Increased chatter from Al Qaeda has been detected.

[Ed Suspicious]

Just heard on my local news that there is an elevated risk of terrorist attack and that Americans and Europeans need to be on the lookout. Those who detected the chatter have no specifics, and a terrorist attack could be in the works anytime anywhere. So stay vigilant.


...And thank the dogs for our intelligence agencies.

I wonder if we are now at "threat level orange" or something.

[JaneyVee]

1. Americans traveling abroad.

[hrmjustin]

2. This is a bit scary! But we got to live our lives.

[DJ13]

3. An increased need for Al Qaeda in the news has been detected

[Ed Suspicious]

4. That was my thought.

[Raksha]

17. Mine too. n/t

[GlashFordan]

5. Exactly!!! Just what the authoritarian propagandists needed nt

[AgingAmerican]

7. The Qaedas are coming!!

nt

[GlashFordan]

11. I think it's time for enhanced interrogation and

Increased electronic surveillance!!

[rl6214]

60. I thought it was just Al

Not all the Quedas.

[Ed Suspicious]

9. It was a completely worthless story. It showed some camo-clothed middle easterners with machine

guns pointed to the air, and it gave zero details. The only concrete in the story was that an increase in Al Qaeda chatter has been detected. No supporting details and no explanation why increased chatter is expected to equal elevated risk of terrorism. It's like the report was the most terrifying thing intended to instill a sense of unease and even terror.

[RC]

26. What no map showing the locations of all the #2's.

They're slipping.

[Ed Suspicious]

31. lol, most dangerous job I know of. Al Qaeda's #2. I wonder if they know they're the #2 of if that

promotion is awarded by the U.S. government posthumously.

[wandy]

19. The need for Al Qaeda news would be my first thought. Or..........

Somehow Al Qaeda or somebody else found out how our security systems worked.

Now come on folk, if you somehow found out how someone you really didn't like's security system works, would you not jerk their chain?
If you were, say George W Bush wouldn't it be great fun to jerk Saddam Hussein's chain if you somehow learned how to do it.

Then and again our great country does occasionally tell us little white lyes. Who know maybe we will have the color of the day again.
Oh darn, I'm all out of duct tape.

Ya just never know.

[RC]

24. The NSA needs to prove they can do what they were setup to do.

Instead of being too busy spying on private US citizens going about their business.

They'll find someone, even if they have to do another sting. Either that, or we will do a drone attack on some more "terrorests" just in time to save their hide the day.

[Abukhatar]

53. uh what for?

That's the typical cynical response but really no reason for the gov to do this ( wag the dog ) at this point. Would have made more sense the day after Snowden first surfaced.
The repubs have been very successful in defining the gov as bad that anything they do is automatically suspect

[AgingAmerican]

6. It's Eastasia!

Goldstein isn't really dead!

Sounds like they are doing damage control from the NSA nonsense.

We didn't fall for this crap when Bush was president and we don't fall for it now.

[NewThinkingChance40]

8. The timing is funny...

seems like a CYA move.

[jberryhill]

23. Bush didn't fall for this kind of thing

[AgingAmerican]

40. ??

nt

[jberryhill]

46. He didn't let warnings bother him

[AgingAmerican]

56. That's because they were fake

nt

[Autumn]

10. I fucking hate it when we go to "threat level orange".

It's so hard to accessorize orange. That color and colors that go good with orange just don't look good on me.

[niyad]

16. I know what you mean--orange is soooo not my colour. I mean, I love pumpkins, but not to wear.

[Autumn]

18. Why not threat level plum, or teal? Orange

[niyad]

22. I look good in teal.

[Autumn]

25. Me too, and it's one of my favorite colors.

But I guess if we are going back to terror, terror, terror there's just nothing on the terror scale that teal looks good with. Now I'm going to be sad. If I go to Cripple Creek and wear my jeans and lucky teal top and the terror alert goes to red or orange, I'm screwed.

[niyad]

35. on the other hand, if we wait until sept--can wear gold when the aspens turn.

[Autumn]

55. That's my favorite time of the year there.

When I was a child we would go camping and fishing up in that area. Lord, I remember waking up in the morning in that old canvas Army tent and there would be frost on the roof. Mom caught a 12 inch trout in a small stream with her hands. That place sure has changed from 55 years ago.

[PowerToThePeople]

39. This is what Orange makes me think of

[dipsydoodle]

52. Makes me think of Agent Orange

.

[Brother Buzz]

12. We don't know what threat level we're at after Tommy quit and took his flags home with him

[Jesus Malverde]

13. Look sharp

[Ed Suspicious]

14. Lol. I love that show!

[niyad]

15. let's see--snowden gets asylum, and suddenly, embassies are closing, and there are "unspecified"

threats and chatter popping up all over. agent mikey, you don't mind if I dont have the vapours over this, do you? come on guys, you need a new schtick. this one is seriously OLD.

