FBI alert????

[Foo2]

<DIV>Hey ya'll. I got an email forwarded to me from another diver who received it from undercurrent.org. Itappears to be a newsletter that lets you know about things going on in the diving world. One of the sections had this article in it and I was wondering what ya'll thought about it.</DIV>
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<DIV>FBI alert : The FBI thinks scuba terrorists might be planning nefarious activity and has asked the dive industry to turn in any individuals who request “specialty training, including odd inquiries that are inconsistent with recreational diving.” These may include: requests to dive in murky water or sewer pipes; requests to learn advanced skills associated with combat swimming, including use of rebreathers and diver propulsion vehicles, deep diving and extra navigation training; requests for advanced diver training by applicants from countries where diving is not a common recreational activity; training sponsored by religious organizations, cults, associations, or charitable agencies not normally associated with diving; paying cash for diving instruction; and refusal or reluctance to provide personal information.” Time magazine reports that the FBI described the advisory as routine and said it was not prompted by any threat. On a related note, look for our article about non-lethal underwater weapons to combat scuba-diving terrorists in our August issue.</DIV>
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<DIV>Foo2</DIV>

[3rdEye]

interesting....and not at all suprising

[Liv7301]

Or someone who wants to attach laser beams to their scooter?
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[FishFood]

training sponsored by religious organizations, cults, associations, or charitable agencies not normally associated with diving;

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<DIV>I love that. They won't come right out and say ISLAM. Instead they put "religious organizations". Now some good ol boy sotuerhn babptist are going to get tackled walking into the water [img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img]</DIV>

[TxHockeyGuy]

<div>requests to dive in murky water - We have nothing else here
diver propulsion vehicles - A favorite AOW specialty
deep diving - A required AOW specialty
extra navigation training - A required AOW specialty
requests for advanced diver training by applicants from countries where diving is not a common recreational activity - Sure isn't common down in Texas, although we're not our own country, yet.
paying cash for diving instruction - Ah, I think I paid cash for my rescue training
and refusal or reluctance to provide personal information - I am always reluctant to provide personal information

Crap, I hit on about half of what they're supposedly looking for.

For those not aware PADI, SSI, and NAUI have already turned diving records over to the FBI. There was no warrant, they simply handed all your personal information right over. Some say they still do this on a yearly basis but I haven't found a reliable enough source to say that's true.

http://www.eff.org/Censorship/Terror...I-analysis.php
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[Fideaux]

<DIV>For those not aware PADI, SSI, and NAUI have already turned diving records over to the FBI. There was no warrant, they simply handed all your personal information right over. Some say they still do this on a yearly basis but I haven't found a reliable enough source to say that's true.
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<DIV>The request by the FBI was made several years ago for the information after the failure of recognizing the pilot error. </DIV>
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<DIV>Bruce</DIV>

[jacewindu]

Originally Posted by ReefHound

So we should be leery of anyone wanting to learn how to descend, but not to ascend?

oooooh... good one! haha[img]smileys/smiley36.gif[/img]

[cummings66]

So many things I do put me on those lists, they probably have a glossy 8x10 of me on the wall by now.
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[Cichlid]

Yeah, I read something about this happening here in AZ.



FBI issues warning at Valley Scuba Shops

By Anne Yeager

ABC15.com





The next time you buy scuba lessons, you may be asked a few more
questions than normal. The FBI just issued an alert on suspicious
people at scuba stores.



"There's no specific incident or threat. We are just asking for
managers to report any suspicious activity," said Deborah McCarly,
spokesperson for the Phoenix FBI.



The FBI is talking about any customers who request lessons, offer cash, and provide little information.



But what could a terrorist do with scuba equipment? One scuba store owner has a theory.



"They could compromise our water supply. In a city like Phoenix,
where water is such a resource, that would be a disaster," said Paul
Wagenseller, owner of Scuba Sciences.



That could make sense, judging from the FBIs warning. They advise
against customers who ask for special training, requests to dive in
murky water or sewer pipes, or even advanced skills like deep diving.



Wagenseller had worked with the FBI before, when three men from the
Pakistan asked for scuba lessons but gave little information about
their background.



"They signed up but disappeared a couple weeks into the class. I
called the FBI and it turns out they gave fake names," said Wagenseller.



The scuba industry, he says, is one compiled of passionate
divers. He says it's easy to tell if someone's in it for fun, or
something more sinister.



"Those guys (the Pakistanis) didn't seem to enjoy it. You can
usually tell if someone is doing it for fun or for another
reason," Wagenseller said.

[fire diver]

I'm pretty sure that water supplies aren't the target. Why would they need scuba for that? Just throw the contaminant in from the surface and be done.
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<DIV>But SCUBA, rebreather and DPV training couls be a prelude to attacks in sensitive ports. Think along the lines of limpit mines. A very large one attached to the bottom of an LPG tanker coming into port would do a lot of damage to the community.</DIV>
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<DIV>FD</DIV>