The CIA is at it again: Al-Qaeda No. 2 says attacks against West are coming

[Hugabear]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/04/22/zawahiri.targets.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

<snip>
Al Qaeda still has plans to target Western countries involved in the Iraq war, Osama bin Laden's chief deputy warns in an audiotape released Tuesday to answer questions posed by followers.
...
Responding to a question of whether the terror group had plans to attack Western countries that participated in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and subsequent war, al-Zawahiri said, "My answer is, yes. We think that any country that joined aggression on Muslims must be deterred."
<snip>

Responding to a question? It wasn't too long ago they were telling us that Al Qaeda has their own forum where people can post questions for the group to answer. Do these idiots really expect us to believe this crap?

Must be an election year! Terra terra terra!

[wildbilln864]

1. yes they expect us to believe it...

and sadly many are stupid enough to do just that without question. :grr:

[bdamomma]

2. FEAR is the only thing they have to control the masses.

stupid jerks. We have the biggest terrorists in DC.

psychological warfare against the american people lives on with our own crime family. I hate them.

[tridim]

3. Haven't we killed #2 several times already?

[TCJ70]

6. Yeah, but #3 just gets promoted to #2...n/t

[madokie]

15. except that it's a cia created front

or I think there is a good possibility of that anyway

[Virginia Dare]

21. Well, we know they created the #1, so it's a good bet...n/t

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

4. Just Because Our Government's Used It And Abused It, Doesn't Mean The Threats Don't Exist. n/t

[Maddy McCall]

9. Exactly...

A colleague of mine is a brilliant, seasoned, nationally recognized military historian...and a liberal Democrat. He said that the only reason we haven't seen additional attacks is that it takes time to plan attacks, and to have the resources to carry out those attacks. He said that 9/11 was an unexpected success for Al Queda, and that they believe that they must surpass that with their next attack. He said that only when they have the resources to carry out an attack that rivals 9/11 will we see another attack on our soil.

I tend to agree with him.

[Hugabear]

11. Figures, the Hillary supporters buying into this 'terra terra terra' nonsense

Their "No.2" has been promising all sorts of shit over the past few years. Tell me, do you favor *'s anti-terror policies, Patriot Act, TSA, and this 'global war on terror' bullshit?

You know, I actually liked Bill's approach to the original WTC bombing. We treated it as a law enforcement issue, and guess what? The mastermind behind it is rotting in jail right now. Timothy McVeigh? Convicted and executed. Yet I don't recall hearing continuous reports about 'terra terra terra' during the 90s. I'd say that's a lot better than the way we're handling it nowadays.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

12. *Stepping Into Bubble* Yup, You're Right. Everyone In The World Loves Us. No Threat To Us At All.

*Quietly steps back out of bubble*

[ogsbee]

18. The USA sure does have real enemies

The Republicans and assorted neocons top the list.

[Virginia Dare]

22. Unexpected success..

maybe because the U.S. government looked the other way? Oh, I imagine they have resources at the ready whenever they want them, and plenty of it. Your friend may be brilliant, but he/she is naive.

[bushmeister0]

5. I like the bit where he the conspiracy theories about Israel causing 9/11

were cooked up by the Iranians:

"'The purpose of this lie is clear -- (to suggest) that there are no heroes among the Sunnis who can hurt America as no else did in history. Iranian media snapped up this lie and repeated it,' he said.

'Iran's aim here is also clear -- to cover up its involvement with America in invading the homes of Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq,' he added.

Iran cooperated with the United States in the 2001 U.S. assault on Afghanistan that toppled the Taliban, an al Qaeda ally."

Oh yeah, they helped us and he hates them.

Too confusing, no wonder John McCain can't get it straight. Better just to obliterate them.

[Parche]

7. Senator Kyl

Stated that this morning with his speech, so we MUST support this $170 Billion illegal war funding......:grr: :grr: :grr:

:hi:

[truebrit71]

8. Which #2....this would have to be the fourth or fifth #2 wouldn't it?

...just HOW fucking stupid do they think we are?

