Reagan funeral 'a terror risk'
2004-06-08 19:59
Washington - The funeral of former president Ronald Reagan is a major security challenge, said attorney-general John Ashcroft on Tuesday bemoaning the fact that even such a sombre event could attract terrorists.
"We are entering a season of events of great symbolism... events that would be attractive targets for terrorism," he said.
"It is a sad commentary when the observation of a memorial service for a former president of the United States must be labelled a national security special event.
"Such is the fact of modern life in Washington, and such is the nature of the war against al-Qaeda," said Ashcroft.
"Al-Qaeda has a fanatical desire to wage war on Americans in America," Ashcroft told the senate judiciary committee.
"Al-Qaeda will send terrorist soldier after terrorist soldier to infiltrate our borders and to melt into our communities," he said, adding that al-Qaeda had altered its face in an effort to confound United States authorities.
'Attracts fanatical extremists'
"We have alerted the public, state and local law enforcement to these threats because we believe the face of al-Qaeda is changing and their tactics are evolving," said Ashcroft.
"Al-Qaeda's ideal operatives may be older than those we have seen before - men in their late 20's to early 30's," he said.
"Al-Qaeda continues to attract fanatical extremists from many nationalities and ethnicities, including North Africans and South Asians in particular.
Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups had shown an interest in recruiting young converts inside target countries as operatives who could portray themselves as traditionally European."
"In addition, they may be traveling with families to lower their profile," the top US law official told the panel.
"Credible intelligence indicates that al-Qaeda wants to hit the United States and wants to hit it hard.
"We're locked in a mortal struggle between two visions for human life and a war that can know only one victor," said Ashcroft. "And we choose to be the victor."
- AFP