The US is going crazy. Shouldn’t this be in The Onion, and not on CNN where I found it this morning?
FBI urges police to watch for people carrying almanacs
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is warning police nationwide to be alert for people carrying almanacs, cautioning that the popular reference books covering everything from abbreviations to weather trends could be used for terrorist planning.
In a bulletin sent Christmas Eve to about 18,000 police organizations, the FBI said terrorists may use almanacs “to assist with target selection and pre-operational planning.”
It urged officers to watch during searches, traffic stops and other investigations for anyone carrying almanacs, especially if the books are annotated in suspicious ways.
“The practice of researching potential targets is consistent with known methods of al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations that seek to maximize the likelihood of operational success through careful planning,” the FBI wrote.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the bulletin this week and verified its authenticity.
Next week: FBI alerts police to maps, phone books, encyclopedias, all non-fiction books, and people carrying library cards. Special caution urged with people who can read and write.
