# 4th of July Terror Threat in Vegas **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 21, 2002, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248 "2002-06-21T11:46:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/1 "2002-06-21T11:46:23Z")
I guess you’ll be able to get a good deal on a room in Vegas now. > [@](#): > > LAS VEGAS (June 21) - The FBI said Thursday it is investigating a Nevada man’s claim that he picked up a conversation in Arabic on his cell phone during which someone said there would be a ‘‘hit’’ on the ‘‘day of freedom.’’ > > ‘‘We’ve initiated a full-scale investigation to determine if this constitutes a threat, and if so, what kind of threat,’’ said FBI Special Agent Daron Borst in Las Vegas. > > Borst said agents have interviewed the man who reported the conversation, Michael Hamdan, and planned to question him again Friday. > > Hamdan said he was trying to call his wife on his cell phone Saturday when he heard Arabic voices. Hamdan, 54, said he’s a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Lebanon and speaks Arabic. > > ‘‘They said in Arabic, not even a word of English, ‘We are in the city of corruption, the city of prostitution, the city of gambling, the city of unbelievers,’’’ Hamdan told The Associated Press late Thursday. ‘’‘We are going to hit them on the day of freedom.’’’ Do you think making this info public is a good thing? If this is true and Al Qaeda knows we have this info, won’t it just make them change their attack location? At least we have a better chance of catching them if we know where they’re going to be. ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/2 "2002-06-21T11:53:24Z")
Could you give a source for the above news please? ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/3 "2002-06-21T12:00:14Z")
Sure, it’s in my AOL headline news: > [@](#): > > By KEN RITTER > .c The Associated Press (I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to add that.) ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/4 "2002-06-21T12:00:25Z")
Frankly, I’m suspicious of this this guy’s claim. Cellphones are very insecure; the signals are easy to intercept, both accidentally and on-purpose if you have the right equipment. I’d think that trained terrorists would know not to discuss criminal activity over them. Also, this Hamdan guy supposedly overheard the conversation because his signal got crossed. How many millions of cellphones are there in the U.S.? What are the odds that a random crossed signal would be picked up by someone who speaks fluent Arabic? Combine that with the odds that the terrorists’ conversation would get crossed in the first place, and this becomes an almost miraculous coincidence. Hamdan’s story is possible, but IMHO it’s more likely that he’s just an attention-seeker. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/5 "2002-06-21T12:02:20Z")
Why would an Arab want to seek that kind of attention? ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/6 "2002-06-21T12:04:28Z")
The reason I’m is because I am sceptical as to whether anyone actually talks like this: "We are in the city of corruption, the city of prostitution, the city of gambling, the city of unbelievers,’’ Hamdan told The Associated Press late Thursday. ‘‘We are going to hit them on the day of freedom.’’ I mean, really? But I expect the FBI are taking it very seriously as is right and proper. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/7 "2002-06-21T12:17:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Francesca \* > \*\*The reason I’m is because I am sceptical as to whether anyone actually talks like this: > > "We are in the city of corruption, the city of prostitution, the city of gambling, the city of unbelievers,’’ Hamdan told The Associated Press late Thursday. ‘‘We are going to hit them on the day of freedom.’’\*\* Bin Laden talks like that. ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/8 "2002-06-21T12:29:05Z")
Yes, the leader of the Taliban talks like that to the press and to the public. An Arab in America on a private cell phone when he doesn’t think anyone else can hear? I’m not saying it shouldn’t be taken seriously, it certainly should. I’m merely cynically sceptical. People do falsely report terrorist threats - it’s happened again and again for many years in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/9 "2002-06-21T12:29:35Z")
Plus, stuff that has come out about pre Sept. 11th made them sound like a bad spy novel as well. I have no doubt that they would be saying things like that. That being said, I tend to agree with Diceman. The odds of the cell phone conversation being picked up are pretty small. But it could happen. (I have no problem with them using cell phone. We tracked BinLaden by his cell phone for years before he finally dropped it.) The chances of the cell phone conversation being picked up by some random guy… Who HAPPENS TO SPEAK ARABIC! The odds are pretty dang small. I’m still staying the heck away from nevada though. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/10 "2002-06-21T12:34:14Z")
