Threats, and Threats of Terror; Maybe

It just keeps getting better for the 2010 World Cup.

The latest: A poster on a shadowy Islamic fundamentalist blog with, apparently, ties to Al Qaeda, had someone musing about how it would be nice if a bomb went off during the USA-England match on June 12.

And then a London newspaper (no, not one of the dignified ones), had a screaming headline about how "World Cup fans face bloodbath; race war declared in South Africa" ... with the news peg (not that a London tabloid really needs one) apparently being the original threat from political associates of slain white supremacist Eugene Terre Blanche vowing revenge.

The group has since withdrawn that threat. But bad news continues to bludgeon South Africa 2010 as the days begin to dwindle before Day 1.

So, yes, South African organizers said they are on the case. No worries.

More detail:

Here is more on the "bombing threat."

An Algerian wing of [Al Qaeda] has claimed it will carry out attacks on England's Group C match against the United States on June 12 in Rustenberg, prompting new security fears less than two months before the start of the competition.

But football's world governing body FIFA has stressed that such threats can occur in any country and that tournament organizers are fully prepared.

"It does not mean that because we receive a threat the World Cup should not be allowed to be contested in South Africa or any other country,'' Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke said.

"We have freedom in the world to celebrate what we want. As the management of the organization that governs world football, we know there is a threat. We will not stop the organization of the World Cup because we got the threat."

Not to downplay the threat, but it does occur to us that England and the U.S. are in the same group as Algeria, and perhaps we have a soccer-fan terrorist here who is thinking of hurting players as much as killing civilians. Isn't that the sort of thing you do when you're a murderous soccer fan?

And then there is the English newspaper stuff.

The Daily Star is not a reputable newspaper, but it probably accurately reflects the thinking of some English fans when it suggests:

Security experts fear England fans will be caught in the middle during June’s tournament if the growing army launches a race war. White leaders have vowed “revenge” for the 69-year-old’s killing. They have urged football teams and foreign supporters to avoid the “land of murder”.

World Cup officials are now drawing up emergency plans in case race riots disrupt the whole country.

The AWB plans a show of strength on May 1 near World Cup final city Johannesburg.

Secretary general Andre Visagie said: “We have received hundreds of calls in the last two days. On May 1 we will discuss the appointment of a new leader, and decide how to avenge what has happened.”

More than 25,000 England fans are due to watch Wayne Rooney, 24, and Fabio Capello, 63, launch their World Cup campaign in 10 weeks’ time.

Many supporters have already hired extra security in the crime-ravaged country.

They are even being offered traceable panic buttons to use for emergency rescue if they get caught up in clashes.

So, just another day on the SA2010 beat.