NYT- Reports That Led to Terror Alert Were Years Old, Officials Say

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -Much of the information that led the authorities to raise the terror alert at several large financial institutions in the New York City and Washington areas was three or four years old, intelligence and law enforcement officials said on Monday. They reported that they had not yet found concrete evidence that a terror plot or preparatory surveillance operations were still under way.

But the officials continued to regard the information as significant and troubling because the reconnaissance already conducted has provided Al Qaeda with the knowledge necessary to carry out attacks against the sites in Manhattan, Washington and Newark. They said Al Qaeda had often struck years after its operatives began surveillance of an intended target.

Taken together with a separate, more general stream of intelligence, which indicates that Al Qaeda intends to strike in the United States this year, possibly in New York or Washington, the officials said even the dated but highly detailed evidence of surveillance was sufficient to prompt the authorities to undertake a global effort to track down the unidentified suspects involved in the surveillance operations.

"You could say that the bulk of this information is old, but we know that Al Qaeda collects, collects, collects until they're comfortable,'' said one senior government official. "Only then do they carry out an operation. And there are signs that some of this may have been updated or may be more recent.''

http://nytimes.com/2004/08/03/politics/03intel.html?hp

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Who needs terrorists

When we have the Bu$h misadministration to terrorize us.

This is to the point of a criminal act.

[Renew Deal]

12. You are correct.

We are fighting terrorist at home and abroad. Our domestic terrorists are the gov't. Fucking criminals. I can't believe what my country has become.

[bluestateguy]

2. The boy cried wolf again

And when the boy cries wolf for real--and make no mistake about it, someday the threat WILL be real--nobody will believe him, and the country will be less safe because of it.

[TahitiNut]

5. Update: The boy cries 'blitzer' these days.

... the tame wolf.

[IndianaGreen]

10. They have done nothing but to raise false alarms time and time again

The fact that the information is stale is just another nail in their coffin. It has gotten to the point that whenever I see Tom Ridge or Ashcroft on TV I automatically change the channel to the Cartoon Network.

Morons!

[Supply Side Jesus]

3. really....

"You could say that the bulk of this information is old, but we know that Al Qaeda collects, collects, collects until they're comfortable,'' said one senior government official.

So if they take YEARS....why in the HELL did we fail to catch oh....i dont know....the plan to have 4 airplanes smash into planes....

[RobertSeattle]

4. I remember listening to Tony Snow(job) today

"This adminstration would never use terrorists alerts for politcal purposes".

Right....

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. Chockie Roberts said

that neither candidate had any control over these terror alerts.

I almost broke another radio.

[latebloomer]

7. So that's why

they had men with machine guns stationed at buildings today, streets cordoned off, people freaking. . .

Can EVERYBODY see thru this bullshit yet??

:eyes:

[HysteryDiagnosis]

13. you've gotta be pretty good to hit.....

....the pieces of a suicide bomber as they are flying through the air... these guys must be some terrific marksmen.

[absolutezero]

8. i was just yelled at by my stepmother

she claims that NYtimes is lying and that i'm supporting the terrorists by daring to question shrubya.... the lengths people will go to rationalize their support for this idiot

[Democat]

18. Some people can never admit being wrong, they seem attracted to Bush

People who think they are always right seem to like the fact that Bush thinks he is always right.

Don't let her get to you, keep up the fight!

[Old and In the Way]

20. Our political opponents have been consistantly wrong for over a decade.

They were wrong about Clinton, they were wrong about Bush. Sadly, they perceive politics like it's sports. You support the "home" team irregardless of their record. Guys like Limbaugh, O'Reilly, and Hannity cultivate this kind of thinking in their base....

[Sporadicus]

9. The Financial District in NYC Should Sue the Gov't's Ass Off

I'm no lawyer, but a class-action lawsuit for losses incurred because of a faux terror alert doesn't seem out-of-line to me.

[Renew Deal]

15. And also all the people they scared the shit out of.

Today I was swearing that if they put an alert on my building that I was moving west. But how can I trust that these criminals are telling the truth. Another reason is to move to get out from in front of the gun of Bushco.

[WindRavenX]

11. Jesus christ

This administration is downright criminal.

[HarveyBriggs]

17. No, more like Rosanne Rosanna Danna ...

"NEEEEVERRRRMIIIINNND!"

This campaign is going to boil down to, "Why did we make Barney Fife President, and why did John Kerry allow Barney to have more than one bullet?"

Harvey Briggs

[mike1963]

14. Intel from Paul Revere!

The British are coming! YIIIIKKKEEESSSSSSSSS

[whistle]

16. Intelligence information is like milk, when it's passed an...

...expiration date, you might as well throw it away. Four year old intelligence about Al Qaeda attacks on a variety of targets under consideration, before the World Trade Center Towers were hit, make little sense in today's situation. This sounds like closing the barn door after the horses got away. But, it makes for good drama.

If the terrorists were collecting information on U.S. financial center targets, why not U.S. refineries, ports, distribution centers, stadiums, factories, schools, police stations, on and on and on? These have all been targets of terrorist attacks in the Middle East. Even richer targets are bridges, tunnels, subways, truck stops.....hey, what would U.S. truckers think if they knew they might be targets of terrorist attacks?

I believe that terrorist operatives may very well have been active and gathering this type of information for their planners ever since 9/11, but the Homeland Security/FBI/CIA are only able to shake loose terrorist intelligence that is four years old. This is scary that we are this far behind about our understanding of what our enemies may know about our vulnerabilities.

I don't need an administration to be flashing color warnings at me about something I already am aware of. I need to know that as a citizen, the leaders and people who have the responsibility of keeping us from harm's way are way ahead of what our enemies are doing. Time for a change, vote Kerry/Edwards in November.

[Halliburton]

19. Breaking News - Fox Reports...

Napoleon wants to take over all of Europe.

[struggle4progress]

21. Hey, guys! I gotta hot tip on Fort Sumpter! eom

[lazarus]

22. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=724161