News Hounds

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Reported by Nancy - October 9, 2004 -

In view of the "non-specific threat" claim relating to the discovery of a computer disk in Iraq that contained floor plans, photos & bus schedules of school districts in the US, I thought our readers might be interested in a compilation of some of the "real" threat alerts issued over the past 3 years.

I found this at http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a1050.htm & while I haven't double-checked the entire list, it seems to include most of the major "alerts" that have been issued. It hasn't been updated to include the "limo" threat from late August & alert readers will probably spot other missing alerts.

False Terrorist Warnings:
Like rumors of the Second Coming, they never happened
 
Over the last four years, our stalwart leadership, led by President George W Bush & personified by Attorney General John Ashcroft, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge & FBI Director Robert Mueller, have been issuing periodical, dreadful warnings to the American people about imminent attacks by Arab terrorists. They manage to get onto all the major networks with their serious messages of impending doom. Always, we are told, very important information has been uncovered by our ever-vigilant protectors that clearly indicates an attack on various targets within days. After terrifying the American public repeatedly, these dimwits have always been proven wrong. There are no attacks because there never were any attacks being planned.

It has now reached the point where no one with an IQ larger than his shoe size believes them. Usually these fabricated warnings come just before a certain bill comes up for a vote in Congress or a Presidential election is looming and either needs to be enhanced or, even worse, cancelled.

Here is a partial list of what we have been saved from:

2001
Oct 11: The FBI warned of imminent terrorist attacks in the US "in the next several days". Of course there was no indication of when or where these attacks would occur. There were no attacks.
Oct 29: The Administration warned of plans to strike the US "in the next week." No specifics such as dates or targets were given. There were no attacks.
Dec 3: Ridge warns that terrorist strikes "could happen within the next few weeks," possibly connected with the Muslim religious festival of Ramadan. There were no attacks.

2002
Jan 17: Ashcroft warns that suicide attacks "might be expected because of confidential information" the US government had received. No dates or places were given. Nothing more was ever heard about the "confidential information." There were no attacks.
Feb 10: The FBI warned there was a threat of "imminent attacks on the US that might happen as early as Feb 12." There were no attacks.
Mar 27: The government issued a warning that American citizens in 4 Italian cities "would be attacked on Easter Sunday." There were no attacks.
May 19: VP Cheney states that he is "certain of new attacks against the US". There were no attacks.
May 21: The FBI warned of imminent threat of  "attacks against the Brooklyn Bridge & the Statue of Liberty". There were no attacks.
Sep 10: The government raised the National Alert Level to orange stating that there would be "strikes against American sites on the anniversary of the Sept 11 attack". Air patrols were instituted & access to government buildings was prohibited. There were no attacks.

2003
Feb 8: Ridge & Ashcroft announceded a high National Terror Alert, claiming they had "evidence that terrorists would attack American hotels & apartment buildings." There were no attacks.
Mar 17. National Alert Level raised to orange. No reasons are given. There were no attacks.
Mar 18. The Arizona National Guard was alerted & sent to a nuclear plant because "an attack by al Qaeda agents was imminent". There was no attack.
Dec 21: Ridge raised alert levels & warned that the" threat of imminent attack is now the most serious since 2001". There was no attack

2004
Apr 2: The Administration warns about "pending terrorist attacks on buses & trains". There were no attacks.
May 26. Ashcroft & Mueller warn of a "plane attack inside the US" & that terrorists "were poised for an immediate attack". There was no attack.
Aug 1: Ridge raised the alert level to orange, claiming knowledge of plots against US financial institutions. It was later discovered that his "knowledge" was 4 years old & very unspecific. There was no attack

Comment: Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.

http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a1050.htm