Terror Threats???

[Guest]

I find it interesting that since Bush isn't running, there have been no Terrorist Threat alerts. I clearly remember during the last election, those colors were rising every few days. I wonder if they will resume when McCain really goes into action? Just an observation. We'll see . . .

[Guest]

Thank those who have been working tirelessly these last few years to make life in the US more secure than it was before. The threats are there, but hard work and dedication of thousands within the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security are letting the millions sleep better at night and go about their work and play in relative safety.

[Guest]

My theory (and it is simply a theory) is that when Bush was running for office, we were new to the terrorist on US soil concept. So, anything that our intelligence community heard became a potential threat and was treated as such. This, however, was not working because it was becoming a Chicken Little event. Today, I believe there are still threats but, as yet, they are simply threats. When (if?) our intelligence or our allies' intelligence come up with real threats, I sincerely hope we will be warned.

The threats are something I definitely do not put at Bush's door. I've lived in the Middle East. The fanatics are beyond the pale. Their hatred of America is palpable. It was in the 50s and 60s. It was when I visited there in the late 80s and early 90s. The only thing differences are that today's fanatics or extremists, if you prefer, are more willing to die, they are better funded so attacking America has become more feasible and today's weapons make it easier to do major damage.

[Guest]

Among other theories there is one that states the cessation of not only terrorist threats but any further 9/11-like events.....because of the unifying effect that comes with it.
And at this point in time the terrorists do not want Bush or the "current administration" lauded in any way shape or form.

I don't argue for or against it. ....it's sorta pointless. Why?

The terrorists intents are clear...their agenda emphatically stated....their accomplishments testimony to their intents!!!!

The core values of the terrorists and their beliefs against Christians and pro kill Americans is the driver.....NOT any partisan or any candidate effect what so ever.

As has been stated by many in authority (not a partisan term!) it is not if....but when and it is not party sensitive ONLY those on their target....which is all of us on this forum!!!!

BTK

[Guest]

I agree BTK, but, batten down the hatches, it is my opinion that Karl Rove thought the alerts were a convenient and deceptive tool to use during the last election. They had peaked and subsided and then around election time (4 years after 9/11) they peaked again. To me it smells of Rove. Puppet and puppeteer? Just curious to see what happens around the time of this election.

p.s. I'm not naive, I know there are "real" threats against us. I've traveled a lot and know how the Americans are hated. And guess what, it's not just in the Middle East.

[Guest]

I'm sure we are continuing to have threats, we've had them for years, maybe the public wasn't aware of them. However, I do believe that Bush played the fear factor and the whole concept of the "evil doers" in the last election. I sincerely hope the American people have wised up to that by now.

[Guest]

I'm sure we are continuing to have threats, we've had them for years, maybe the public wasn't aware of them. However, I do believe that Bush played the fear factor and the whole concept of the "evil doers" in the last election. I sincerely hope the American people have wised up to that by now.


Wised up to what?

Yes, the threats have been there for years. The prior administration under the pretext of cost-savings managed to cripple the American capacity to identify and deal with these threats on the other side of the oceans as we had been doing successfully for a couple of decades So, what we have today is the old "pay me now or pay me later" situation, and "later" is always much more expensive.

If the next administration, no matter which party gets it candidate to 1600 PA Ave, again takes the paring knife to the defense and intelligence budgets, it will be like the movie "Groundhog Day" and the 2020 generation will get the tab big-time. Will we ever learn....

[Guest]

I just find it incredibly hard to believe that there are people so narrow minded to believe that terror threats have to contrived. God bless this country when we ever have to suffer thru the next attack....and believe me there will be another no matter who the president is.

[Guest]

Noleguy, I personally never said terror threats were contrived, it's my opinion the terror alert color system was used as a fear factor tool in the last election. Hey, jump in the deep end, we all know they will be another attack. That's not news.

[Guest]

Pardon my skepticism, but the Terrorism alerts smelled too strongly of politics. How interesting that in the past election, whenever Bush's popularity numbers were down, there came about another "alert". It was his ace in the hole. Get people scared, talk in vague terms about the evil doers, etc., and people will be too afraid to make a change; they'll stick with the guys promoting the war because they think they'll be "safer". Plus, many people erroneously thought that Iraq was somehow involved with 9/11, and the war was a way of punishing the attackers.

