OPERATION TIPS

False alarm raises terror tensions in Florida

From tense first moments to anti-climactic finale, the Florida episode played out all day on news channels -- the culmination of a weeklong string of incidents involving Arab Americans and other minorities caught up in the tensions of the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The incidents diverted airborne passenger jets, emptied airport terminals and left Arab Americans fuming about overreactions by both police and concerned citizens -- a vivid example of the civil rights perils complicating the effort to heighten security.

Anti-terror brouhaha in Florida nets nothing Arab Americans irate at spate of false alarms

While eating breakfast with her son, Stone told police, she heard ominous snatches of conversation from the laughing men, seated at a nearby table. "It really scared me," Stone later said. She said she had heard the men say, "They think they were sad on 9/11, wait until 9/13." And: "Do you think we have enough to bring it down?"

Man in terror scare says woman is lying

Ayman Gheith added: "I have one message, I think it's time for us as Americans to put down our big sticks and pick up our books and read about other people and read about what they believe before we jump to conclusions."

'Bring it down' was about a car, students' lawyer says

"She might have heard a few key words that she misconstrued, and she was trying to be a patriot, I guess, for America, which is understandable," he said.
The students were released without being charged Friday evening after investigators found they had no explosives or connections to terrorist organizations.

Fla. Muslim Men Want Names Cleared

``We're medical students. We are not terrorists,'' Butt said, flanked by Gheith and Choudhary. ``Our concern in life is to become doctors. We want to help people. We do not want to hurt.''

Tipster could turn out to be an American hero.

Officials said Friday that the Georgia woman did exactly what the government has asked of all Americans in the name of national security.
Stone was acting in line with what President Bush and other government officials such as Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge have called on all Americans to do: be on alert and report suspicious activity to law enforcement. The government is also attempting to launch Operation TIPS: the Terrorism Information and Prevention System. It's one of the core elements of President Bush's

Citizen Corps Program .

The national system for reporting suspicious and potentially terrorist-related activity is predicated on the assistance of local citizens who would be in positions to witness unusual or suspicious activity in public places. Volunteers will hand tips over to the Justice Department via a toll-free hotline or online.

OPERATION TIPS in Action: Attorney General John Ashcroft to Aspiring Civilian Spies: "Fill Out This Anonymous Form!"

For Immediate Release - Office of the Press Secretary - July 23, 2002 - 11:23 A.M. (EST)

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL: Good morning. Please be seated. Today, I am proud to be able to arm the good people of our great nation with a powerful and long-overdue weapon in the fight against terrorism. As part of my glorious brainchild Operation TIPS, thousands of patriotically suspicious Americans will have the ability to deputize themselves as law enforcement officers - and collect the evidence which will allow us to root out undesirables once and for all.

US planning to recruit one in 24 Americans as citizen spies

The Terrorism Information and Prevention System, or TIPS, means the US will have a higher percentage of citizen informants than the former East Germany through the infamous Stasi secret police. The program would use a minimum of 4 per cent of Americans to report "suspicious activity".

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WASHINGTON (CNN)
-- The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court is a secret court that oversees spying in the United States. It was set up to oversee implementation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

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