Federal officials are warning of potential al Qaeda attacks on US shopping malls during the Christmas season but cautioned the threats received may not be credible.
"If you look back through the years, this is a tactic and practice of al Qaeda to express threats during the Christmas season," said special agent Ross Rice of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"Information came from one source. It has not been corroborated in any way and it is non-specific," Rice added. Rice said an FBI bulletin went out to law enforcement agencies to advise them to be vigilant as malls become crowded with holiday shoppers. But he does not think any new security measures will be put in place in response to the threat as most local agencies already increase patrols at malls during this time. "This time of the year is very busy in and around malls and they focus additional security there," he said. "I don't know what else can and should be done in this case."