quote:

---

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al Qaeda's chief ally in Iraq, may be planning attacks on "soft targets" in the United States including movie theaters, restaurants and schools, Time magazine reported on Sunday.

White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley would not discuss the specific warning, which Time said was circulated among U.S. security agencies last week in a restricted bulletin.

But he said the administration was concerned about reports -- "which we think are very credible" -- that Zarqawi is working more closely with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda organization.

Hadley said movie theaters, restaurants and schools "are the kinds of targets we know that al Qaeda has traditionally been concerned about."

"But we, at this point sitting here, do not have evidence of a specific operation by Zarqawi's organization targeting those kinds of targets. We just don't have that kind of information at this point," Hadley told CNN's "Late Edition."

The warning comes two weeks after President Bush, in a rare public mention of the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said stopping bin Laden from a new attack on U.S. soil was "the greatest challenge of our day."

Time said the bulletin was based on the interrogation of a member of Zarqawi's organization.

It cited Zarqawi's belief that "if an individual has enough money, he can bribe his way into the U.S.," by obtaining a visa to Honduras and then traveling across Mexico and the southern U.S. border.

But the magazine quoted intelligence agencies as saying there is no evidence that Zarqawi's agents have infiltrated the United States.

Bin Laden has eluded U.S. efforts to hunt him down, and he occasionally surfaces in a video or audiotape to show followers he is still alive. U.S. intelligence agencies believe he is hiding in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Zarqawi, blamed for orchestrating insurgent attacks against U.S. forces and Iraqis, has become the most hunted man in Iraq. In December, an audiotape message purportedly from bin Laden formally named Zarqawi as the head of al Qaeda in Iraq.

---

 

---

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 03-13-2005, 06:40 PM:
 
A terrorist group could drive cars up against the exit doors to all the auditoriums thus blocking escape, climb on the roof, feed nerve gas into the HVAC units, and presto---dead people. Or they could storm the lobby and spray everyone with machine guns and hand grenades. Or they could just flat out drive a truck bomb into the theater.

A horrible scenario to say the least and who knows what terrorists could be planning. We've all got to keep our eyes and ears open to help prevent this kind of stuff from happening.

Seems like terrorists want maximum body count so I'd think they'd try to go after the large theaters like 16 screens or bigger.
 

---

Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 03-13-2005, 06:56 PM:
 
Busy megaplexes in large cities would be the most likely targets. A suicide bomber blowing themselves up in the lobby would probably be the most likely method of attack.
 

---

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-13-2005, 10:12 PM:
 
Not to be morbid, but it's surprising that something like this hasn't already occurred. Either homeland security is very effective, or the bad guys are biding their time while hoping we'll let our guard down. They would probably target a large multiplex, on a very busy day, maybe when a big movie opens, like "Revenge of the Sith".
 

---

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 03-13-2005, 10:20 PM:
 
Pesonally, I don't think theaters need to do anything but be "aware" of what is going on. I would be against metal detectors as I don't wish to clear my pockets of change every single time I enter a public place. If the theater wants to have security cams and have someone monitor them, then more power to you. I do not want any more security procedures when going to a theater. A terrorist can attack any place he wants to. You make theaters very safe, they will go after grocery stores. You make that safe, they will go after a regular office building. Or a nightclub. We can't really live in fear because they might target a public place. We don't really demand extra highway security with everyone going through a checkpoint because of a few DUI drivers, do we?
 

---

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-13-2005, 10:25 PM:
 
I agree with you Pravin. Something like this is nearly impossible to prevent at a practical level. So there's no sense in worrying about it. But it's still good to be on the lookout for anything or anyone that's very out-of-place. Not paranoia, just common sense.
 

---

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-13-2005, 10:30 PM:
 
..I heard that the REG 21 in Boise, had a bomb scare last year. That place, being so busy, can draw the crowd and makes one wonder of such things. - Monte
 

---

Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 03-13-2005, 11:14 PM:
 

quote: Pravin Ratnam

---

A terrorist can attack any place he wants to. You make theaters very safe, they will go after grocery stores.

---

quote: Pravin Ratnam

---

I doubt the Oklahoma and WTC incidents created a fear in a significant amount of people working in public buildings or skyscrapers.

---

Actually, there were quite a few people who, aftre 9/11, were scared of working in skyscrapers and even more who were very hesitant to fly. Remember the federal loans to airlines to keep them solvant post 9/11?

Irregardless of whether or not you can prevent all terrorist activites, companies have ethical and legal responsibilites to their staff and customers to do everything they can to prevent them from being the target. Taking a defeatist attitutde such as "well we can't do anything about it, so we will do nothing" only makes society as a whole more vulnerable.

Just like with crimes such as burglary and robbery, target hardening is the key. If you make it harder to hit you than the night club down the street, then the perp will, most likely, go to that night club down the street and leave you alone.

Oh, and Pravin, having worked at a theatre that was on the recieving end of one of the Chicago union's chemical weapons, I can tell you that the financial impact is severe. Our attendance did not recover for months even though not one customer was injured. Just the idea that terrorists were targeting this chain was enough to keep the public away.
 

