WP: As Jan. 20 Nears, Terror Warnings Drop

[kskiska]

Faulty Intelligence, Dated Information Led to Cautions

Tuesday, January 18, 2005; Page A01

In April, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced that al Qaeda terrorists might strike during this week's presidential inauguration festivities in Washington. The warning was part of a drumbeat sounded by U.S. officials throughout 2004 that terrorists were seeking to launch attacks both during and after the election season.

Nine months later, the threat level has been lowered, and Ridge, speaking at a news conference last week, said there is no evidence of a plot to disrupt President Bush's inauguration. Previous warnings, Ridge explained, stemmed from threat reports tied to the elections -- not to the inauguration more than two months later.

"There is nothing that we've seen, not just today, but over the period of the preceding several weeks, that gives us any reason to even consider, at this point, raising the threat level," Ridge said. "Normally, it's an aggregation of information we receive that we conclude is credible over a period of time. But there's absolutely nothing out there that would suggest we should even think about it."

The shift in rhetoric about the dangers posed by terrorists during the inauguration marks the latest retreat from last year's terrorism warnings, which, in retrospect, were based largely on faulty intelligence, dated information or -- as with the inauguration -- an educated guess.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16499-2005Jan17.html

[3days]

1. The election is over

Time to drop the threat level,

[Borgnine]

2. What a surprise. n/t

[grilled onions]

3. Gee Who Would Have Guessed

But why can't the sheeple connect the dots? :crazy:

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. My god now I have to change my clothes

to match this new national mood ring... gosh what do to now?

;-)

[cruadin]

6. Nice visual imagery. Where are we now? Orange? Fuchsia?

Does anybody even know anymore?

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Fushia? I don't think I have anything that goes with Fuchia

Gosh the mall is closed, or will be closed soon... I need to go get a new outfit to match... and do my patriotic duty... what goes well with Fuschia?

:-)

Thanks by the way... but I think we are on Light Orange, they will NEVER go to green.

[Sparkly]

5. Well how conveeeeeeeeeeeenient. n/t

[rodeodance]

7. the calm before the storm?

[Straight Shooter]

8. We can't be having Americans worried about anything ruining the big day

Can these people in the Monkey Palace be more transparent? Is it even possible? If bush ran naked through the streets screaming, "I'm a liar, a thief, a cheat, and a giggling murderer," would any of his supporters see him for what he is or listen to him?

Nope. I don't think so.

[proReality]

10. We'll change color...

just before it's time to attack Iran, then again for Syria and eventually we'll get around to Venezuela. The only change in clothes we'll need is from civies to cammies.

[genieroze]

11. I'm not gonna say a thing. lol eom

[Blower]

12. Well, that isn't the ONLY special thing....

Wouldn't ya know it? A big political ruse, the whole thing. And profitable...

http://www.ideamouth.com/politics/

Also


"Of Pet Goats, and Ninny-Nanny Justice”
- Twisted Tale of Three Sept 11th “Players”
- US Wheels of Justice “Running Amok”
By Dan Spillane, The Liberty Whistle (SEATTLE) 01/11/05 - Unlike the thousands of victims of September 11th--and virtually alone amongst millions of Americans on that day-a select few had fair warning of the imminent disaster, and had the power to act.

The first man, Mr. Elgindy, made a living in the stock market, and had no official responsibility to others, yet he acted with diligence in his job capacity, and took actions based on what was so clear from intelligence data, which apparently came from the FBI. On the night of September 10th 2001, drawing on official pre-911 intelligence, he made his move to profit from what was to happen. The first man bet the stock market was going to crash--and soon.

The second man, Mr. Bush, was elected (or appointed) into the highest job in the US, with responsibility for hundreds of millions of lives--but he did little; that is, he acted at odds with his job responsibilities. On the night of September 10th 2001--drawing on the same intelligence as the first man--the President embarked on a trip to sunny Florida…to read “My Pet Goat,” apparently after taking what he saw as the appropriate approach to the Sept 11th intelligence-he made sure Halliburton was awarded a “WMD Contract” that day. (1) Undoubtedly, this vacation helped the President ponder many things--including strategies for dealing with the impending doom of a stock scandal involving his best friend that few others knew about. But the full story of this friend--a third man, Mr. Lay--is a tale for another day…that hasn’t come yet.

You see, as a result of the inaction of the second man, Mr. Bush, thousands of people died. And yet, so far, he has adamantly and effectively denied responsibility for his mistake. His “performance” has gone so well in fact-that he was able to throw the wheels of justice into reverse, and grind out benefit for himself…yes, Bush was re-elected. Indeed, as Time Magazine so eloquently states, the second man was named not only President of the United States, but the 2004 “Man of the Year“ for “reframing reality to match his desires.”

Yet what of the first man, Mr. Elgindy, and of justice? Well, as fate would have it, the first man is under investigation by none other than a “big wheel” run by Bush-that is, by the US Justice Department. In fact, all the details surrounding Elgindy’s Sept 11th foreknowledge (which the Bush administration no doubt shared) were conveniently delayed until after the Bush was re-elected. And why not? The “non-partisan” September 11th Committee remained sketchy in their report concerning financial market activities before the tragedy.

The question now arises, why is the first man bound for prison, whereas the second and third men are not? If the first man is blamed for doing his job, why isn’t the second man blamed for not doing his? And why is the first man under the wheels of justice of the second man? In short, if it is true that the first man was able to draw on intelligence to predict the September 11th attacks, when it wasn’t his job, why couldn’t the second man do the same, sitting in the Oval Office? Do the wheels of justice stop--and even run backwards--depending on which man is in question?

[daleo]

13. But what about Al-Quaeda's (supposed) limo bombs?

On another thread - the press likes to keep people guessing.

[fortyfeetunder]

14. Did your gasoline prices fall also?

These are the cheapest prices I've seen in 6 months around here....

[radfringe]

16. gas went up 10-cents in our area

seemingly overnight..

[radfringe]

15. bush* also got a bump in the polls

after his response to the Tsunami...

pre-September 11 his numbers were in the toilet and September 11 bailed him out of that one

pre-Iraq invasion his numbers were heading for the toilet -- then went up after invading Iraq

pre-Tsunami his numbers were below 50% approval

Polls at the moment are showing that 52% think Iraq Invasion was a mistake -- if that number holds or increases -- look out -- more terra-lerts will be on the way

and for good measure they'll ramp up the IRAN IS GOING TO NUKE US blather