L.A. Mayor Blindsided by Bush Announcement (2002 Foiled Terror Attack)

[sabra]

http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=1156837&tw=wn_wire_story


L.A. Mayor Blindsided by Bush Announcement

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Thursday he was blindsided by President Bush's announcement of new details on a purported 2002 hijacking plot aimed at a downtown skyscraper, and described communication with the White House as "nonexistent."

"I'm amazed that the president would make this (announcement) on national TV and not inform us of these details through the appropriate channels," the mayor said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I don't expect a call from the president _ but somebody."

The mayor also suggested that some funding from the Iraq war could be redirected to homeland security, including the protection of high-risk targets in Los Angeles. He did not advocate an immediate withdrawal of troops.

"I go to work every day knowing that we are a target," the mayor said.

[Atman]

1. Don't worry, Mr. Mayor...your city was never in danger

Bush made it all up. His puppet master just got fingered, and he needed something for today's distraction.

[Tiggeroshii]

49. Well no...

The Admin is trying to make us feel protected and scared at the same time. The fact is that they have been doing the shittiest job protecting us, that we shouldn't be surprised if every metropolis in the country gets obliterated into thin air tommorrow morning by a couple of nuts.

[DBoon]

2. The progressive Democratic mayor of the second largest US City

blindsided by the Bush administration? Who would have suspected?

[alarcojon]

30. And a Latino to boot

We all know Boosh loves to pat those lovable brown people on the head every chance he gets.

I guess we shouldn't have to praise Mayor V. for telling the truth, but these days people willing to go up against Bushco are few and far between. So, gracias, alcalde!

[Dogmudgeon]

3. Hey, everybody! I'm getting married to Katie Holmes tomorrow!

I also single-handedly kept Lex Luthor from acquiring the purple Kryptonite that would turn Superman into a gay superhero!

Yeah! That's the ticket!

--p!

[IndianaGreen]

8. Lex Luthor and Professor Moriarty were part of the plot

They are Al-Qaeda's Number 2s.

[MindPilot]

11. Lex Luthor was indicted for taking bribes from Abra-ma-ma-moff

Luthor has been removed from his position as Arch-Villain-in-Chief and reassigned to supervise security at the National Kryptonite Depository.

[chrisau214]

59. Allow Me To Be the Resident Comic Book Geek

Lex Luthor became the President in the comic books. Here is the Wiki entry. Some of it is eerily familiar.

Lex became the 43rd president of the United States in 2000, winning the election on a platform of promoting technological progress (his first action as president was to take a proposed moratorium on fossil-based fuels to U.S. Congress in hopes of putting "a flying car in every garage").

Despite Luthor's more villainous traits, he was assisted by the extreme unpopularity of the previous administration due to its mishandling of the Gotham City earthquake crisis. Ironically, Batman would ultimately learn that Luthor was involved in the mishandling of the entire Gotham City rebuilding process, resulting in Bruce to sever all military contract ties between the U.S. government and his company Wayne Enterprises in protest of Lex Luthor's election as President. Luthor responded in kind by ordering the murder of Batman's lover Vesper Fairchild and framing Bruce Wayne for the murder.

An early triumph of his political career was the Our Worlds At War crisis, in which he coordinated the U.S. Army, Earth's superheroes and a number of untrustworthy alien forces to battle the story's villain, Imperiex. However, as it would later be revealed, Lex knew about the alien invasion in advance and did nothing to alert Earth's heroes to it.



Chris

[Dogmudgeon]

34. Al-Qaeda's Number 2s?

If that's the case, then the real question is: do they wipe?

--p!
Please don't squeeze the Conspiracy!

[IronLionZion]

53. Al Qaeda has a lot of number 2's

I mean a lot. Every time we get one, 5 more pop up in his place.

[IndianaGreen]

63. Obviously, Al-Qaeda is a flat organization

There is only one Number One, and the rest are all Number 2s, that organize themselves into self-directed teams.

It is also apparent that those that join Al-Qaeda are required to submit a DNA sample to the Pentagon. This is to allow the Pentagon to claim that DNA collected on bodies that were taken away by insurgents matches the DNA of an Al-Qaeda Number 2.

I think I finally understand their spin.

[liberal N proud]

4. First thought when I heard that bu$h stop alkida...

It sure is easy to say I did that two years ago.

