Terrorists may have targeted Vegas

Mary Manning and Jace Radke

Thursday, Aug. 29, 2002 | 11:21 a.m.

Federal indictments released Wednesday of six alleged terrorists appeared to confirm what many had suspected since the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon: Las Vegas also could be a target.

In addition to finding a cache of false documents and a day planner detailing future attacks in Turkey and Jordan, federal official say a search of a Detroit apartment done a week after Sept. 11 turned up a videotape that "appears to depict surveillance" of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the nation's largest hotel, and Disneyland in California, as if they were casing the places.

Speaking generally, Las Vegas FBI spokesman Special Agent Daron Borst said that investigators have learned that terrorist organizations often come up with large lists of possible targets.

"We know from our experience that during the beginning phases of a planned attack terrorists brainstorm possible targets, but that doesn't mean all of them are viable," said Borst, who said he couldn't comment specifically on the indictment because of a gag order in the case. "Because of the amount of surveillance, the amount of security, and the amount of police protection, Las Vegas is not an easy target."

Federal grand juries charged six men Wednesday with conspiring with al-Qaida, the first in what authorities described as new terrorism charges filed against American citizens and foreigners living here.

Agents believe they have uncovered a broad effort by U.S. residents to use credit card thefts, illegal cigarette sales, diverted charitable funds and cash smuggled in airline luggage to enrich terror groups, the officials said.

Five men were charged in Detroit with providing support to al-Qaida and operating as covert underground support for terrorist attacks within and outside the United States.

They were accused of acting with two others as "a covert underground support unit" and a "sleeper operational combat cell" for a radical Islamic movement allied with al-Qaida. They were charged with conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists.

The indictment alleges that Karim Koubriti, Ahmed Hannan, Youssef Hmimssa, Abdella (last name not known) and Farouk Ali-Haimoud conspired to "cause economic harm to U.S. businesses" and to provide personnel, safe houses and intelligence for violent attacks against Jordan, Turkey and the United States.

All of the men except Abdella are in custody.

Borst said he couldn't comment on whether the Las Vegas FBI office had joined in the investigation because of the gag order issued by a federal judge presiding over the case in Michigan.

"We immediately pass on any information that we have on specific threats, and if they're nonspecific we will give a general warning," Borst said.

The FBI is already investigating a possible tie between Las Vegas, Detroit and terrorist groups. In June seven men were arrested for allegedly trying to cash three counterfeit cashier's checks at the MGM for a total of $600,000. The checks were drawn on the same Pomona, Calif., bank branch as $12 million in phony checks found on a man arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in July.

The man, Omar Abdul-Fatah Hamed Shishani, is being investigated by the FBI for possible terrorist links.

In a separate case Wednesday, a federal grand jury indicted Earnest James Ujaama, 36, an American citizen, with providing safe houses and building a training camp in Oregon for teaching terrorists how to fight a "violent jihad," or holy war.

Ujaama's indictment in Seattle came weeks after he was arrested in Denver and held as a material witness in the terrorism investigation. He has maintained his innocence, and his lawyer has pressed prosecutors to either charge him or release him.

The indictment contends Ujaama, born James Ernest Thompson, led a conspiracy to set up a training camp in Bly, Ore. He was charged with conspiracy to provide material support and resources for al-Qaida and with using, carrying, possessing and discharging firearms during a crime.

Ujaama's community work has won him praise in his hometown. He once was given a key to the city of Seattle. And state lawmakers declared June 10, 1994, James Ujaama Day.

He had also told Seattle newspapers that he had been honored by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and received a key to the city of Las Vegas.

Reid is traveling in Africa and unavailable for comment but his aides said they have no evidence of Reid ever honoring Ujaama. Las Vegas city officials said they had no record of giving the key to Ujaama and a city spokesman said no current councilmembers could recall honoring the man.

"It's possible that someone on past councils could have honored him, but we have no record of it in our registry," said Maria Marinch, a city spokeswoman.

MGM/MIRAGE spokesman Alan Feldman said the tape does not lead to the conclusion that there is a threat to the hotel.

"It has been known for a very long time that terrorists have been targeting sites around the United States," Feldman said Wednesday.

Patti Shock, chair of the Tourism and Convention department at UNLV's Harrah College of Hotel Administration, said she does not think the discovery will have much of an impact on tourism in Las Vegas.

"My gut reaction is that I don't see it having an impact," Shock said.

Since Sept. 11, travelers have learned to live with reports of terrorism threats similar to that of Henderson resident Michael Hamdan in July. Even then, she said, there was no impact on tourism.

In New York City, convention travel to the city actually picked up in a move to stimulate the city's economy.

"People know they have to go on with their lives," Shock said.

Some tourists on Wednesday said the new revelations would not keep them from visiting Las Vegas, though others were worried.

Dick and Susan McFarland of Miami said they would continue to visit two or three times a year.

"I figured it was a target," Susan McFarland said.

"This is the only place we can get away and relax," Dick McFarland said.

The McFarlands visited in December and in March. "We're planning our next trip here already," he said.

San Francisco residents Lisa Lee and Bony Sosa with their 10-month-old son were not surprised that Las Vegas might be of interest to terrorists. "We knew that," Lee said.

But they don't fly to Las Vegas. "We drive everywhere," Sosa said. "The last time we flew, they searched the baby."

Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority spokesman Rob Powers declined comment on the possible economic effect that new allegations of Las Vegas being a target could have.

"Anything I said right now would just be speculation," Powers said.

Feldman said since early Sept. 11 there has been an extensive security program in place at the MGM, the Mirage and 10 other properties owned by MGM/MIRAGE, including those in Primm, Detroit and Biloxi, Miss., he said.

Hotel administrators spoke to the Las Vegas FBI office on Wednesday, Feldman said.

"The FBI has said there are no specific targets in Las Vegas," he said.

After the attacks, the FBI investigated why five of the 19 hijackers had met in Las Vegas before Sept. 11.

Sun reporters Benjamin Grove and Stephen Curran, and the Associated Press, contributed to this story.

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