Berkylvania
26-05-2004, 17:00
The top news story on most US news services today is a statement by Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller regarding an "increased concern over the possiblity of a major terrorist attack on US soil" this summer. They are so concerned with disseminating this information, that they have scheduled a joint press conference for Tuesday afternoon to address this issue.
However, is anyone still listening?
Ever since 9/11, the US public has been bombarded with terrorist threat level increases. Usually around holidays and usually at the beginning of summer, we have been told that the terrorists "chatter" (which, frankly, to me makes them sound like 12 year old girls or something) has increased and something may happen. Invariably, nothing does and the true terrorist incidents (Madrid, Bali, etc.) happen when no warning has been issued. We've also been told since the upset of the Spanish government that terrorists might try to directly attack US soil in an effort to discredit our current administration (which is silly, because they're doing an excellent job of that themselves). Additionally, authorities have expressed concern over certain upcoming, high profile, public events such as the Democratic and Republican Party Conventions, the dedication of the WWII Memorial Monument, Fourth of July celebrations and the Olympics. Again, though, seemingly over the last three years not a single major holiday or public event hasn't prompted concern and usually an elevation of thw swanky new "Terror Threat Level" indicator. These elevations have only stopped recently after a massive public outcry against such non-specific warnings and fear-mongering.
The news conference this afternoon will not present any specific time, target or dates for these supposed attacks. It seems to be little more than Ashcroft and Mueller getting on TV in an almost backdoor political campaign speech to reaffirm their stance against terrorisim and, at the same time, replant the seed of danger in the minds of the American public. There is no plan to raise the official Terror Threat Level. Police Commissioners in New York, Boston and Los Angeles have not been informed of specific, creditable threats against thier cities. The Department of Homeland Security "remains concerned about the Al Qaeda threat but has no new specific information." One DHS staffer was quoted by CNN as saying, "We are not aware of any new highly credible intelligence indicating a planned attack in the U.S. this summer." Given the release yesterday of a Washington Think Tank's report that Al Qaeda numbers are swelling in direct response to the US war in Iraq, the timing of this press conference seems...odd.
Is this just more fear mongering? While it's doubtless that Al Qaeda is plotting something against the US, does simply drumming up public fear without any creditable, specific information hurt or help Bush's War on Terror? Is this a politically motivated announcement, a bait-and-switch manover to take the focus off the ever worsening Iraq prison abuse scandal, the new home buying figures tumble and record low approval numbers for Bush?
However, is anyone still listening?
Ever since 9/11, the US public has been bombarded with terrorist threat level increases. Usually around holidays and usually at the beginning of summer, we have been told that the terrorists "chatter" (which, frankly, to me makes them sound like 12 year old girls or something) has increased and something may happen. Invariably, nothing does and the true terrorist incidents (Madrid, Bali, etc.) happen when no warning has been issued. We've also been told since the upset of the Spanish government that terrorists might try to directly attack US soil in an effort to discredit our current administration (which is silly, because they're doing an excellent job of that themselves). Additionally, authorities have expressed concern over certain upcoming, high profile, public events such as the Democratic and Republican Party Conventions, the dedication of the WWII Memorial Monument, Fourth of July celebrations and the Olympics. Again, though, seemingly over the last three years not a single major holiday or public event hasn't prompted concern and usually an elevation of thw swanky new "Terror Threat Level" indicator. These elevations have only stopped recently after a massive public outcry against such non-specific warnings and fear-mongering.
The news conference this afternoon will not present any specific time, target or dates for these supposed attacks. It seems to be little more than Ashcroft and Mueller getting on TV in an almost backdoor political campaign speech to reaffirm their stance against terrorisim and, at the same time, replant the seed of danger in the minds of the American public. There is no plan to raise the official Terror Threat Level. Police Commissioners in New York, Boston and Los Angeles have not been informed of specific, creditable threats against thier cities. The Department of Homeland Security "remains concerned about the Al Qaeda threat but has no new specific information." One DHS staffer was quoted by CNN as saying, "We are not aware of any new highly credible intelligence indicating a planned attack in the U.S. this summer." Given the release yesterday of a Washington Think Tank's report that Al Qaeda numbers are swelling in direct response to the US war in Iraq, the timing of this press conference seems...odd.
Is this just more fear mongering? While it's doubtless that Al Qaeda is plotting something against the US, does simply drumming up public fear without any creditable, specific information hurt or help Bush's War on Terror? Is this a politically motivated announcement, a bait-and-switch manover to take the focus off the ever worsening Iraq prison abuse scandal, the new home buying figures tumble and record low approval numbers for Bush?