Bush* WH admits terror alerts were bogus - 5-21-2002

[Q]

U.S. issues new warnings on terror

White House tries to counter Bush's critics

By DOUG SAUNDERS
     
Tuesday, May 21, 2002 – Print Edition, Page A11

As U.S. officials continued to issue warnings yesterday about the possibility of attacks by suicide bombers and terrorists, the White House quietly acknowledged that the threats are not urgent and that they are partly motivated by political objectives.

FBI director Robert Mueller told an audience of lawyers that the United States is likely some day to experience Israel-style suicide bombings, while the Immigration and Naturalization Service warned that it is unable to keep track of potential terrorists holding student visas.

"There will be another terrorist attack. We will not be able to stop it," Mr. Mueller told a gathering of prosecutors in Virginia. "It's something we all live with."

However, White House officials told reporters that the blunt warnings issued yesterday and Sunday do not reflect a dramatic increase in threatening information but rather a desire to fend off criticism from the Democrats.

- Dead Link removed...new link below.

- Another, from an unlikely source:

HOMELAND INSECURITY
Terror alerts manufactured?
FBI agents say White House scripting 'hysterics' for political effect

Posted: January 4, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Jon Dougherty
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

Intelligence pros say the White House is manufacturing terrorist alerts to keep the issue alive in the minds of voters and to keep President Bush's approval ratings high, Capitol Hill Blue reports.

The Thursday report said that the administration is engaging in "hysterics" in issuing numerous terror alerts that have little to no basis in fact.

"Unfortunately, we haven't made a lot of progress against al-Qaida or the war on terrorism," one FBI agent familiar with terrorism operations told CHB. "We've been spinning our wheels for several weeks now."

Other sources within the bureau and the Central Intelligence Agency said the administration is pressuring intelligence agencies to develop "something, anything" to support an array of non-specific terrorism alerts issued by the White House and the Department of Homeland Security.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30312

[NMDemDist2]

1. wrong link eom

[HFishbine]

2. Another example

of this administration trying to make the facts fit their story. Pathetic and contemptible.

[Q]

13. They're insisting there's a threat...but not raising the alert level?

- This is politically motivated. I wonder how many Americans understand this?

- Bush* is on the hot seat...from failed Iraq policies...to the media catching on that ME torture and murder was ordered by the Bush* White house.

- Terror and fear is always the best distraction.

[Alerter_]

3. remember "duct tape"

At some point weren't they talking about covering your windows with plastic sheeting and duct tape to keep out the poison gas?

[Hubert Flottz]

4. Bring the frog men on, it's gigging season!

W-O-L-F! Bushco must not be very much afraid of the terrorists, because they won't spend but a fraction on homeland security of what they're spending on the DOD and Iraq! You would think the GOPers want it(an attack) to happen!

[enough]

5. This is an important story.

Can we get a little more detail on that first story? What paper was it in? Without the link, there's no indication where it appeared.

[Q]

6. I had a link to that story but it was old and dead...

..so I removed it. Here's the link I copied at the time: http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/GIS.Servlets.HTMLTemplate?tf=tgam/search/tgam/SearchFullStory.html&cf=tgam/search/tgam/SearchFullStory.cfg&configFileLoc=tgam/config&encoded_keywords=doug+saunders&option=&start_row=2¤t_row=2&start_row_offset1=&num_rows=1&search_results_start=1

...but it now points to another story.

- Do a search on 'terror threats bogus' and you'll find plenty of stories and opinions.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

7. Well, it looks like a faction of the FBI has decided to join the revolt...

...which now includes the CIA (payback for Valerie Plame), the DIA (exposed Chalabi even if the Iranian "spy" component turns out not to be true), senior military officers (stating that Rummy needs to go), and a faction of Federal judges not willing to support the Patriot Act at the expense of civil rights and other legal protections.

IMHO, it's just starting to get interesting. Pass the popcorn.

[Q]

8. Another link to the top story:

U.S. issues new warnings on terror

White House tries to counter Bush's critics

By DOUG SAUNDERS
Tuesday, May 21, 2002 – Print Edition, Page A11


As U.S. officials continued to issue warnings yesterday about the
possibility of attacks by suicide bombers and terrorists, the White
House quietly acknowledged that the threats are not urgent and that
they are partly motivated by political objectives.

