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T U E S D A Y , A U G U S T 0 3 , 2 0 0 4Feeding Paranoia IIIby Michael in New York on
8/03/2004 03:25:00 AMSo now the US government is adopting a "softer tone" and coolingdown the "run for your lives!" rhetoric it adopted just yesterday abouta possible Al Quaeda attack on NYC or Washington. And the info thatwas collected, the surveillance that was done was in fact three or fouryears old. Yes, the info about this surveillance was found only amonth ago, but why the sudden raising of alert levels as if an attackwas imminent? It just ain't so. Per the NYT:"The information, which officials said was indicative of preparationsfor a possible truck- or car-bomb attack, left significant gaps. It didnot clearly describe the suspected plot, indicate when an attack wasto take place nor did it describe the identities of people involved."In other words, it confirmed what we should have already assumed:that Al Quaeda has cased any number of buildings around the countryand would love to bomb them. Don't say the gov't knows stuff wedon't know, because the reason the gov't is tamping down therhetoric today is because it was overheated, just like John Ashcroftwent overboard on that dirty bomb scare and had to be chastised bythe President and just like Tom Ridge went overboard the LAST timehe warned of an imminent attack and the FBI publicly distancedthemselves from him and said they had no idea what he was talkingabout. Ridge using the new terror alert announcement to repeatedlypraise Bush's leadership certainly didn't help either.Eventually, they'll be right, of course, because eventually there will beanother terrorist attack inside the United States. The sad truth is thatwe KNOW New York and DC are now and forever will be targets forterrorists. That will never change. So every new tidbit of informationcan't be an excuse or a knee-jerk "we better say something or they'llblame us for not saying it" reason for raising the terror alert. If itcontinues, we'll get so blase that when there is real and credibleinformation and they do raise the terror alert in the future, averagecitizens and local law enforcement may be so innured to it by thenthey won't increase their vigilance to the utmost degree.
Terrorism CoursesLearn more about Terrorism through onlinecourses at Univ. of Phoenix.Phoenix.eduCounterterrorism DegreesEarn your Bachelor's degree inCounterterrorism 100% online!www.kaplandegrees-online.comCounter Terrorism CareerPursue a counter terrorism certificate. Onlineprogram.www.apus.edu
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Bonnaroo '09:- Al GreenBonnaroo has Al Green & many more. Getall the info on Bonnaroo here!Bonnaroo.comMasters in DiplomacyEarn a Masters Degree in Diplomacy Onlineat Norwich University.www.Norwich.Edu/DiplomacyLearn With The ExpertsGraduate Study in National SecurityInstitute of World Politics in DCwww.iwp.edu
AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Feedin...http://www.americablog.com/2004/08/feeding-paranoia-iii.html
1 of 64/6/09 7:28 PM
8/03/2004 03:25:00 AMSo now the US government is adopting a "softer tone" and coolingdown the "run for your lives!" rhetoric it adopted just yesterday abouta possible Al Quaeda attack on NYC or Washington. And the info thatwas collected, the surveillance that was done was in fact three or fouryears old. Yes, the info about this surveillance was found only amonth ago, but why the sudden raising of alert levels as if an attackwas imminent? It just ain't so. Per the NYT:"The information, which officials said was indicative of preparationsfor a possible truck- or car-bomb attack, left significant gaps. It didnot clearly describe the suspected plot, indicate when an attack wasto take place nor did it describe the identities of people involved."In other words, it confirmed what we should have already assumed:that Al Quaeda has cased any number of buildings around the countryand would love to bomb them. Don't say the gov't knows stuff wedon't know, because the reason the gov't is tamping down therhetoric today is because it was overheated, just like John Ashcroftwent overboard on that dirty bomb scare and had to be chastised bythe President and just like Tom Ridge went overboard the LAST timehe warned of an imminent attack and the FBI publicly distancedthemselves from him and said they had no idea what he was talkingabout. Ridge using the new terror alert announcement to repeatedlypraise Bush's leadership certainly didn't help either.Eventually, they'll be right, of course, because eventually there will beanother terrorist attack inside the United States. The sad truth is thatwe KNOW New York and DC are now and forever will be targets forterrorists. That will never change. So every new tidbit of informationcan't be an excuse or a knee-jerk "we better say something or they'llblame us for not saying it" reason for raising the terror alert. If itcontinues, we'll get so blase that when there is real and credibleinformation and they do raise the terror alert in the future, averagecitizens and local law enforcement may be so innured to it by thenthey won't increase their vigilance to the utmost degree.
Terrorism CoursesLearn more about Terrorism through onlinecourses at Univ. of Phoenix.Phoenix.eduCounterterrorism DegreesEarn your Bachelor's degree inCounterterrorism 100% online!www.kaplandegrees-online.comCounter Terrorism CareerPursue a counter terrorism certificate. Onlineprogram.www.apus.edu
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HuffPost PoliticsLincoln Leaves Door Open For EFCA Compromise -Senator Blanche Lincoln on Monday announcedthat she would vote against the Employee FreeChoice Act. But later she elaborated, leaving thedoor open for...1 minute agoDaily KosBeck: Daily Kos, C&L blame me for cop killer -Because it’s all about him, right? Howself-absorbed can one man possibly be? (Thisvideo is from Beck’s April 6, 2009 broadcast. Thestill image is of ...12 minutes agoEschatonDeep Thought - When my house gets foreclosed I'llprobably be pretty happy if there's a reeducationcamp I can go to.26 minutes agoTowleroadVermont Governor Jim Douglas Vetoes Same-SexMarriage Bill - As promised, Vermont Governor JimDouglas has vetoed a bill that would legalizesame-sex marriage in the state. He release astatement, which read, in part...27 minutes agoFiredoglakeWhy Can’t Obama’s Economic Team Explain Itself?- Given the embarrassing performance of theObama economic team over the weekend, we'releft wondering what useful expertise the public gotfrom Larry Summer...34 minutes agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
Show All
Bonnaroo '09:- Al GreenBonnaroo has Al Green & many more. Getall the info on Bonnaroo here!Bonnaroo.comMasters in DiplomacyEarn a Masters Degree in Diplomacy Onlineat Norwich University.www.Norwich.Edu/DiplomacyLearn With The ExpertsGraduate Study in National SecurityInstitute of World Politics in DCwww.iwp.edu
AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Feedin...http://www.americablog.com/2004/08/feeding-paranoia-iii.html
1 of 64/6/09 7:28 PM