Amid heightened indications that Al Qaeda may be planning catastrophic attacks in the US, the FBI is warning police about a new potential tool for terrorism: almanacs. An FBI intelligence bulletin sent to law enforcement agencies last week warned that ‘‘terrorist operatives may rely on almanacs to assist pre-operational planning’’ because they include detailed information on bridges, tunnels and other US landmarks, officials said.The warning came as a surprise to purveyors of almanacs. The bulletin also prompted objections from civil liberties advocates, who argued that the warning appears to encourage police to arrest or interrogate people based on their reading habits.‘‘Founding father Benjamin Franklin probably never imagined that the almanac he created would be the subject of an FBI terrorism bulletin,’’ said Nadine Strossen, president of the American Civil Liberties Union. Since the 9/11 attacks, the bulletin has often included general warnings and information related to terror.The bureau has been criticised at times for its choice of topics, including a recent bulletin outlining the possible dangers posed by violent anti-war protesters. FBI spokesman Ed Cogswell said the bulletin was meant to provide general information to local police and was not the result of a specific threat. It does not refer to any specific cases involving almanacs. But during a search of the apartment of alleged Al Qaeda sleeper agent Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, investigators have said they found an almanac with bookmarked pages on major US dams, rivers, reservoirs and railroads. —(LAT-WP)