[Autumn]

20. Eerily reminiscent. I think I've seen this movie or read this book before.

It really didn't work then and it sure as hell doesn't work now.

[Warpy]

21. The kiddie crayon alert system was discarded

right after Stupid was rigged back into office in 2004, after it had done its job of scaring the crap out of people in the heartland who had a near zero chance of ever seeing a terrorist drive through town, let alone attack it.

[jberryhill]

28. Or even a tourist for that matter

Hell, there are places where they probably think we're in a war against tourism.

And support it.

[Warpy]

30. yeah, I was never madder at Rum Dumb than I was in 2004

when they wouldn't let me knit on a flight from Orlando to NM, even though I'd been able to knit on the flight out. They'd changed that stupid alert system from yellow to orange to scare the rubes. Sadly, it worked but it didn't work on me.

I was furious.

[jberryhill]

36. Who needs a wool scarf in Orlando

Sounds suspicious to me.

You know what they say:

If you SEE anything, SAY anything.

[Warpy]

38. It was a sweater, actually, and I could have done a whole sleeve on that flight

and I certainly did need it in NM, it gets cold in the high desert in winter.

[Vanje]

27. Stay Scared! Your government works best....

when it's people are scared out of their wits.

Compliant citizens shiver alone in their houses.

[Common Sense Party]

42. Wait! Is this 2004?

[Mr. David]

29. Chimps chattering increase level

And nothing happens.

[donco]

32. Whole lotta

CHATTER outta Al Qaeda central wondering WTF?

[IDemo]

33. One thing is for sure

AQ#2 is sh*#%ing bricks about now..

[sabrina 1]

67. Which #2? Don't they always have several of them?

[Catherina]

34. Some analysts & Congressional officials suggested Friday that emphasizing a terrorist threat now...

It is unusual for the United States to come across discussions among senior Qaeda operatives about operational planning — through informants, intercepted e-mails or eavesdropping on cellphone calls. So when the high-level intercepts were collected and analyzed this week, senior officials at the C.I.A., State Department and White House immediately seized on their significance. Members of Congress have been provided classified briefings on the matter, officials said Friday.

...

Some analysts and Congressional officials suggested Friday that emphasizing a terrorist threat now was a good way to divert attention from the uproar over the N.S.A.’s data-collection programs, and that if it showed the intercepts had uncovered a possible plot, even better.

The bulletin by the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs did not advise against travel to any particular country, but it warned Americans to be particularly mindful of their surroundings, especially in tourist areas, and recommended that they register their travel plans with the State Department.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/03/world/middleeast/qaeda-messages-prompt-us-terror-warning.html?hp

[Buns_of_Fire]

47. Other than statutory requirements, I never understood why

the intelligence agencies bother to give "classified briefings" to congresscritters.

1) the agencies are only going to tell Congress what they want them to know, anyway;

2) I'd wager a majority of congresscritters wouldn't understand any ramifications even if you took Ron Popeil's "Flavor Injector" and pumped it up their butts (keep in mind that Michele Bachmann is on the House Intelligence Committee); and

3) if it's "classified" and they're sworn to secrecy, how is that supposed to help anybody but those selected members (except to perhaps advise them not to schedule any campaign stops in Possum Wallow, Virginia, between June 15 and June 18, inclusive)?

[kestrel91316]

37. Terra terra terra!!! Obama needs to get Bush's holdovers OUT of

the Executive branch. They are NOT helping matters.

[Common Sense Party]

41. Good thing we got rid of Chimpy and the whole BFEE so we no longer have to play

the terrorism emotional roller coaster game! Thank goodness we have adults in charge who wouldn't dream of trying to frighten or distract the masses.

[Nevernose]

43. Shit, are we still fighting al Qaeda?

I thought we were at war with Oceania!?! I'm so confused!

[davidpdx]

44. For the knee jerkers

Here is the actual story:

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the continued potential for terrorist attacks, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, and possibly occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula. Current information suggests that al-Qa’ida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August. This Travel Alert expires on August 31, 2013.

Terrorists may elect to use a variety of means and weapons and target both official and private interests. U.S. citizens are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure. Terrorists have targeted and attacked subway and rail systems, as well as aviation and maritime services. U.S. citizens should take every precaution to be aware of their surroundings and to adopt appropriate safety measures to protect themselves when traveling.

We continue to work closely with other nations on the threat from international terrorism, including from al-Qa'ida. Information is routinely shared between the U.S. and our key partners in order to disrupt terrorist plotting, identify and take action against potential operatives, and strengthen our defenses against potential threats.

This was a worldwide travel alert which is issued on a periodic basis by the State Department. I live overseas and get emails on any changes in security worldwide or near where I live.

Note: This is only the first three paragraphs

[xfundy]

45. Increased chatter from those who wish to destroy America?

It's on Fox Noise every day. Doesn't take too much to see it. It's there.

