Captured Qaeda Figure Led Way to Information Behind Warning

[Roon]

ASHINGTON, Aug. 1 - The unannounced capture of a figure from Al Qaeda in Pakistan several weeks ago led the Central Intelligence Agency to the rich lode of information that prompted the terror alert on Sunday, according to senior American officials.

The figure, Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, was described by a Pakistani intelligence official as a 25-year-old computer engineer, arrested July 13, who had used and helped to operate a secret Qaeda communications system where information was transferred via coded messages.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/02/politics/02intel.html?ei=5006&en=191a653487a53251&ex=1092024000&partner=ALTAVISTA1&pagewanted=print&position=

[Newsjock]

1. Yes! I'll talk! Stop sodomizing me!

Yes, we have attacks planned for New York and Washington! Stop holding me underwater! Yes, we hate the World Bank! Will you please stop taking pictures of my genitals? Yes, Clinton did it! Can I go home now?

[graywarrior]

2. My thoughts exactly.

You put it better.

[UpInArms]

5. ve haf vays ov mekking yu tok

you just have to know that this information is completely unreliable.

this is just stupefying.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Oh Jesus!

Coded messages say close the Holland Tunnel. Bush has pulled out ALL
THE STOPS. The only question left is whether they will attempt to keep up this level of hype up to November 2. I suggest that if they do, it will cost this country a trillion dollars.

[gmoney]

4. Either that, or Ridge just watched "Fight Club"

...remember the ending? "Where is my mind?" indeed...

[rocktivity]

6. Several WEEKS ago? As in, BEFORE the Dem convention?

They sat on this info until AFTER the Dem convention? Why in the world did they do that? Surely they weren't worried about being accused of trying to undermine the Dems! When national security is at stake, you don't worry about such petty things--you get the information out right away. And speaking of conventions, shouldn't the GOP one be moved to another city--one that could be more easily guarded?

:headbang:
rocknation

[nose pin]

17. If the info was PGP-encrypted

it would have taken a while for the NSA to crack the "uncrackable" encryption key.

[rocktivity]

22. It was the guy they captured who got "cracked," LOL!

:headbang:
rocknation

[markses]

7. Which pretty much assures us the information is bunk

n/t

[liberalmuse]

8. In the words of The Gipper...

'Here we go again!' I mean, it's not as if the last 2 dozen terror alerts weren't pulled out of some Al Qaeda operative's ass, either. WTF are we funding the CIA for, to get false info from captured terrorists? Is this the sophisticated intelligence gathering that's supposed to prevent another attack? Sheeit! Then Bush pushes his little panic button every damn time. Is anyone else getting that we are SO fucked?

[The Magistrate]

10. Indeed, Ma'am

It is pretty obvious by now that these people, when captured, engage in well-calculated attempts at dis-information, aimed at their captors. Indeed, in punlished excerpts from al Queda manuals in circulation a couple of years ago, this technique was recommended, and training for it described.

"The mind wobbles...."

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. So, have they been getting this "information" under "duress"? If so,...

...it's completely worthless. If he's still alive, and has access to television, he's probably laughing his ass off.

[ThePhilosopher04]

11. If this guy is such a "treasure trove" of information...

why on earth would this not be classified information and why is his name being leaked to the media as the source of the terrorist plot? Sounds suspiciously like more disinformation to me.

[The Magistrate]

13. Welcome To The Forum, Sir

You are quite correct. If a competent security service was actually in possessio of such information as this that they deemed reliable, the very last thing they would do would be make it public. Rather, they would do everything in their power to make sure their foe was unaware the plot had been rumbled, in order to have it unfold for harvesting the operatives involved on the verge of its execution....

"Stupid men do stupid things, and desperate men do desperate things. We are in for a desperately stupid summer."

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[merh]

15. And when was it reported that Tom Ridge wants to leave to go to the

private sector to make more money to put his kids to college?

Was that at the same time "the weed that would be king" told him to increase the terra alert? Maybe Ridge is sick of the lies?

Maybe...

[nodictators]

23. Ridge was chided by one of the TV networks

Can't remember whether it was CBS or ABC, probably the latter.

Seems Ridge included a bit of a Bush campaign commercial along with his "NYC terror" warning. The TV people said that was inappropriate. You bet your bippy, it was!

[merh]

24. Terra, terra, terra!

Vote for *!

:puke:

[cosmicdot]

21. yet, we can't get a simple Energy Task Force report from Cheney

but, they share alleged al qaeda game plans

it doesn't make sense

they make a serious matter into a farce
and political strategy - shameful

what's the crime/punishment for yelling fire in a theatre?

http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/fiore/2004/07/07_201.html

[Dover]

12. Bushco had best be careful or 'someone' WILL deliver an attack they

hadn't planned on, directed at THEM. Someone such as the CIA may turn the tables on them and take them up on their threats for real.

[Old and In the Way]

14. Well, Mr. Khan's "rich lode" must have names of all of the

participants in the plan, too....right? No????

[nose pin]

18. They probably have

IP addys, email addys, and screen names, but not necessarily people's names. It would be like having DU's member list, with all the members using proxys. Somewhat helpful, but not "let's go pick them up" specific.

[Kool Kitty]

19. Exactly. Why all the

"beware of the boogey man" bullshit, why don't they just go pick these people up? Oh, that's right-if they don't come out and scare everyone, John Kerry might be on the front page of the papers tomorrow morning. Or the newsmodels might be talking about how Colin Powell was questioned about the Plame outing. (Poor choice of words on my part-makes it seem like a picnic.) Or how Rummy is probably going to take a fall for Abu Ghraib. Can't have that, you know.

[librechik]

16. been here, done this

total BS

can we say "launch in 45 minutes?"

Elect that captured terrorist president of Pakistan.

[John_H]

20. If the NY times had read a DU thread from a month ago

they could have written this story then.

Somebody w/ search function should post a link. I started a thread predicting that just after the dem convention there would be a thwarted terra attack. Another DUer agreed, but told me that I had missed something: that the thwarting would be based on a capture of an Al Queda operative in Pakistan, as a result of aggressive interrogation techniques.

That DUer was right on the money.

This story proves just how cravn, cynical, and careerist the mediawhores are--they'll print this stuff straight even though everybody--including them--knows it's 100 percent pure bull shit.

[mzmolly]

25. So the Pat Act is NOT the reason and we still have to capture the bad guys

?! Interesting :crazy: