FBI urges police to watch for people carrying almanacs

Farmer's Almanac 2004
Farmer’s Almanac 2004

WASHINGTON – The FBI is warning police nationwide to be alert for people carrying farmers 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-Qaeda 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.

Now if if the guy carrying an almanac is driving a John Deere and wearing a seed corn hat, that’s probably not a terrorist. That’s probably my Grandpa.

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