hey, go figure, just in time to coincide with bush's campaign of fear. "re-elect me or the terrorists will win."

It's pretty obvious we just ought to expect an attack. Maybe today, maybe next year. Let's move on.

Any coincidence this type of "warning" is surfacing now that Bush's poll numbers are plunging?

One thing you can absolutely COUNT on hearing non-stop from now until November: It's all about "terrorism." This is the "terrorism president." The "terrorists" are here, among us.

Still don't get it? Are you part of the 47% who does not understand that "it's all about terrorism" and are willing to elect a non-"terrorism president"?

They're going to repeat it until you DO get it.

x and NotSpun: 9/11 didn't convince you guys, eh? Don't worry about saving yourself from a terrorist attack, there are plenty of people who get paid to save you.

considering the odds of me getting hurt or killed in a terrorist attack are infinitesimally small, compared to, say, getting blindsided in a car accident, popd, i'm not too worried.

X,

Most peope here would be likely to give good directions to direct the car's driver.

Some, like me, would think think it is too unimportant a thing to bother with. Gnats and flies, you know! Ha!

For YEARS now, we have been told Al Qaeda is "on the run." We've been assured that Bin Laden is "hiding in a cave." We've been reminded over and over that the Al Qaeda "leadership" is in "tatters" and that 75% of it's senior members have been caught or killed.

Now, predictably, with Bush's poll numbers plunging, we're being told that tens of thousand of "Al Qaeda terrorists" are out there--some right here in the United States, darn it!--and that an attack rivaling 9/11 is in the works for this summer.

The goal posts on the threat assesment are being moved faster than our "reasons" for invading Iraq. If this new threat is indeed true, and we've been squandering resources in Iraq instead of finding Bin Laden, al-Zawahiri, etc, it's nothing less than complete, utter dereliction of duty at BEST and treason at worst.

We have every reason to be afraid.....but not because of terrorism. The real threats--dereliction of duty, dishonesty, and shocking incompetence--are right here in front of us.

Yeah, they're here, yeah they're planning an attack, yeah, they'll try to hit us hard. The border with Canada is almost as porous as the border with Mexico. You can capture 99.999 percent of all the terrorists there are and it still only takes a few.

But there's good news too.

Unless AQ's changed their MO, the bad guys who are here are about the lowest level drones ever to make bayat. There can be a high level guy in charge, maybe even popping in and out at predictible points in the sequence, but much care is taken to prevent him from being captured. Terrorist attacks are hard to stop, but the reason we have rolled up so many is because AQ would rather use a scatter-gun approach, idjit-proof plans, and expendable assets, and hope that eventually one gets through.

One did on 9/11 but look at all the mistakes made. Every clue the FBI had that didn't get assimilated could just as easily have resulted in the rollup of the whole op, and there were many many such clues.

I can think of lots of effective objectives for the terrorists but prefer not to speculate on how I'd do it, except for those scenarios already having been discussed in the wide scope media.

Of those, the most likely hard hits would be a crop duster with something simple, mustard or sarin, a cargo plane into something likely to produce spectacular secondaries, like a reactor, or a wide grouping of automatic weapons in malls, a distributed attack targeting Joe Sixpack. Any of these make Al Qaeda's point, all are within the means of low level drones, and none risk any significant AQ assets.

Even if they do get lucky and manage to "hit us hard", this country is just too damn big to be taken down by terrorists, even allowing for ssubstantial resultant shock waves in the economy.

Yes, the price of stocks is dependent to a large degree on hope and expectations, and you can evaporate a lot of that with simple fear, but once you drive from one side of America to the other, you realize that there are too many cars, too many bricks, too many roads, too many planes, too many computers, too many cities, too many factories, too many fields full of corn and cows for the real value that is the foundation of our economy to permit vaporware to make it go away. Keep that in mind just in case some terrorist gets lucky this summer and gets in a good one.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst, but always remember, America is a solid rock that's about 3000 miles wide, two thousand miles tall, and fifty miles thick.

Literally.

It ain't going away.

Hehe, you actually think that terrorist threats are being made up to make Bush a more attractive president...

"US planes bomb southern Afghanistan, kill 20 Taliban: KABUL, May 26: American warplanes have bombed an area of southern Afghanistan close to the border with Pakistan,
killing some 20 Taliban fighters, a local official said today. "The operation is still on going with government troops chasing down Taliban to the Pakistani border," Laghmanai said. (AFP)
(Posted @ 10:10 PST) "

"Military talks with US put off


ISLAMABAD, May 25: Talks between Pakistani and US army commanders to discuss recent incursions by US troops based in Afghanistan into Pakistan have been
postponed for two days, a foreign ministry official said here on Tuesday.

