(IPS) Amina Ahmed, a 23-year old student at American University here, says she may give up wearing an Islamic veil, stop going to the Dar Al-Hijra mosque near the city, and otherwise try not to be identified as a Muslim - "at least for a while."

"Even before there's a final word on who did those stupid attacks, everyone is blaming Muslims, Arabs and us too - even us American Muslims," she said as she got into her car to drive home, where she said she would remain until "the dust settles down'' from yesterday's presumed terror attacks in New York and Washington.

"I will stay home until I hear good news,'' she said.

The Los Angeles-born Muslim American spoke a few hours after the attacks, which targeted New York's World Trade Centre and the US defence department's Pentagon headquarters.

Several US television news networks were quick to raise the possibility of an assault by Islamic militants, Middle Eastern groups, or pro-Palestinian sympathisers.

One prime suspect whose name repeatedly was brought up by terrorism experts, was Saudi exile Osama bin Laden, a former mujahid who has vowed to expel US forces from the Middle East and Gulf region. US officials, however, have so far declined to discuss their own suspicions.

Bin Laden, who has been sheltered by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, was blamed for the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and last year's attack on the USS Cole, a navy destroyer, in Yemen. The attack killed 17 U.S. sailors.

'Consider assassination'

A number of intelligence and terrorism analysts interviewed by US TV stations suggested the apparently coordinated attacks carry the mark of bin Laden's terrorist organisation, Al-Qaeda, and that he may have used contacts in the United States.

Some TV anchors and former officials went further, saying that US liberal immigration policies could be to blame for allowing supporters of the terrorist group into the country.

Former US Secretary of State James Baker told the Fox News channel that Washington should even consider "assassinating" those involved in the attacks and get ready for "this dirty business."

Ahmed, who was wearing an Islamic headscarf, said she was horrified by such remarks and that she hoped the media would conduct a full investigation and that officials would refrain from enflaming passions before making such statements.

"There were dozens of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab messages on different sites," she said, referring to Internet websites. "It's so scary."

The ABC (American Broadcasting Co) community online page, for example, featured messages from the public that condemned Arabs and Muslims.

"Deport all Arabs," read one note. One other message said: "Your Allah does not exist. It is just a fanaticism believed by a bunch of camel jockeys and barbarics."

Extra security

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair), a Muslim advocacy group based in Washington DC, issued a statement suggesting that mosques and Islamic centres take steps to increase security.

In the first few days following the 1995 attack on the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Muslims reported more than 200 incidents of harassment, threats, and actual violence. Eventually, it turned out that white right-wing extremists were responsible.

Muslims reported similar incidents after the 1993 bombing of the basement car park of the World Trade Centre, in which six died and hundreds were injured.

Blind Muslim cleric Sheikh Omar Abdul-Rahman was jailed for life in 1995 for plotting the bombing and for conspiring to attack United Nations headquarters, also in New York.

Cair said Tuesday it had already received reports of harassment and attacks against Muslims who wear Islamic attire.

The group advised those who wear Islamic dress to consider staying away from public areas for the immediate future and said that Muslims should request additional police patrols in the vicinity of mosques.

An official with the Dar Al-Hijra mosque, which serves Muslims in the Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria areas of Northern Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, said it would station members of the congregation as lookouts at entrances and parking areas during prayer times.

Fewer worshipers than usual turned up for prayers yesterday. "They must be afraid," he said on condition of anonymity. "There are people who are so uncontrollable in this country."

Muslim groups in the Washington area said there are an estimated seven million Muslims in the United States and some 1.2 billion worldwide.