Wall Street warned of possible attacks

NEW YORK, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Security officials warned New York's financial district that al-Qaida terrorists may be plotting an attack against financial institutions or their leaders.

Intelligence officials emphasized the threat was general and there is "no indication of a targeted assassination plot" against a specific Wall Street entity, WNBC-TV, New York, reported Tuesday. But the television station said it learned that the names of several top banking executives were discussed by terror operatives overseas.

Intelligence analysts said they have a general but growing concern that terrorists based in Yemen may try to mail package bombs or biological or chemical agents to Wall Street bankers.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force and New York Police Department officials in recent weeks have briefed bank executives and their security departments about the threats, the television station reported. Much of information was from al-Qaida writings, such as "Inspire" magazine.

NBC terror consultants also pointed to al-Qaida blogger Abu Suleiman Al-Nasser, who recently posted on his Web site, "Rush my Muslim brothers to targeting financial sites and the program sites of financial institutions, stock markets and money markets."

Spokesmen for banks and law enforcement agencies declined to comment, WNBC said.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who has extra security since his name popped up in a recent issue of "Inspire," said when al-Qaida operatives publish threats, they need to be taken seriously.

"Whenever a name is included ... it's always a cause for more concern because again the fear is that that's sending a specific signal to specific operatives in this country to take action," said King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.