Sorry, I'm one of the many who don't believe the war has made us safer. We're spending billions of dollars of our resources on the civil war over there, instead of bolstering our national security. What have we done to protect our nuclear plants, our water supplies, etc.?

[Guest]

The Iraq war seems to be more about controlling the supply of oil to the United States. Many wars have been ultimately about who controls various natural resources from some Indian wars and the need of miners to get to gold, silver and other metals; to various diamond mine conflicts in Africa; to Hitler's attack on Stalin's Russia for control of oil in various parts of the USSR http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa . Seems to me that Japan attacked China and then the US also to gain control of oil reserves in China??? http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/pearlhbr.htm

[Guest]

Pardon my skepticism, but the Terrorism alerts smelled too strongly of politics. How interesting that in the past election, whenever Bush's popularity numbers were down, there came about another "alert". It was his ace in the hole. Get people scared, talk in vague terms about the evil doers, etc., and people will be too afraid to make a change; they'll stick with the guys promoting the war because they think they'll be "safer". Plus, many people erroneously thought that Iraq was somehow involved with 9/11, and the war was a way of punishing the attackers.

Sorry, I'm one of the many who don't believe the war has made us safer. We're spending billions of dollars of our resources on the civil war over there, instead of bolstering our national security. What have we done to protect our nuclear plants, our water supplies, etc.?


Well, for starters a review of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan may help to bring an answer to the protection of nuclear plants, water supplies, etc. (see http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/programs/editorial_0827.shtm). Add to that a check of the National Incident Management System (see http://www.nimsonline.com/) to understand what happens prior to, during and after an emergency management incident.

I hate to disappoint the political conspiracy theorists, but terrorist alerts and politics really don't mix. Each alert level and event has its own "triggers" and requires specific actions in response. The folk with the authority to announce an incident is imminent or occurred, or that additional preventive measures over-and-above what is going on at the moment do not "cry wolf." You just can't raise-a-flag and activate further measures unless there is something to act upon - there's just too many internal questions to answer otherwise and the commitment of resources in response requires something to respond to. In other words, the professionals in the national security business - not the politicians - watchdog the system and respond as necessary. There is nothing "amateur" about it, and that's why folk are able to live their lives within America with little-to-no interruption because the pro's (federal, state and local) do what they do, and do it well.

[Guest]

Well, for starters a review of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan may help to bring an answer to the protection of nuclear plants, water supplies, etc. (see http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/programs/editorial_0827.shtm). Add to that a check of the National Incident Management System (see http://www.nimsonline.com/) to understand what happens prior to, during and after an emergency management incident.

I hate to disappoint the political conspiracy theorists, but terrorist alerts and politics really don't mix. Each alert level and event has its own "triggers" and requires specific actions in response. The folk with the authority to announce an incident is imminent or occurred, or that additional preventive measures over-and-above what is going on at the moment do not "cry wolf." You just can't raise-a-flag and activate further measures unless there is something to act upon - there's just too many internal questions to answer otherwise and the commitment of resources in response requires something to respond to. In other words, the professionals in the national security business - not the politicians - watchdog the system and respond as necessary. There is nothing "amateur" about it, and that's why folk are able to live their lives within America with little-to-no interruption because the pro's (federal, state and local) do what they do, and do it well.




Doubt if President George W. Bush or anyone in his cabinet have all that much control over "alert levels". Have to remember there is still a massive bureaucracy in the DC area despite whatever promises made by various Republicans have been made about doing away with much of this. There is too much entrenched power in various regulatory agencies and the like for conspiracy theories like this to really hold up under evidence.

Sometimes all this red tape around government projects is a good idea sometimes it is not.

[Guest]

Well, for starters a review of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan may help to bring an answer to the protection of nuclear plants, water supplies, etc. (see http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/programs/editorial_0827.shtm). Add to that a check of the National Incident Management System (see http://www.nimsonline.com/) to understand what happens prior to, during and after an emergency management incident.