The meeting was originally scheduled to be held on Tuesday near the Lwara Mandi, a remote village on the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border. "It (the
meeting) could not be held due to some logistical reasons," foreign ministry spokesman Masood Khan said.

"It will now be held at midday on Thursday, at the same venue." US troops hunting Al Qaeda and Taliban insurgents in southeast Afghanistan burst over the border
into Lwara Mandi several times in May, according to residents on the Pakistani side.

But Pakistan authorities have only defined two crossings, on May 2 and May 20, as "incursions" and lodged protests over them. Lwara Mandi straddles the border in
the North Waziristan.

Mr Khan told reporters on Monday that both sides "will look at ways and means to coordinate better so that there's no misunderstanding, no miscommunication."
-AFP "

http://www.dawn.com/2004/05/26/top5.htm

For the record, I haven't believed most of what has come out of the AP over the past few days, but I don't believe the Government is behind it.

Jeffers mentioned shooting in Malls and other modes of operandi. Anyone here who can explain why al qaida does not do smaller attacks like that? If it is true that hundreds of dormant agents are in the USA, then it would be effective if they randomly hit malls, schools etc. They could even use lone snipers who shot one american pr day.
This would not cost a lot in effort, and meanwhile the serious guys could plan the bigger events.

But I doubt if all those agents have the intensity og hatred that is needed. I think once they get to America and see that they can live well there if they have money, they will be less motivated. It is something else if you are a palestinian and you live in a war zone.

So the only reason I see that there has not been such smaller attacks is that the bosses does not want it that way. Why is that?

Anyone?

"hey, go figure, just in time to coincide with bush’s campaign of fear. “re-elect me or the terrorists will win.”"

I think that sums up how irrational the left has become. They have to resort to wacko conspiracy theories that they flatly dismissed under Clinton. Anyone remember Vince Foster?

A terrorist attack would be absolute best thing to happen to Bush's re-election bid, moreso than finding WMD's or Osama. 9/11 certainly helped his popularity.

http://www.blogd.com/images/gallupchart1.gif

This only goes to May 2003, but I've seen similar charts that show huge spikes after Saddam was caught.

x: Granted, the odds on you personally getting hurt are small. However, experience shows that innocent people will be killed.

NotSpun: I wouldn't be too quick to complain about dereliction of duty, since you and your cohorts have been whining about every step the Bush Administration has taken. In fact, your contribution to dealing with terrorism has been an endless whine.

This "irrational" moderate thinks that there's a pretty good chance that at least some of the terror warnings are shaded to help Bush's re-election chances.

Why haven't we heard anything about attacks that were prevented by previous alerts?

Crawl out of your right-wing shells and try asking your friends and co-workers what they are thinking.

The best thing every American can do is to simply keep their eyes open. Usually after one of these attacks theres always sombody saying "I thought that (insert clue here) looked odd".

Id rather be embarrased about reporting an abandoned bag than have to deal with the guilt of deaths I could have prevented.

This is just like when you are driving late on a friday night and you see a car thats swerving a bit. Your faced with a choice: Do you call the police and report a potential drunk driver, or hope someone else deals with it?

The cops and other authoities prevent alot, but they cant be everywhere all the time. Thats why people like you and me need to do our part. The American public is the greatest early warning tool this country has. We are in this together. We all need to do our part.

Even if you dont agree with the war, the president, etc. you have a responsibillity to every man, woman and child around you to aid in the defense of your Nation.

Your only being asked to keep your eyes open. It dosent hurt, really!

"This “irrational” moderate thinks that there’s a pretty good chance that at least some of the terror warnings are shaded to help Bush’s re-election chances."

Ditto. But my inclination is to look at it as an attempt to get Abu Graib and the 911 hearings out of the news. Look at the trumped up case against the lawyer in Oregon. I think the FBI and Justice are trying to cover the butts with vague duct tape whispers. People are getting very skeptical.

Skeptical: As you yourself point out, there is no political benefit to the Bush Administration if they make false warnings of possible terrorist attacks. I take "chatter" seriously. My own experience on the internet convinces me that there were some indicators that an attack was coming prior to 9/11. I would hate to see more innocent people get killed. I suggest we take the warnings seriously and hope for the best.

Here's a collage of several pieces I posted yst here and elsewhere. The first is to the last post in this column.

The next is re the media coverage on the war on Terror I posted on the Ebola piece.

The next is a post to the High Technology Crime Investigation Assn (HTCIA) which I sent with my first post.