[Gman]

10. I'm sure Bin Laden will have a video the Friday before election day

He may be propped up in a severe state of deterioration, maybe a skeleton dress up, leaning to the side and lips not moving, but he'll release a tape.

[ogsbee]

13. Come on lemmings, let's all hogtie ourselves

TERRA, TERRA!! PROTECT US, PROTECT US!! Here, take all my inalienable, natural rights. Let's all herd and corral ourselves.

[JDPriestly]

14. If you listen to the "pundits" on TV, another terrorist attack

could be in the making. The "pundits" all seem to agree that McCain wins if national security is the top issue in the fall. And, should McCain's poll numbers fall, someone with the power to make or let it happen could decide that a little stirring the pot or allowing the pot to be stirred would be the best campaign tactic against Hillary or Obama. And, let's remember, the Bushies can arrange anything, or at least, allow anything to happen. And when it does happen, it will probably happen outside New York and so fast and so right before the election that no one will have time to investigate or ask meaningful questions before the vote.

After all, this government allowed the deaths of thousands of people in New Orleans to happen when it could have been prevented -- or at least the number of deaths could have been reduced. And our country has all but forgotten that tragedy. The Bushies don't even hold annual memorials or commemorations to the dead and missing. We never even heard the final count of the missing and dead in New Orleans.

The deaths of a few thousand Americans means nothing to the Bushies unless they can make political hay out of it. The Bushies will do anything, allow anything if it is going to further their political and financial interests. And if it takes terrorism to win this election, it just may be allowed to happen. I don't seriously think they would plan it themselves.

Think about it. We have had almost seven years without a terrorist attack on our soil. Considering how unpopular Bush is and how popular both Clinton and Obama are overseas (everywhere), it would not make sense for foreign terrorists to take some action that would jeopardize a Democratic victory (although Osama Bin Laden probably does not like Clinton at all). Bin Laden would be a fool to do that.

Trying to incite violence among Democrats and the peaceniks has not worked. As a result, the friends of Bush just went into that fundamentalist Mormon den of iniquity in Texas attacking evil-doers and potentially setting off a trigger for terrorist acts from our own homegrown right-wing fanatics. They might get some terrorist retaliation from that quarter. And if they are inciting anger among the Mormon fundamentalists, who knows what angry groups they are inciting overseas?

If a terrorist act would help seat another Republican president, some cynical part of me says that the Bushies probably would not think it too small a price for their brand of "freedom." So this is a disgusting idea, but cannot be totally rejected. It would fit in with the extreme right-wing modus operandi.

(Of course, if the terrorists are and have been Pakistani or Taliban extremists all along with the Bushies creating the colorful cartoon-like character Bin Laden to symbolize them, then we don't really know the whole story about what is going on. In that case, then yes, terrorists might actually want to keep the Republicans in power and insure further the continued success of the Musharrafist extortion on America. If this last theory is true, then we could well be subject to terrorist acts. However, any terrorist act that occurred at this time would suggest that all the electronic surveillance is to no avail and that the Bushies have not adequately protected us. And that might hurt their election chances even worse than they are already. So, any Bush scheme to incite or allow terrorist acts in the run-up to the election might backfire.)

[Hugabear]

16. a MIHOP or LIHOP makes sense

I don't discount that. If there is another terrorist attack, it will be because BushCo allowed it to happen, just like you said.

[Kurovski]

17. Like you say: just in time for an election.

They are so helpful to American neo-cons. Such good pals. :eyeroll:

[Birthmark]

19. The number two guy in AQ has TWO jobs:

1. Make vague threats on a continual basis.

2. Get killed in Iraq at least twice a week.

[NJSecularist]

20. We need to take these threats seriously

The naivety in this forum by some people is just completely amazing. While nobody on this board trusts the Bush administration (and rightly so), you have to be naive to think that there aren't terrorists planning attacks on this country right at this second.

To ignore the threats and say that the CIA is only doing this for political gain is absurd.

