Braindead News: Southern Arizona Security Alert.

The Arizona-Mexico border is so much more than just an international line. Depending on who you are or where you're coming from, it's a passageway of hope, opportunity or asylum.

But since 9/11 the Arizona-Mexico border has become something more, a possible point of entry for the very people who hate us most.
KOLD News 13 asks, "As a member of our society, do you believe this is something people need to be aware of, need to be notified of?" Jack Gresham says, "I believe it is, I believe it is, yes."

KOLD News 13 is the only news outlet to obtain this FBI urgent report outlining a possible terrorist threat right here in southern Arizona. It speaks specifically to Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista.

The document gives no timetable or explanation of how the threat will be carried out. But does say, "a group of Iraqis may have entered the United States through tunnels from Mexico into Arizona," and those same "Iraqis are believed to be the ones who will perpetrate the attack on Fort Huachuca."

Lt. Colonel Matthew Garner of the United States Army says, "The military is always a target, I believe."

For security purposes, Lt. Col. Garner wouldn't tell us what's been done or what's being done to stop the threat. But he did say the U.S. Government takes this very seriously.

And that Fort Huachuca is fully aware and prepared for anything that comes its way.
Lt. Col. Garner says, "We operate within that knowing that we are always a target, and then we take all precautions necessary whether it's a general threat or a specific threat like the one you're talking about."

According to the report which cites sources and sub sources within the DEA, the Iraqis may currently be located on an "unidentified Indian reservation" in Arizona.

The Tohono O'odham nation is one possibility, with more than 2 and half million acres that start near Casa Grande and continue south all the way to the Mexico border.

William Bevill says, "The fact that it's somewhere closer to Tucson makes it more of a concern."

Audrey Gresham says, "Why didn't we know about this? It's pretty scary that they could be coming. It's like who else is coming?"

Gresham says, "It's pretty scary, pretty scary that they're using tunnels to come through, you know."

Opinions aside, not everyone views the report as an imminent threat.


One former Congressman, who asked not to be identified for this report, said the document seems "dubious" and "without merit." Not only that, it's dated May 14th, 2007.

That was six months ago.

And Fort Huachuca hasn't seen an attack yet.


Ashleen O'Gaea says, "The administration has given us a lot of convenient information before which has proved to be less than accurate."

O'Gaea says, "Whether that be honest misunderstanding or deliberate deceit is up for debate."

Still, what's most troubling about the report is the mere possibility - and nobody's disputing the fact this could happen.
Lending fuel to that possibility, the report says, is an arsenal of weapons already in the United States.

They include two Milan--surface to surface, anti-tank missiles; some Soviet made surface to air missiles; and an unspecified number of grenade launchers.

When we showed the report to Tucsonans, many of their reactions were the same. They were definitely concerned and disturbed about the possibility- but even more so by the idea. This may very well be taking place, and nobody brought it to their attention, until now.

"I don't know why we haven't heard about it sooner, according to Gresham.""It's pretty scary, our kids are here. This is where we live."


Bevill says, "If this is being kept confidential, something so close to here, I think this of more importance than what we're doing in Iraq. Seems like the kind of information that would benefit everybody here."

FBI officials wouldn't speak to us on camera, but said in a prepared statement: "The information in this report was disseminated to law enforcement and intelligence partners for situational awareness, even though it had not been completely evaluated."

They went on to say, "There is no information to state this is a credible threat. We remind people to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to their local authorities."

That, more than anything is what officials want people to remember.

Threats can and do exist and that's why reporting suspicious activity is so important. We all hope something like this never happens.


But if it does awareness and vigilance may be what's needed most in such a time of crisis.



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