I hate to disappoint the political conspiracy theorists, but terrorist alerts and politics really don't mix. Each alert level and event has its own "triggers" and requires specific actions in response. The folk with the authority to announce an incident is imminent or occurred, or that additional preventive measures over-and-above what is going on at the moment do not "cry wolf." You just can't raise-a-flag and activate further measures unless there is something to act upon - there's just too many internal questions to answer otherwise and the commitment of resources in response requires something to respond to. In other words, the professionals in the national security business - not the politicians - watchdog the system and respond as necessary. There is nothing "amateur" about it, and that's why folk are able to live their lives within America with little-to-no interruption because the pro's (federal, state and local) do what they do, and do it well.


I'm glad you're so enamored with government and their "professionalism", however, I work in State government, and believe me, it's not all its cracked up to be. Politics is involved in everything. I worked on PR activities for Governor Pataki for awhile, and its amazing how the facts are twisted to give the correct "spin". But we're each entitled to our opinions. I just don't happen to agree with yours.

[Guest]

I'm glad you're so enamored with government and their "professionalism", however, I work in State government, and believe me, it's not all its cracked up to be. Politics is involved in everything. I worked on PR activities for Governor Pataki for awhile, and its amazing how the facts are twisted to give the correct "spin". But we're each entitled to our opinions. I just don't happen to agree with yours.


Think it is more about a junk yard dog protecting her territory than "professionalism". Politics is in everything but many Presidents and others have tried to put in as many checks and balances in on various federal regulatory agencies such that you have a patchwork of junkyard dogs each protecting his or her turf.

Think this was a big problem with why we did not prevent 9/11 from happening and why there are so many problems still with safety at many of our airports, train stations, ports, etc.

I have been butting heads with these dogs on every level of government since 1991 trying to get practical materials for survivors of crimes into or accessible through libraries so that informed individuals can work as checks and balances on the legal system. Have had a huge number of failures and very few successes even though this concept looks like it would be something the Founding Fathers had in mind when they were trying to put in nails into the crooked timber of humanity.

New York Public Library does not even have a link to NY directory of victim assistance providers http://www.nypl.org/research/sibl/law/ http://www.cvb.state.ny.us/HelpforCrimeVictims/LocateaProgram.aspx
which should though prove your point Lil Dancer that politics and not common sense is in everything.

Certainly have found that in my interactions with Florida libraries trying to get a link to the FL Victim Services Directory http://myfloridalegal.com/directory at each FL law and public library. The junk yard dogs in the form of the Library Directors have really had the hackels up. Got hit with a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation lawsuit threat by the Palm Harbor Library General Counsel on March 2, 2004 for stuff I alleged said in e-mails to Palm Harbor Library staff about Palm Harbor Librray Director Gene Coppola but I did manage to get a link for survivors of crimes at Palm Harbor Library http://www.palmharborlibrary.org/links/florida.htm around March 15, 2004. That was after Gene Coppola had bragged in a March 2, 2004 e-mail to me that the library had had this link since 2000. All his then reference staff I spoke to about this link said there was no link.

My point I guess is that we have not evolved all that much from the territorial animals like dogs or members of a social tribe like breeds of monkeys.

[Guest]

There's a lot to what you say, Taltarzak. And in many cases, the individuals that work for the government really want to do the right thing, but are hampered by the inane red tape, procedures, the "don't care" attitude of their bosses, etc. Good luck with your project - it sounds like it is really needed!

[Guest]

There's a lot to what you say, Taltarzak. And in many cases, the individuals that work for the government really want to do the right thing, but are hampered by the inane red tape, procedures, the "don't care" attitude of their bosses, etc. Good luck with your project - it sounds like it is really needed!


Thanks. Lil Dancer. I have been at this in some form or another since February 1991 but the biggest hurdle has been getting the local libraries on board so that I have some credibility when I write librarians in other cities, states, and countries. Could not get anywhere with the libraries in Minneapolis when I first started this even though what I was doing was extremely trial and error. Then did not get much of anywhere from Sonoma County, CA which is near the CA wine country. Only really started seeing any concrete moves on the parts of libraries to actually do something in 1999 and 2000 and afterwards when I was based in Palm Harbor, FL.

