PING: Senator

[CamEdwards]

I know you're going to be even busier now that we're back at Orange Alert, but I wondered if you could help answer this question.

Does the significance of any suspected terror attack factor into whether the alert level is raised or not? By that I mean if we suspected that Terrorist #1 was going to blow himself up in front of a military base, would that alone increase the threat level nationwide or does it take something like a suspected operation of Terrorists #2-14 planning coordinated attacks to raise the alert level?

I'm just curious.

Thanks.

[Draft Dodger]

^^^
Terrorist

[Senator]

This is what I am at liberty to relay: wish it could be more.

The U.S. Intelligence Community believes that Al Qaida has entered an operational period worldwide, and this may include attacks in the United States.

In the wake of terrorist bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco, Al-Qaida and those sympathetic to their cause, are still a principal threat, but threats may also emanate from other anti-U.S. terrorist groups, regional extremist organizations, and ad hoc groups or disgruntled individuals not connected to existing terrorist organizations or state sponsors of terrorism. While there is not credible, specific information with respect to targets or method of attack, the use of tactics similar to those seen in recent terrorist attacks overseas include small arm equipped assault teams, large vehicle borne explosive devices, and suicide bombers. These attacks underscore terrorists' desires to attack soft targets. Weapons of mass destruction, including those containing chemical, biological or radiological agents or materials, cannot be discounted.

[CamEdwards]

so it's one of those "you could tell me, but then you'd have to kill me" questions.

I understand.

[CamEdwards]

dola: I'm assuming since you posted this to a message board that it's fit for public consumption, or would you rather I not share this?

[Fritz]

the blue egg is in the brown basket.

Mister Whipple likes soft paper.

meow meow meow meow

[sachmo71]

The chair is against the wall. The chair is against the wall.



Anyone?

[CamEdwards]

fritz,

we all know the blue egg is in the brown basket. Dammit, if you don't have valuable national security information to share on a public message board about a text football sim, then just be quiet.

[Senator]

This is open info.

[Fritz]

Senator already gave you some information. In fact, he has said quite a lot.

[tucker342]

Senator,

Are you really a Senator???

[Senator]

No. It is just a handle.

[CamEdwards]

he's actually Laura Bush.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally posted by tucker342
Senator,

Are you really a Senator???

I had the same question, but I was chicken.

[Anrhydeddu]

Originally posted by Fritz
Senator already gave you some information. In fact, he has said quite a lot.

No, he was using the exact same words quoting Tom Ridge.

Every time I see the alert level go up, my first reaction is to cuss the Democrats for shrilling "what did he know and when did he know it". Damn them for turning intelligence reports and analysis into a public, cover your ass political game.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally posted by Anrhydeddu
Every time I see the alert level go up, my first reaction is to cuss the Democrats for shrilling "what did he know and when did he know it". Damn them for turning intelligence reports and analysis into a public, cover your ass political game.

I curse the terrorists.

[Anrhydeddu]

DD, any different now than it had been over the past 20 years? We had always should have been on alert, world-wide, but we chose to ignore the intelligence reports. How can one have ignored the signs after Beirut in 1983, WTC in 1991(?), Cole in 1998(?) and esp. after the first Iraqi war? Imo, 9/11 brought it to the attention of the many that ignored the terrorists hatred and revenge on us but it had been there before and since.

[AgPete]

Hate to say this but I really don't have much faith in our ability to predict an attack. We weren't at a high level before the international attacks and in some ways I feel this alert is just a reaction to the recent attacks. Question, if Al-Qaida was set up to attack the U.S., don't you think they would have hit us at the same time? It's obvious an attack on the homeland makes much more of an impact. I think one of two things: 1) Al-Qaida has been damaged more than we thought and they're sticking to easier foreign targets and this is just a precautionary alert 2) Al-Qaida still has serious manpower and we're theorizing that the international hits are part of a larger plan guessing they'll hit us soon. Either way, I don't think we've infiltrated them enough to find out anything. How many high level alerts have we seen that were nothing? BTW, I'm watching Nightline at the moment and they reported some source saying that the U.S. had information that these extremist groups were warning Muslims to get out of Boston, New York City and other Eastern commercial giants. Anyone else hear this?

[Happy29]

They do this all the time. I wasnt alive during the Cold War Era but I'm pretty sure they went to Defcon 2 or 3 several times, it's something that's not new. The Israelis face it all the time, they face terror attacks every day over there, that is something worth giving an alert about not this crap that we've had terror threats here, and not one public event or major street is even close to being hit.

[Fritz]

Originally posted by Anrhydeddu
No, he was using the exact same words quoting Tom Ridge.


maybe that is not what I am talking about ya doof


---
anyhow, everything is fine. Don't worrry about national "update your living will" day on Friday.

[Fritz]

Originally posted by Happy29
I wasnt alive during the Cold War Era

how old are you?