If they were so damn intent on selling security to the American people and that they, the repukes, make us safer, then why was this not BIG FUCKING news when in happened?
Were was Billy O'Really and Kattie Couric and Tweety blabbering, drooling allover this back then. I think something this big they would have been looky here and we all would remember it.

[ShockediSay]

51. US didn't kill the plot, Asian countries did

and what does this have to do with illegal wiretapping?

NOTHING, except provide a big distraction

What did Bush have to do with foiling the plot

NOTHING - - good thing they have some competent people in Asia


The only thing Bush seems to be competent at here is laying in the fog.

[katty]

5. Antonio, look, bush is a certifiable idiot...he's desperate

[Az_lefty]

6. don't sweat it Mayor, bush is lying again.

[AngryOldDem]

58. That was my first thought

This "disclosure" was just a little too convenient, if you ask me.

[HereSince1628]

7. Ya know, it woulda helped the liar's credibility if the LA Mayor confirmed

that he had been notified.

It doesn't take a genius to figure that out and Bush has KARL THE MALIFICENT, I mean MAGNIFICENT!

I think this contributes to reasonable doubt that Bush is telling the truth.

[wordpix2]

36. you are right---this doesn't help *'s credibility at all that the mayor

was kept in dark

[MindPilot]

9. We all know the douche-in-chief is dissembling again,

but instead of dismissing it as such let's assume he isn't.

So they have credible evidence to the point of knowing the target building, the method of attack, and the nationality of the attackers. However with all that information, nobody even told the fucking MAYOR of Los fucking Angeles that they were in danger!? Were they planning on letting it happen AGAIN?!

Does anyone think for a moment that any Democrat will stand up and demand to know why? No, they'll just let this one pass too.

[JudyM]

26. and does he ever need a line of coke ...

[wordpix]

55. he'll be grabbing Jim Bean soon

[PhilipShore]

10. USA Today/AP: LA mayor cites 'nonexistent' communication on threat

USA Today/AP
LA mayor cites 'nonexistent' communication on threat
2/9/2006

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-02-09-villaraigosa_x.htm

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Thursday he was blindsided by President Bush's announcement of new details on a purported 2002 hijacking plot aimed at a downtown skyscraper, and described communication with the White House as "nonexistent."

[Catchawave]

42. Coming up on Olbermann NOW :)

[SillyGoose]

12. Of course the mayor got blindsided...it was all bullshit to begin with.

There's no way they would have skipped informing the mayor about a major threat like that.

[HootieMcBoob]

18. Not only that but...

Do you think for a minute that they wouldn't have been screaming about this from the day it happened? They tell us every two months that they've killed the number 2 man in al quieda.

[ronnykmarshall]

13. Now watch Antonio get attacked.

IF this "plot" would have been true, then-Mayor Hahn would have known about this and passed that info on to Villaraigosa.

[umtalal]

46. We got his back. We will protect him and our city. n/t

[ronnykmarshall]

48. Dats rite!!!

Our Mayor rocks!

[DemInDistress]

14. sabra..your post about Jill Carroll could not be opened...

why?

[sabra]

15. what do you mean? locked?

[DemInDistress]

17. Yes..it said,"this page cant be opened without a specific browser

what does that mean? Locked? Sounded interesting that story..

[Beetwasher]

16. When I Stopped The Alien Invasion, I Forgot To Tell People About It Too

Just sorta slipped my mind that I should let the officials know about it.

Look, can we really blame Chimpy here? I mean, he was probably so excited that he stopped this attack it just didn't occur to him he should tell the mayor about it.

[Sleepless In NY]

20. Wait, Didnt bush claim the same about NY& Rudy didn't "know"

about it either? It was after 9/11, bush administration had made claims about another possible attack yet didn't inform Rudy about it either? Racking my brain trying to remember. I notice it isn't on CNN's "Top 10 list" of thwarted attacks. Anyone remember or have a link for that? This whole thing smells.

[whyzayker]

38. From Mar 5, 2002

Bush Administration blasted for silence on nuclear threat.

New York's top elected leaders -- plus former Mayor Rudy Giuliani --
unleashed a barrage of criticism yesterday at the Bush
administration's decision to withhold information about a suspected
nuclear attack on the city.

The doomsday threat, received by top federal officials in October, was
kept under wraps because of concerns it might panic an already
terror-ravaged city, Time magazine reported this week.

