Credibility Cloud Hangs Over U.S. Terror Warnings

[MrBadExample]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040804/ts_nm/security_alert_dc_34

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration insists its terror warnings should be taken in deadly earnest, but many Americans feel political motives, faulty intelligence and the "cry wolf" factor may be clouding their credibility.

"The security of the United States and potential terror threats are being perceived by some as a tool to garner political support," said Jonathan Schanzer, a terrorism analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

"The average American doesn't know what to do when they hear these threats, and that's where the frustration and cynicism come from."

Security officials have been scrambling to convince skeptics that the latest terror alert issued on Sunday against five specific financial targets is real, alarming and no election-year ploy -- even if some of the threat information is several years old.

[gristy]

1. That's a pretty good article.

Analysts say the skepticism stems from a range of factors including concerns about the accuracy of U.S. intelligence following the failure to prevent the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and discredited claims of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq (news - web sites).

They say some Americans are also frustrated by a lack of government advice on what they should do to protect themselves in face of the terror threats.

[54anickel]

2. No really, this time it IS real (as compared to the umpteen other times)

Someday it might be real, but so what are we supposed to do about it? Will Shrub still tell us to go out and shop, go about your normal business? How can we take this seriously when Pickles was trapsing around NY. :eyes:

[swag]

3. Tasty. I mean I wish we had a real executive branch and all,

instead of these shameless liars and thieves, but it's tasty to see the mainstream media finally waking the hell up.

The headline of the street final of today's Oregonian (an awful newspaper in spite of the efforts of a few reputable people, like David Sarasohn) even has a blaring headline about the questionable credibility of the Terror Alert.

[HereSince1628]

4. The fear thing is wearing off? Oh the implications

What? Without fear there is only negative campaigning...which only brings back to power the Nastyist Karl Roverer. I prefer the Tom the town cryer Ridge to him.

Without terra Bush's near beer had got no fizz, his beefs got no sizzle...what a minute there is no beef in a chickenhawk!

[amber dog democrat]

5. The powers that be have cried " Woof Woof" too many times.

Its all I can do to supress a yawn when yet another multicolored alert is squeaked about in the media.

My immediate reaction is BFD. The Terra Ists can take a number or get back to me later while i go about my buisness. I can NOT believe in any alert coming out of the Fatherland Security Command.

[Alleycat]

6. This time around...

Unlike all the other past warnings, the media has been doing a better job in the questioning of the source and intelligence. I am myself suspicious in the way the message was delivered by Tom Ridge (political undertones praising the wonderful job and concerns of the Pres) as well as the fact that they were not forthcoming in saying the info was years old. Why was this not stated up front?

[Old and In the Way]

7. No it wasn't stated.

Welcome on board!

The best these losers can do is trot out Ridge, show colored warning codes, and then scamper back to their hidey holes.

[AirAmFan]

12. The age of the 'new intel' could not be revealed until Dubya's PHOTO-OP

was in the can Monday.

Last spring, TIME magazine ran a piece about Karen Hughes's PR plans for the runup to Election Day. The TIME reporters cited "Administration sources" for a tip that Homeland Security had been asked 'to provide Bush with one homeland-security photo-op a month'.

Hence the "mini press conference" in the Rose Garden on Monday, the one where Dubya pointedly ignored Helen Thomas. If the four-year age of the "new intel" about financial district terror had been revealed before Monday morning, the photo-op might not have gone so smoothly.

And what value in molding pre-election public opinion would come from a photo-op that does not go smoothly?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. The Brits have the right idea

Today they arrested a number of people on suspicion of terrorism. No color threat levels, no inciting of mass hysteria. To my mind, by working quietly without any warning, the British were able to actually apparently FIND terrorists before they carried out a plot.

That's the way things should work here-no stupid 'alerts'-just results.

[54anickel]

14. Right idea, but under the Bushitas we'd probably all be arrested, and

they would continue to keep the real terrorists under surviellance, playing "I Spy" and only arresting when it would be advantageous to their master facist plan.

[LivingInTheBubble]

23. not quite.

It was headline news. They made the suspects put on hazard suits and wrapped their cars in plastic all in the middle of the road.

There is plenty of hysteria here and the media is complicit in it because it gives them some juicy headlines. When the suspects are released as the other hundreds have been they will probably not even bother reporting it.

[Beetwasher]

9. Giff Miller!

My old rep...Great guy! He's going to go far in NY politics and possibly then some...

Good article...

[Hawkeye-X]

10. I hope that the Kerry administration

Will do away with stupid color coded alerts and do what the british do.

[LibDemAlways]

11. While doing some volunteer work at

my daughter's school this morning, I overheard a woman saying she had cancelled a trip to NYC set for next week because of the warning. She was terrified a terrorist was going to get her. Doesn't chimpco know or care that these alerts are bad for tourism at the height of the summer vacation season?

[bemildred]

13. "political motives, faulty intelligence and the 'cry wolf' factor"

They left out a cynical doubt that any of these half-wits
have the slightest clue what the enemies of the US are likely
to do yet.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

15. They don't give a crap about that as long as that scared lady is no

longer paying attention to 10's of thousands streaming in to Kerry and Edwards rallies.

[Junkdrawer]

16. Here's a clue: When Bush sends his wife and both kids...

To one of the four or five buildings named in the alert on the first day of said alert, it's probably not real.

[evworldeditor]

17. It's got little if anything to do with concern about our safety...

... it's all about covering their own asses.

[Nile]

19. You are right because...

if they do not tell us and then something happens people will just scream even more. "They knew and did not tell us." They know that you can not have it both ways.

[DeepModem Mom]

18. kick

[JSJ]

20. bush regime only credible terror threat- all else is bullshit n/t

[Dancing_Dave]

21. Here's a much,much better article on this topic.

Be sure to check out the links too::)
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CRG408A.html

[Fish08]

22. Crying Wolf puts everyone at risk

[newyawker99]

24. Hi Fish08!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: