U.S. Strives to Grasp Terror Plot's Scope

[cthrumatrix]

U.S. Strives to Grasp Terror Plot's Scope


By TED BRIDIS, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The government is no closer to understanding some important details about possible terror plots against American financial institutions, intelligence and law enforcement officials acknowledge.


Investigators are poring over the trove of documents and photographs that led to this week's urgent warnings from the Homeland Security Department. But intelligence agencies have been unable to reach a consensus on whether the unusually detailed documents recovered in Pakistan reflect a defunct terror plot or one that might have been successfully interrupted.


"We have very little information — target information, but not the full breadth of the plot or possible plot," one law enforcement official said Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because parts of the investigation are classified.


snip

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040804/ap_on_go_pr_wh/terror_threats&cid=544&ncid=716

Rumor has it that Ms. Cleo is on the case.

[ixion]

1. okay... as usual, the flaw is in their premise, but the media ignore it

Here's the key quote:

"We have very little information — target information, but not the full breadth of the plot or possible plot,"


If this were really a threat, we wouldn't hear a word about it, because they wouldn't want to compromise the investigation. I mean, isn't that SOP?

The fact that they broadcast it worldwide belies the truth, that it is in fact not a threat, but something they can control, IMO.

[shockingelk]

2. Defunct or interrupted

So why all the fuss and extra security and change of lights on Ridge's Xmas tree ...

[TaleWgnDg]

3. it's difficult to ascertain . . .

what's truly going on here . . . and I'd venture to say that we shall never know. It's all merely guessing.

Is the GWBush Administration jumping up and down like a little kid saying "see, I can connect the dots, see? I can. I really CAN connect the dots now!!" Or, is the GWBush Administration trying to mindfield the impact of the Democratic National Convention (after all, this is such dated, old material)thus the timing is suspect?

Perchance Bill Clinton's deference to GWBush is a tad bit too polite shall we say in light of the timing of this latest "orange code" from GWBush through Tom Ridge??

Frankly, I don't believe that AP has any scoop on any of this.

My take is that Dumbya doesn't want to be "responsible" for another surprise 9-11 w/o dropping "orange alerts" to the public no matter how disingenuous the droppings may be. Ain't THAT the truth?

=====================================================
"I'm sure something will pop into my head." — GWBush,
when asked to name the biggest mistake he had made
since 9/11. Presidential press conference, Washington,
D.C., April 13, 2004.

=====================================================

[ixion]

4. that's was the point of my first post... there are NO DOTS to connect

by their own admission...see above.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[TaleWgnDg]

6. yup, no dots to connect . . .

is the conjecture . . . or is it? We shall never know, unless the horrific happens again. And THIS is what Dumbya does NOT want to be holding, the bag of 'ooops' yet again. Or is it a "Nixonian" attempt to "Watergate" the DNC minus a break-in?

Thanks for the "welcome." :)

[dbt]

5. Here's the scope:

BOO! Terrists a-comin'! Be afraid! Go shopping! Vote for bu$h!

Any way you want to slice it, the latest Terra Lert was meant to grab headlines. The fact that "intelligence agencies" cannot figure out what the information meant only points up the fact that the Lert was declared to scare people. The Regime jumped on it with both feet and half an ass.

:freak:
dbt

[teryang]

7. Amateur hour in the national security establishment

...The real evidence of high level government corruption connected with so called "al qaeda" terrorists is squelched by the Attorney General and the court order to gag Sibel Edmonds. This story is so amateurish it instills a total lack of confidence in the current regime.

If this were to be analyzed from the Machiavellian perspective that the unelected cabal has been following, it appears to be an implausible backdrop full of holes intended to support a forthcoming contigency plan to interfere in the electoral process.

[saltara]

9. amateurish but effectively distracting?

Look what else was breaking:

1) Friday, July 29, 2004 - Senator Dayton's (D-MN) statement at Senate Government Affairs Committee Hearing on the 9/11 Commission Report:

"During those entire 109 minutes to my reading of the report this country and its citizens were completely undefended... Yet NORAD's public chronology of 9/18/01 and their Commission testimony 20 months later covered up those truths. They lied to the American people, they lied to Congress and they lied to your 9/11 Commission to create a false impression of competence, communication, coordination and protection of the American people. And we can set up all the oversight possible at great additional cost to the American taxpayers and it won't be worth an Enron pension if the people responsible lie to us..."

transcript (scroll down) (?'s about Bush/Rumsfeld's actions too):
http://www.911citizenswatch.org/

2) Sibel Edmonds August 1 letter to Thomas Kean:

"If Counterintelligence receives information that contains money laundering, illegal arm sales, and illegal drug activities, directly linked to terrorist activities; and if that information involves certain nations, certain semi-legit organizations, and ties to certain lucrative or political relations in this country, then, that information is not shared with Counterterrorism... you have not proposed criminal investigations into this conduct, although under the laws of this country you are required to do so.... How can budget increases address and resolve these problems, when some of them are caused by unspoken practices and unwritten policies?"

entire letter posted at www.911citizenswatch.org (scroll down)

3) from Talking Points Memo by Joshua Micah Marshall 8/1/2004:

"Today, the Sunday Times of London reports that the Italian middle-age man who provided the notorious Niger uranium documents to Italian journalist Elizabetta Burba (she later brought them to the US Embassy in Rome, you'll remember) was himself given the documents by the Italian military intelligence service, SISMI. I can vouch for the accuracy of this account since I have been working on this story for six months."

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_08_01.php

4) Kerry's well-written, well-delivered speech and the crowds that are turning out to see him on the campaign trail

Machiavellian media or media with holes in their head?

[FormerOstrich]

8. Give me a break...

At least they could put the effort into it enough to lie well, since that's about all we get.

I don't know how many times I saw "specific", "credible" and "Imminent" as they story broke. Now it would seem they have no target information and are not even sure if it is a terror plot at all.

Well I have a tip for them. They can post it all over in GD and I am confident that DU would be able to analyze and interpret the implications of the information. I think our track record beats theirs all to hell. Well let Ridge know what color is appropriate.

back to my original thought....if you are going to take all my money and insult my intelligence can you at least try to do it well!!!!