Bush Administration Manipulated Terror Alerts

[Tony_FLADEM]

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration periodically put the USA on high alert for terrorist attacks even though then-Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge argued there was only flimsy evidence to justify raising the threat level, Ridge now says.
Ridge, who resigned Feb. 1, said Tuesday that he often disagreed with administration officials who wanted to elevate the threat level to orange, or "high" risk of terrorist attack, but was overruled.

His comments at a Washington forum describe spirited debates over terrorist intelligence and provide rare insight into the inner workings of the nation's homeland security apparatus.

<http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-05-10-ridge-alerts_x.htm>

[Guckert]

1. Will the stupid people finally realize this well known fact? probably not

unless Sean or Rush tells them about it.

[clem_c_rock]

11. When are people going to realize the "War on Terrorism" doesn't exist

It's a fabricated straw man only for the excuse of empire.

A tactic they like to use:

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/1028-11.htm
http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2004/4.html
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Proactive_Preemptive_Operations_Group

[tavalon]

52. Hi Jimmy!

Welcome aboard! Glad you finally saw the light!

Just kidding. I know you aren't him but I love your username.

[NYCGirl]

2. Duplicate post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3636301&mesg_id=3636301

[Toucano]

3. Ridge should have gone public at the time.

Didn't they criticize Dean and the rest of us for suggesting the terror alert level was being manipulated?

Better late than never, I guess.

[TNOE]

5. Yea, only to be suicided or destroyed if he did

these thieves/liars/crooks have got their power all sewed up - but the good news is the majority of Americans stopped believing their shit and mostly tuned them out anyway.

[Arugula Latte]

34. I would stay out of small planes even now if I were him.

:scared:

[FreedomAngel82]

50. My question is

why now? And then what happened today happened right after this report?

[w13rd0]

9. Why yes...

...even some "Democrats" chose to ride to Bush's rescue by ridiculing any who suggested the motivation for the alerts was more due to political concerns than security concerns. The same kind of crack decision making that allowed 9-11 to happen.

THINK ABOUT IT!

If they are willing to manipulate terror alerts for political reasons, willing and eager to lie to get us into a war, enthusiastically claim prior to an invasion that the "oil profits will pay for reconstruction" and then spend OVER 300 BILLION and kill over 1600, wounding thousands... would those capable of such things even BLINK when told about "another Pearl Harbor"? would they flinch when using the death of thousands in a terror attack on their watch, due to their negligence, would they flinch in using that attack as their own Reichstag, and a "get out of jail free" card? would they even cringe knowing that their actions were putting those THAT VOTED FOR THEM EVEN out of work, without medical care, but gee golly, free of the threat of gay marriages. Yes, something as frequently encountered in the Ozarks as mixed marriages and a full set of teeth.

[aquart]

4. Yes. We knew that.

[quiet.american]

6. I, for one, am shocked, I tell you, shocked! n/t

[carnie_sf]

7. Big surprise there

the Repuke convention was all terra, all the time.

[bennywhale]

8. In Britain poodle boy pulls the same trick we had

tanks at Heathrow out of the blue one morning.

Coincidentally there was a debate in Parliament the following week on anti-terror legislation .mmmmmmmm

Tanks? What the fuck were they pretending to be expecting? Ze Germans?

[paineinthearse]

10. Question about terror alerts

Is the system still in effect? Thought it went away with Ridge. My state's website says the level today is "elevated".

[thecrow]

51. CNN still has it in its crawl.....

[paineinthearse]

12. "Ridge said Tuesday that he often disagreed with administration officials"

This is news? Didn't Ridge say that a couple weeks ago on the Daily Show?

[Nothing Without Hope]

13. I want to see prominent Democrats citing this, showing the

propaganda that is so obvious.

[bullimiami]

14. no shit sherlock.

[E-Z-B]

15. This has absolutely NOTHING to do with scaring the crap out of the people

to manipulate the election. Nope. No sir-ree-bob.

[Flying Dream Blues]

22. Love it! n/t

[Karenina]

16. Here comes anudda one

jes' like da udda one! BWHAHAHAHAHAHA! :rofl:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3636560

[tinrobot]

17. Jeeez... don't we have more than enough evidence by now?

This administration should be in chains.