But state and city officials -- from Gov. Pataki to Mayor Bloomberg to
leaders in Congress -- criticized the information blackout yesterday
as a serious breach that underscored the need for better communication
among law enforcement agencies.

"That is a dereliction of duty on the part of whomever in the federal
government knew about this alleged threat," said Sen. Hillary Clinton
(D-N.Y.), visibly angry.

more;
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.politics.democrats.d/browse_thread/thread/125126fc03ada8c2/f426336613bce667%23f426336613bce667?sa=X&oi=groupsr&start=0&num=3

[6000eliot]

19. It's. A. Lie.

That's why you weren't told, Mr. Mayor.

[oneighty]

23. If the Mayor

had been notified about a phony attack and the Mayor took proper precautions and people were injured and/or killed in the resulting panic/escape

Who gets blamed for crying fire in the auditorium?

There was no attack planned it is bull shit.

180

[leftofcool]

21. everybody knows.........

that the West Coast is a target for terrorists so it should be no surprise that our idiot in chief single handedly thwarted an attack by Al Kaida.

Left of Cool

[savemefromdumbya]

22. Didn't Bush bother to tell the Mayor

LOL!

[0007]

24. Another laugher! With junior on everyday, his act is getting better

and better.....I'm gonna start watchin, this is first class comedy.

[Auntie Bush]

40. I hope bush* gets an Oscar for best comedy. He sure deserves it!

[mitchum]

25. * must think that his supporters are as stupid as he is

Ooops! They are

[IsItJustMe]

27. I laughed when I heard this one. Are we scared yet?

When will it ever end.

[MsKandice01]

28. Could that possibly be because he MADE IT UP?

Nooooooo, he couldn't have done that. Our Commander-in-Chief doesn't lie!

[HuffleClaw]

29. of course he wasn't told

how could he be told about something that never happened?

[livvy]

31. Was there a point to him sharing this little doozie?...

I could understand if it was American intelligence that had thwarted the evil plot, but the article says:

"The president said the plot was derailed when a Southeast Asian nation arrested a key al-Qaida operative. Bush did not name the country or the operative."

So what point was he trying to make exactly? Unfortunately, some dumber than dogdoo people are going to read all sorts of garbage into this profound sharing of top-secret information.

So, I guess I just answered my own question, didn't I?

Have I mentioned yet today how much I abhor the nitwit and his malicious troop?

:grr:

[winston61]

32. why does anyone believe this?

This is a guy who would lie if you asked him what color the sky was and we're supposed to believe this? Think about it, because of 'national security' reasons who can check on this tale?

[BadGimp]

47. It's like livvy said..

We are a nation of

"dumber than dogdoo people"

[Rex]

33. The reason he didn't contact you is because they made it up!

Silly mayor.

[wordpix2]

35. a problem that was supposed to be fixed after 9-11: communications. But I

guess Bush's War won't allow for fixing the homeland security problems here in the USA, even though DHS is a huge gov. agency with lots of money (borrowed from China, of course).

[calimary]

37. It would have been nice to get a heads-up about this.

Or maybe bush just made it up - which I'm more inclined to believe. First of all, where's any proof, or evidence of this? Second, how 'bout that track record of his - constant, non-stop, shameless, baldfaced LYING? I'm half expecting his energy secretary to pipe up saying he didn't really mean this literally either, it was just "an example."

BASTARD. Doesn't fool me - here in targeted L.A. I've never felt safe knowing he and his are at the helm.

Besides, we've got DEMOCRATS in control here. Villaraigosa is one, and just replaced another one - James Hahn. bush probably doesn't give a damn whether we get hit here or not. After all, we've got the movie industry here - and it tends to be hostile to him. In a VERY blue city. In a still-blue state (regardless of the baldfaced attempt at a wholesale takeover with their puppet, arnold). DEMOCRATS run this city. So I'm not surprised it would be little more than an afterthought to bush.

[3waygeek]

39. Not to defend Chimpy

but Villaraigosa wasn't mayor in 2002, so why would he had been told about it? Back in '02, James Hahn was mayor -- has he said anything about this yet?

[DoYouEverWonder]

41. They didn't even tell him today

that Bush was going to announce that they had thwarted this so called plot on LA. It would have been nice to give the mayor a heads up when you're going to make his city national news.

