Saturday, July 02, 2016
"FBI said there are no specific or credible security threats against the United States known to law enforcement heading into the Fourth of July." /DAILY MAIL
A pro-ISIS Twitter account has threatened attacks at London Heathrow, LAX and New York's JFK airports over the July 4 holiday weekend.
The account said that attacks would be carried out on planes 'flying from Heathrow [Airport] to the US' and warned that 'there will be a device placed in either Heathrow, LAX or JFK airports.'
The threat was revealed by SITE Intelligence Group - the world's leading non-governmental counterterrorism organisation - on its website.
The group is directed by founder Rita Katz, who has tracked and analysed global terrorism and jihadi networks for nearly two decades.
She is well-recognised as one of the most knowledgeable and reliable experts in the field and has received special recognition from FBI Director Robert Mueller for her "outstanding assistance to the FBI in connection with its investigative efforts".
British Transport minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon called for the British public to be cautious.
He said: "We all need to be vigilant to the global threat of terrorism - in the UK we keep all aspects of aviation security under constant review and work closely with our international partners to mitigate risks.
"We will continue to take all steps necessary to keep the public safe, but for security reasons we do not comment in detail on specific measures or operational matters."
Heathrow Airport declined to comment on the apparent threat and referred inquiries to the Department for Transport.
This comes as authorities in the US brace themselves for a weekend of traffic chaos as it was revealed that up to 43 million people will be travelling across the country for Fourth of July weekend.
Huge firework displays will take place across the nation, as well as concerts and family fun days.
On Thursday, the FBI said there are no specific or credible security threats against the United States known to law enforcement heading into the Fourth of July weekend.
Security agencies on high alert
"But law enforcement and members of the public must remain vigilant. ... The FBI asks members of the public to maintain awareness of their surroundings and to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement,' an FBI spokeswoman said in a statement.
An internal briefing document shared with government officials and called for the Department of Homeland Security to be on alert following recent attacks, such as the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, and calls from Islamic State supporters for attacks in the Western Hemisphere.
The absence of known threats does not ensure safety.
There were no threats known before the Orlando massacre, in which a gunman who pledged loyalty to Islamic State killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
The document said mass transit systems are particularly vulnerable to attack. It also said an attack over the US Independence Day holiday would garner media attention that would further Islamic State's propaganda efforts.
There was no mention in the FBI's statement or in the document of the gun and bomb attack that killed 44 people at Istanbul's airport on Tuesday.
In the wake of the Istanbul attack experts have called for a worldwide rethink on airport security.
The demands reflect the increased likelihood of terror attacks throughout Europe, with seven countries across the continent considered 'high risk' by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Indeed, the June 28 attack in Turkey hit one day after the US State Department issued a travel warning to American citizens about the increased terror threat in the Turkey - and to avoid the south of the country altogether.
The current threat level in Turkey is currently classified as an emergency alert.
And at the beginning of June, the State Department issued a Europe-wide travel alert, specifically concerning the European Soccer Championship currently underway in France and for the Catholic Church's World Youth day in Poland this July.