Wake up sheeple!!

[Synnical]

18. Aug 2004 - Dean suggests political motivation for terror alerts

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/01/threat.politics/

Sunday, August 1, 2004

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced Sunday that he had raised the alert level to orange, or high, for financial services sectors in New York City; Newark, New Jersey; and Washington, D.C.

<snip>

Meanwhile, former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean suggested a political motivation for the terror alert -- an allegation denounced as "outrageous" by Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, one of Dean's early rivals in the race for the Democratic nomination.

In an interview on CNN's "Late Edition," Dean said he was "concerned that every time something happens that's not good for President Bush, he plays this trump card, which is terrorism."

<snip>

Dean's comments generated sharp rebukes on the same program from Lieberman, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and from Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate majority whip.

[strategery blunder]

20. Hmm...Lieberbu$h shows his Republican side yet again...

Why doesn't he just admit it?:eyes::puke:

[slybacon9]

19. Is anyone else getting bored of being right all the time?

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[tavalon]

53. No not really, I've had a Cassandra complex most of my life

But it is chapping my butt that it's taking so long to come to light.

[UCLA Dem]

21. No shocker here. We all knew this...it was totally obvious.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

23. So he lied on the Daily Show?

He LIED?!

Haha, just kidding, of course that's nothing out of the ordinary.

[Az_lefty]

41. Yep, I saw that show and he lied.

[HughBeaumont]

24. Sweep, sweep, sweep . . .

under the mountain of carpets it goes . . . along with the Bush Iraq memo, with every stolen election, with every soldier death, with every day Vietraq goes on, with every other lie they told us . . .

[dogday]

25. The boy who cried wolf

that is what they have done to us. We will never believe it when it happens cause they have used it too often to further their objectives.

[Julius Civitatus]

26. Ahem... I was right about this.... a year ago!

Not to brag or anything, but I posted a study on my blog where Biltud and I could see a correlation between the political situation and the convenient issue of terror alerts:

• Timeline of terror alerts
  
  
• http://juliusblog.blogspot.com/2004_08_01_juliusblog_archive.html#109174332697993966">Chart of terror alerts

I think we've been vindicated. :headbang:

This terror alert bullshit was a rovian game from the get go.

[Synnical]

37. Chart of terror alerts

Link redirects to microsoft.com

[Julius Civitatus]

45. My bad. Here's the link

http://juliusblog.blogspot.com/2004_08_01_juliusblog_archive.html#109174332697993966

And here's my graph:

[tavalon]

54. Fine work you've done here

and I've seen others site it. Kudos.

[demgurl]

27. *Sigh* They will never believe!

My hubby posted this to another board - one where the other side frequents. They did everything from throwing up Clinton bombing some empty tents and asking what that had been about during a sex scandal to stating that Ridge said he disagreed with the intel, NOT that it was wrong!!!

I honestly do not understand how my husband goes to that board. He does not understand how I go to this board! He likes this place and does post here at times but he can not understand why I would always want to be in a place that echoes exactly how I feel. I , on the other hand, do not understand how you would ever want to hang out in a place where the total IQ is smaller than that of a chicken.

The place he visits is not a freeper place, but it is predominantly made up of people who think that way. He feels it is his job to get the news out to those who may be swayed. I read some of their stupid comments and just shudder! How stupid can you be and still sustain the life in your body?

[HockeyMom]

28. Citi Corp. building, etc.

I remember Ridge at the time downplayed it saying it was very old intelligence, but they still issued an alert. Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't that not long before the campaign got into full swing? Right before the Republican Convention?

[NightOwwl]

35. You are absolutely correct.

Immediately following the Democratic Convention a terror alert was issued. Then, because moron-boy's poll numbers were still in the dumpster, another terror alert was issued the day after Kerry nominated Edwards.

But it wasn't politically motivated. :sarcasm:

[NightOwwl]

39. I remember the press conference with Ridge and Bloomberg.

When Bloomberg finally arrived 30 minutes late (this is a man who is never late to anything,) they practically had to drag him to the microphone. He was pissed, and he could barely contain his anger as he spoke. It was obvious he knew he was dealing with phony terror alert, which would cost New York millions of dollars. I wonder what they threatened him with in order to get him to agree to the farce?