Dubious at best. Everything that’s been reported on these turds says that they take great pains not to discuss anything directly related to their plots over any form of communication that could be intercepted. And what would the odds be of them giving a nice, plain-text, one-statement summary of the where and when just when an Arabic speaker happens to be listening. The only thing that bothers me is that July 4th would be an “ideal” date from a terrorist’s perspective. Think about how the date of September 11th has become linked with tragedy. If they could pull off something like that on the 4th, it would strike at this country’s national identity pretty hard. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/11 "2002-06-21T12:37:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Why A Duck \* > \*\*The only thing that bothers me is that July 4th would be an “ideal” date from a terrorist’s perspective. Think about how the date of September 11th has become linked with tragedy. If they could pull off something like that on the 4th, it would strike at this country’s national identity pretty hard. \*\* That’s a frightening thought, Why A Duck. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/12 "2002-06-21T12:55:21Z")
Actually, according to Fox News in Chicago last night, some of the detained Taliban members have said that there may be something planned for a major city on July 4th. But if I were detained, I might make up stuff to entertain myself, too. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/13 "2002-06-22T12:36:32Z")
An update on this story: > [@](#): > > **FBI: Las Vegas Threat 'Not Credible’** > By KEN RITTER > .c The Associated Press > > LAS VEGAS (June 22) - The FBI said Friday that a Nevada man’s claim that his cellular phone picked up people talking in Arabic about a planned terrorist attack was ``not credible.’’ > > ``The results of the investigation to date do not substantiate these allegations and the FBI has determined that this information is not credible,’’ Ellen Knowlton, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office, said in a statement. > > FBI Special Agent Daron Borst called the investigation ``substantially complete’’ after agents spent 4 1/2 hours questioning Michael Hamdan and giving him a polygraph test Friday. Borst declined to discuss results of the test or elaborate further about the investigation. > > Hamdan, 54, told The Associated Press that he failed the lie-detector test. > > ``They told me everything was OK, but there was some uncertainty about a few things,’’ Hamdan said as his wife drove him to their home in suburban Henderson following the test. > > Hamdan, who was born in Lebanon and speaks Arabic, stuck by his story during the interview with the AP. > > He said that on June 15 he overheard Arabic-speaking men say to another, ``We are in the city of corruption, the city of prostitution, the city of gambling, the city of unbelievers.’’ > > Hamdan said he believed the men were referring to Las Vegas and that one who said, ``We are going to hit them on the day of freedom’’ meant a terrorist attack was planned for July Fourth. > > 06/22/02 03:00 EDT ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/14 "2002-06-22T15:16:47Z")
Hmmm, could be a load of crap but just in case I think i won’t be going to LV. Shucks, I have never been there anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f0a364/32.png) [@Bad\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_Hat)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/15 "2002-06-22T19:12:09Z")
Why bother blowing up vegas? They blow it up themselves every five years or so… Further, if my time in vegas (born and raised) showed me anything, its that there are a LOT of Saudi Shieks who like to leave the harem behind and drop some mad bills in Vegas… I think the covert saudi support for the Jihad would probably dry up if the shieks heard about that plan. 😉 On a serious note, in addition to the symbolic value of attacking vegas as a symbol of all things evil and indulgent about the west, there are also Nellis AFB (home base and testing facility for a number of advanced aircraft- and spaceships, so i hear), Hoover Dam (which supplies most of the power to southern California), an industrial complex in Henderson (just outside of vegas) that produces titanium, rocket fuel, and sundry other chemicals, and of course the major interstate artery for getting to the west coast from much of the US. Sadly it makes pretty good sense it a lot of ways… But it does look like this guy is a little crackers. Heres hoping anyway. Dad still lives out there, and brother (a fireman) is moving back soon. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4th-of-july-terror-threat-in-vegas/115248/16 "2002-06-23T04:24:34Z")
If they do anything that interferes with our scheduled trip in August, they’ll have my wife to deal with. Trust me, the wrath of the US government will seem like a slap on the wrist compared to her reaction to being denied her annual trip to Sin City.