Check out our website, mission statement, and forums at:

www.hspig.org

If you want real on the ground news in Iraq check out the blogs coming out of Iraq. This is real news from Iraqi's reporting from their own neighborhoods. Amazingly their reports differ from what the US media reports over here. Are we reporting on the same battles?

http://healingiraq.blogspot.com

Now for the conspiracy theories. How long did the intercept of two Muslims at the Canadian border with multi gallons of red phosporus. Now were they only going to cook some meth or maybe mix with water for more sinister activity.

Or try this one on. Check the migration of the West Nile virus which is spread by birds. It is much more deadly than would be normally expected and it made it to the West Coast in record time a typical to the normal spread of bird borne viruses like NewCastle.

Go figure it out for yourself. Blessed be for the Internet.

Ron Wright
rwright@hspig.org

A "boot on the ground here."

*****

Enough! This threat is very real. You can either sit on your butt and complain or you can do something about it.

This is a non-partisan issues and the consequences will be very real regardless of what we have done or not done in Iraq. This is a war of the clash of culture and religion. This threat is transnational and not just related to the terrorists in Iraq.

Check out the forums site on our home page at:

www.hspig.org

Here’s a post I just sent to my colleagues in the High Techonology Crime Investigation Assn (HTCIA).

I for one, regardless of who started this mess want to protect my own neighborhood and backyard.

Nows not the time to whine and blame, it’s the time to act before it’s too late!

*****

COMMENTARY:

Oh well, and the media is still focused on the tit for tat in the US presidential election. They're full of themselves over the instant polling analysis showing minor shifts. Mind you most telephone poles are now more and more flawed because of the quessing done on the non-responses because of unlisted numbers, answering machines and the like. Let alone the American penchant for instant gratification.

The left is almost giddy over the recent events in Iraq (Today's WSJ Online). Little do they realize, we must stay the course on the War on Terror as President Bush has said. This is not a partisan fight. This is for the survival of our country and culture. No amount of burying your head in the sand is going to make it go away.

*****

FYI - If not interested hit DELETE NOW.

*****

As I have said before HTCIA members are generally high tech by nature, who can think "outside the box," who can anticipate potential "low tech" strikes by al-Qaeda and others.

Keep your eyes and ears open.

Uncle Sam has his plate full and needs all the help he can get. Or in other terms don't hold your breath that the Lone Ranger on his white horse, Silver, will be riding into town anytime soon from DC. This is a fight we must win in our own backyards against an asymmetrical enemy lying in wait, poised to strike. The War On Terror is not the sole responsibility of the federal government. I'm sure our federal colleagues at the field level will appreciate any help they can get no matter what the political differences may be at the top.

This is a non-partisan fight, no matter what others and the media may think or say. The dangers are very real. We can't wait for this to work thru the normal channels of government for these are unusual times. To counter this threat we need an immediate response, we need creative and innovative thinking and strategies, we need risk taking, and we need to "rock the boat." This is the antithesis of the normal bureaucratic process as Dr. Rice coined the term, "bureaucratic fudge." Business as usual and complacency are not an option. The clock is ticking down. Where is Jack Bauer when you need him?

We need act quickly to network from the bottom up with the resources we have within the public safety and public health sectors, the business communities and the public to defeat this threat.

Just as in Star Trek, Romulian Birds of Prey, must decloak to attack. Terrorist cells do not pop up over night. The 9-11 crew was on the ground here for several years preparing and planning for the attack. According to Bill Frist (US Senate Majority Leader) and Gavin DeBecker (author Gift of Fear and Fear Less), a leading expert in threat analysis, there will be signs visible to the average citizen.

The key is to educate the public and businesses to be alert and to call when something is not quite right. The next is to be prepared to take that call and hand off to teams that can immediately respond to neutralize the threat.

We must change our mind set from one of criminal prosecution to prevention and then worry about if we have enough to later prosecute anyone involved within our constitutional framework of government. I'm sure our courts we give law enforcement when pursuing terrorists about to strike, wide latitude under the exigent circumstances doctrine, given the catastrophic consequences. Given we act with good judgement and faith.

The consequences of missing an attack are too great.

Are we up to this challenge? Let's keep focused, our eyes on the ball, and our minds in the game, regardless of what the naysayers are saying.

Let's Role!

AP lead posted at:

http://hspig.org/ipw-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=839

Thought this was important to share.

Ron Wright, Member
So Cal HTCIA

I have a topic that I would like to see addressed. What do the muslims and middle easterners need to do immediately, BEFORE we are attacked again, to make us take pause and reconsider, before completely wiping them off the face of the earth for survival purposes?

My thoughts:

1. EVERY one of them better get in front of any TV camera they can, including al-Jazeerah, and totally denounce the terrrorists, without hesitation or the slightest sign of insincerity.

2. Immediately take action against terrorists. They know who and where they are. Every individual should work as hard as they can with the coalition and our police and FBI to bring down all terrorists.

