Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 11:02:19 -0700
From: Director@KEEPANDBEARARMS.COM (Angel Shamaya)
Subject: FBI warns of shoulder-fired missiles threat
To: AZRKBA@asu.edu


This is a homerun waiting to happen.

Need to write a parody, as if from Brady or VPC, claiming that Al
Quida got 'em from gun shows.  Article title:  "The Stinger
Missle Loophole"

Next time some fool spews about the "gun show loophole," this
oughta help set the record straight.  They can successfully ban a
handgun, but not an anti-aircraft missile?

~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/05/30/missile.threat/index.html

FBI warns of shoulder-fired missiles threat
May 30, 2002 Posted: 1:19 PM EDT (1719 GMT)


FIM-92 Stinger missile was initially deployed as a man-portable
weapon by the U.S. Army.   [definitely grab a picture of the stinger
missle, for your records on this one]

>From Jamie McIntyre

CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Although it has had no specific warnings,
the FBI is alerting law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for
any signs of terrorist plans to use shoulder-fired missiles against U.S.
targets, especially commercial airliners.

The alert comes after investigators concluded al Qaeda operatives
might have tried to shoot down a U.S. military plane in Saudi Arabia
earlier this month.

The FBI warning stressed the United States had no specific
intelligence that al Qaeda is planning an attack using shoulder-fired
missiles.

"The FBI possesses no information indicating that al Qaeda is
planning to use 'Stinger' missiles or any type of MANPAD [portable
anti-aircraft] weapons system against commercial aircraft in the United
States," the warning said.

"However, given al Qaeda's demonstrated objective to target the U.S.
airline industry, its access to U.S. and Russian-made MANPAD
systems, and recent apparent targeting of U.S.-led military forces in
Saudi Arabia, law enforcement agencies in the United States should
remain alert to potential use of MANPADs against U.S. aircraft."

On May 10th, CNN first reported the discovery of a tube that could
have been used to launch a shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile. The
unit was found by a Saudi security patrol inside a fence at the Prince
Sultan Air Base, but at that time military officials told CNN it was
unclear if the Russian-made SA-7 missile had been fired in an attempt
to shoot down a U.S. plane.

But a May 22, 2002 FBI "intelligence bulletin" -- obtained Thursday
by CNN -- says, "Subsequent investigation suggests that the discovery
is likely related to al Qaeda targeting efforts against U.S.-led forces on
the Arabian Peninsula."

Blast marks indicated there may have been an attempt to launch it, but
the cover of the tube was still intact, indicating the missile did not fire
or perhaps misfired.

The missile tube was found a few miles from where U.S. planes take
off and land at the remote desert base, within range of shoulder-fired
missiles -- typically specified as up to 3.5 miles and 13,000 feet.