Bin Laden Tape Won't Raise Security Level

[cal04]

The U.S. has no plans to raise the security threat level because of a new tape of Osama bin Laden saying al-Qaida is planning attacks, counterterrorism officials said Thursday. The White House firmly rejected bin Laden's suggestion of a negotiated truce. "We don't negotiate with terrorists," Vice President Dick Cheneysaid in a television interview. "I think you have to destroy them."

Counterterror officials said they have seen no specific or credible intelligence to indicate an upcoming al-Qaida attack on the United States. Nor have they noticed an uptick in terrorist communications "chatter" — although that can dramatically increase or decrease immediately before an attack. The audiotape, released by the Arab television network Al-Jazeera, brought new attention to the al-Qaida leader after a yearlong lull in his public statements.

The Homeland Security Department said it would not raise the national threat alert at this time. But the tape prompted increased security at Los Angeles International Airport and other precautions at the city's port and water and power facilities. "At this time, we lack corroborating information suggesting that al-Qaida is prepared to attack the United States in the near term," said Homeland Security spokeswoman Michelle Petrovich. "But we recognize that al-Qaida remains committed to striking the homeland."

The FBI has asked the 103 joint terrorism task forces and intelligence units at its 56 field offices to re-examine its cases and investigative leads in light of the bin Laden tape. "Do you see something in your area of operation that might be assessed as more significant than it was the day before?" said an FBI official on condition of anonymity because he was discussing an internal FBI communication. The national terror threat level currently stands at yellow, the middle of five grades, signifying an elevated risk of attack. The government has raised the alert level to orange, signaling a high threat risk, seven times since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060120/ap_on_go_ot/us_al_qaida_tape_17

[DRoseDARs]

1. "...but we reserve the right to find other means of scare-mongering." nt

[TomInTib]

2. Further proof of the bs factor. nt

[kurth]

3. Osama took spotlight away from Al Gore speech & Medicare clusterfuck

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

[Betty]

4. Cheney keeps saying that there have been no further attacks

in the US since 9/11, which jjustifies all the eroding of our civil liberties, the spying on American citizens, etc. etc. etc. What will he say if bin laden is telling the truth, and there is another attack?????

[thebigidea]

5. "we don't negotiate with terrorists - we hire corrupt warlords to instead"

who does that bloated sack of shit think he's kidding? For all his tough "destroy" talk, the one chance he did have to do some destroying, he decided to piddle around with Northern Alliance douchebags instead.

[TechBear_Seattle]

6. Yet. But when * needs another media diversion.... n/t

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

7. Bush's protection negates the need to raise the security level...

...it's industrial strength. Don't forget...Dick Cheney said that if John Kerry were elected, "the danger is that we'll get hit again," and we haven't been hit again, so it must be the direct result of Bush protecting us. Well, Bush AND Cheney, so it's double protection. Like a condom with added spermicide. DOUBLE PROTECTION.

[donkeyotay]

15. Sept 7th, 2004, the vice terrist speaks

In Des Moines, Cheney went beyond previous restraints to suggest that the country would be more vulnerable to attack under Kerry. "It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on November 2nd, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the danger is that we'll get hit again," the vice president said, "that we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States, and that we'll fall back into the pre-9/11 mind-set, if you will, that in fact these terrorist attacks are just criminal acts and that we are not really at war."

Please people, don't fall back into a pre-9-11 mind-set like where we live under the rule of law and have a quaint document called a Constitution. Big Daddy will take care of you. They've done such a fine job so far.

[PatrioticLeftie]

8. Boy, that sure isn't conspicuous!

[RedEarth]

9. Won't Raise Security Level ...... not until just before the Nov elections

[Kool Kitty]

10. Well, why would they?

This is too convenient. Too many questions about the Abramoff scandals, the shitty response to Hurricane Katrina, Bush hitting new lows in the polls. Must be time to scare us again....

On edit: Much has been said on the TeeVee about how they are sure that this tape was made in December. How do they know that? Was Osama wearing a Santa hat? Was he sitting on Santa's lap? Was he sitting in front of a Christmas tree, eating a figgy pudding? Oy.

[Clutch Cargo]

11. Why should we raise the level?

Some asshole sitting and shitting in a cave doesn't really instill fear in me.

[LynnTheDem]

12. Especially now we're slaughtering all them damn Iraqis, huh.

Fuck the 911 mastermind! We gotta git that thar OIL!

[pinniped]

13. We only raise the teeeeerrrrrrrrrra level before the (s)elections!

It was OK to raise it all the damm time back then. Smart people are getting wise to their con game. I always knew it was a farce.

How about a 1+1 combo Osama/al-Zarqawi tape?:scared:

How about a 1+1+1 combo Osama/al-Zarqawi/al-Zawahri tape?:scared:

[Justitia]

14. They're too busy going after the REAL terrorists - American Democrats! nt

[m0nkeyneck]

16. not effective unless election's are less than a few months away

[young_at_heart]

17. How many times has it been raised since the election?

Once more, credibility is on the line. Why isn't there more outrage?