Headlines Ridge Defends 'Three-Year-Old' Terror Alert

[voiceofreason]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The decision to warn key U.S. financial centers they may be attacked by al Qaeda was based largely on three-year old information, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said on Tuesday, but he insisted the threat was still real.

Ridge's appearance in New York at the Citigroup building named on Sunday as a potential al Qaeda target came as U.S. terrorism intelligence has come under fire again, this time for forcing police in New York, Washington and New Jersey to massively increase security based on old information.

"I don't want anyone to disabuse themselves of the seriousness of this information simply because there are some reports that much of it is dated, it might be two or three years old," Ridge said.

But he insisted al Qaeda had updated its surveillance of financial buildings, "as recently as January this year."

"This is the most significant, detailed pieces of information about any particular region that we have come across in a long, long time, perhaps ever," he said.
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So, 3 years later they "urgently" tell us about this threat.

Sounds like some trumped up shit to make "somebody" look good/important before the election. insanity...

Love the phrase "I don't want anyone to disabuse themselves". He shouldn't worry, someone is definetly getting abused...

 

[Descent]

This whole fucking adminsitration can kiss my ass. As far as I'm concerned, they can go fuck themselves. The dumb conservative extremists on this board deserve to be castrated so they can't fuck us over again.

 

[mariusthegreat]

According to Tommy Boy..."This is the most significant, detailed pieces of information about any particular region that we have come across in a long, long time, perhaps ever,"
thats funny....not to long ago congress passed the Patriot Act...which would make you think....with many of our rights handed to our "leaders" this is the best they could do??? three year old information?

 

[deus_ex_machina]

you are politically hungry

 

[Skitch0o0]

Me too. I'd like a Capitol Burger with Freedom Fries please.... *mumble* dipshit *mumble*

 

[DanGeo23]

well as we know terrorists don't wake up one morning and decide to carry out an attack that same day... they plan ... unfortunately... intel takes time to piece together...[QUOTE = CNN]Some of the photos were years old, while others had been taken as recently as the past few months, the official said. Some images showed underground garages, leading to the conclusion those areas had been under surveillance.[/QUOTE] so if three years ago terrorists were making plans to strike the US before the November elections.. well then I guess they used three year old intel to issue the warning... if the Prez had the intel and no warning was issued... and we were struck... then he would be criticised more harshly... but I almost feel that some in Kerry's corner would like that because it would make Bush lose some ground in the polls and give them more to criticise about him...

 

[mariusthegreat]

dont you think that if we had three year old intelligence ...we'd try do something about it oh..lets say ....two and a half years ago? just a thought.

 

[voiceofreason]

if the Prez had the intel and no warning was issued... and we were struck... then he would be criticised more harshly... but I almost feel that some in Kerry's corner would like that because it would make Bush lose some ground in the polls and give them more to criticise about him...

I agree, they had to say something, but to make this huge alert, and run the code up to orange over 3 year old intel is idiotic.

Here in the Washington DC area, they are spending $100,000's, maybe millions because of that warning, closing streets, it's a huge thing. Over what??

 

[DanGeo23]

its not not just three year old intel... that is selective reporting... the three year old intel was used in conjunction with current intel... that is what all of the articles said today...

 

[dustinzgirl]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The decision to warn key U.S. financial centers they may be attacked by al Qaeda was based largely on three-year old information, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said on Tuesday, but he insisted the threat was still real.

Ridge's appearance in New York at the Citigroup building named on Sunday as a potential al Qaeda target came as U.S. terrorism intelligence has come under fire again, this time for forcing police in New York, Washington and New Jersey to massively increase security based on old information.

"I don't want anyone to disabuse themselves of the seriousness of this information simply because there are some reports that much of it is dated, it might be two or three years old," Ridge said.

But he insisted al Qaeda had updated its surveillance of financial buildings, "as recently as January this year."

"This is the most significant, detailed pieces of information about any particular region that we have come across in a long, long time, perhaps ever," he said.

Well it takes days to get a real cop to investigate a murder, weeks to get a warrant to arrest a child abuser, months to get a hole in the freeway fixed, years for our government to get off thier fucking worthless tax payer padded asses and DO SOMETHING.

But it only takes minutes for the media to turn america against someone, anyone, else.