Friday, January 21, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

SECURITY INCREASED: Las Vegas tied to terror threat

FBI finds threat not credible, but law enforcement, hotels warned as precaution

Clark County Sheriff Bill Young, with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman at his side, talks Thursday about the recent terror threat that mentioned Las Vegas. Photo by John Gurzinski.

Las Vegas was mentioned this week in a terror threat linked to Washington, D.C., and Inauguration Day, authorities said.

The threat, which surfaced late Wednesday, involved the use of car bombs hidden in taxis, limousines, buses and other commercial vehicles, Sheriff Bill Young said Thursday.

Though some specific locations were named in Washington, no specific location was mentioned regarding Las Vegas, he said.

By late Wednesday, the FBI had determined that the threat was not credible.

"Almost every time there's a major holiday or event ... Las Vegas gets mentioned," Young said, adding that he considers the city one of the top three high-profile targets in the country.

"Las Vegas is always mentioned," Mayor Oscar Goodman said. "Las Vegas is the coolest city in the world."

The FBI said it received information Wednesday about the threat. Although the threat focused on Washington, D.C., several other cities, including Las Vegas, were mentioned.

The FBI investigated the threat and determined it was uncorroborated. As a precaution, however, the agency warned local authorities, hotel security chiefs and some commercial vehicle companies.

Young said he was notified about 6 p.m. Goodman was called about 8:30 p.m.

Las Vegas police officers were briefed on the threat and contacted some rental car agencies, but the Police Department did not raise its terror alert level, Young said.

Strip resorts boosted security for at least part of the day Thursday in response to the alert.

MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said different measures were taken at each of the company's properties, including increased vehicular searches at resort entrances.

"We put our plans in place and it was obvious that others (on the Strip) did too," Feldman said.

Although it turned out the heightened security was unwarranted, Feldman said, the situation showed the systems in place to respond to potential terrorist threats are functioning.

"It worked the way it was supposed to work," he said.

At the state level, the Nevada National Guard responded to the threat by double-checking the readiness of its two reaction teams, said Adjutant General Giles Vanderhoof, who also heads the state's homeland security agency.

He said homeland security and law enforcement officials walk a fine line when reacting to the many threats that mention Las Vegas or Nevada.

"I get stuff like that every single day," Vanderhoof said of Wednesday's threat. "We try not to get immune with these things. On the other hand, you can't totally overreact."

Vanderhoof said he takes every threat seriously and acts accordingly, but he has yet to see information that caused him great worry. That doesn't mean the potential for an attack doesn't exist or that the public doesn't need to remain vigilant, he said.

"I don't want everybody crying wolf, but if you see something that doesn't seem right, you should notify authorities," Vanderhoof said.

As they have in the past, Young and Goodman said they would notify the public if a terrorism threat included specific, credible information about Las Vegas.

"If and when there's a threat, anything specific ... I'll be the first one out here (informing the public), despite the rules of any security agency," Young said, noting that agencies such as the FBI prohibit him from releasing certain information.

Goodman echoed that thought.

"Be assured, if there's a problem out there, you're going to hear from us first," he said.

Review-Journal Assistant City Editor Michael Squires contributed to this report.