- Busch Stadium in St. Louis/fbi photo
By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
The FBI, which is helping provide security for the Major League All-Star Game in St. Louis Tuesday, said Monday night that there is no indication of any planned terrorist attacks at the event where President Obama is scheduled to toss out the ceremonial first pitch.
“We have no intelligence that indicates that anything will happen,” John V. Gillies, the FBI’s special agent in charge of the St. Louis office said in a phone interview with ticklethewire.com. “We expect everything to go off without any issues and everyone will have an enjoyable time.”
Gillies said the FBI has “dozens and dozens” of agents, including analysts and bomb techs, who have been working on the security, which is being headed up by the St. Louis Police Department. He said preparations began several months ago.
He said agents are helping perform background checks on people working and volunteering for the game and events leading up to it, and the FBI has brought from Washington a mobile command post or “field office on wheels” to help monitor the mass gathering.
“Analysts are sorting through a ream of intelligence reports and looking for any bit of intelligence to determine any connection to the the All-Star venues,” Gillies said.
“While the police department will have a visible presence, most of what the FBI will be doing will not be seen, but we’ll be out there,” he added.
He said the bureau is also working closely with the U.S. Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting President Obama at the game. Some other agencies involved in the All-Star Game security include ATF, the Transportation Security Administration and the Postal Inspection Service.
U.S. Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley, declined to comment on specifics, but said Monday night that his agency has been doing the usual advance work and communicating with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in preparation for the president’s arrival.
