When can we expect the "new" intel?

[A_Possum]

They won't take this lying down.

They'll say, "That's a lie, sure some of it's old, but there's really new intel, we just can't show it to you for security reasons. We're outraged that anyone wouldn't take us seriously. Only the Evil Democrats trying to negotiate with terrorists wouldn't take us seriously. We're saddened by such an overtly political ploy launched against our innocent, patriotic selves."

[MajorFlaw]

1. Expect new Intel to arrive. 1/20/05.

Where are my manner, Welcome to DU.

[A_Possum]

3. Thx

Actually been here a year or so, but was gone awhile and can't find my old log-in, lol. But I appreciate your manners. ;)

[Dem2theMax]

2. No later than noon today I would expect.

Boy, you've got the 'Rovespeak' down to a T. LOL.

Yeah, where are MY manners? Ooops.

Welcome to DU as well! :)

Now someone welcome me darn it. I've been waiting all week! lol.

[A_Possum]

4. WELCOME DEM!

:party: :yourock:

[TOhioLiberal]

7. Welcome to DU....

to you too A_Possum.

[prodigal_green]

5. Welcome!!

They really should start releasing "threat information" to areas outside of the northeast. We're simply not buying it anymore.

[TOhioLiberal]

6. Welcome to DU....

Dem2theMax. Love that name BTW.

[Dem2theMax]

8. Yeah!

Now I feel like I'm part of the club! :)
Thank you everyone.
And A_Possum, welcome to you too!

(That Condi pic scares me. LOL.)

[tomfodw]

9. My question is...

...if this intel is 3 years old, then - WHAT THE F*CK HAS BUSH BEEN DOING since 9-11??????

Sorry for the shouting, but seriously. I know the 9-11 Commission just released its report along with recommendations for fixing our intelligence, but Bush has been President all along. He's promised to make us safer - he's sworn that he has made us safer - but our most recent intelligence on Al Qaeda is more than 3 years old? Bush hasn't been on vacation all that time, has he? (That's a rhetorical question, by the way, since I do know as well as the rest of you that he has been on vacation his entire life. Par-TAY!)

I know the press has been reporting the - um - less than "fresh" nature of this news. Will they pick up on the implication that we have essentially wasted 3 years in trying to fix the intelligence failures that kept us from even trying to prevent 9-11? And the implication that Bush has manifestly failed to keep us safe? Don't hold your breath.

(Incidentally, as far as "reall new intel, we just can't show it to you for security reasons" - that can't wash, because they are only now using the 3-year-old intel, which they just got from that Al Qaeda guy just caught in Pakistan, to justify new terror threat levels. If they had anything more recent, we'd have had similar more specific threat warnings already. Remember, this is not one of those generic "We have vague hints of terror plots." This was far more specific, based on the captured terrorist's tales of exactly how they cased various buildings, etc. We haven't had this kind of intelligence before - and my question is, Why haven't we had this kind of intelligence before? What the hell has Dubya been up to? I know - ignoring Al Qaeda to invade Iraq. Again, don't hold your breath waiting for the emasculated Ameican media to talk about this too openly.)

[A_Possum]

10. You do have to wonder....

if this isn't going to turn into a huge political mistake for them. It actually seems to spotlight their incompetence from every angle. And the WaPo and NYT have jumped on it; it's not being swept under the rug at all.

That's why I'm waiting for the frantic counter-spin. They can't have expected these front page articles about it, or even a hint of question from the tame media that their terror alerts are anything but solid gold. So...I think it's blown up in their faces, which means they'll be desperate, and it should be quite a show to watch them contort themselves.

And since this is turning out to be a Mutual Welcome Thread--Welcome to DU, tomf!

:hi:

[tomfodw]

11. Jumping? How high?

Yes, the NYT and WaPo are reporting on the fact that these tales of Al Qaeda casing business & financial centers is 3+ years old. But will they or anyone else really focus on the implication that Bush has frittered away the past 3 years with his obsession on getting Saddam Hussein?

I mean, the Homeland Security and other officials sound real surprised by what they've just learned, as if it's news to them (not the general idea that Al Qaeda is still trying to attack us, but the specifics of how they went about planning their attacks). This says to me that we're not much further now in cracking the terrorists' operations than we were before 9-11, and that is scary news indeed.

I still don't see the media being stirred out of its somnolence, passivity and timidity to explore just how litte Bush has really done to "make us safer" as his partisans yap about incessantly. Even bringing it up leaves one open to charges of "politicizing" 9-11 (the press is too stupid to figure out that charging anyone who criticizes the president with "politicizing 9-11" is itself "politicizing 9-11"!)

I hate to have to keep harping on these two things: that Bush has not made us safer and that the press refuses to tell the truth about how Bush has not made us safer. I wish Kerry and Edwards would have the guts to keep talking about this, in spite of what would surely be a savaging by the tamed media, until they get through to the American public. I'm not sure they could (Bush's attack squadrons would go after them unmercifully, with the media's complicity, they way they're attacking Dean for what he did not really say on Sunday), but I think they have to try.

[A_Possum]

13. Agreed, but...

Just the fact that NYT and WaPo have it front page the next day--that would never have happened a year ago. Maybe I'm overly optimistic (easily possible) but seems to me there is a lot more commentary, a lot sooner, in more respected outlets, concerning the politicization of the alerts. Last year this would have just been in the blogs and back pages.

I note in another thread that Newsday is now claiming an attack scheduled for September...must be that "new" intelligence. Unless they got their years mixed up. The Pakistanis use the European dating format, you know--months and days backwards! The year could be just anything!

[samplegirl]

12. Tired of the Trump Card

Bush has established the precendent for localizing terror alerts.
N.Y. this week
Next week Chicago to be attacked in October raises the altert there
to Orange putting the battle state Illinois in the Red.
Then Ohio when Ridge confirms "credible inttelligence on Wright Patterson in Dayton.
Next Flordia when Intelligence finds Al Queda with clear links to
Bomb Disney. Does Kerrys crew think that political operation run
by Rove a product of Nixon dirty trick years will not keep playing
the "terror trump card?