---

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 03-15-2005, 02:54 AM:
 
Jim, a company can go bankrupt for many reasons. You do not go fearing every single negative outcome and waste money, time, and resources trying to prevent all of them.
You do not priortize the unlikely event of your specific theater getting hit. As I said, individual owners who are nervous should feel free to increase the security and let the market decide. All I hope is this does not become an industry wide thing unless they can come up with some elegant simple convenient measures. Terrorists targeting any chain outside Times Square or somewhere in LA is unlikely. While you point out many people didnt want to fly, I can also point to many people who flew less because of the security hassles and wait periods. And going on an airline is less of an impulsive decision than going to a theater. The more inconvenient you make it for someone to indulge in something impulsive like watching a movie, the less likely they will watch it.

Unless you play a movie version of a Salman Rushdie book, I don't think you have anything to fear of a terrorist targeting your chain.
 

---

Posted by Don Furr (Member # 1469) on 03-15-2005, 07:20 AM:
 
This might be slightly off topic but we went to a Regal up here in Cobb county (Ga) last week to watch a movie. After the movie started a saw this person (too dark to even see a face) with a large back pack enter the auditorium and sit about half way down from the top where we were sitting. He took the back pack off, set it in a empty seat next to him and in about 30 seconds he got up and left. I sat there for about 2 minutes wondering if he was coming back or did he leave the theatre
I couldn't stand it!!!! I felt very uncomfortable so I got up to see if I could spot him or at least let someone know a backback was left in the seat. When I got to the lobby he (the only one in the lobby) was at the concession stand. He returned to his seat and my "uncomfortable" level was reduced by 90%.
I thought theatres didn't allow backpacks to be brought in anymore???

Don
 

---

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 03-15-2005, 09:21 AM:
 

quote: Don Furr

---

He took the back pack off, set it in a empty seat next to him and in about 30 seconds he got up and left. I sat there for about 2 minutes wondering if he was coming back or did he leave the theatre

---

Getting up and reporting it immediately would have been the right thing to do. You are correct that security today should prohibit large parcels or backpacks, or at least have them inspected prior to entry.
 

---

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-15-2005, 11:56 AM:
 
Right after 9/11, Regal posted decals on the lobby entry doors here that backpacks etc. are not permitted inside. I don't think they're strictly enforcing it though.
 

---

Posted by Stephen Jones (Member # 16) on 03-15-2005, 06:46 PM:
 
Unfortunately terrorists and what they do is a fact of life today as it was in past years and will be into the future and all the security we have in place won't prevent any future attacks as they will always find ways to avoid security measures which is unfortunate but its a fact of modern life.Both Pravin and Paul have valid facts.We have to deal with it when it happens and move on difficult I know but hopefully it wont happen but we need to be very vigilant and report anything suspicious weather it may be inocent or not as complacency will be the what lets any security fail.I think we all pray that it will never happen.

Steve
to terrorists
 

---

Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 03-18-2005, 04:29 AM:
 

quote: Pravin Ratnam

---

Jim, a company can go bankrupt for many reasons. You do not go fearing every single negative outcome and waste money, time, and resources trying to prevent all of them.

---

quote: Pravin Ratnam

---

All I hope is this does not become an industry wide thing unless they can come up with some elegant simple convenient measures.

---

quote: Pravin Ratnam

---

Terrorists targeting any chain outside Times Square or somewhere in LA is unlikely.

---

quote: Pravin Ratnam

---

The more inconvenient you make it for someone to indulge in something impulsive like watching a movie, the less likely they will watch it.

---

quote: Pravin Ratnam

---

Unless you play a movie version of a Salman Rushdie book, I don't think you have anything to fear of a terrorist targeting your chain.

---

Actually, Pravin, a theatre I worked at DID have a terrorist attack on in - and it was in the midwest...
 

---

Posted by Edwin Schwing (Member # 1270) on 03-19-2005, 01:50 AM:
 
My theatre location is home to the largest Marine Corps base in the world.

What easier location to kill several hundred Marines, not to mention several hundred civilians.

WE allow NO bags "unchecked" or unchecked in...

when my customers object to "checking in" their bags, I remind them that we do not want any terrorists blowing up the place... That usually shuts them up! They quickly check their bag...

We are a Regal location, and we are probably the ONLY Regal location that DOES NOT ALLOW "BAGS OR BACKPACKS" of ANY kind (except previously visually pre-inspected diaper bags for those with very young ones)

I would rather have the box office and the count room blow up than any of my hundreds of Marine customers!

"you don't like it mr. customer, well, here is your refund..." Go blow up someone else's theatre!!!

I do have the Security to back it up as well!

We also run drills, to combat and prevent issues as previously stated.

I have My Marines to protect.

Edwin Schwing
 

---

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 03-19-2005, 08:38 PM:
 
It's fine to take reasonable and practical precautions, but I really doubt that terrorists are planning to bomb the Podunk 12 Multiplex. In fact, I doubt they're planning to bomb even a big Manhattan multiplex.

The terrorists want to kill LOTS of people and they want it be symbolic. So the Stock Exchange, the White House, Rockefeller Center, the Sears Tower, the SuperBowl, etc. are all probably targets. The local mutliplex? I kinda doubt it.

At the risk of sounding completely cynical, this sounds more like a ploy to keep terrorist prevention funding distributed evenly across all States, instead of distributing to the locales that are most likely to be the targets of a terrorist attack.
 

---

Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 03-20-2005, 03:56 PM:
 
Edwin,

All I have to say is

Martin,

A suicide bomber can't get into the stock exchange or the white house easily.. The Super Bowl is very heavily guarded.. An LA megaplex with 500 people in the concession line, however, is not guarded... Need I remind you that in Israel the suicide bombers like to blow up buses, restaurants and movie theatres...
 

---