Nicaragua, El Salvador Alert for Al-Qaida Suspects Was a Misunderstanding

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBQP5AT49E.html

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - An alert by officials in El Salvador and Nicaragua who said they were on the lookout for two al-Qaida terror suspects was based on misinterpreted information, a U.S. government official said Tuesday.
There is no reason to believe that the terror suspects are in Central America, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The information was then delivered back through the Nicaraguan government and distributed publicly in a press release, according to a U.S. memo that was obtained Tuesday evening by The Associated Press.

The Nicaraguan press release "erroneously stated that two suspected members of al-Qaida were believed to be in Central America," the U.S. memo stated.

"The Department of Homeland Security has no specific intelligence to support this claim, or previous claims that al-Qaida is active in Central America," said spokesman Brian Roehrkasse.

[applegrove]

1. Boy - they are lucky. Who knows what might of happened! n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

2. A very close call indeed.

I heard that the entire al qaeda scuba-armada was swimming towards nicaragua. This could have been it!

[applegrove]

3. Using coca stem snorkels to 'breath through' no less!

Thank god the rumor was put out. People go to war on rumors these days. Like high school! Not funny that the Nicaraguans were so scared they had to issue multiple press releases.

Perhaps that is where the red alert system has gone: international.