[Beaverhausen]

43. He was on the City Council - I would think they would have been told, too

[calimary]

45. You'd think so. Something like that, the mayor (then Hahn) would have

had to martial all his forces, getting all City Councilmembers in on the act to safeguard everyone in their districts. So certainly Villaraigosa would have been alerted by the then-mayor's office.

You know what tastes so sour here?

The very fact that when "my pResident" makes such a declaration, my first instinct is to doubt every last word of it. My immediate assumption is that he's just Lying. Again. He's blown his credibility so high up out of the water with me that if he said it was lunch time at high noon, I'd want a second opinion.

[ronnykmarshall]

60. Hahn said on KTKL ...

that he was NEVER told about this "attack" when he was in office.

[ronnykmarshall]

61. Hahn said he was never notified.

He was interviewed on the radio today.

[alarcojon]

67. Thanks, Ronnie

I was wondering about this.

[NVMojo]

44. Bush, the Chief of the DC liars club

Bush Says Spy Work Helped Stop 2002 Attack

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-wh/2006/feb/09/020901239.html

[f-bush]

50. Of course he's blind sided because it never happened...

anyone ever notice how when the chips are down, out come the terrorist stories and alerts. This is the most phony piece of shit administration I have ever seen!

[Peter Frank]

52. Oh well...

"After all L.A. & Cal. didn't vote for me. Hmmmmmmmm -- neither did NYC & NY."

[IronLionZion]

54. The saddest thing about this

is that we can not trust our president to tell the truth about anything! Not even the most important stuff!

[SunDrop23]

56. Blindsided because that story was totally fabricated.

An attack in L.A.

Whatever.

I've got cheap ocean front property in Nebraska.

[twaddler01]

57. Don't worry, you are in good hands

:sarcasm:

[chrisau214]

62. History Repeating Itself?

Why would * bother to tell Mayor Villaraigosa. It's not like he bothered to tell Mayor Guiliani before New York was hit. I guess making a phone call is just too much bother.


Chris

[Blackflon]

64. I hate to break it to you but

the mayor of Los Angeles, on friday, changed his story. It seems he was notified. Not by the Bush administration but by his own staff.

[alarcojon]

65. Do you have a source on that?

[Blackflon]

70. It was on the news...

The mayor came out and made a statement admitting he was indeed informed by someone from his staff.

[alarcojon]

71. Okay, I found something

Standing side by side, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and California's homeland security chief disagreed Friday over whether the Bush administration mishandled the release of new details about an alleged 2002 terrorist plot aimed at the city's tallest building.

Echoing his comments from a day earlier, Villaraigosa said he should have been notified directly by the administration that President Bush would divulge new information about the purported plot in a speech Thursday. By contrast, he said, he was alerted at home last year when the federal government confirmed a credible terrorist threat to the city.

Before Thursday's speech, "We did not get a direct call from the White House or the Department of Homeland Security in the way I was accustomed," the mayor said at a joint appearance with Matt Bettenhausen, California's top homeland security official.

"I did not overreact," the mayor added.

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/6918235/detail.html

There is a context behind your statement which you left out.

In addition, it looks like Hahn, the mayor at the time, wasn't informed.

[Blackflon]

74. It seems to me ...

that the mayor and California's homeland security chief have a communbication problem. My point was that the mayor WAS notified. He jsut didn't like the way he was notified. Sounds like sour grapes to me.

[pitohui]

66. does anyone believe this foiled attack story?

they would have mentioned this way before now, for instance, when running for re-election hello

it doesn't even sound a little bit plausible

any substance to this at all or just the usual * bullshit trying to divert attention away from drownie brownie's criticism of dept. of homeland security?

[Zambero]

68. Isn't it great that the Feds & local gov'ts are talking to each other now?

Yup, we're in a post-9/11 world now and we've sure learned our lesson about sharing vital intelligence and working together for the common good. Thank you Mr. President for including all levels of government, with the notable exception of the 2nd largest city in the country, in the ongoing War Against Terror!

[Raine]

69. Villaraigosa's TERRIFIC

he let those assholes know that he's going to stand up to them! :thumbsup:

[goforit]

72. Arnold will come to your rescue.

[dailykoff]

73. They didn't brief him for the same reason they didn't do it,

probably: no fat-cat GOP mayor to ride the terra wave, unlike NYC.

Or maybe they pitched it to Hahn and he had more sense.