US Officials Say No Terror Threat Linked To Disk With School Data-OOPS!

[KittyWampus]

U.S. officials say no terror threat linked to disk with
school data

By Curt Anderson, Associated Press, 10/8/2004 17:58

WASHINGTON (AP) Federal officials said Friday there is no terrorist connection to a computer disk found in Iraq that contained information about schools in six states.

The disk was made by an unidentified Iraqi man who was doing research and had no connections to al-Qaida or the Iraqi insurgents
battling U.S. forces, according to the FBI. The man did have links to the Baath Party that ruled Iraq under Saddam Hussein, but that's true of many former government officials and community leaders.

Some material on the disk appeared to be randomly downloaded from a publicly accessible Education Department Web site and included such things as manuals on workplace safety, crisis management studies, student codes of conduct and building security diagrams. It also contained an Education Department report on school crisis planning that was published in May 2003.

''It's not about schools, it's about policy,'' said FBI Agent William Evanina, spokesman for the FBI field office in Newark, N.J. ''There's no terrorism threat to these schools.''

The school districts are in California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey and Oregon. The FBI contacted local officials in the communities last month and told them about the disk and what it contained.

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/282/wash/U_S_officials_say_no_terror_th:.shtml

[progressivebydesign]

1. But WHY isn't this on the front pages of all media websites RIGHT NOW??

Before the debate??? Or will it just sink down onto page 15 somewhere..

[Rose Siding]

2. I'm sure the papers will catch up with the truth.

On Nov 3. It may take cable a little longer, who knows.

[othermeans]

15. Isn't that the truth.

You know Bush knew about this prior to the debate. But nobody will remember that or that it was just false propaganda. Link this with Sinclair's skullduggery and God how I fear for our republic.

[Florida_Geek]

3. link is bad

:evilfrown:

[Kimber Scott]

4. They were told about it last month, but it just made headlines after

Bush's stellar performance at the first debate.

[kokomo]

10. Ruse to make American mothers be afraid, very afraid.................

Much to do about nothing it looks like except for the FREEPERS who stirred this story up and those at BushCo who want us to be paralyzed by fear as it plays into their scheme of things. Sec. of Education Ron Paige sent a warning memo not only to the 6 school districts whose crisis plans were on the education department's PUBLIC website IN ENGLISH but also to 100 school districts -- many in hotly contested "SWING STATES"!

Yes, let Bush get the women's vote by making mothers very concerned, even hysterical, about the safety of their kids in school. Convert
"soccer Moms" to "security moms". Even Laura Bush has been tying the Russian school massacre to what could happen in the U.S. However, I don't think the Chechans have a beef with Americans.

San Diego schools appear to blow off the threat:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20040930-9999-7m30disk.html

[bigtime]

5. Boo!

gotcha!

the link works for me.

[KittyWampus]

6. This Is Important. Musn't Get Buried.

[DeepModem Mom]

7. Kick --

[truthisfreedom]

8. good. our kids need to feel safe, and so do their parents.

it's America, dammit.

[kokomo]

16. Difference between REAL safety and drumming fear for politcal gain.

BushCo uses FEAR as a FACTOR over and over in order to keep their illegal junta in power.

[UpInArms]

9. when I heard about this disk, my first thought

was "aren't they trying to rebuild schools in Iraq?"

Maybe someone was doing some research :shrug:

Silly me. Didn't see what all the excitement was about.

Time for the re-education camp. :shakesheadsadly:

[struggle4progress]

11. Election Diary

By Tom Carver
10 October 2004

<snip> Talking of strange stories, it emerged this week that an Iraqi had been captured in Baghdad with a computer disk full of photos and floor plans of American schools.

The government sent an advisory to numerous school districts including Florida, Oregon, New Jersey and Michigan, warning them to be on the look out. Local newscasts were full of dire suggestions about a possible Beslan-style attack.

Then intelligence sources revealed that the man appeared to be involved in city planning in Baghdad. "Officials didn't discover any direct threat," admitted a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security. This part of the story received less coverage.

Was it any coincidence that the schools all happened to be in swing states? <snip>

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=570483

[americanwomanone]

12. As of Earlier Today

The people in the little town of Birch Run Michigan didn't know it wasn't a threat. Hope someone tells them.

[Digit]

13. As regular as clockwork

Everytime the DreamTeam scores, the MeanTeam bring on the Terra warnings.

[Pithy Cherub]

14. Is credibility

anywhere on this administrations radar? Does the radar work? The bush people now have the Britney Spear's excuse down cold...OOPS, We Did It Again!...sheesh!