In article <bsqh60$1dnf$1@pencil.math.missouri.edu>, Mark Graffis says...

FBI urges police to watch for people carrying almanacs
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/12/29/national1426EST0580.DTL&type=printable

FBI urges police to watch for people carrying almanacs

TED BRIDIS, Associated Press Writer
Monday, December 29, 2003

(12-29) 11:26 PST 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.
The FBI noted that use of almanacs or maps may be innocent, "the product of
legitimate recreational or commercial activities." But it warned that when
combined with suspicious behavior -- such as apparent surveillance -- a
person with an almanac "may point to possible terrorist planning."
The FBI said information typically found in almanacs that could be useful
for terrorists includes profiles of cities and states and information about
waterways, bridges, dams, reservoirs, tunnels, buildings and landmarks. It
said this information is often accompanied by photographs and maps.
The FBI urged police to report such discoveries to the local U.S. Joint
Terrorism Task Force.
)2003 Associated Press