.

The second man possibly sighted in Naples is Abderraouf Jdey, who was born in Tunisia and is a naturalized Canadian citizen. He is one of five men who have left suicide letters promising to die fighting non-Muslim infidels.

"I would take it seriously. We are, unfortunately, overdue for a major strike. Keep in mind that al-Qaida or any other terrorist group periodically have to strike to keep their presence in America's mind," said terrorism expert Edith Flynn.

Officials said they have no information as to whether the men are involved in a specific terrorist operation.

Meanwhile, FBI spokesman Jim Osterreider told a Portland radio station that there was a second, unconfirmed sighting of the same men, reported several weeks ago in Islesboro Ferry, Maine.

The FBI has issued an alert to be on the lookout for two Middle Eastern men seen in the Portland, Maine-area last Sunday.

Look, I don't want to rain on someone's parade, but isn't this bulletin a wee bit late?

This could be bad news for the port authority in Portland. I know there was some deep concern about this port. I don't remember where I read it, but I thought that this was one of the largest ports with one of the worst records.

Wonder if the terrorists would try to take advantage of a natural disaster, such as the impending Hurricane Isabel?

The state has spent millions of dollars to buy firefighters the equipment and training they need to respond to a chemical, biological or nuclear attack. This fall, $13.2 million of the total federal $72 million allocation will be distributed to local communities. Cleaves said when the money reaches towns and cities it should start shifting the focus in Maine toward police departments, and not just teams that respond to an attack.

But because the focus so far has been on responding, places like Portland Harbor, with its ferry services, oil tanks and population concentration, is a major concern for law enforcement officials.

The port's share of the federal money has been $2.1 million for additional equipment like security cameras. Police, however, have not increased patrols along the waterfront or added officers since the Sept. 11 attacks. The same is true for the Maine State Police, which cannot afford to patrol bridges, dams or other potential targets on a regular basis, officials say.

And Portland Police Chief Michael Chitwood has already seen a decrease in federal money to patrol the Portland International Jetport. Two of the Sept. 11 hijackers, including leader Mohamed Atta, flew out of the airport the morning of the attacks.

The new Transportation Security Administration reimbursed the city $1.65 million in 2002 for additional shifts and overtime created by increased security at the jetport. But the TSA eliminated its reimbursement this year, leaving the city and airport to absorb the costs, Chitwood said.

The large oil-tank farms and docks in South Portland also have been identified as potential targets. But extra patrols only occur when private companies hire off-duty police officers to provide extra security, Police Chief Edward Googins said.

There also are concerns about the screening of passengers for the Scotia Prince ferry that runs between Portland and Nova Scotia, Canada, and cargo imported into the state in enclosed containers. The Coast Guard and border patrols have stepped up their efforts along the coast and Maine's borders. But, said Chitwood, "We have a whole harbor that is very vulnerable . . . but there are no resources to secure the port area."

CUT http://www.pressherald.com/news/state/030907911.shtml

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