Terrorism warning for stadiums, hotels

The government expanded a terrorism warning to include U.S. stadiums, hotels and entertainment complexes last week, as investigators searched for more suspects in a possible plot to set off bombs hidden in backpacks. Counterterrorism officials issued security bulletins to police around the nation, according to a Sept. 22 report by The Associated Press. The warnings contained no specifics, but urged law enforcement and private companies to be vigilant.

According to AP, the bulletin on stadiums refers to an al-Qaida training manual which lists “blasting and destroying the places of amusement, immorality, and sin… and attacking vital economic centers” as desired targets of the terrorist organization.

The bulletins followed warnings about the vulnerabilities of mass transit systems. Both London’s and Madrid’s mass transit systems have been attacked in the past, resulting in 243 deaths. Last week, major media outlets carried stories about the seizure of backpacks and cell phones from apartments in Queens, N.Y., visited by the suspect in an investigation of a possible terrorist plot.

Read about what you can do to protect your meetings and events in the next issue of Connect. Homeland Security and police officials give recommendations in “Risk Management.”