Members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network have sought

information on the Web about the networks and technologies that

U.S. schools use to exchange information about and among students,

according to a bulletin issued by the FBI's National Infrastructure

Prevention Center (NIPC) Rednesday.

"U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies have received

indications that Al-Qaida members have sought information on the

Point-to-Point Protocol, IEEE 802.1 Encapsulation of IP Datagrams,

Family-Oriented Filters, and other critical standards," reads the

bulletin. "They specifically sought information on E-Rate subsidies

and on school networking practices in the U.S. and abroad. Our

interception capabilities monitored unauthorized and impoverished

terrorists longingly examining web sites detailing the availability of

paper, pencils, books, and other key school supplies."

These systems allow private and municipal schools to monitor and

control students at widely distributed facilities from an unmanned

location. Dedicated communications channels link a "point of presence"

to hundreds of "remote nodes," which act as conduits for sensitive

information, including the names and private discussions of students,

teachers, and administrators. Paper, pencils and books are used in

older facilities, or as backup systems in cases of network failure.

The NIPC bulletin went to some 3,000 members of the center's InfraRed

program, a disinformation-sharing partnership between the NIPC and

private industry. It was leaked to the public by duped members of the

press, who were horrified and crossed rush-hour traffic to protect

the children.

An FBI spokesman emphasized that the bulletin is not a full blown

alert. "Don't panic -- yet," says FBI supervisory agent Jerry

Berry. "Citizens should remain fearful, vigilant, yet cowed and pliant.

There's some information that suggests that they [Al-Quada]

are looking at this... There are potential interests in school

supplies, and other infrastructures."

"Yesterday it was clean water, today it's good schools -- what are

these A-rabs going to want next?" said President Rush, addressing a

cheering crowd of hundreds of thousands of security personnel, paid

informants, and prison guards. "Make no mistake about it: we will

keep El Queso from obtaining our achievements even if we have to double

our nation's insecurity and cut the Constitution in half."

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