Terrorists studied BofA tower in SF

[Kadie]

Terrorists studied BofA tower in SF
But FBI says workers, visitors shouldn't be alarmed

Demian Bulwa, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 3, 2004

The highly detailed intelligence information that prompted Sunday's terror alert at East Coast financial institutions included evidence that Al Qaeda operatives conducted surveillance on the high-profile Bank of America tower in San Francisco and considered it a "location of interest," the FBI said Monday.

However, the information gathered by U.S. officials about surveillance of the 52-story, reddish-brown landmark on California Street is "very limited," said San Francisco FBI spokeswoman LaRae Quy. It is not clear when the building was surveilled, or whether it was looked at before or after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, she said.

"It wasn't accompanied by the breadth of planning that went with the East Coast locations," Quy said of the new intelligence information. But she added, "We're going to take it seriously and (Bank of America building officials) are going to take it seriously."

Quy declined to talk about extra security precautions that were being taken, but said workers and visitors in San Francisco's premier office building should feel safe going about their business as usual. "Every reasonable precaution that can be taken is being taken," she said.

more...
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/08/03/SFTERROR.TMP

[Shadder]

1. Oh, let me take a wild guess

Did this happen 3 to 5 years ago?

[pinniped]

7. I was dining at the Carnelian Room in 1999 and I didn't see...

anything suspicious. I was too busy admiring the views of the Bay Bridge.

[RobertSeattle]

2. I hate to spoof this, but what the heck

Agent 1 heard:
"Allen studied at UofC in San Francisco"

Agent 2 then heard:
"Ali studied at the UofC in San Francisco"

Agent 3 then heard
"Ali studied the BofA Tower in San Francisco"

Agent 4 then heard
"Terrorists studied the BofA Tower in San Francisco"

[mitchtv]

4. hahahaha I've studied the black Onyx sculpture

in front of BOA known as the "Bankers Heart", cold ,& black

[pinniped]

9. Hey I used to try and climb when I was a kid way back...

These days you would be reported to Johnny Asscroft and arrested on the spot.

[RodneyCK2]

3. Hey, hey... that is my bank and my city....

to bad the information was 3-4 years old. Pffft.

[leesa]

5. Lying sacks of shit! I'll bet there never has been an Al Qaeda

The only identified cell thus far turned out to be Mossad agents.

[montana_hazeleyes]

6. I should know this but

can't remember right now. Is that the pyramid?

[pinniped]

8. That's the Transamerica Pyramid. The building the "alleged" suspects...

were checking out is the big brown bulding situated on California/Kearny/New Montgomery/Pine streets. The tallest building in the city I believe and takes up a whole block.