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In reply to the discussion: Greenwald: Embassy Closings Looks Like A Conspiracy To Silence NSA Debate [View all]OnyxCollie
(9,958 posts)When Democrats began conducting hearings on domestic surveillance in the summer of '07, "chatter" and Al Qaeda threats troubled Michael Chertoff's gut.
Chertoffs Gut Says Summer Terrorist Attack
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/chertoffs_gut_says_summer_terrorist_attack/
Fearing complacency among the American people over possible terror threats, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in Chicago Tuesday that the nation faces a heightened chance of an attack this summer. I believe we are entering a period this summer of increased risk, Chertoff told the Chicago Tribunes editorial board in an unusually blunt and frank assessment of Americas terror threat level.
Summertime seems to be appealing to them, he said of al-Qaeda. We do worry that they are rebuilding their activities.
Still, Chertoff said there are not enough indications of an imminent plot to raise the current threat levels nationwide. And he indicated that his remarks were based on a gut feeling formed by past seasonal patterns of terrorist attacks, recent al-Qaeda statements, and intelligence he did not disclose. There is an assessment not of a specific threat, but of increased vulnerability, he added.