Al-Qaida operative in British custody warned of N.Y. attack -Knight Ridder

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON - The intelligence that led to this week's heightened terrorism alert came in part from a senior al-Qaida operative in British custody who disclosed that the terrorist network was continuing to plan an attack in New York, possibly around the time of the Republican National Convention, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

The officials said that warning was received simultaneously late last week with the discovery of al-Qaida computer files in Pakistan showing would-be terrorists had conducted surveillance of five buildings in New York, Washington and New Jersey beginning in 2000 and 2001.
...
"What are we supposed to do with this information?" said Larry Johnson, a former top CIA and State Department counterterrorism official.

None of the evidence found in Pakistan indicated that preparations for an attack on the buildings in New York, Washington and New Jersey went beyond the planning stage, he said.

Johnson warned that al-Qaida could be engaged in a deception campaign aimed at confusing U.S. authorities about its plans and fatiguing American defenses by forcing security measures to change constantly. "I think that's where we're headed," he said.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/9320619.htm

[Justice]

1. yeah yeah yeah, that's it, yeah

at least until tomorrow when Britain comes out and says no, it didn't happen that way....

[thebigidea]

2. funny how they keep coming up with sources for that alert

is this the third or fourth one?

[Rose Siding]

5. Three sources- this is the reveal de jour

The computer files (which turned out to be years old) were obtained from a detainee in Pakistan last week. Then there's the general 'they want to get us around election time' theme and now this.

Interesting to note that the Brits are the ones we depended on for the...um...dubious Niger intel.

[aquart]

3. Under torture?

Or did he tell when he was politely asked?

[htuttle]

4. Right. The source is British intelligence

We've heard that one before.

[progressivebydesign]

6. Okay.. then read this article on Yahoo:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040805/ap_on_go_pr_wh/terror_threats&cid=544&ncid=716

If you read thru the whole thing.. you'll notice lots of qualifiers. 'This guy said this, but it didn't have anything to do with that', and 'the info said this, but it didn't specifically name that'.

IF this was NOT politically motivated, then WHY did Ridge have to read that bullshit line in his warning about President Bush? Why did he HAVE a SCRIPT in front of him, that PRAISED Bush for his initiative on this????? That's where these morons slip up.

DO I think that the terrorists were considering financial institutions 3 to 4 years ago? Of course. They flew into the World Trade Center. This Administration is making fools of themselves trying to look as though they're on top of things. I WELCOME real warnings, based on more cohesive information. There was much more specific info available before the 9/11 attack, they were just too political, too lazy, and too stubborn to take action on it.

Bush and Cheney should be impeached on the fact, alone, that they shelved the Hart/Rudman report.. ignored the pleadings of the outgoing Clinton intelligence briefers.. and did nothing to stop the 9/11 attacks. I'm not saying they knew the time and place specifically.. BUT they KNEW there was something coming and it involved planes. Otherwise, why did the Pentagon have a drill planned for that very week, in which a plane was flown into the building?

[fearnobush]

7. At least in Norther NJ, Most people, Puke and Dem and indifferent are

terrored out. Sick of it and are longing for those pre 911 leave it to beaver days.

[Emillereid]

8. I keep wondering if all of the new terra is a set-up for a staged

'terrorist' capture or 'foiled plot' in New York around the time of the convention. Bush would look like a hero who saved New York. Maybe they plan on showing him swooping in on the terrorists himself (cape or no cape?) brandishing his gun -- and saying 'Make my Day."

Seriously I'm getting intuitive feelings that everything is being staged for us -- it's all some kind of lead-up to the convention.

[Bridget Burke]

12. Arnold will be in NYC as well...

He's got the know-how to stage a big action scene.

[ILeft]

13. Arnold's not a producer or director, just an actor.

Like George, Arnold only follows his stage directions. It is amusing when George and Arnold try to ad-lib in their scenes, though.

[NoBorders]

15. wouldn't doubt it

this new 'treasure trove' of intel will lead to all sorts of wonderful al qaeda arrests right up to the convention. Funny how all this intel comes to light 3.5 years after 9/11.

[lottie244]

9. Confusing us? Not to mention bankrupting us.

They are going to do to the US what the US did to the Russians during the cold war. Make them spend all their resources and us up all their viable young men on the military. The rest of the men will largely become wealthy corporate crooks, drunks or druggies...and their goes your country.

[saigon68]

10. AFTER THEY SHOVED A PLASTIC ROD UP HIS RECTUM

HE sang like a Canary

[leftchick]

11. Johnson was great on Olberman's show the other night.

He said you take the information and use surveillance to catch the bad guys. Like they do in the UK and other parts of the world. You don't have to scare the shit out of a city. Without directly saying so he hinted the terra alert was bogus!

[daleo]

14. Poodle and chimp have a nice little echo chamber going

1 - Chimp: Poodle's intelligence was the source of the warning.
2 - Poodle: The warning was backed up by the Chimp's intelligence.

goto step 1 and repeat