Scientists searched Vegas for dirty bombs

Jace Radke

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2004 | 11:10 a.m.

F-16s flew over the Las Vegas Strip on New Year's Eve, and Energy Department scientists were discreetly testing for radioactive material and dirty bombs at street level, according to federal and local officials involved in the security effort.

In the air over the Strip U.S. Customs Blackhawk helicopters were visible to revelers, but out of sight aircraft with Energy Department personnel aboard and F-16 fighters provided two additional levels of security over the crowd, a source involved with security preparations said.

Nevada Homeland Security Director Jerry Bussell said the no-fly zone that was placed over Las Vegas on New Year's was enforced.

"We had a no-fly zone, and when you have that you have to put the capabilities in place to enforce it," said Bussell, who refused to discuss specific security measures. "We had those capabilities."

Officials with Nellis Air Force Base would not confirm if F-16 patrols were over the Strip on New Year's, saying that the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command remain at a high level of readiness, prepared to engage a variety of threats.

"For operational security reasons, we will not discuss details that could be useful to our enemies," Nellis spokeswoman Lt. Lori Dockendorf read from a prepared statement.

Energy Department spokesman Joe Davis could not confirm if the department used planes or other overhead dectection devices last week, but did say that the department participated in radiation monitoring and Homeland Security efforts.

While security was tight in the airspace above the Strip, Energy Department scientists provided another layer of protection on the ground, law enforcement officials said.

It was these scientists that on Dec. 29 located in a Las Vegas storage unit a small amount of a radioactive isotope used in the treatment of cancer, sources said.

"We know they were here because they found that medical waste," Bussell said.

Davis confirmed that DOE officials located the material, but wouldn't comment further.

The waste turned out to be a radium pellet that a homeless man had found and picked up and kept with his possessions in the storage unit, sources said.

No one was arrested in connection with the incident and the FBI determined that the waste was not involved with any terrorist threat, FBI Special Agent Todd Palmer said.

A law enforcement source knew that DOE scientists were sent to Las Vegas, New York and Washington D.C. to scout for radioactive material prior to New Year's gatherings.

The Washington Post today reported that along with those cities Baltimore and Los Angeles also saw scientists with, "radiation detection equipment hidden in briefcases and golf bags."

Environmental Protection Agency sensors have been installed in 30 cities, including Las Vegas, to detect any harmful biological agents and provide test results in 12 to 24 hours. The locations of the monitors are not released for security reasons, Bussell said.

On Dec. 22, a day after the nation's terrorism alert level was elevated, the FBI began searching for terrorists by going over lists of names of those who have used truck and car rental agencies, airlines, hotels, and storage units in the Las Vegas Valley as well as in Laughlin, Mesquite, Pahrump and St. George, Utah, FBI officials said.

The requests for guest and customer lists ended with the holidays on Jan. 1, Palmer said.

Most of the businesses handed over the records, but some would not without a subpoena or a national security letter.

Metro Police reportedly assisted in gathering the information, but Metro spokeswoman Carla Alston said the department had no comment on the how the guest lists were obtained.

Once the lists were handed over, the FBI checked them against various terrorist watch lists. Palmer would not say whether any of the names matched.

Bill Carter, an FBI spokesman with the agency's headquarters in Washington, said he didn't know of any other field offices that requested guest and customer lists prior to New Year's.

"I'm not aware of any other locations where that happened, and if it did I'm sure we would have heard about it by now because there would be media attention like there has been in Las Vegas," Carter said.

Palmer said he didn't know if any other field office took the same steps as Las Vegas, adding that Las Vegas is a unique tourist destination.

The FBI's authority to demand records from casinos and other businesses in terrorism cases was greatly expanded when the president signed the 2004 authorization bill for intelligence agencies on Dec. 13.

While banks, credit unions and other financial institutions were previously subject to such demands, the measure expanded the list to include car dealers, pawnbrokers, travel agents, casinos and other businesses. The law allows for the FBI to use administrative subpoenas instead of requesting a subpoena from a judge or a grand jury.

Critics of the law, including Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, say that the FBI's growing power under the USA Patriot Act and the authorization bill is leading to violation of civil liberties and privacy rights.

Terrorists have been linked to Las Vegas in the past, with five of the hijackers involved in the Sept. 11 attacks visiting Las Vegas during the summer of 2001. Also, alleged members of a terrorist sleeper cell who were arrested in Detroit reportedly had videotape of the MGM Grand and Disneyland.