[Virginia Dare]

23. Whether DU ignores the threat is irrelevant..

is the U.S. government going to ignore it like they did the last time?

How many millions if not billions have been poured into "Homeland Security"? Do you think we're any safer? I sure don't.

But what the hell can I do but duck and cover if and when it comes? You just have to hope you're not at the wrong place at the wrong time.

[NJSecularist]

24. You can ignore the threat if you want and let the CIA handle it....

but at least recognize the threat. Let's not be naive.

[Virginia Dare]

28. What's naive is to think..

that some old guy is squatting in a cave someplace planning this. What's naive is giving up fundamental civil liberties in the name of security.

[JDPriestly]

25. No one is suggesting ignoring the threats.

Threats are one thing. Causing and allowing horrible things to happen is a Bush specialty. His regime has been a series of calamities and disasters. There are three possible explanations: 1) He causes them to happen for political purposes; 2) He allows them to happen either out of incompetence or for political purposes; 3) God or fate or whatever you want to call it does not like him, and is trying to tell the American people to get the man and his supporters out of office.
It isn't that we don't believe that terrorist acts might occur. It is just that it is laughably predictable that the terrorist warnings will increase as the 2008 election draws closer. This is precisely what has happened in every election season since 9/11. The election approaches; the terrorist warnings increase. It is predictable. It is political. Yes, terrorism could happen. But even more surely, the Republicans will use warnings about terrorism to improve their election chances.

The best way to handle the threats is to get the Republicans out of office and clean up Washington. We need to replace these Republicans and their cronyism with people who will appoint individuals with the knowledge and experience to handle the threats. It is inconceivable that terrorism is still the mighty threat to our own country that it was when Bush took office.

Bush has had a free ride. Until 2006, he had a Republican Congress. 9/11 generated a lot of sympathy for America overseas including in Iran and elsewhere. Bush squandered it all. That is the only reason that the threat of terrorism is as great now as it was before 9/11. Bush is a squanderer, a profligate borrow and spender -- not just of money, but of good will. He does not know how to feel or show respect for others. He understands no limitations. He has no sense of dignity. He is a fool. The years of his administration have been wasted.

In no area is Bush's incompetence more apparent than in the area of fighting terrorism.

We have legions of former housewives and unemployed factory workers searching our dirty underwear in airports and, in some instances, using tasers on exhausted travelers, but we still face this vague terrorism threat. Meanwhile, we lose half a city to a hurricane and the Bush administration shows little enthusiasm to put the displaced citizens of the city back in their homes. On top of that, millions of Americans have been displaced from jobs that paid well and challenged them into jobs that pay little and bore them. Millions are losing their homes. Terrorism is but one in a litany of horrors that the American people are experiencing, in part thanks to Bush's policies, in part thanks to Bush's incompetence. So, just as we are numbed to the repeated stories of Bush's violations of law and the corruption of his administration, we are somewhat numbed to terrorist warnings.

[NJSecularist]

26. What are you talking about?

1) He causes them to happen for political purposes;

Can you give one example of this?

Listen, I will be the first to admit that the Bush administration is incompetent. But to not recognize the threat of the possibility of terrorists attacking us again is naive. To attempt to attribute this latest warning to political gamesmanship and not a real threat is naive.

[JDPriestly]

27. Bush wanted to be a war president

So he went into Iraq. He was already in Afghanistan, but somehow that was not enough for him. He insisted on going into Iraq. Now he claims that our soldiers are the victims of Al Qaeda terrorist attacks in Iraq. I have never been to Iraq. I have no idea whether what he is saying is true. But, assuming for sake of argument that it is true, we know that the Al Qaeda terrorists were not in Iraq before we invaded. Hussein would not let them get a foothold. We have allowed them to get a foothold. Therefore, "j'accuse." Bush caused the terrorist acts there to happen -- so that he could be a war president, i.e., for political purposes.

Any more questions?

[spanone]

29. they're working for mccain now

[Canuckistanian]

30. Al Qaeda #2s are like Ensigns on Star Trek

They suddenly appear, get to say a few things then get killed or captured.