3. Immediately take action to reverse the trend to raise children to hate.

4. Take action themselves to destroy terrorist cells and those that promote them.

5. Expose the radical clerics for what they are, and make no place available for them to preach their hatred.

I honestly believe that all of our problems could be solved by middle easterners, themselves. For them to not stand up and do this, makes them as guilty as the terrorists. The total silence shows that they do not dissapprove what their radical brothers and sisters are doing.

So far, the silence is deafening.

See: Operation Northwoods

Regarding Operation Northwoods, that sets a precident, and I would not be surprised if something of that nature were around today.

Re: Operation Northwoods - Now I know you're paranoid. So Al Qaeda is a creation of the U.S. military?

Me paranoid? I'm a realist, and history always repeats itself. Past behaviour is a great indicator of things to come. We all believe Al Qaeda is trying to do something, because pf their past behaviour. We never believed Clinton when he denied the polishing of his knob because of his past behaviour. Why should it be believe different now?

What color is the sky in your world?

I would like to echo JeffB's comment. It is past time that the so called moderate Muslims demonstrated their position. Eliminating the hate speech would be a very goooood start. Fire the preachers who demand blood and venegeance and start talking peace. If not, it is completely possible that the world will simply reach the conclusion that this is a religious war.

As to the pathetic rantings from the left about this piece of news, what can a rational person say? Anybody who thinks this is some politically driven action to acheive some aim of the Bush admin needs to up his or her Paxil prescription and watch a few tapes from 9/11.

What I don't get is how people like vince and X can actually believe this stuff.

X's position is absolutely classic self centered leftie bilge: basically since he doubts it'll happen to him, why worry? And he's right! I have'nt seen any writing anywhere that mentions AQ's plan to attack day care centers, so he's safe.

Vince is pretty much in the same category: nothing really addative to say just the same old this is wrong and that's wrong nonsense.

To all these narrow minded leftist slogan shouters, a reminder: Not long ago you guys had your undies in a bunch about what Bush Should have done prior to 9/11. Well OK now he does something and still you complain. What this does is reduce your credibility to less than zero. You're just a bunch of whiners. What if, based on this info we closed the border with Canada? Why you liberals would be up in arms.

so stop with the demogogery OK? If you have an idea or suggestion we'd like to hear it. If all you got is Bash-bush spare us.

"Vince is pretty much in the same category: nothing really addative to say just the same old this is wrong and that’s wrong nonsense"

You forgot to add that I'm also correct 95% of the time. Whatever happened to that sarin? What about Chalabi? Even Pearl, that dirtbag, has come out swinging. Even Tom Clancy has said Bush's war in Iraq is asshattery.

I don't know you're getting so angry with my position on Operation Northwinds. It was real. Whether you believe it or not is irrevelant. History always repeats itself. 9/11 tapes? Al Qaeda was behind 9/11, not Iraq. I thought you knew this?

So Vince, defuse my assertion here. Show us how ranting about what wasn't done "then" and subsequently ranting about what IS being done now isn't demogogery.

don't try to change the subject Vince: what I'm pointedly asking about is the left's ever shifting rhetoric. Asking unrelated questions simply weakens you.

Show us, using your 5% error rate how the left is being completely honest in its reaction to today's news about the terror threat.

I'm just dieing to know.

Wake up righties. Smell the freaking BS. This is nothing more than an effort to divert attention from the prision abuses and prop up the W's falling public-opinion rating, i.e. elect me; I'm tough on terrorists.

Compare:

You know what, I have credible evidence that San Francisco may experience a big earthquake this summer. I mean, hey, it's on a number of big faults and it's had earthquakes in the past.

You know what, I have credible evidence that terrorists are planning to attack the US, possibly this summer. I mean, hey, they've attacked us before and there are terrorists around the world who hate us.

Yes, an attack is always possible. Move on.

Dubya is for War.

I lilke the way you Bush haters make blanket assertions with no evidence or facts to back you up. There's nothing to indicate this warning is a fake. Do you make up your own reality to go along with your opinions?

Vince - Regarding the sarin that you believe doesn't exist, you should have been watching NewsNight on CNN last night. They had a segment that the shell was tested in a lab and the substance was in fact sarin. The reporter said further that the discovery of this shell and a shell containing mustard gas indicates that Saddam was LYING (good heavens!) when he said that he had no chemical weapons after 1991.

What it really boils down too is that nobody on the left can refute the charge of demogogery re: the terror warning.

The left's agenda once again comes shining through: right and wrong no longer matter, only getting a democrat in the white house counts.

Please recognize lefties that we are smart enough to know that having an agenda is NOT the same as having principles.

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