Nightly News   |  May 04, 2012

Al-Qaida article suggests setting fires in America

An online article purportedly written by al-Qaida members includes instructions on how to set fires in Montana. NBC’s Brian Williams reports.

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This content comes from a Full-Text Transcript of the program.

BRIAN WILLIAMS, anchor: It's been more than a decade now since the attacks on 9/11. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , the self-proclaimed mastermind of the plans, and four other defendants, will face arraignment tomorrow at a military tribunal in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . Some families of 9/11 victims are there to attend the proceeding tomorrow. But the start of the actual trial could still be a year away. The case has been in legal limbo for the past three years as President Obama tried and failed to move it to a civilian court of law.

BRIAN WILLIAMS, anchor: Officials are reacting with caution tonight to a wild and rather perverse item reportedly written by al-Qaeda members on the Web . It's suggesting that potential terrorists set fires in the American West . It specifically mentions Montana . It includes instructions on how to make a so-called ember bomb. The article also suggests using lit cigarettes or magnifying glasses to start destructive wildfires as a form of terrorism in this country. Forest Services and law enforcement officials are taking the threat seriously.