CD in Iraq Said to Have U.S. Schools Info

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Think this is real or a last ditch attemp by the BFEE? I mean all the school districts are in states with a large amount of electoral votes.

By BEN FELLER, AP Education Writer

WASHINGTON - Federal law enforcement authorities notified six school districts in five states last month that a CD found by the U.S. military in Iraq contained crisis-planning information about their schools, two U.S. officials said Thursday.

The downloaded information found in Iraq in July — all publicly available on the Internet — included an Education Department report guiding schools on how to prepare and respond to a crisis, one official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.


The official said FBI Special agents in charge in the areas mentioned in the downloaded material — Georgia, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey and two districts in California — went to those school districts about three weeks ago to inform education officials there.


He said there were serious questions about whether the military's find in July represented any threat; for instance, it could have come from someone innocently involved in civic planning, specifically school planning.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=533&e=2&u=/ap/20041008/ap_on_re_us/schools_warnings

[sandnsea]

1. Civic planning

My first thought, some civil worker trying to figure out how to make Iraqi schools safer. The worst part of this is that you can't believe anything this administration says anymore.

[NashVegas]

2. Either That

Or invading Iraq has truly made us unsafer.

Is that a word?

[annabanana]

10. planning for October......

are they planning to deploy troops to those places to secure polling places? Ashcroft ALWAYS keeps the tin foil tingling.

[Newsjock]

3. Gee, who would be burning CDs in Iraq in July?

"Hey, major! You gonna be suckin' bandwidth all night with that pr0n? We've gotta download the new Destiny's Child single!"

And notice the words in the lead:

WASHINGTON - Federal law enforcement authorities notified six school districts in five states last month

Again, they're releasing (manufacturing?) old news at what they think is an opportune time. It's beyond obscene.

[Thurston Howell IV]

4. This whole school thing reeks

It really looks like they're just trying to whip up fear among the "soccer/security" moms. Unfortunately, they're too naive to understand they're being manipulated.

[thecrow]

5. The downloaded information found in Iraq in July — all publicly available

I think that says it all.
So what?
Downloaded internet information???
This is a terra alarm?

Now if they found it in Osama's backpack, I might be worried, but it sounds like a non-event.

Here's a thought:
Schools (or anyone) shouldn't put stuff online that they don't want public. I'm really shocked that so many teenagers are putting stuff out there with the online "journals". Google caches are eternal.

[Carolab]

6. right on schedule

(October 07, 2004 -- 02:41 PM EDT // link // print)
AP: "The Education Department has advised school leaders nationwide to watch for people spying on their buildings or buses to help detect any possibility of terrorism like the deadly school siege in Russia. The warning follows an analysis by the FBI and the Homeland Security Department of the siege that killed nearly 340 people, many of them students, in the city of Beslan last month. 'The horror of this attack may have created significant anxiety in our own country among parents, students, faculty staff and other community members,' Deputy Education Secretary Eugene Hickok said in a letter to schools and education groups ... The Education Department sent its letter by e-mail Wednesday to school police, state school officers, school boards, groups representing principals and many other organizations."(emphasis added)

Pretty much on schedule, right? SURPRISE!

-- Josh Marshall

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_10_03.php#003612

[Kade]

7. Smells like GOP scare tactics to me

I about dropped a load in my pants when I saw my Elementary school in Salem, OR flash across the TV with the inference that it had been targeted by Iraqi insurgents.

Once I actually read the article it seemed pretty clear that this is nothing more than a shameless attempt to dig up old news in the hopes of scratching up a few more votes for Chimpy. The fact that this is even getting air time makes me sick. Unfortunetly all people will hear is "American schools are now targets" and for some that will be enough to swing their vote.

Shameless attempt by a desperate administration.

-Kade

[Occulus]

8. God DAMN fearmongering sons of bitches ALL OF THEM!!!

"The downloaded information found in Iraq in July — all publicly available on the Internet — included an Education Department report guiding schools on how to prepare and respond to a crisis, one official said, speaking on condition of anonymity."

Do I REALLY need to say any more? DO I???


GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE THESE PEOPLE!!! :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[anarchy1999]

9. Unbelievable. Just simply not real.

These sorry sob's. And I'd love to put alot of emoticons into this, but it is way too late in the morning for me to do so. I can't believe this is happening and yet I'm not surprised at all. I'm just so sorry for all of us here that really, truly care. Damn.

on edit,
Be careful, be watchful, "they" will probably do it. Just imagine the powerful images of a school held hostage. This nation would freeze.

[bklyncowgirl]

11. Rumson NJ, wow, I live just a few miles from there.

It's interesting that these schools are all in states with lots of electoral votes that could be persuaded to swing to Bush on security grounds. NJ in particular.

Rumson is a small, very wealthy community that was hit hard by 9/11.
You could say it's security mom central--very unlikely to vote for Kerry in any circumstances.

As suspicious as the timing of this release seems, this is going to have an effect.

[DesEtoiles]

12. See this - Security Moms for Kerry:

http://bigpath.net/politics/Security/SecurityMomsforKerry.html





And in a day or two this site will be live:

www.securitymomsforkerry.com

Please spread the word.

[annabanana]

13. Email your local affiliates on this idiotic so called "story".

Ask the assignment desk "who over there is taking orders from the RNC?". Tell them to stop scaring the children with months-old reports. Tell them that we all know what they're up to and that they should just CUT IT OUT.