[Stirk]

29. Anyone care to place a bet? Which will he be:

A) A disgruntled former employee
B) A loyal friend who simply "misspoke"

[ClintonTyree]

30. Don't' we at DU ever get sick of being right?

This administration is SO freaking transparent. Except when it comes to official documents and such. THEN the White House snaps shut like a clam.

Have we not called this administration's misdeeds on EVERYTHING? Have we not hit the nail on the head EVERY SINGLE TIME? Why is it SO difficult for the MAIN STREAM MEDIA to pick up on these patterns and REPORT THEM? Gee, it's almost as if the "Liberal Media" is trying to PROTECT the bush administration! Do you think? :shrug:

Controlling the nation through fear and lies. This will be the bush legacy. This administration makes Nazi Germany's best look like rank amateurs. :grr:

[demo dutch]

31. Surprise..surprise!

[NightOwwl]

32. I'm shocked, shocked I tells ya!

:sarcasm:

[Robworld]

33. I remember the terror alert was code orange in NYC after the first debate

I don't understand how people did not see threw these fear tactics brought on by the Bush administration.

http://www.dumdumgoestothecircus.com/

[indepat]

36. I'm shocked, utterly shocked the WH would manipulate the terror threat

level: my God, what will they do next?

[KansDem]

38. "Bush's dubious terror alerts"

Is administration's political agenda driving warnings of terrorism?


WASHINGTON -- "The Bush administration has discovered no evidence of imminent plans by terrorists to attack U.S. financial buildings, nearly two weeks after the government issued startling warnings about such possible threats, a White House official said." -- Associated Press, August 12, 2004.

When the going gets tough, the "tough" get to issuing terrorist alerts, announcing high profile arrests, and raising the terrorism threat level. Since January 2002, according to JuliusBlog, an Internet web log, there have been at least fifteen incidents where Team Bush, responding to adverse news or dipping presidential poll numbers, turned either Attorney General John Ashcroft or Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge loose to ramp up talk of terrorism and terrorist attacks

(more)
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=17495

[getmeouttahere]

40. Am I stating the obvious when I remind....

everyone that they also conjure up a terrorist "capture" at about the same time as the elevated alert, or whenever it's politically expedient, like just days ago, after they realized that the chimp's press conference tanked!

[OneForLuck]

42. what's next??

Maybe we should make up facts about a country that's no threat to us and start a war in order to scare the basically uninformed American public

ohhhhh wait........

[in_cog_ni_to]

43. Oh really?

Do you mean like the "orange alerts" during ANYTHING important the Democrats wanted to get out/do during the campaign? Or the one right before the DNC convention? Those were "manipulated?" :rofl: Do they REALLY think we're so damn ignorant that we didn't already know that? The ignorant sheeple still won't believe it even when Ridge himself says it's so.

[SmokingJacket]

44. Fucking annoying.

I hate saying things, having everyone (not here!) shoot them down, then have them proved true months later when it doesn't matter.

:grr:

[jmcon007]

46. shoulda given him the Medal of Freedom......

[sellitman]

47. You mean I wasted all that $$$ on duct tape & plastic sheeting?

:banghead:

[babywatson]

48. We all knew this anyway.

Remember the news stories of people running to buy masking tape and plastic "just in case?" I used to wonder the these people thought they were doing.

[marmar]

49. Too true...

There was a new terror alert every time this misadministration wanted to deflect attention from something else. Some people at work would run around all in a tizzy about how the terror alert had been elevated, and I would just put on my headphones and shake my head....
Buckle your seatbelts, I have a feeling plenty of other things that we've experienced over the last 5 years are going to be proved to have been falsehoods.

[johnlal]

55. Waitaminnit! Who's job is it?

We decided to have a whole new "Department of Homeland Security". We thought it was so important that we made it a Cabinet department. So WHY isn't the Secretary of Homeland Security calling the shots? Why is such an important position only a puppet of the other departments?