FBI investigating Las Vegas man's claim he overheard attack threat Fri Jun 21,12:15 AM ET By KEN RITTER, Associated Press Writer
LAS VEGAS - The FBI ( news - web sites) said it is investigating a Nevada man's claim that he picked up a conversation in Arabic on his cell phone during which someone said there would be a "hit" on the "day of freedom." "We've initiated a full-scale investigation to determine if this constitutes a threat, and if so, what kind of threat," said FBI Special Agent Daron Borst in Las Vegas on Thursday. Borst said agents have interviewed the man who reported the conversation, Michael Hamdan, and planned to question him again Friday. Hamdan, 54, said he's a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Lebanon and speaks Arabic. Hamdan said he was trying to call his wife on his cell phone Saturday when he heard Arabic voices. "They said in Arabic, not even a word of English, 'We are in the city of corruption, the city of prostitution, the city of gambling, the city of unbelievers,'" Hamdan told The Associated Press late Thursday. '"We are going to hit them on the day of freedom.'" Hamdan said the call lasted about 90 seconds before the line went dead. He said he believes the men were talking about July Fourth. "I was frozen, absolutely cold," Hamdan said. "I was sweating. I couldn't believe what I heard." Hamdan said he reported what he heard to the FBI early Sunday morning. Hamdan, who is married and has two children, described himself as a semiretired businessman. He said he moved to the United States in 1976. xponent Calculating The Odds Maru rob