[forestpath]

48. They hate us for our freedom.

Waiting for the Obama admin. to trot that out.

[agent46]

49. Dogs and cats living together!

Mass hysteria!

[Eddie Haskell]

50. More like, threat level cringe.

We're supplying Al Qaeda with weapons in Syria so they can use them on us. That way, we can justify our MIC expenditures and continue spying on US citizens. Yep, it all makes sense.

[snappyturtle]

51. Dear Americans traveling in the Middle East or northern Africa:

Be vwery,vwery careful. Stay alert when traveling by land, sea or air.
If you encounter problems, keep in mind the embassies are closed.

[Aerows]

54. Oh look

The NSA is coming under intense scrutiny and there was even a vote to defund some portions of it.

Now there's an Al-Qaeda threat!!!!11

If this wasn't such an insult to the intelligence of the American populace, it would be laughable it's so transparent.

[ConcernedCanuk]

57. Aw hell, they're probably just laughing at the USA

.
.
.

cuz they can't touch Snowden,

even though they can "drone" people to death in other places.

Ya see,

Snowden is in a country with a REAL military,

and nukes.

Besisdes - they might be using a method the USA has used for decades -

PSYOPs

"hey -let's "terrorize" the USA a bit"

"They always freak when we increase our chatter!"

Al Qaeda can stay home and watch the USA squirm . . .

CC

[wtmusic]

58. See! See! We need to spy on EVERYONE to keep us safe!

What a pantload.

The more this administration carries on with these obvious PR plays the less I trust them.

[Scurrilous]

59. Suicide bombers kill 9 in botched attack on Indian consulate in eastern Afghanistan

<snip>

"Three militants wearing explosives-rigged vests killed at least nine civilians, most of them children, in a botched attack Saturday on the Indian consulate in an eastern Afghan city near the border with Pakistan, security officials said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the assault in the city of Jalalabad, and the Afghan Taliban denied in a text message that it had carried out the attack. Militant groups based in Pakistan have been blamed for past violence targeting Indian interests in Afghanistan, including two attacks on the embassy in Kabul in 2008 and 2009.

Saturday’s attack began when two men wearing explosive vests got out of a car as it approached a checkpoint outside the consulate, prompting a police guard to immediately open fire on them, said Masum Khan Hashimi, the deputy police chief for Nangarhar province. As the two sides exchanged fire, a third militant still in the car detonated a large bomb inside the vehicle.

The blast killed nine bystanders and wounded another 24 people, including a policeman. Six of the dead and three of the wounded were children, said Jalalabad hospital director Dr. Humayun Zahir. All three attackers also died, although it was not clear how many were killed by police fire and how many by the explosion."

<snip>

"Without laying the blame for the bombing on any group, Akbaruddin hinted that the assault had been planned outside Afghanistan."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/afghan-police-say-suicide-bombers-attack-indian-consulate-in-eastern-city-of-jalalabad/2013/08/03/c71a4788-fc09-11e2-89f7-8599e3f77a67_story.html

[Ed Suspicious]

62. Something could be going down somewhere at sometime by someone, so look sharp!

Something went down. See we told you.


Hey, somewhere today someone is going to get into a car accident on a highway and it will kill people so stay vigilant. This car crash prediction report contains more meat than the nefarious terror alert.

[Scurrilous]

63. It wasn't a car accident.

It was a terrorist attack on an diplomatic facility.

"There are few specific details about the Qaeda terror threat that led the State Department this week to announce the closures of 22 embassies and consulates in cities across the Muslim world Sunday and prompted U.S. officials to issue a global travel alert warning Americans everywhere to take special precautions."

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-33816_162-57596866/u.s-embassy-closures-indicate-real-and-significant-plot-from-serious-terrorist-group-expert-says/

Looks like the alert had merit.

[Ed Suspicious]

65. Looks that way to you. To me it looks like an informed coincidence. What exactly do you suppose

the alert did to help people? How might future blanket non specific alerts help people? Should we stock up on duct tape and plastic and board up our homes? How should one react to a terror alert that covers all potential targets on three continents and gives no other specific information? I believe I've heard there is a one in 20 million chance you will die in a terrorist attack. 1 in 600,000 chance of dying of lightning strike. 33.4 times more likely to die of lightning strike than terror attack. How efficiently can we predict lightning strikes? How accurately are we able to predict terrorist attack?

The warnings are junk. They are useless to public safety, they are much more useful as a tool of public control.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

61. chatter - they were arguing about who is going to be No. 2

[sabrina 1]

68. I think they were chattering about Cameron in the UK expressing second thoughts about funding

them in Syria.

[Skip Intro]

64. All this on the day CNN breaks huge Benghazi story on CIA gun-running.

Distraction through fear. Where have we seen this before?

[mokawanis]

66. Should I leave the house today?

Might be some of them al qaeda fuckers hiding in the bushes or laying in wait at the little shop where I buy donuts.