I've a hunch we'll see more "foiled terrorist plots" in Battleground...

[Brotherjohn]

... states.

First it's Ohio. Next up: Florida, Pennsylvania, etc.

By the time everyone realizes that nothing's come of it (Jose Padilla, anyone?), the election will have come and gone.

[trotsky]

1. It's virtually guaranteed.

They never have to prove the scheme was really going to happen - just arrest someone, hold them in jail without charging them, and claim they stopped a plot.

[SlingBlade]

2. You Bet

All the battleground states.

Fuckers, If only they would catch one of these assholes redhanded.

[bushwakker]

3. A terror threat a day from here on out

with a particular emphasis on swing state terror threats

[lovedems]

4. According to CNN, the would be Ohio Mall Bomber was arrested

last Novemeber...

Asscrack's timing, as usual, is suspect. It isn't going to be difficult to accuse him of "politicizing" our terror threats when he has had this guy in custody for 7 friggin' months.

[Brotherjohn]

5. Paul Krugman addresses this very point today.

http://nytimes.com/2004/06/15/opinion/15KRUG.html

"Perhaps most telling is the way Mr. Ashcroft responds to criticism of his performance. His first move is always to withhold the evidence. Then he tries to change the subject by making a dramatic announcement of a terrorist threat."

"The (torture) memo came out late Sunday. Mr. Ashcroft called a press conference yesterday — to announce an indictment against a man accused of plotting to blow up a shopping mall in Ohio. The timing was, I'm sure, purely coincidental."

[lovedems]

6. God only knows how many people are being detained by Asscrack

without representation so he can pull a terror attack out his hat when the going gets rough (a "foiled" terror attack I should say). How many are legitimately being held and how many are innocent? The thought is frightening.

We won't know the number I suspect until we get a new attorney general.

Thanks for refering me to the article. Asscroft certainly is the most dangerous attorney general our country has ever had. Reno was on top of the Ok city bombing and one perp is dead and the other is serving life. If Reno was still in charge, I bet we would have prosectued the anthrax terrorist by now but instead asscrack wants to go after artists.

[Brotherjohn]

7. Almost 3 years since 9-11. How many terror convictions have we gotten?

We've had a lot of "announcements", a lot of "alleged" plots.

The only actual trial and conviction regarding a terror plot I can think of it Richard Reid's shoe-bomb plot (maybe another 1 or 2?). And he was arguably just a loner who identified with Al Qaeda.

[lovedems]

9. Not to mention it would have been an easy case to prosecute.

The guy tried to light his shoe on fire on an airplane. There were multiple witnesses and he didn't deny *anything* as far as I can remember.

That was probably a cake walk for the DOJ.

I wonder if the would be Ohio Mall Bomber has even been charged with any terrorists activities. Last I saw he was being detained on immigration violations. Unless I see some evidence, I am of the opinion Asscrack has himself a Muslim scapegoat. Well, he probably has several.

[lovedems]

11. One more thing,

Since he has been held on immigration violations, shouldn't he have access to counsel? I haven't heard if he has the right to an attorney but I suspect if he has one, he would have been on the news.

Is this another case of someone being detained illegally?

[Eurobabe]

12. Just read Krugman, glad he is exposing the 'crack' for what he is

[FloridaPat]

8. I hadn't heard that part. I bet most people think the attack would

have been recently. Sounds like another depressed Christmas person.

[lovedems]

10. He was arrested Novemeber 28.

And he is being held on immigration violations, not terrorist activities.

Makes you wonder...