FBI director Robert Mueller told an audience of lawyers that the
United States is likely some day to experience Israel-style suicide
bombings, while the Immigration and Naturalization Service warned
that it is unable to keep track of potential terrorists holding
student visas.

"There will be another terrorist attack. We will not be able to stop
it," Mr. Mueller told a gathering of prosecutors in Virginia. "It's
something we all live with."

However, White House officials told reporters that the blunt warnings
issued yesterday and Sunday do not reflect a dramatic increase in
threatening information but rather a desire to fend off criticism
from the Democrats.

Last week, Democrats criticized the Republican administration for its
failure to warn Americans about al-Qaeda terrorism in the months
before the Sept. 11 attacks.

A senior administration official with knowledge of U.S. intelligence
said yesterday that the new warnings, issued by Vice-President Dick
Cheney on Sunday and by Mr. Mueller yesterday, are designed to give
Americans better notice and to protect President George W. Bush
against second-guessing in the event of another attack.


http://www.blythe.org/nytransfer-subs/Covert_Actions/U.S._warnings_on_terror_are_motivated_by_politics

[opihimoimoi]

9. If anyone is "playing politics" its those pesky Pubs.

Where is the Character, the Credibility, the Integrity??? These guys will lie, cheat, steal to "win" 4 more years? and its not for America is it? NO, its for themselves. How selfish.

[Q]

10. If this were Clinton it would be called 'wag the dog'...

- We see that every time the Bushies feel the heat...they ratchet up the FEAR alert level, insist that Americans be 'suspicious' of each other and warn that criticism is 'unAmerican'.

[enough]

11. Absolutely typical Bushco --

All they care about is spin control and CYA.

The warnings "are designed to give Americans better notice and to protect President George W. Bush against second-guessing in the event of another attack."

What matters to them is whether the Chimp will be BLAMED for something, not whether something happens.

This reminds me of the way they explained their reaction to the pre- 9-11 warnings: Nobody told us that we had to DO anything, so how can we be blamed. When the next one comes they'll say "You were warned," and we will all be happy with that explanation.

Thanks for the new link, Q.

[Q]

12. Anonymous sources and unnamed terrorists...

- Herr Ashcroft will WARN Americans today about unspecified threats and ominious nothings.

- MSNBC and CNN are hitting this story HARD...but have to admit that there is no 'plan' to raise the THREAT level. They're talking about TRUCK BOMBS...a new 'method of terrorism'.

- Ridge is on MSNBC: asked how credible is this threat? Ridge doesn't answer the question and offers no specifics....simply saying it's an 'open country' and homeland security is on the job.

- Ridge goes on to say that it's a 'legitimate concern' to be worried about ELECTION YEAR TERRORISM. Ridge says there are no 'present intentions' to raise the threat level. Ridges 'advice' for Americans is to be 'vigilant', be prepared and 'be free'.

[gasperc]

14. why are we spending biilions? what is the new agency for?

why did we invade Iraq? wasn't it to "prevent" a terrorist attack from striking unexpected "while we sleep"

Now, it's going to happen anyway, AND we can't stop it? FUCK YOU!

[Q]

15. EVERYONE knows by now that Iraq had nothing to do with the...

...'war on terror'. But few politicians have the guts to admit they were wrong or that invading Iraq took almost ALL our resources AWAY from fighting terrorism.

[enough]

16. From today's NYTimes

"Law enforcement officials" seem to be backtracking somewhat from yesterday's panic alert. Now saying "no new intelligence."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/26/politics/26terror.html?ex=1086235200&en=8e9a4f4a5defe555&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

snip>

Contradicting news reports Tuesday saying that new information pointed to a specific threat, the officials said Mr. Ashcroft and Mr. Mueller had no new intelligence to suggest that an attack was being planned or that preparations were under way.Instead, the officials said they would issue a new call for public awareness and ask again for the public's help in apprehending suspected terrorists who have long been sought by the F.B.I. and whose names are on the bureau's Web site.

snip>