Just hope at some point Sumter and Marion County library systems will join in this effort by getting links to the FL Victim Services Directory from their respective web-sites.

I am sure that the Sumter and Marion County Library system management is aware of my efforts as Gary Corsair of the Villages Daily Sun was kind enough to write a story about me and my efforts on May 28, 2007. This article did say that Lake County Library System had put in a link to the FL Victim Services Directory but that I was working on Marion and Sumter County Library systems.

[Guest]

I'm glad you're so enamored with government and their "professionalism", however, I work in State government, and believe me, it's not all its cracked up to be. Politics is involved in everything. I worked on PR activities for Governor Pataki for awhile, and its amazing how the facts are twisted to give the correct "spin". But we're each entitled to our opinions. I just don't happen to agree with yours.


You bet I'm enamoured with these folks and their professionalism. I've been privileged to work with some of best people I have ever known here at Headquarters, Department of Homeland Security. IT IS ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE - that being folk who tirelessly have done more without headlines than all of the Pulitzer folk will ever know. What occurs every day, without fanfare, within the National Operations Center and all of the entities participating and supporting it is immense, and the people who do that 24/7 work and respond to more types of emergencies than most folk can imagine, and do all of the planning so that things don't happen by accident, are not headline-seekers. Yet, they do what they do for everyone, despite the hours, despite the lack of credit, despite the stress, and definitely despite others putting "spin" in the quest for unearned personal glory.

I've got another year to go before I hang it up and pass the baton. It will definitely be time to do so, because the intensity of this work is such that you just can't do it for too long without crashing. What gives me confidence in the future is seeing the actions of those around me, and especially those coming up in the ranks who will replace me and my peers.

Personally, I'm tired of the "terrorism is really politics" cry that seems to be encouraged by those within the press corps who portray all in the negative in the quest for more sponsorship money and a bigger byline. That's just crap and they know it.

No, I can't discount what I've seen and what I've been involved in since I got here. Yes, there is a difference between the political world and the professional one, and there are darned few who have been able to bridge both. I've seen some do it successfully, and others who didn't. BUT within the professionals who maintain the watch, prepare for the worst, respond to it all and deal with everyone's hell, thank God we have people who are willing, capable and successful in this - from combatting (and it IS combat) terrorism to battling Mother Nature.

Yes, this is an emotional topic for me, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I AM PROUD of this work and those with whom I work.

[Guest]

WOW - I agree with SteveZ on all that he has posted. Homeland Security doesn't post everything that goes down or we would have wide spread panic about once a week. Bush gets blamed too much for a myriad of things, so I'm not surprised by some of the comments on this thread. We Americans tend to pooh pooh anything that doesn't fit into our political agenda. Osama could have been "ours" during the last presidents term of office but he passed. Bush might be a little over zealous with the "terrorist" thing but I would prefer that over what we got during the last regime. Sorry, I'm not trying to provoke anyone with this post but we have to stay alert.

[Guest]

I don't normally contribute to this board, so if this was previously posted, I apologize.

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich discusses the war on terror at the National Press Club

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/08/gingrich/indexhtml#cnnSTCVideo

it is not politically slanted, but rather a blunt and chilling answer to a serious question posed to Newt Gingrich. It is a clearly worded warning I have yet to hear from any public figure concerning the state of world affairs. This is one the most powerful and articulate summaries of the dangers of our current situation that I have ever heard, and a mystery to me why Americans are not painfully aware of a subject of constant discussion.

[Guest]

gryoung you are 100% correct.
The chilling photos of all previous bombings including the World Trade Center's first ATTEMPT" at mass destruction.
I suggest replaying the 911 videos and sounds of the bodies hitting the roof that jumped....then play the Newt Gingrich video...once per day.
I know many have seen the slogan that states...LEST WE FORGET....well here in America we forget all too soon.

Has nothing to do with party affiliation, religion or race. The radicals are out to kill as many Americans as they can.....and they will keep trying.
Our courts, our permissive pacifist view of other peoples intents will only CONTINUE to contribute to the toll.

BTK